Deadline:
January 31, 2025
Location(s)
India Malawi
Overview
Women and young people are the future and backbone of agricultural development. Promoting agriculture as a business has gained currency in recent times to create more economic value and to encourage youth into agriculture.
The Young Entrepreneur Challenge Fund empowers women and youth as key drivers of agricultural development by promoting agriculture as a business. Supported by ICT advancements, tools like mobile financial services, social media, and apps help farmers access trusted information to improve their livelihoods.
Details
Agriculture has been supported by rapid developments in information and communication technologies (ICT). Across developing countries mobile financial services are booming. Likewise, social media and apps help farmers forecast the weather or know about market prices. In this time of COVID-19 these farmers need information they can trust to improve their livelihoods and protect their families.
Access Agriculture is a non-profit organisation that supports the distribution of quality training videos to share practical knowledge on farming and food processing across the global South. Farmers in Latin America, Africa and Asia can learn from their peers on other continents.
Access Agriculture has developed the concept of Entrepreneurs for Rural Access, who are either individuals or small teams that use a ‘smart projector’ to develop or expand their businesses around the dissemination of agricultural videos.
By building on the ICT skills and networks of young men and women, we believe we can better support farmers and make organic agriculture more attractive to youth and reach more women.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
Applicants: A team of up to 3 secondary school teachers belonging to the same cluster schools can submit a proposal.
Age: From 18 to 40 years old
Language skills: Applicants should have the ability to communicate effectively in English or Chichewa.
School Garden Feasibility: Proposals should highlight access to key resources, including:
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A dependable water source, such as a borehole, shallow well, dam or rainwater harvesting system.
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Sufficient land, a well-located site with adequate sunlight.
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At least 10 metre by 10 metre piece of land owned by the school or with full guarantee to use the land for more than two years
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Strategies for involving students and ensuring the garden’s sustainability over time
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Motivated teachers who will serve as garden patron/matron
Dates
Deadline: January 31, 2025
Cost/funding for participants
5 winners will be selected based on the novelty and strength of their business plan. Depending on the availability of funds to support our Young Entrepreneur Challenge Fund, more winners may be identified.
All people or teams who submitted proposals will be informed by email on the outcome of this process on May 1.
If you are a winner, you will be expected to sign an agreement that stipulates that you will continue using the smart projector for at least 18 months to grow your business and regularly report back to Access Agriculture, after which the projector will become your property. You will start activities within 3 months after signing the agreement.
What benefit do I get from winning?
Access Agriculture will provide you with a smart projector on loan for 18 months, after which the projector will become yours. Access Agriculture will cover the shipment cost and customs duty. Access Agriculture will provide you with advice on the smart projector use and on your business plan. Access Agriculture will also link you to other young entrepreneurs to allow you to share experiences and strengthen or diversify your business plan.
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
