WFP Innovation Accelerator

Application Deadline:18th October 2020

Apply to the WFP Innovation Accelerator to receive up to US $100,000 in equity-free funding, mentorship from industry experts and access to the world’s largest humanitarian organization

Unless swift action is taken, some 265 million people in low and middle-income countries will be in acute food insecurity by the end of 2020, due to conflict, climate shocks, poverty and #COVID19.

The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating food insecurity, interrupting supply chains, and moving more people into hunger than previously predicted. WFP seeks cutting-edge solutions to transform emergency response and to achieve SDG2: Zero Hunger by 2030 for communities impacted by COVID19 and beyond. Innovations are needed more than ever before to achieve this goal.

In the The WFP Innovation Challenge 2020, we are looking for innovations that seek to disrupt hunger, and address any of the following problem statements.

1. COVID-19 emergency response. WFP is mobilizing to meet the needs of up to 138 million people in 2020, with more than half of WFP’s operations scaling up direct assistance in urban areas. Cities are bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 crisis, accounting for 90 percent of COVID-19 cases and leaving millions without jobs unable to meet food other essential needs. It is challenging to identify, locate, target and reach those in most in need, particularly in urban areas and informal settlements. At the same time, better access to phones and internet in cities in comparison to urban areas, brings opportunities of using new technologies to address those challenges.

2. Local food security and market access for smallholder farmers. Domestic food supply is a challenge in many countries in which WFP operates, due to many factors – including severe  water scarcity, limited farmable land availability, a growing urban population and weak supply chain infrastructure. High volumes of imports and movement restrictions can create volatility and cause high price shocks, as seen during COVID-19. 

3. Sustaining and creating livelihoods. Two billion people – more than 61 per cent of the world’s employed population – make their living in the informal economy, most of whom reside in developing countries. COVID-19 movement restrictions have damaged the economic activity of millions of vulnerable people, and informal economy workers have very little access to reliable, adequate income generation opportunities. 

4. Affordable, nutritious diets and awareness. Healthy diets are on average five times more expensive than nutrient-poor diets, are unaffordable for more than 3 billion people around the world, and are often exacerbated by a lack of awareness of nutritious food and healthy consumption habits in low-resource environments. 

5. Appropriate energy solutions along the food value chain.  Access to energy is a consistent obstacle to food processing, cooking and preservation, which in turn has negative impacts on food availability, intake and nutritional value. Irrigation, tilling, milling and pressing are few examples of processes that are considerably enhanced by energy leading to increased quantity and quality of food. In addition, food is lost at every step of the value chain due to lack of cooking or preservation options, such as energy-efficient cooking options, refrigeration, smoking, drying, canning and sealing.

Requirements

• Anyone from a startup, NGO, academic institutions or government agency , stationed anywhere in the world, is eligible to submit ideas.

Benefits

• By submitting your solution, you might be selected to attend the next Innovation Accelerator Bootcamp, from November 30-December 04. In addition, your solution may be considered for the Accelerator Sprint Programme, with up to US$ 100,000 in funding, and access to our support and insight.
  
  Innovation Bootcamp
  
  – Innovation Bootcamps help selected teams dive into challenges, ideate solutions and refine project plans over five days. Bootcamps introduce participants to innovation techniques such as human-centred design and the lean start-up method in order to create viable business models and solutions for WFP and its beneficiaries.
• Each Innovation Bootcamp ends with the Pitch Event—an opportunity for teams to share their solutions with an audience of investors and
  industry leaders who can help scale their ideas. However, participation in Bootcamp does not guarantee any individual or team a place in the
  Sprint Programme.
• To be eligible for the Sprint Programme, all teams must submit a separate application, after completing the Bootcamp.

Selection Criteria

Solutions that are transformative, novel, or innovative.

• Solutions that can have a strong impact on hunger and are scalable, particularly in low- and middle-income countries and settings.
• Solutions that can prove initial traction and are at the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) stage.
• Solutions with a financially sustainable business model and growth strategy.
• Solutions which are carried by a strong team with the relevant expertise and strengths to scale the solution.

Due to strong demand in the services offered by the Accelerator, the application process is competitive and we regret to say that not all applications are successful. We place priority on ideas or concepts that are deemed to have high potential in the fight against hunger—regardless of their origin.
The Accelerator aims to provide feedback to all applications, and can be accessed by contacting [email protected].
Go design, fail, repeat and scale. And please – be bold. It’s time to #disrupthunger. For all other enquiries, please contact [email protected].

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the WFP Innovation Accelerator 2020