NourishNext West Africa 2026: Youth Agrifood Innovation Challenge
NourishNext West Africa 2026: Youth Agrifood Innovation Challenge (Apply Now)
Applications are now open for the NourishNext West Africa 2026: Youth Agrifood Innovation Challenge, an initiative led by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in partnership with the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement and national partners across Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Senegal. The programme is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and ECOWAS.
About the Challenge
This regional initiative aims to identify, support, and scale youth-led innovations that strengthen the fruit and vegetable agrifood value chain, improve access to healthy diets, and promote resilient, nutrition-sensitive food systems across West Africa.
Who Can Apply?
- Young innovators aged 18–35 years (up to 40 years for women-led enterprises)
- Individuals or teams leading solutions within the fruit and vegetable value chain
- Applicants based in West Africa or working on solutions relevant to the region
Focus Areas
The challenge seeks innovative solutions that go beyond the farmgate, addressing areas such as:
- Post-harvest management and storage
- Food processing and preservation
- Packaging and logistics
- Market access and distribution
- Retail and consumer demand
- Digital tools and platforms for agrifood systems
Eligible innovations may include products, technologies, services, business models, supply chain solutions, or digital platforms that improve availability, affordability, and consumption of nutritious fruits and vegetables.
Eligibility Criteria
- Solutions must be youth-led and demonstrate clear innovation
- Must have reached at least Proof of Concept (PoC) stage
- Open to innovations at MVP, pilot, early market, or scaling stages
- Must show technical feasibility and strong value proposition
- Should address a clearly defined challenge within the value chain
Not Eligible
- Purely conceptual ideas without a prototype or PoC
- Solutions lacking innovation or clear impact
- Projects unrelated to the fruit and vegetable value chain
Why Apply?
Selected innovators will gain visibility, support, and opportunities to scale impactful solutions that improve nutrition and food systems across West Africa.
