HealthyDiets4Africa Agribusiness Accelerator Cohort III: Call for Kenyan Agri-Innovators

Deadline: March 22, 2026

The HealthyDiets4Africa Agribusiness Accelerator Program Cohort III calls for agri-innovators in Kenya. This European Union-funded project through Food Security for Peace and Nutrition Africa (FSPN-Africa) targets youth aged 18-35 and women aged 35-45 passionate about Youth and Women in Agribusiness. It focuses on Food System transformation through agri-nutrition innovations, especially in underutilized foods. Innovators from counties like Makueni, Nairobi, Kitui, Machakos, Kiambu, Kajiado, and Murang’a can apply. Key perks include $5,000 awards for top innovations, training, mentorship, and market exposure.

FSPN-Africa runs this program to empower youth and women-led ventures. It aims to make these innovations investor-ready. Participants gain e-learning, training, mentorship, and links to partners and experts. The focus stays on agri-nutrition solutions that change food systems for the better. This builds on the HealthyDiets4Africa Project’s work to improve food security and nutrition in Africa.

The program helps innovations scale up and reach consumers. It equips teams with skills for business growth. Now, let’s look at what participants gain.

Benefits

Participants will receive:

• Business development support through training, upscaling, retooling, and mentorship.
• Total award of $5,000 for the top 3 high-potential, ready-to-scale innovations.
• Funding linkage support for high-potential innovations through partners and investors.
• Market ecosystem exposure through national and international trade fairs, exhibitions, expos, and exchange programs.
• Access to larger HealthyDiets4Africa project partners for learning and possible collaborations.

Eligibility

For an innovation or enterprise to qualify, it must meet these criteria:

• Address a food system problem in one or more thematic areas:
• Sustainable Innovations for Crop Production (solutions that improve productivity and produce safe foods while managing natural resources such as water and soil).
• Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture (solutions that produce healthy food by utilizing small spaces).
• Value Addition and Fortification (solutions, processes, techniques, or enterprises that fortify indigenous foods or transform raw agricultural products into new products).
• Storage and Post-harvest Handling Innovations (innovations that reduce post-harvest food waste and losses).
• Training, Distribution, and Aggregation services.
• Focus on value chains for novel foods and underutilized foods, such as:
• Vegetables (mushrooms, African leafy vegetables, pumpkin and/or pumpkin leaves).
• Cereals (finger millet, pearl millet, and/or sorghum).
• Tubers (cassava, yams, and/or sweet potatoes).
• Legumes (pigeon peas, cow peas, ground nuts, green grams, and/or beans).
• Fruits (tree tomato, guava, baobab, and any other fruits).
• Livestock (indigenous poultry, insects for feeds and food).
• Have presence in Kenya, with Makueni, Nairobi, Kitui, Machakos, Kiambu, Kajiado, and Murang’a Counties most preferred.
• Be up to 5 years in operation, with a minimum viable product or prototype.
• Show clear uniqueness, feasibility, and sustainability.

Team Eligibility

Teams can apply as individuals or groups of up to 10 people. Youth applicants and team members must be aged 18-35 years. Women applicants and team members must be aged 35-45 years.

Application

Submit applications by March 22, 2026, at 11:59 PM. Reviews happen on a rolling basis, so first come, first served. Click here to apply. For more information, visit HealthyDiets4Africa Agribusiness Accelerator.

Past cohorts of the HealthyDiets4Africa Agribusiness Accelerator Program have shown strong results. Innovators gained skills to scale their work and attract funding. For success stories and examples of funded innovations from previous groups, check the program page at https://fspnafrica.org/call-for-agri-innovators-healthydiets4africa-agribusiness-accelerator-program-cohort-iii/. A typical timeline includes application, review, training phases, and awards for top picks.

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