Youth and Women Innovation Challenge

The Dryland Agriculture and Food Systems in the Face of Climate Change Conference convenes key stakeholders to advance climate-resilient solutions for Kenya’s ASAL regions, with a focus on strengthening food systems, livelihoods, and sustainability.

As part of the conference, the Youth & Women Innovation Challenge 2026 supports early-stage enterprises delivering innovative solutions in climate-smart agriculture, pastoralism, agri-digital technologies, and value addition. Selected participants will undergo an Investor Readiness Sprint, mentorship, and capacity-building sessions.

The Challenge will culminate in a final pitch and awards event on 18 June 2026 at Lukenya University, where top innovators will showcase their solutions to investors, partners, and national stakeholders.

The application will take approximately 15–20 minutes. Please ensure you can commit fully before proceeding.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Please select the track under which you are applying(*)

• Youth (18–35 years)• Women-led Enterprise (≥51% ownership/leadership) Invalid Input

Full Name(*)

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Gender

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Telephone(*)

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BUSINESS INFORMATION

PROGRAMME QUESTIONAIRE

This program is intensive and requires full engagement over approximately 3 months, including:(*)

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Investor Readiness / Sprint sessions / Mentorship meetings / Masterclasses Final pitch event on 18 June 2026 Applicants are also expected to provide relevant business information, such as operational data, traction, and financials (where applicable), to facilitate effective mentorship and investor engagement.

Please describe your solution and its objectives?

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What problem does your solution address? Which focus area aligns with your solution? (Climate-Smart Crops & Livestock / Livestock Health & Disease Management / Agri-Digital & Early Warning Systems / Value Addition & Post-Harvest Loss Reduction) What distinguishes your solution as innovative or unique?

We are particularly interested in solutions that strengthen climate resilience and benefit communities

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Please provide details on market adoption and growth plans

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File Upload(*)

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Please upload the required documents to complete your application - Business Registration Certificate - Pitch Deck (Max 10 slides, PDF) - Supporting materials (photos, videos, testimonials) Upload up to 5 supported files. Max 2 MB per file.
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Review Form, then click 'Submit'

Dryland Agriculture and Food Systems in the Face of Climate Change - Youth and Women Innovation Challenge