The Shell Foundation and Factor E Ventures, in partnership with the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), proudly announce the $50,000 Post-Harvest Loss Innovation Prize. This competition seeks groundbreaking solutions to reduce post-harvest loss and empower smallholder farmers in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Who Can Apply?
Innovators from any geography globally can apply, provided their solutions have relevance and applicability in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Eligible applicants include startups, universities, non-profit organizations, or for-profit companies.
The Challenge
Globally, one-third of all food produced is lost or wasted before reaching consumers, causing significant economic and environmental impacts. Smallholder farmers, particularly in emerging markets, face severe consequences due to post-harvest losses, which reduce their incomes and exacerbate food insecurity. These farmers often lack access to reliable energy for critical processes like storage, preservation, and transportation, highlighting the need for affordable and scalable innovations.
The Opportunity
The Post-Harvest Loss Innovation Prize offers more than just a financial reward. Finalists will gain access to a network of experienced industry leaders, receive media exposure, and benefit from post-investment support. The goal is to identify scalable and cost-effective solutions that not only reduce post-harvest losses but also increase farmer incomes, yields, and climate resilience.
About the Shell Foundation and Factor E Ventures
The Shell Foundation, a UK-registered charity, partners with FCDO to enhance energy access for smallholder farmers and SMEs in emerging markets. Factor E Ventures invests in innovative solutions addressing global climate and development challenges.
About the Prize
The prize seeks innovative technologies, business models, hardware, or software solutions that can reduce post-harvest losses for smallholder farmers. Solutions must demonstrate a clear path to scalability, minimal behavioral changes required for adoption, and potential for substantial impact.
Key Evaluation Criteria:
- Innovation: Novel approaches tailored to smallholder farmers.
- Solution Validation: Proven success in testing environments.
- Global Applicability: Relevance to South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, with potential scalability.
- Gender Impact: Positive effects on female farmers.
- Scalability and Reach: Potential to empower over 1 million farmers.
- Farm-Level Implementation: Direct usability by farmers.
- Financial Traction: Evidence of financial sustainability.
- Technology Readiness Level (TRL): Preferably beyond validation stage.
Eligibility: Open to startups, universities, non-profits, and for-profit companies globally.
Submission: Submit your application by August 14, 2024
Timeline
- Request for Applications: June 26, 2024
- Application Deadline: August 14, 2024
- Application Review: August 1, 2024 – September 13, 2024
- Notification to Applicants: September 16, 2024
- Finalists Announced: September 17, 2024
- Award Announcement: September 25, 2024
Application Deadline: August 14, 2024