This Open Call for Innovation (OCFI) is designed to address barriers to enable the production of more food with efficient and sustainable usage of water and energy along the value chain from farming to end-users, and to impact food security, gender, and poverty reduction in an environmentally sustainable way. Individual awards are expected to range between 25,000 US Dollars and 250,000 US Dollars depending on the type of funding requested with the awardee expected to bring in a minimum 1-1 matching amount themselves. The period of performance for individual awards is up to two years; the actual period of performance for each award will be determined at the time of award.
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Why Apply?
JOIN A NETWORK OF innovative GAME-CHANGING ENTREPRENEURS
- Winners will be part of an extensive network and introduced to various partners, mentors, and service providers to help them achieve their expansion goals.
- They will also have access to an exclusive learning community where they can exchange ideas with their cohort peers in the cohort and other Regional Innovation Hubs through regular workshops and meetings.
UNLOCK GRANT FUNDING TO HELP YOUR INNOVATION GROW
Select organizations may qualify for grants to help achieve scaling goals, funding size ranges from $25,000 to $250,000 USD.
RECEIVE TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND INVESTMENT FACILITATION
- Receive support to expand the business to other geographies, products, or services
- Attract and secure external investors by working with MENA RIH’s Brokering Unit.
- Examples of support categories:
- Investment readiness
- Commercial expansion
- Marketing and communication
- Digitalization and technology enhancement
What We’re Looking For
WE4F is looking for mid- to late-stage enterprises, nonprofits with a for-profit program, and other organizations based in the Middle East and North Africa, who have innovative water-food, energy-food, and water-energy-food solutions. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements outlined below to participate in this call for innovation.
Women-owned and women-led organizations are encouraged to apply.
TYPE
WE4F is open to legally incorporated/registered for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations or academic institutions with a proven business model, recurring sales, an existing customer base, and the ability to generate revenue and maintain a self-sustaining operational budget.
SIZE
WE4F is open to all relevant organizations/companies which are ready to scale. We encourage applications from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
LOCATION
The MENA RIH supports innovators from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, West Bank/Gaza, and Yemen. Applicants must be legally registered in at least one of these countries. If expansion into a new country is a key part of an applicant’s business plan, they must demonstrate that they already have partners in place in that country to be considered.
LANGUAGE
Application responses must be written in English, French or Arabic.
MATCHING FUNDS
Applicants must contribute the matching funds to the overall award if a grant is awarded.
IMPACT
Applicants’ innovations must have a direct, tangible linkage to water-food, energy-food, or water-energy-food. In addition, innovations must directly or indirectly impact poverty reduction and gender equality and have a positive impact on the environment and avoid negative environmental effects.
