Deadline : 24th September 2023 | Programme for Accelerating Digital Green Innovation at WFP 2023
The Programme for Accelerating Digital Green Innovation at WFP 2023 is now accepting applications. DGIx is looking for high-impact digital ventures and projects that address some of the most important environmental issues in certain nations.
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In low- and middle-income nations, combating climate change and biodiversity loss can be greatly aided by digital transformation. A “twin transition” strategy recognises the significant and untapped role that technology and data play in advancing sustainability: rather than considering digitalization (the use of technology) and sustainability (the preservation of the environment) separately, it is theorised that these two changes can coexist. It claims that both environmental technologies and those that support digital transformation can aid in the development of stronger, more adaptable, and better economies.
The DGIx intends to encourage technologically advanced solutions to serious environmental problems. The programme will choose businesses, service providers, and consortiums that the WFP Innovation Accelerator, #SDF, and other partners will support financially, technically, and methodologically. They will be able to use the digital-green synergies to ultimately enhance the lives of vulnerable people in collaboration with the world’s greatest and brightest minds.
Benefits
- Hands-on support & networking opportunities: The chosen businesses and ideas will be given the opportunity to attend a four-day, entirely online WFP Innovation Bootcamp in early December 2023 as well as a live pitch event in Kigali, Rwanda, on January 30 & 31, 2024.
- Financing, coaching, and mentoring: Selected enterprises will be invited to apply to the WFP Sprint Programme, a six-month acceleration programme with access to up to US$ 230,000 in equity-free finance, coaching, and mentoring support from a worldwide network of pertinent partners in the public health domain.
- Scaling: Mature solutions that have demonstrated their viability in terms of concept, scale, and social effect may be eligible for additional financing and support.
Eligibility
- Your organisation must be anchored locally in the nation of implementation and have a presence there (for example, in the form of a country office or other permanent presence, subsidiary, long-term activities, etc.).
- Your organisation must have been a legally recognised body for at least two years (for profit, not for profit, social enterprise).
- Your innovation must at least be in the prototype validation stage, ideally with evidence of traction, and have been independently evaluated for potential commercial value and impact.
- One or more of the prioritised innovation areas should be directly addressed by your idea.
- Your innovation should have a distinct path to scaling (the ability to be modified, enlarged, replicated, or scaled), as well as a well-defined implementation strategy ready to be put into action within the 12-month accelerator term using the available cash.
- Applications from groups and partnerships with regional NGOs are both strongly encouraged.
- It is encouraged to develop solutions utilising open formats and methodologies (such as open data, open hardware, free and open-source software, collaborative mapping, and crowd-sensing).
- The squad must consist of at least one English-speaking individual.
- They give higher priority to projects that promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, whether through the people they benefit, the jobs they create, or the proportion of women in leadership roles.
- Additionally, they support applications from youth-run businesses.
Interest Countries
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Togo are among the nations that share this region.
Evaluation Standards
- Impact & Scalability: Applicants should be able to articulate their goals, identify their target audience, and show that they are capable of meeting the stated challenges.
- Team: Applicants must be able to show that their organisation is inclusive, diverse, and free from discrimination. They should also have a track record of leadership and an entrepreneurial spirit.
- Novelty: Applicants must be able to demonstrate how their business plan and solution are both unique and technically sound.
- Traction: Applicants should be able to provide proof of the target group’s adoption and viability.
- Business Model: Applicants must show the strength of their business plan, their strategy for building a sustainable company, their pricing strategy, and their financial model.
Application
- Fill out the application form and submit it before September 24, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. (CET).
- Fill out this Referral Submission Form if you know of a worthwhile project or solution that WFP should take into account for this initiative.
To learn more, go to WFP DGIx.
