UN FAO Global AgriInno Challenge 2022 for Youth Agripreneurs (Fully-funded to China)

For the UN FAO Global AgriInno Challenge 2022, applications are now being accepted. The Global AgriInno Challenge is an international contest for young agricultural entrepreneurs and innovators that highlights and supports their work.

Global AgriInno Challenge 2022 will continue to provide entrepreneurs a vibrant platform to exchange experience, advance expertise, and give them the chance to join the extensive global network of collaboration after the past two sessions were successfully organized in 2020 and 2021.

Do you want to help the digital agricultural industry overcome its obstacles and challenges? Are you prepared to share your novel concepts with the world? Do you long for links with a variety of mentoring provided by the government, top angel capitalists, and academic authorities? Seize the opportunity to submit your team’s application!
Six teams will be chosen and invited to the final pitch event, which will be held in Hangzhou, China on November 30, 2022, with all associated costs paid. The event’s theme is “addressing difficulties connected to the transformation of the agrifood systems in line with FAO’s four betters.” Seed funds will be given to the successful teams.

Benefits:

The teams selected to attend the Innovation For Good and Pitch Event in China will benefit from:

• 2-day professional development around your team’s solution through an approach of cocreation with other young agripreneurs/innovators and experienced experts worldwide. All
  related expenses for attending the Hacking For Good and pitch events in China will be
  covered, including travel expenses: round-trip flight and/or train; local transportation fee
  (taxi/bus/subway); accommodation and meals; visa application fees as applicable for
  international participants.
• The access to open data sets from FAO and other partners, such as the FAO Hand-in-Hand
  Geospatial Platform, FAO Digital Services Portfolio, Data Lab for Statistical Innovation, and
  the Earthmap, a Google Earth Engine based tool, etc.
• Advice from experienced experts from the UN, international organizations, the private
  sector and academia, and the chance to have a dialogue with high-level representatives
  from leading companies and organizations.
• The chance to meet top angel investors from venture capital funds and business leaders in
  the agri-food sector who may invest in your solutions.
• The chance to build your global network in digital agriculture with a multitude
  of stakeholders.
• The top winning teams will receive seed funding.
• Become an alumnus for Global AgriInno Challenge.

Eligibility:

• Open for youth who are developing and deploying digital innovation products and services
  that can accelerate the Four Betters implementation and agrifood systems transformation.
• English and Chinese are the two working languages for the Global AgriInno Challenge 2022.
  However, all the proposals and presentations shall be conducted in English.

Selection Criteria:

• The team has registered as a company or legal entity;
• Have less than USD 1 million in turnover;
• Have less than 5 years in operations;
• Have an innovative, technology-based solution or business model with a Technological
  Readiness Level (TRL) between 7 and 9 (provide evidence that the project is beyond the MVP
  stage);
• Be committed to continuous engagement throughout the entire duration of the programme;
• At least one leader of the group must be below 35 years old (Teams with female
  agripreneurs are highly encouraged).

Application:

The team leader needs to submit the application form; the innovation solution presentation (in PPT
format); and a video to global_agriinno_challenge@zju.edu.cn and copying digitalinnovation@fao.org by November 17, 2022 (24:00 CEST).

The documentation to submit should include (in English):

1. Application Form
2. Innovation Solution (PowerPoint of max 12 slides, up to 250 words per slide, Microsoft YaHei
   Font, font size not less than 16)

• Summary of the solution (up to 250 words)
• Problem identification (analysis of challenges relating to transformation of the
  agrifood system)
• Four Better Categories (identify which of the Four Betters do you apply your
  digital solutions to?)
• Mission, vision, values of the project (the type of agriculture activity/sub-sector
  targeted)
• Technical model (how to address challenges relating to digital agriculture and
  the agri-food system?)
• Timing justification (why is this moment the best time?)
• Situation analysis (who is your main competitor and why is your solution better
  or more innovative than others?)
• Business plan (target group, the description of outputs and related activities,
  adoption strategy, applied methods, partners, sustainability, and consideration
  of gender)
• Financial situation (capital raised, capital needed, revenue analysis)
  Phased development planning (what is the potential contribution of your
  solution in three years? how do you plan to achieve it? what are the
  milestones?)

3. 1-2 minutes long video explaining: How is your idea or solution going to contribute to the Four Betters and help benefit vulnerable and rural populations? Answer this question in a 1-2 minute
long video. Upload the video online to a video sharing platform (YouTube,
Google Cloud, Youku, Baidu Cloud or others) and share the address of the link.

Click here to apply