Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) and the Shockwave Foundation are partnering on the Resilient Agriculture Innovations for Nature (RAIN) challenge.
RAIN aims to identify seed-level innovative agricultural ideas that are meeting climate resilience needs in East Africa and scale them to sustainable business ideas of interest to private investors and funders. In addition to awarding new innovative agricultural initiatives with seed funds, we will provide customized support to maximize each initiative’s potential for impact. The challenge will align potential funders to these initiatives and drive attention to the urgent need for agricultural systems transformation.
Although the agricultural sector is rapidly becoming more susceptible to the devastating impacts of climate change, it is ripe with innovation and transformation potential.
The United Nations at the UN Food System Summit and through the UN Climate Change Conferences has also called for a transformative response to agricultural development from the private sector. However, private capital is only available if resilience investments can show that they can potentially generate acceptable risk-adjusted returns.
Our challenge addresses this disconnect by building capacity and de-risking investment in climate resilient agricultural entrepreneurship.
RAIN is open to rural farmers, entrepreneurs, organizations or consortiums of organizations across public, private, civil society and grassroots organizations as well as academia in East Africa (Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda).
Awardees will be connected to investors, receive a tailored mentoring program, and communications support. In addition, awardees will be invited to an investor forum and pitching session in-person or virtually. Subject matter experts will facilitate a leadership academy for the selected entrants. Awardees will also receive a cash prize after the initial mentoring period and after the leadership academy.
Why We Partner
GRP are experts at planning innovation challenges and convening diverse voices, with the aim of advancing knowledge in climate resilient agriculture, nutrition, and food security areas.
Impact
We believe the RAIN challenge will advance entrepreneurial talent, bring investment to a critical sector of climate resilience, and strengthen food systems.