AWARD GAIA AgTech Innovation Challenge 2017 for West & North Africa.

March 3, 2017

Application Deadline: 9th March 2017

Do you have a big idea that could transform agriculture and agribusiness in West or North Africa?

The efficiency of African agriculture is hampered by a persistent gender gap. Gender in Agribusiness Investments for Africa (GAIA) ensures visibility, commercialization, and scaling up of agricultural research innovations (AgTech) with the potential to bridge the gender gap in African agriculture by focusing on agribusinesses that demonstrate clear benefits to groups that are often marginalized in agriculture including women smallholder farmers and other women value chain actors.

AWARD are pleased to announce that GAIA is now accepting applications from institutions and enterprises for the 2017 AWARD AgTech Innovation Challenge for West and North Africa. GAIA has been launched by African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) to increase agribusiness investments in technological and business model innovations that help bridge the gender gap in African agriculture and particularly those that enhance the positive participation of African women in agricultural value chains across the continent.

Do you have a big idea that has been piloted successfully in West or North Africa?
West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia

Eligibility

AWARD GAIA is looking for enterprises that:

Serve the agriculture or allied sectors;
Demonstrate clear benefits to groups that are often marginalized in agriculture including women smallholder farmers and other women value chain actors;
Have an innovative technology or business model;
Have a clear for-profit business model with high potential for scale;
Have some proof of concept on the ground, conducted pilots and are preferably generating revenues;
Are seeking funding to commercialize or scale.

Benefits

The top 25 companies will participate in an in-depth boot camp, and then be showcased to investors, incubators, and other support organizations in Accra, Ghana from March 29-31, 2017.
The goal of this challenge is to increase agribusiness investments in technological and business model innovations that have the potential to help close the gender gap in African agriculture.

Application Procedure:

To apply, please complete this application form;
For any enquiries, contact: [email protected] or [email protected]
Submissions will be evaluated on a rolling basis until 9th March 2017.
Early submissions are encouraged, and winners will be notified on 13th March 2017.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the AWARD GAIA AgTech Innovation Challenge 2017