Call For Application: Scaling Food Systems Innovations by Youths for Healthy Diets 4 Africa

Are you a Kenyan Youth passionate about the food system? Join the Youth in Agribusiness Innovators’  Challenge for an opportunity to maximize the potential of your idea/innovation and/or enterprise in transforming the Food System.

ABOUT THE CHALLENGE
As part of the European Union Funded Healthy Diets 4 Africa Project, Food Security for Peace and Nutrition Africa (FSPN-Africa) is engaging youth innovators in leading Food System transformation in Kenya through the Youth in Agribusiness  Innovators’ Challenge. The main goal of the challenge is to empower, strengthen and shape innovations by youth in agriculture, food and nutrition in an effort to position for scaling.
This initiative will provide a platform for young people to improve their capacities through mentorship and linkages to partners,  experts and key resources to support the adoption of best approaches to improve innovations for food and nutrition security that are sustainable and scalable.

WHAT YOU NEED

  • Submit your idea\innovations\ enterprise by filling in this form
  • Upload 1-2 minute video  showing how your innovations\solution works

INNOVATION ELIGIBILITY 

Solutions submitted to Youth in Agribusiness Innovators Challenge should:

1. Address a food system problem  in one or more  of these thematic areas:

  • Sustainable Innovations for crop production ( solutions that improve productivity while  managing natural resources such as water, and soil)
  • Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture (solutions that provide healthy food by utilizing small spaces)
  • Value Addition( solutions/process/ techniques/enterprises  that  transform raw agricultural  products to new products)
  • Storage and Post Handling Innovations ( innovations that work to reduce food waste and losses

  2.   Focus on the following Value Chains

  • Vegetables ( Mushrooms, African Leafy Vegetables, Pumpkin and \or Pumpkin Leaves)
  • Cereals (Finger Millet, Pearl Millet and/or Sorghum)
  • Tubers ( Cassava and/or Sweet potatoes)
  • Legumes (Pigeon Peas, green grams and/or  Beans)
  • Fruits ( Tree tomato, Guava, Baobab: any additional fruits are acceptable)

  3.  Have a presence in NAIROBI AND MAKUENI Counties in Kenya

  4. Clearly show novelty,  feasibility and sustainability

TEAM ELIGIBILITY 

You can make  a submission  for your idea/innovation/enterprise as an individual or a team of not more than five

 All applicants and teams should not be more than 35 years of age.

BENEFITS

Participants selected for the Young Food System Innovators will:

1.  Networking and collaborating with Healthy  Diets 4 Africa partners and participating teams.

2. Business/innovation and financial assessment for scaling support.

3.  Training, mentorship and expert feedback on position for scaling.

4.  Tailor-made matchmaking with industry actors for innovation/solution scaling.

5.  Successful  businesses/innovations  will be awarded grants  between USD 500-USD 1000

Submit your application by 30th June 2023

CONSENT

Kindly note that by participating in the Youth in Agribusiness Innovators Challenge you give consent for your idea/innovation/solution to be promoted through FSPN-Africa’s and Healthydiets4Africa Platforms.