The International Fertiliser Association (IFA) and Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) have opened applications for entrepreneurs from Nigeria and other countries, providing innovative solutions for improving crop yield and quality, improving soil health, improving nutrient management performance, and facilitating market access.
According to The Nation, the program tagged Africa AgTech Startup Showcase, will elect startups that will be awarded a cash prize of €20,000 and the opportunity to showcase their startup solution at the IFA annual conference.
UM6P said Africa Agtech Startup Showcase is opened to entrepreneurs offering innovative responses to the challenges facing African agriculture to showcase their solutions to the plant nutrition industry.
The IFA and UM6P judges will evaluate applications based on the competition criteria including impact, innovation and applicability to African smallholder farmers. Final selection will take place in May 2023 at the IFA Annual Conference, the largest gathering of the fertilizer industry, and the winning startup will receive a €20,000 prize.
UM6P President, Hicham El Habti noted:
“We are pleased to partner with IFA to develop the Africa Agtech Startup Showcase. This initiative stems from our unwavering commitment to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship on the African continent and contribute to its inclusive and green development across all areas of activity, including agriculture.”
To be eligible, startups are required to have a minimum viable product (MVP).
Also, startup must have received less than € 20 million in funding since its establishment from external sources and is less than 10 years old.
IFA Chief Executive/Director General,Alzbeta Klein, remarked;
“The International Fertilizer Association created the Smart&Green platform in 2021 to bridge the AgTech ecosystem and providers of plant nutrition solutions. As a next step, we are partnering with UM6P to help connect entrepreneurs with potential partners and investors through the Africa AgTech startup showcase. And all of this to ultimately help feed the world sustainably.”
