Application Deadline: 30th November 2022
The World Bank, with support from the Korea World Bank Partnership Facility (KWPF) and the Korean Green Growth Trust Fund (KGGTF), and in partnership with Plug and Play Tech Center, is launching the Africa-Korea Agtech Innovation Challenge to identify disruptive agricultural technologies (DATs) interested to work in Kenya and Uganda. The World Bank seeks to create bridges between innovators and explore the potential to incorporate DATs into its work.
Fifteen finalists will be selected from the online application process, which closes on 30th November 2022. The finalists will pitch their solutions at the Africa-Korea Agtech Innovation Summit in Nairobi, Kenya in February 2023. The 3-day Summit will showcase the finalists to key government officials from Kenya, Uganda and South Korea, World Bank stakeholders, prominent accelerators and venture capital firms (VCs). Alongside networking opportunities, the Challenge will also feature learning opportunities and field trips to some of Kenya’s agri-innovation sites. The winning solutions will also potentially have an opportunity to join the One Million Farmers Platform in Kenya.
THEMATIC AREAS
1. Improving agricultural productivity and efficiency
2. Improving market access and providing downstream and upstream linkages
3. Financial inclusion of farmers
Requirements
Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Be legally incorporated in respective country(s) of operation before 30th November 2020 (operating for >2 years)
- Particular interest to work in either Kenya, Uganda or South Korea
- Must have a publicly available product, with real users or customers and generating revenue
- Product must address one of the three challenge themes: agricultural productivity, improving market access or financial inclusion of farmers in an innovative way
Benefits
- The top 15 submissions (the “Finalists”) will be sponsored to travel to the “Africa-Korea Agtech Innovation Summit” in in Nairobi, Kenya, in February 2023, with all travel and accommodation expenses covered.
- The winning solution will potentially be offered an opportunity to join the One Million Farmers Platform in Kenya.
- Finalists have networking opportunities with key global ecosystem players including Kenyan government and World Bank stakeholders and prominent accelerators and venture capital firms (VCs)
- Learning opportunities and field trips to some of Kenya’s agri-innovation sites
- Media exposure and features in World Bank publications and channels
Timeline:
- Deadline for application: 30th November 2022 (by midnight Kenya Standard Time)
- Fill online application form including by uploading request documents in the specified format
- Submissions must be in English
- Announcements of Finalists (indicative): 12th December 2022
- Acceptance of Finalists: 15th December 2022
- Final Pitch: February 2023 (during the Africa-Korea Agtech Innovation Summit).
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Africa-Korea Agtech Innovation Challenge and Summit