Applications open for FoodTech Challenge 3.0

The FTC is organized and administered by Tamkeen Abu Dhabi LLC, in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) International Affairs Office of the Presidential Court (IAO).

FTC champions four visionary winners, providing them with the opportunity to advance their tech- driven solutions in the UAE and the Global South.

Focus Areas

• Food & Water
  • Innovations that optimize water use in agriculture, protein production, and food processing, enhance drought resistance, and increase crop yields in arid environments.
• Food & Energy
  • Technologies that reduce the carbon footprint of food production by improving energy efficiency across the value chain.
• Food Loss & Waste
  • Solutions that reduce food loss through optimized collection, processing, storage and distribution methods, address consumer behaviors to reduce waste, and mitigate emissions related to food decomposition.

Prizes

• Cash Prize
  • $100k awarded to each winner to support the ongoing development of their start-up (unrestricted).
• UAE-focused Grants
  • $200K awarded to each winner to enable immediate local impact by further developing, testing, and deploying the winning solution in the UAE in Year 1 post-award with the support of FTC’s local impact partners, including the Emirates Foundation and Silal.
• Global South-focused Grants
  • $200K will be awarded to each winner to advance the further development, testing and deployment of the winning solution to their selected markets in the Global South, with the support of FTC’s global impact partners, in Year 2 post-award including the Gates Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative.
• In-kind Support
  • Each winner will have the opportunity to engage with FoodTech Challenge partners’ in-kind support and acceleration programs, including:
    • Hub71: Fast-tracked application pathway for Hub71’s Access Program.
    • Sheraa: Fast-tracked access for winners to the S3 Incubation Program assessment process.
    • Al Tamimi & Company: Each winner will receive 20 hours of pro bono support to assist their company set up in the UAE (excluding license fees).
• Finalist Prize
  • $15k Cash Prize for each finalist to support the ongoing development of their solutions and to recognize their efforts to participate in the FoodTech Challenge.
  • Networking opportunities with FoodTech Challenge partners during the Finale event to explore avenues for collaboration and development in the local ecosystem.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for the FoodTech Challenge, your startup must meet the following criteria:
  • Have a workable minimum viable product, service, or solution
  • Be less than five years old (founded after January 1, 2019)
  • Have fewer than 25 employees
  • Have not yet raised Series A funding
  • Address at least one of the three competition focus areas:
  • Food & Water
  • Food & Energy
  • Food Loss & Waste
  • For more information, visit FoodTech Challenge.

For more information, visit Tamkeen.