WFP Rwanda × Impact Hub Kigali IGNITE Challenge 4.0 (up to $24,000) – YOA

Deadline: April 4, 2026

Applications are open for the IGNITE Challenge 4.0. This initiative is part of the 5-yr partnership between World Food Programme and Mastercard Foundation which helps younger ladies and men in constructing sustainable livelihoods in agriculture and agribusiness.

Ignite 4.0 helps scalable, progressive ventures inside Rwanda’s agrifood worth chains, with a powerful concentrate on creating and bettering jobs, particularly for younger girls. By combining focused grants, tailor-made technical help, market linkages and visibility, the problem will speed up up to six development-stage excessive-affect ventures to deal with key gaps corresponding to elevated manufacturing, enhanced put up-harvest processes, entry to finance alternatives, and entry to markets.

Benefits

• Funding: Up to $24,000 in fairness-free funding per enterprise
• Acceleration help: 5 months of curated technical help, teaching and masterclasses to strengthen expertise and enterprise gaps.
• Investment readiness + Demo Day: Structured funding and pitch preparation and publicity to the ecosystem by way of a Demo Day platform.
• Market linkages + visibility: Connections to buyers and key stakeholders, entry to group occasions and collaboration alternatives with Farmer Service Centres (FSCs).

Eligibility

All candidates should meet the next eligibility standards:

• Business registration: Valid registration/certificates of incorporation and not less than 2 years of operation in Rwanda
• Have proof of a income-producing enterprise with confirmed market traction
• Be a workforce of not less than three full-time members devoted to the startup/SME/cooperative, together with the founding workforce
• At least 50% of the founding and/or senior administration workforce should be from Rwanda/East Africa
• The entity has to have present key operations in Rwanda
• Be dedicated to help, present mentorship and share learnings with friends and Farmer Service Centers (FSCs) taking part in this system.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications to the IGNITE Challenge 4.0 can be assessed primarily based on the next standards:

• Innovation: The resolution addresses a meals programs problem in a transparent and progressive means
• Impact: The enterprise contributes to stronger meals programs and job creation, notably for younger girls
• Financial sustainability: The enterprise has a viable enterprise mannequin and clear potential for lengthy-time period sustainability
• Scalability: The resolution reveals sturdy potential for development and growth
• Team: The workforce brings related expertise and the capability to develop the enterprise

Application

Click here to apply

For extra data, go to IGNITE Challenge.