The World Food Programme is calling for application from startups and WTP entrepreneurs to apply for the WFP Innovation Accelerator Programme. The programme accelerates high-potential solutions that disrupt hunger.
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About World Food Programme
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator sources, supports, and scales high-impact innovations to achieve Zero Hunger.
The organisation is based in Munich, Germany, and provides WFP employees, entrepreneurs and startups with funding, hands-on support and access to WFP’s global operations.
Through the Innovation Accelerator, WFP is leveraging unprecedented advances in digital innovation such as mobile technology, artificial intelligence, big data, and blockchain. Also, they use new business models to transform the way vulnerable communities are served across the world.
Building on WFP’s legacy of innovation, the Innovation Accelerator was launched in 2015 to pilot new solutions and scale promising innovations to disrupt hunger. In just four years, the programme has supported more than 60 projects around the world, with 11 innovations scaling up to reach 1.4 million people in 2019.
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Benefits Of The WFP Innovation Accelerator Programme
Successful applicants will get the following:
Funding: Apply to receive up to $100,000 in equity-free funding, with further funding dependent upon progress and measurable achievement of key targets.
Access to WFP operations: Successful teams will work with WFP units on the ground to further develop and refine their solutions.
Hands-on support: You’ll have the chance to work with technical and industry mentors who will provide guidance and accelerate your progress.
Networking: Teams will be able to tap into and leverage our strong network of public, private, and government partners to accelerate implementation.
Eligibility Requirements For Startups
If you are a startup and want to apply for the WFP Innovation Accelerator Programme, the following criteria must be met:
- Your start-up must be incorporated at the time of application. It can be for-profit or not-for-profit.
- Your innovation must at least be at the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) stage. Proof-of-concept and initial traction are preferred.
- Your solution should be financially viable.
- Your proposal must show how working with WFP will serve your long-term strategy.
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Eligibility Requirements For WFP Employees
- Your team must have evidence of Country Office support and management buy-in.
- You are encouraged to apply, regardless of your contract type or function.
- We accept project applications from WFP employees who are collaborating with NGOs, government, or private sectors.
How WFP Innovation Accelerator Applicants Are Selected
Applications submitted to the WFP Innovation Accelerator are assessed according to a standard set of criteria and are reviewed by both WFP and external experts.
Priority is given to projects that are designed alongside WTP’s core users, and vulnerable communities. Also, projects must show initial traction and market validation to ensure impact and maximize cost-effectiveness.
Innovations that meet the following expectations are welcomed:
- Impact for the people served and the potential to reach Zero Hunger.
- Feasibility, including the time to deliver impact, technology maturity, and user traction.
- Level of innovation.
- Financial sustainability with a clear business case that does not rely on WFP funding.
- Team strength, experience, and commitment.
The application deadline for Cohort III is 31 August 2020. If you are an entrepreneur or a startup in the social enterprise and passionate about ending hunger in your community, go to https://innovation.wfp.org/apply and apply.
