Call for Innovation

-       Are you a passionate innovator and young entrepreneur into development of agritech solutions for farming and agro-processing?

-       Are you into innovation and production of clean energy solutions that can power agriculture?

UNU-INRA’s INFoCAT innovation challenge, is designed to support you technically and financially to move your innovation to the next level.

The UNU-INRA INFoCAT innovation challenge is an initiative sponsored by IDRC under the Clean Energy for Development: A Call for Action initiative.

Innovators/businesses that successfully make it to the grant level, will be supported to develop and pilot their clean energy power-agritech solutions, training, mentorship and seed capital for upscaling their business.

 Background

The INFoCAT innovation challenge is to support low-cost clean energy-powered agritech innovators, with the intention to expand access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy technologies for smallholder women and youth farmers in Africa to increase agricultural productivity and income. Over the years, small-scale agriculture in Africa is rainfed, characterized by low mechanization, mostly led by rural women with limited access to energy for Irrigation, cropping activities and agro-processing. Few mechanized systems rely mostly on fossil fuel-powered technologies with high energy cost. Clean energy access is a key driver for agricultural mechanization, productivity and helps eliminate drudgery among women farmers.

The objectives of the Innovation challenge are to:

•       Support the development and expansion of affordable, labour-saving, clean energy agricultural technology solutions to save time and reduce drudgery.

•       Support clean energy agriculture technology start-ups with a focus on women-led enterprises and where possible, refine and expand their products to meet the needs of smallholder rural farmers.

•       Create avenues for mentorship, access to networking and training

 Eligibility & Criteria

?      Eligible innovators or enterprises must be based in Ghanian. 

?      Completed application form with business details and full description of the innovation.

?      Agritech technology must be powered by clean energy

?      Technology must meet the needs of small to medium-scale holder rural farmers in the priority crop areas (rice, maize, cassava, groundnut).

?      Technology must demonstrate energy efficiency.

?      The technology use must require less human(manual) labour and time.

?      Technology must be cost-effective and have clear commercial potential, easy to operate and scalable.

?      Demonstrate a solution that reduces CO2 emissions.

?      Teamwork is highly recommended(including members with diverse backgrounds). The team must demonstrate gender intersectionality with inclusion of women.

?      Priority will be given to women and youth innovators.

?      Clean energy supply:(the innovation should have the potential to be used to power both agricultural technologies and other use). This will be an added advantage.

?      Demonstration of a working prototype (NB: There is room for new technology yet to be designed).

Pilot grant: 3,000 - 7,400 USD (grant available for about 10 innovations/ teams/ enterprise)

Business Scale-up grant support: USD 30,000- 37,000 (1 innovation/team)

Priority Areas

The clean energy-powered agritech innovation must solve one or more of the priority challenges listed in the table below:

 

 

Stages of the Innovation challenge

 

Stage 1: Application and selection process

-       Completion of form to enter into the innovation challenge.

-       Shortlisting of applications and innovations

-       First defense of shortlisted innovations by innovators

-       Capacity building workshop for 20 shortlisted participants to enhance their understanding and knowledge of clean agritech solutions and the project assignment.

-       Final pitching of innovation and selection of 10 best innovations/innovators for grant.

Stage II: Award of grants and piloting of technologies

-       Award of grant for design and piloting of prototype innovation

-       Matching the award-winning green entrepreneurs/innovators with scientists/experts to assist  with providing technical expert knowledge and fine-turning innovations to meet targets.

-       Mentorship: expert team will provide mentorship to the grant awardees

-       Piloting/ field testing of innovation in assigned communities

-       Technology appraisal: Technical appraisal- to verify performance claims of the innovations, User research: users’ perception.

Stage III: Scale-up of best innovation and promotion

-       After appraisal, the best performing innovation which demonstrates commercial viability will be selected.

-       Award of seed Capital for upscaling of green business using research lessons learnt to optimize the design for higher performance.

-       Mentorship to grow business and promotion of green innovation.