Smart Africa & FAO Innovate Africa Challenge 2026 – AI for Climate-Smart Agriculture
Smart Africa & Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
15 days left
About This Opportunity
Smart Africa, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is inviting applications for the 3rd Edition of the Innovate Africa Challenge 2026 under the theme “From Ideation to Deployment.”
The challenge seeks AI-enabled solutions that address agricultural and climate challenges in Africa, with a particular focus on practical innovations that can move beyond prototypes and deliver measurable benefits for farmers.
Solutions may address areas including:
- Climate-smart agriculture
- Crop forecasting and monitoring
- Pest and disease detection
- Precision farming
- Smart irrigation and water management
- Climate resilience
- Sustainable food systems
- Other AI-enabled agricultural and climate solutions
The challenge is designed to identify a proven AI-driven solution for Climate-Smart Agriculture, validate its impact in real-world farming environments and create pathways for wider adoption.
The winner will receive a USD 50,000 service contract to support implementation of the solution, together with technical expertise, implementation support, monitoring and evaluation, and connections to relevant partners.
Programme at a Glance
Programme: Innovate Africa Challenge 2026 – 3rd Edition
Theme: From Ideation to Deployment
Target applicants: Startups, innovators and solution providers developing AI-enabled agricultural/climate solutions
Region: Africa
Focus: AI, climate-smart agriculture and agricultural innovation
Award: USD 50,000 service contract for the winner
Implementers: Smart Africa & FAO
Deadline: 31 August 2026
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a legally registered for-profit entity in one of the 39 eligible Smart Africa Alliance member countries
- Must have been operational for at least six months
- Must have an AI-enabled solution addressing climate-smart agriculture or a related agricultural/climate challenge
- Solution should demonstrate practical potential for deployment and measurable impact
- Applicant must be willing to deploy the solution in at least one focus country if selected
- Focus countries for implementation include Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda
- Solution should demonstrate technical feasibility, usability, sustainability and scalability
- Applicant should have a team with relevant business and technical expertise
- Solution must comply with applicable laws and regulations in the country of operation
Required Documents
- Certificate of incorporation
- Tax compliance documentation
- Pitch document
Funding Details
Funding Type
Competition
Funding Amount
Up to USD 50,000
Organization
Smart Africa & Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Eligible Countries
Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan
Application Deadline
August 31, 2026
15 days left
Posted
August 11, 2026
4 days ago
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