Call for Applications: WFP Innovation Stability and Peace Accelerator Program 2024 for startups and Innovators (US$30,000 equity-free grant)
About WFP Innovation Stability and Peace Accelerator Program
The challenge of hunger and malnutrition is particularly severe in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAs), where over 1.5 billion people face unprecedented threats to food security. To address this issue, CGIAR, in collaboration with the World Food Program (WFP) Innovation Accelerator, is launching the “Stability-and-Peace Accelerator Programme.” This initiative aims to identify and scale high-impact innovations that strengthen food, land, and water systems (FLWS) in vulnerable regions affected by conflict and fragility.
The WFP Innovation Accelerator Program is inviting innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers to submit groundbreaking solutions that can enhance resilience, ensure food and nutrition security, improve climate adaptability, and promote social cohesion and sustainability in communities grappling with conflict and fragility.
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Selected teams will receive support through a comprehensive program designed to accelerate the development of promising solutions and prepare them for scale. This includes financial, technical, and business support, along with scientific advisory to enhance the innovator’s ability to create sustainable impact. The focus is on identifying and nurturing solutions that are not only innovative but also sustainable and scalable, with the potential to bring lasting positive change to some of the world’s most challenging environments.
Requirements:
CGIAR and the WFP Innovation Accelerator are seeking both low and high-tech solutions tailored to address the distinct challenges in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings (FCAs), specifically in Jordan, Kenya, Nigeria, and Yemen.
The call also encourages strong “wildcard” entries, aiming to identify and support exceptional innovations from around the world that have the potential to address these challenges on a significant scale.
Eligibility Criteria:
Your organization must be an established legal entity (for-profit, not-for-profit, social business, NGO, INGO).
Your organization should have a presence or be willing to establish a presence in one of the four countries of implementation (Jordan, Kenya, Nigeria, or Yemen).
Your innovation should address one or more of the priority innovation areas related to pressing challenges faced in the humanitarian space of the country of implementation.
Your innovation should have reached the minimum viable product stage and be gearing up for scale.
Your innovation should have a clear pathway to scale and a potential plan for implementation during the six-month Sprint with the available funding.
Applicants are expected to have strong intentions to collaborate with relevant humanitarian stakeholders, build relationships with CGIAR country offices, and connect with the innovation ecosystems.
Applicants should demonstrate a clear need for research and development for the conceptual and commercial development of their innovation.
Benefits:
Six-month Sprint acceleration program combining business-oriented training, mentoring, and science-based technical assistance from the WFP Innovation Accelerator.
Access to the research network of CGIAR, the world’s largest publicly funded research-for-development organization.
In-country strategy workshop to kick off implementation.
US$30,000 equity-free grant for each winning innovation with a proven sustainable business model and scaling plan.
Exposure to national and international funders.
Post-acceleration support.
Application Deadline: February 16, 2024.
Don’t miss this opportunity to make a significant impact. Apply now for the Stability-and-Peace Accelerator Programme.