Hunger and malnutrition are global challenges that are felt most acutely in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAs). Over 1.5 billion people face unprecedented threats to food security and livelihoods in these vulnerable areas. To address this critical issue, the CGIAR and the World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator have partnered to launch the Stability-and-Peace Accelerator Programme. This programme aims to seek and scale high-impact innovations that bolster food, land, and water systems (FLWS) in FCAs.
We are calling on innovators, entrepreneurs and changemakers to come forward with groundbreaking solutions that can drive resilience, ensure food and nutrition security, enhance climate adaptability, and promote social cohesion and sustainability among communities battered by conflict and fragility. The WFP Innovation Accelerator and CGIAR will support selected teams through a comprehensive programme designed to accelerate the development of promising solutions and prepare them for scaling. Alongside financial, technical, and business support, this includes the provision of scientific advisory aimed at improving the innovator’s ability to create a life-changing sustainability impact.
The programme’s focus is on sourcing and nurturing solutions that are not only innovative but also sustainable and scalable, with the potential to create lasting positive change in some of the world’s most challenging environments. The Stability-and-Peace Accelerator Programme provides a six-month sprint acceleration program combining business-oriented training, mentoring, and science-based technical assistance from the WFP Innovation Accelerator. The winning innovations with a proven sustainable business model and scaling plan will receive a US$30,000 equity-free grant. The programme also offers access to the research network of CGIAR, the world’s largest publicly-funded research-for-development organization, in-country strategy workshops, and exposure to national and international funders.
To be eligible for the programme, organizations must be an established legal entity, and their innovation should have reached the minimum viable product stage and be gearing up for scale. The applicants should have a clear pathway to scale and a potential plan to implement during the six-month sprint with the available funding. The application deadline is February 16, 2024. If you are interested and qualified, head to the World Food Programme (WFP) website to apply.
