The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Smart Africa Secretariat, has launched the third edition of the Innovate Africa Challenge. This continental initiative aims to accelerate the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions that address some of Africa’s most pressing agricultural and climate challenges.
Under the theme “From Ideation to Deployment”, this edition focuses on moving beyond ideas and prototypes to support practical and scalable solutions that deliver measurable benefits for farmers. While many digital agriculture innovations have demonstrated strong potential during pilot projects, few have progressed to full-scale deployment. The challenge seeks to bridge this gap by supporting technologies that have already proven their effectiveness.
Why This Challenge Matters
African agriculture continues to face increasing pressure from unpredictable weather patterns, recurring droughts, and rising food insecurity. From improving crop forecasting and pest detection to optimizing water use and strengthening climate resilience, AI can help transform agrifood systems across the continent.
Previous editions of the Innovate Africa Challenge engaged innovators from more than 40 African countries and supported the deployment of AI-powered technologies that improved access to climate information for farmers. The third edition aims to build on these successes by supporting technologies capable of delivering measurable impact in real farming environments.
What the Challenge Offers
The selected solution will receive USD 50,000 to support deployment, validation, and scaling with farmers. The winning solution will be deployed in collaboration with national governments, FAO country offices, and agricultural stakeholders to ensure it delivers measurable benefits for farmers.
The challenge provides:
- Grant funding to support real-world deployment and validation
- Technical support from FAO and Smart Africa experts
- Partnership opportunities with government ministries and agricultural institutions
- Pathways to scale across multiple African countries
Priority Focus Areas
The challenge is seeking AI solutions addressing strategic areas within climate-smart agriculture:
- Precision agriculture and input optimisation to improve resource efficiency
- Crop yield prediction and forecasting to support proactive planning and food security
- Pest and disease surveillance, detection, and early warning systems to enable timely responses
- Climate risk modelling and adaptive decision-support tools to strengthen resilience
- Water management and natural resource optimisation
Who Should Apply
The challenge is open to startups, innovators, and technology developers from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, and Uganda who are actively building AI solutions for climate-smart agriculture.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
- Be legally registered entities with a proven record of developing AI solutions
- Have a minimum team of two people, with at least half of their working time dedicated to the solution
- Demonstrate a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) between 3 and 6
- Have an AI solution that is already working, deployed, or ready for deployment
- Demonstrate previous pilots, customer engagements, or validated deployments
Preference will be given to startups already operating within Smart Africa member states, particularly those serving smallholder farmers, women, and young people, or collaborating with government agencies and research institutions.
Responsible AI Requirements
All participating startups must demonstrate responsible use of artificial intelligence. Applicants are expected to:
- Comply with applicable privacy and data protection regulations
- Use transparent and explainable AI approaches
- Identify and mitigate potential bias across gender, geography, and farming systems
- Respect farmer data ownership and obtain informed consent where required
How to Apply
📅 Application Deadline: August 31, 2026
🔗 Apply today: https://sti-portal.fao.org/network/group/34/about
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Quick Reference
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Initiative | Innovate Africa Challenge (3rd Edition) |
| Organizers | Smart Africa & FAO |
| Grant Amount | USD 50,000 |
| Theme | “From Ideation to Deployment” |
| Focus Areas | Climate-smart agriculture, precision agriculture, pest surveillance, climate risk modelling |
| Eligible Countries | Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda |
| Application Deadline | August 31, 2026 |
| Apply | https://sti-portal.fao.org/network/group/34/about |
This content is for informational purposes. Please refer to the official FAO and Smart Africa websites for complete and updated information.
