Call for Agri-Innovators: HealthyDiets4Africa Agribusiness Accelerator Program (Kenya)

The HealthyDiets4Africa Agribusiness Accelerator Program is inviting youth and women innovators in Kenya to scale agribusiness solutions that improve the food system. The program offers training, mentorship, investor-readiness support, market exposure, and funding linkages, with $5,000 total awards for the top three ready-to-scale enterprises.

What Is the HealthyDiets4Africa Agribusiness Accelerator Program?

The HealthyDiets4Africa Agribusiness Accelerator Program is a support programme for youth-led and women-led agribusiness innovations in Kenya.

Its goal is to help promising agribusiness enterprises become:

• Investor-ready

• Scalable

• Market-linked

• Better positioned to improve food systems, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture

The accelerator is designed for innovators building solutions in production, processing, value addition, post-harvest systems, and food distribution.

What Support Does the Program Offer?

Selected participants will receive:

• Business development support

• Mentorship and coaching

• Training and e-learning

• Business upscaling support

• Funding linkages

• Market exposure

• Access to HealthyDiets4Africa project partners

• Exposure to national and international trade fairs

• Potential collaboration opportunities with partner institutions

Funding Opportunity

High-potential innovations may receive:

• A total award of $5,000 for the top three ready-to-scale enterprises

In addition, selected participants may benefit from:

• Investor connections

• Additional funding linkage support

• Access to partner and investor networks

Focus Areas of the Accelerator

The programme supports agribusiness innovations that address food system challenges in Kenya.

Eligible thematic areas include:

• Sustainable innovations for crop production

• Urban and peri-urban agriculture

• Value addition and food fortification

• Storage and post-harvest handling innovations

• Training, distribution, and aggregation services

Target Value Chains

The accelerator specifically focuses on novel and underutilized foods and selected livestock systems.

Priority value chains include:

Vegetables

• Mushrooms

• African leafy vegetables

• Pumpkin leaves

Cereals

• Finger millet

• Pearl millet

• Sorghum

Tubers

• Cassava

• Yams

• Sweet potatoes

Legumes

• Pigeon peas

• Cow peas

• Groundnuts

• Green grams

• Beans

Fruits

• Tree tomato

• Guava

• Baobab

• Other fruits

Livestock

• Indigenous poultry

• Insects for feed and food

Who Is Eligible?

Applications are open to:

• Individuals

• Teams of up to 10 people

Age Eligibility

Youth category

• Applicants and team members must be 18 to 35 years old

Women category

• Applicants and team members must be 35 to 45 years old

Innovation Eligibility

To qualify, the innovation must:

• Address a food system problem

• Fall within the listed thematic areas

• Focus on one or more of the specified value chains

• Be relevant to agribusiness development in Kenya

Why This Program Matters

This accelerator is important because it combines capacity building with market and investment readiness.

It helps innovators:

• Strengthen business models

• Improve scalability

• Access mentorship and networks

• Gain visibility through trade fairs

• Connect with investors and project partners

• Build solutions around nutrition-sensitive agriculture and underutilized crops

For youth and women founders, this can be a strong platform to move from idea or early-stage enterprise to a more investment-ready agribusiness.

How to Apply

Step-by-Step Application Guidance

Step 1: Confirm Eligibility

Check that you:

• Are based in Kenya

• Apply as an individual or a team of up to 10

• Meet the relevant age requirement

• Have an innovation in an eligible thematic area and value chain

Step 2: Define the Problem You Solve

Clearly explain:

• What food system problem your innovation addresses

• Why the problem matters

• Who benefits from your solution

Step 3: Align with the Program Themes

Show how your innovation fits into areas such as:

• Crop production

• Urban agriculture

• Value addition

• Post-harvest handling

• Distribution or aggregation

Step 4: Highlight Market and Scale Potential

Explain:

• What stage your innovation is at

• Whether it is already being tested or sold

• How it can grow

• Why it could become investor-ready

Step 5: Submit a Clear Application

Your application should make it easy for reviewers to understand:

• Your team

• Your agribusiness model

• Your target market

• Your impact on food systems and nutrition

• Why your solution is ready for accelerator support

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these common issues:

• Applying with an innovation outside the listed value chains

• Failing to explain the specific food system challenge

• Giving unclear information about team age eligibility

• Submitting an idea with no clear scaling pathway

• Not showing how the innovation fits Kenya’s agribusiness context

• Overlooking the nutrition or sustainability relevance

FAQs

1. Who can apply for the HealthyDiets4Africa Agribusiness Accelerator Program?

The programme is open to individuals or teams of up to 10 people in Kenya, specifically targeting youth and women innovators.

2. What is the age requirement?

• Youth applicants/team members: 18–35 years

• Women applicants/team members: 35–45 years

3. What kind of innovations are eligible?

Eligible innovations must:

• Solve a food system problem

• Fit within the programme’s thematic areas

• Focus on the specified agribusiness value chains

4. Is there any funding available?

Yes. The programme may provide:

• A total of $5,000 for the top three ready-to-scale enterprises

5. Does the program offer mentorship and training?

Yes. Participants can access:

• Mentorship

• Training

• E-learning

• Business development support

• Investor and market linkages

6. Are teams allowed?

Yes. Applications can be submitted by:

• Individuals, or

• Teams of up to 10 people

7. What sectors or value chains are prioritised?

The programme prioritises innovations in:

• Sustainable crop production

• Urban/peri-urban agriculture

• Value addition

• Post-harvest solutions

• Distribution and aggregation
  with focus on crops like millets, cassava, mushrooms, legumes, indigenous poultry, and other underutilized foods.

Conclusion

The HealthyDiets4Africa Agribusiness Accelerator Program is a valuable opportunity for youth and women agribusiness innovators in Kenya working on food systems, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture.

With support in mentorship, business scaling, investor readiness, market exposure, and potential awards, the programme can help promising agribusiness ventures grow into stronger, more investable enterprises.