Water and Energy for Food Grand Challenge: Open Call for Innovations
The Water and Energy for Food (WE4F) Grand Challenge is proud to announce the launch of Open Call for Innovations (O-CFI) in the Middle East and North Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Southern and Central Africa.
Around the world smallholder farmers feel the effects of climate change, economic instability, and inefficient food production methods. This is coupled with local challenges that affect the agricultural sector – ranging from a lack of access to financing and markets to water scarcity. WE4F’s O-CFIs will foster innovations that enhance food security, water security, renewable energy usage, and sustainable water usage in their respective regions. Individual O-CFI awards will receive support in the form of technical assistance, investment facilitation, enabling ecosystem support, and grants. The awarded innovators will match the grant amount by at least 100%.
All O-CFIs are now accepting applications on a rolling basis. Learn more about each regional O-CFI below:
For the Middle East and North Africa Regional Innovation Hub (MENA RIH), the O-CFI awards will be up to $250,000 and depend on the type of funding requested. The period of performance for individual awards is up to two years. Businesses, nonprofits, and academic and research institutions with for-profit arms are eligible. Applicants must be from one of the following countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan, West Bank/Gaza, and Yemen. All information including eligibility criteria and application guidelines available at we4f.org/apply-mena.
For the South and Southeast Asia Regional Innovation Hub (S/SEA RIH), the O-CFI awards will be up to $200,000 and depend on the type of funding requested. The period of performance for individual awards is up to two years. Businesses, nonprofits, and academic and research institutions with for-profit arms are eligible. Applicants must be from one of the following countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. All information including eligibility criteria and application guidelines available at we4f.org/apply-ssea.
For the Southern and Central Africa Regional Innovation Hub (S/CA RIH), the O-CFI awards will be up to $200,000 and depend on the type of funding requested. The period of performance for individual awards is up to two years. Businesses, nonprofits, and academic and research institutions with for-profit arms are eligible. Applicants must be from one of the following countries: Angola, Botswana, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. All information including eligibility criteria and application guidelines available at we4f.org/apply-sca.
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WE4F is a joint $88 million international initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the European Union, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the Netherlands, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). To learn more, visit we4f.org and follow WE4F on Twitter @WE4FGCD.
The WE4F Middle East and North Africa Regional Innovation Hub (a consortium of Berytech, cewas, Chemonics Egypt and the International Water Management Institute) supports innovators in ten countries across the region to produce more food while using less water and energy. Together with investors and partners, the MENA RIH works to scale 40 mid-to-later stage enterprises that have an environmental and social impact in the water-energy-food nexus.
The South and Southeast Asia Regional Innovation Hub (S/SEA RIH) is operated by three leading international organizations (a consortium of Tetra Tech, CrossBoundary and DevWorks International) who have many years of experience advocating for inclusive and equitable economic growth, gender equality, sustainable agriculture, and the sustainable use of energy, water, and other natural resources in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Together with investors and partners, the S/SEA RIH works to scale 40 mid-to-later stage enterprises that have an environmental and social impact in the water-energy-food nexus.
The Southern and Central Africa Regional Innovation Hub (S/C Africa RIH) is operated by three leading international organizations (a consortium of Tetra Tech, Open Capital Advisors, and International Water Management Institute (IWMI) who have many years of experience advocating for inclusive and equitable economic growth, gender equality, sustainable agriculture, and the sustainable use of energy, water, and other natural resources in the region. Together with investors and partners, the S/C Africa RIH works to scale 30 mid-to-later stage enterprises that have an environmental and social impact in the water-energy-food nexus.
