Regional Call for Innovations 2021

Deadline: 12-Nov-21

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is inviting eligible organizations to respond to Water and Energy for Food South and Southeast Asia (WE4F S/SEA) Regional Innovation Hub (RIH) Call for Innovations 2021.

Goal

WE4F aims to:

Provide organizations with the technical assistance needed to sustainably scale solutions to meet the challenges in the WE4F nexus.
Provide companies and organizations with the advisory services and connectivity they need to raise private capital for scaling, in line with their strategic goals.
Promote climate and environmental resilience and biodiversity through the sustainable, holistic management of natural resources and ecosystems.
Promote gender-smart sustainable models through targeted and integrated technical assistance.
Enable the supported organizations to increase food production along the value chain through a more sustainable and efficient usage of water and / or energy.
Enable the supported organizations to increase income for ‘Base of the Pyramid’ (BOP) women and men in both rural and urban areas.

Thematic Areas

WE4F is looking for organizations with scalable products or services that address the below themes:

Theme 1: Innovations in food production to reduce water usage
Theme 2: Efficient use of water resources for food production
Theme 3: Sustainable use of energy and water on farms
Theme 4: Energy innovations for food processing, and / or logistics
Theme 5: Food production with efficient energy use
Theme 6: Leveraging food waste for energy

Funding Information

While the technical and investment facilitation assistances will be the key supports from WE4F S/SEA RIH, the Prospective Applicants are welcome to apply for a grant in a range of US$ 25,000 to US$ 200,000. The period of performance for individual awards is up to two years; the actual period of performance for each award will be determined at the time of award.

Why join WE4F?

Are you a S/SEA-based innovator with a proven solution tackling water and/or energy issues in urban or rural food production/processing. The WE4F S/SEA RIH is designed to support innovators in the region in growing their business by tackling the most common internal and external challenges. By tackling matters related to business growth, technical aspects, environmental and social impact, and access to finance together with WE4F S/SEA RIH experts, Innovators such as yourself will receive tailored and intense support to help you rapidly grow through:

Redesigning your business model for growth and impact
Developing your marketing strategy
Optimizing your production processes and organizational structure
Promoting gender inclusion in your value chain
Receiving more than 20 other growth support services such as export readiness,
technical, and impact aspects.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan ,Cambodia ,India ,Indonesia ,Laos ,Malaysia ,Myanmar ,Nepal ,Philippines ,Singapore ,Sri Lanka ,Thailand ,Timor Leste ,Vietnam
Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements to participate in this call for innovation. Applicants that do not meet these requirements will not advance past the concept note stage:
- Type – WE4F is open to legally incorporated / registered for-profit businesses and not-for-profit organizations or academic institutions which are responsible for generating revenue and maintaining a self-sustaining operational budget (i.e. covering costs). In addition, these organizations should be able to demonstrate a revenue track record selling the water-energy-food nexus-relevant product or service. WE4F is focused on financially viable businesses or organizations that can showcase a proven and sustainable revenue model
- Size – WE4F is open to all relevant organizations / companies that are ready to scale. They encourage applications from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with proven past sales record of the WE4F nexus product or service
- Location – Applicants must be legally registered in at least one identified country. If expansion into a new country is a key part of an applicant’s business plan, they must already have partners (e.g. distributors, joint venture partners, potential merger or acquisition targets NGOs) in place in that country to be considered. These partners must play a material role in the planned international expansion (e.g., should not be a generic, high-level relationship).
- Language – Applications responses must be written in English.
- Matching funds – Grant awardees must demonstrate matching funds;
- Impact – Applicants’ WE4F nexus-relevant products and / or services must have a direct, tangible linkage between water and / or energy and food value chains.
The applicants must also directly or indirectly benefit the poor (e.g. offering opportunities for enhanced income or social mobility) and also contribute to
gender equality, manage natural resources sustainably, strive for a positive impact on the environment and avoid negative environmental effects.
WE4F specifically encourages applications from women-owned / women-led organizations and developing country entrepreneurs.