Deadline Date: May 01, 2026
The BARD Food Security Technology Accelerator offers a unique opportunity to advance food security innovation by supporting collaborative research and development projects between Israeli and American partners.
The program focuses on climate resilience through the development of new crop varieties, vertical farming, and greenhouse technologies, including crop genetics, water management, and AI-driven precision agriculture; crop and animal health through innovative technologies and management strategies to detect, prevent, and mitigate diseases and pests; and AI-powered precision farming and digital agriculture by leveraging artificial intelligence, sensors, and data analytics to optimize inputs, monitor crops, and enhance decision-making for improved productivity and sustainability.
The BARD Food Security Technology Accelerator is a joint initiative designed to bridge the gap between research and industry while accelerating the journey from discovery to real-world application. It supports projects at critical stages of development, particularly those within Technology Readiness Levels 3 to 6, ensuring that innovative ideas move closer to commercialization and deliver meaningful social and economic impact.
The program provides conditional grants of up to $1 million for projects with a total budget of up to $1.6 million over a two-year period. Academic partners receive full funding, while industry partners are partially funded, with a required contribution ranging from 10 to 30 percent depending on the project’s maturity level. The funding covers research and development, dissemination, and commercialization activities, and is structured to balance both risk and reward among partners.
Participation requires a binational consortium consisting of at least two research institutions and two industry partners, with representation from both Israel and the United States. Academic institutions must receive at least half of the total grant, ensuring strong research involvement, while industry partners contribute to practical application and market readiness.
The application process follows a two-stage submission system, where applicants must first submit a pre-proposal before being eligible to submit a full proposal. This approach ensures that only the most promising and aligned projects proceed to the final evaluation stage.
For more information, visit BARD.
