2023 WFP Digital Green Innovation (DGIx) Acceleration Programme For Digital Solutions
WFP Digital Green Innovation (DGIx) Acceleration Programme aims to support technology-powered solutions addressing pressing environmental challenges. The programme will select ventures, solution providers and consortiums who will receive financial, technical, and methodological support from the WFP Innovation Accelerator, #SDF, and other partners.
Digital transformation can play a major role in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss in low- and middle-income countries. A “twin transition” approach recognises this large and untapped role of technology and data to drive sustainability: instead of thinking about digitalization (using technology) and sustainability (taking care of the planet) separately, a twin transition strategy believes that these two changes can work together.
Summary
- Host: World Food Programme (WFP)
- Category: Training | Fellowships
- Eligible Countries: African Countries
- Reward: $230,000
- No IELTS Required
- Deadline: September 24, 2023
Details:
DGIx aims to leverage the aforementioned interconnectedness between digitalisation and climate change by utilising the potential of ventures and consortiums developing digital tools for climate action in the following areas:
- Adaptation: reducing potential damages and vulnerability associated with climate change.
- Mitigation: curbing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Resilience: anticipating, preparing, and recovering while incurring minimal damages.
Requirements:
- Your organization must have a presence (e.g., in the form of a country office or other permanent presence, subsidiary, long-term operations, etc.) and be locally rooted in the country of implementation.
- Your organization must be an established legal entity (for-profit, not-for-profit, social enterprise) for at least 2 years.
- Your innovation must be at least at the validated prototype stage, ideally with proof of traction, and a verified potential commercial value and impact.
- Your innovation should clearly address one or more of the priority innovation areas.
- Your innovation should have a clear pathway to scale (capacity to be adapted, expanded, replicated or scaled) along with a well defined implementation plan ready to be executed during the 12-month accelerator period using the available funding.
- Applications from consortiums and cooperations with local NGOs are highly encouraged.
- Solutions using open formats and approaches (Open Data, Open Hardware, Free and Open-Source Software, collaborative mapping and crowd-sensing) are encouraged.
- At least one of the team members must be fluent in English.
- We prioritize ventures that focus on promoting gender equality and empowering women, either through their beneficiaries, job creation, or by having a high representation of women in leadership positions.
- We also encourage applications from youth-led ventures.
Duration and Reward
Selected ventures will be invited to apply to the WFP Sprint Programme – a six-month acceleration program with access to up to US$230,000 in equity-free funding, coaching, and mentorship support from a global network of relevant partners in the public health space.
Evaluation Criteria
- Impact & Scalability: applicants should have a defined vision, an identified target group, and be able to demonstrate the potential to solve the posed challenge(s).
- Team: applicants should be able to demonstrate having a diverse, non-discriminatory, and inclusive organization with demonstrated leadership and entrepreneurial mindset.
- Novelty: applicants should be able to show how their solution and business model are innovative while being technically suitable and viable.
- Traction: applicants should be able to present evidence of feasibility and adoption by the target group.
- Business Model: applicants should demonstrate the viability of their business model, how they intend to achieve a sustainable business, pricing, and financial model.
Method of Application
- To submit your application, please fill in the Application Form before 24 September 2023 11:59 pm (CET).
- Or, if you know a relevant venture or solution for us to consider for this programme, please let us know by filling out this Referral Submission Form.
- An information session will be held on 19 September 2:00 – 3:00 pm (CET)to answer any questions from interested applicants.
- We will review and select successful applications to participate in a fully virtual WFP Innovation Bootcamp in December 2023. While we value all applications, we are only able to contact shortlisted applicants.
- Interested, but don’t feel your idea is ready yet? Don’t let this stop you! You can still send your application as we are creating a pool of solutions with a focus on solving emergency and humanitarian challenges. This pool of solutions could be invited for future programmes.
