Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is providing grants of up to $ 1.5 million each to African agritech startups. The Foundation is looking for creative digital technologies that could have a positive effect on smallholder farmers.
Agritech solutions will be provided via bundled farmers’ services, backed by flexible digital and data platforms.
The grants target solutions in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Nigeria, India, and Bangladesh.
Applications are open till February 25, 2021.
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The Grants
There are two grant types — Seed Grants and Scale-Up Grants — each with its own requirements. Applicants can only apply for one of these grant types must select which level for which they are applying (proposal should not be submitted for both grant types).
Seed Grants — Up to USD 250,000 to be implemented up to 12 months. Seed Grants are proposals for Smart Farming solutions that can demonstrate potential in meeting the following criteria:
- Leveraging digital technology innovations with the potential to scale, for example, utilizing a proven technology that has been applied in agriculture in another geography; transferring a technology from another sector such as health, infrastructure or finance; sourcing an entirely new technology;
- Show potential to improve smallscale producer (SSP) incomes, productivity and ability to adapt to climate change;
- Address barriers to scaled adoption of digital services, such as access, affordability and language and digital literacy. This includes addressing women’s access to digital services and closing the digital divide between those who have access and marginalized populations who do not;
- Have the potential to be bundled with multiple farmer-facing services into an integrated solution;
- Are enabled by robust digital and data technology platforms and services;
- Provide fit-for-purpose solutions (e.g. developed using human-centered design)for smallscale producer (SSP) enterprises who seek to sell a portion of production to markets;
- Show potential to be scaled using a sustainable business model and are affordable and able to provide positive return on investment at a smallholder farm level through successful pilots, scaling partners, or higher volume production driving down prices.
Scale-Up Grants — Up to USD 1,500,000 to be implemented up to 24 months. Scale-Up Grants are proposals with demonstrated ability and sufficient evidence to have positive impact. In addition to the criteria listed above for Seed Grants, Scale-Up Grants must also:
- Leverage digital technology innovations with demonstrated readiness to scale and proven ability to bundle with other services;
- Meet all criteria regarding technology innovations, scalable platforms, and sustainable bundled service delivery models;
- Demonstrate that additional funding will enable value capture by SSPs or other value chain actors and sustainable and viable service delivery models over the long term.
To know more, including how to apply, click here.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer
African agritech startups Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation African agritech startups Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation