Open Call for the Global AgriInno Challenge

Published by gvantsa

Deadline: 8 November 2020
Open to: open for all youth with digital innovations
Benefits: funding opportunities

DESCRIPTION

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Zhejiang University, are co-organizing the Global AgriInno Challenge 2020 to harness innovation solutions in response to the challenges associated with ‘distribution and sales of agri-food products’.

You will have the chance to share information and enhance your knowledge on smart agriculture, innovation and start-up practice through a unique global network composed of United Nations’ mentors, leading angel investors, academic experts and youth agripreneurs from the global agri-food sector.

Remote participation is an option for international teams due to COVID-19 pandemic.

ELIGIBILITY

The Global AgriInno Challenge 2020 is open for all youth with digital innovations or ideas for agri-food sector. English and Chinese are the two working languages during the Global AgriInno Challenge 2020. The selection criteria for the final competition in China are as follows:

  • The team has registered as a company or the project has been operational for 2-5 years.
  • The theme of this year is distribution and sales of agri-food products.
  • The team needs to harness digital technology to solve a problem relating to agri-food products distribution and sales.
  • Teams with female agripreneurs are highly encouraged.
  • One leader of the group must be below 35 years old.
  • Each team should be composed of minimum 2 people, maximum 5 people to participate on-site.
  • The feasibility and ability of the technology to solve the problem of the distribution and sales of agri-food products must be clearly presented.
  • The possibility of replication or scaling-up the business model must be demonstrated.

BENEFITS

The selected teams will be invited to further develop and pitch their digital development solutions in Zhejiang Province, China on 04-05 December 2020 with all relevant expenses covered. The selected teams to attend the final competition in China will benefit from:

  • 2-day professional development on around your team’s solution through an approach of co-creation with other young agripreneurs/innovators and experienced experts worldwide. All expenses for attending this final competition in China will be covered, including a) travel expenses: round-trip flight and/or train; local transportation fee (taxi/bus/subway); b) accommodation and meals; c) visa application fees as applicable for international participants.
  • The access to open data sets from FAO and other partners.
  • Advices from experienced experts from 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 agri-food sector who may invest in your solutions.
  • The chance to build your global network in smart agriculture with a multitude of stakeholders.
  • The top winner teams will receive seed funding (the amount will be communicated at later stage).
  • The top winner teams will have the opportunity to join a one-week agro-bootcamp and World Study
  • Tour (training, travel and accommodation covered) in 2021 to visit FAO and meet world leading companies and organizations in the agri-food innovation sector.

HOW TO APPLY

For more information please visit the official website.