Entries for the $50,000 Post Harvest Loss Innovation Prize now open

The Post Harvest Loss Innovation Prize seeking groundbreaking solutions that empower smallholder farmers in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa to reduce post-harvest loss.

The Issue: – Post Harvest Loss Innovation Prize

1. Globally, approximately one-third of all food produced is lost or wasted before it reaches consumers. This results in significant economic losses and contributes unnecessarily to greenhouse gas emissions throughout the agricultural value chain.
2. Smallholder farmers in emerging markets, totaling 500 million individuals, are disproportionately affected by food waste. Post-harvest losses in these regions lead to a minimum 15% reduction in income.
3. Many of these smallholder farmers reside in rural areas and lack reliable access to energy. Energy is crucial for various stages of farming, including irrigation, harvesting, processing, storage, preservation, transportation, and distribution. Therefore, reducing food and post-harvest losses requires increased use of energy for storage, processing, and transportation in sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective manners.

The Solution: – Post Harvest Loss Innovation Prize

1. Shell Foundation and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) are working towards boosting farmer incomes by minimizing post-harvest losses in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
2. To achieve this goal, it is essential to introduce scalable, cost-effective solutions that meet the post-harvest needs of smallholder farmers. These solutions should promote sustainable agricultural practices while leveraging the advantages of clean energy technologies.
3. By adopting sustainable and cost-effective measures to decrease post-harvest losses, farmers can enjoy multiple benefits: enhanced incomes, increased yields, and improved climate resilience. Despite the availability of various solutions (such as cold storage units), many technologies are currently too costly for smallholder farmers.
4. Therefore, it is crucial to develop affordable, practical, and scalable solutions to encourage more smallholder farmers to embrace innovations that reduce post-harvest losses and combat food waste trends.

Overview – $50,000 Post Harvest Loss Innovation Prize

1. Application Deadline: Aug 14, 2024
   
2. Contact: [email protected]
3. Apply: Application form
4. Nominate: Nomination form

About the Shell Foundation and Factor E Ventures – $50,000 Post Harvest Loss Innovation Prize

1. The Shell Foundation and Factor E Ventures are collaborating on the Post Harvest Loss Innovation Prize, along with partners such as FCDO, ISF Advisors, MicroSave Consulting (MSC), and AndMore Associates. This initiative aims to discover groundbreaking technologies that can help reduce post-harvest losses for smallholder farmers.
2. Shell Foundation, established by Shell in 2000, is a charitable organization based in England and Wales. It focuses on developing and scaling business solutions that enable marginalized communities to generate sustainable incomes through clean energy technologies. Through a strategic partnership with the UK Government’s FCDO, Shell Foundation works to enhance access to energy solutions for smallholder farmers and agricultural SMEs in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
3. Factor E Ventures is an impact investment firm that seeks out and invests in solutions to global challenges related to climate change and development. By combining risk capital, technology, and emerging markets, Factor E Ventures aims to accelerate the positive impact of innovation on economies, environments, and communities.

About the Prize – $50,000 Post Harvest Loss Innovation Prize

1. The Post Harvest Loss Innovation Prize is open to innovative solutions that address post-harvest losses for smallholder farmers in emerging markets.
2. Winners not only receive a $50,000 financial reward but also gain access to a network of industry leaders, media exposure, and post-investment support from Factor E Ventures.
3. This opportunity provides the resources and recognition needed to advance agritech innovations and make a meaningful impact.
4. Applications for the prize will be evaluated by the Factor E investment team, with the top five finalists being announced on September 17th.
5. The final award recipient will be revealed on September 25, 2024.

Assessment Criteria – $50,000 Post Harvest Loss Innovation Prize

Applications will be evaluated based on their potential to bring about significant impact in our target markets. While not all criteria are mandatory, submissions will be assessed on the following key factors:

1. Innovation: The solution must be innovative and tailored for smallholder farmers, offering a unique approach to addressing challenges in emerging markets.
2. Solution Validation: We are looking for solutions that have been successfully tested either in a controlled setting or in the field.
3. Global Applicability: Innovations from any part of the world are welcome, but they must be relevant for implementation in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, with the potential for scalability in other emerging markets.
4. Gender Impact: Solutions that positively impact female farmers will be given priority.
5. Scalability and Reach: The ideal solution should have the potential for significant commercial returns and be able to empower over 1 million farmers, with a clear path to scalability.
6. Farm-Level Implementation: The solution should be farmer-centric and designed for direct use by farmers.
7. Minimal Behavioral Change: Solutions that require minimal adjustments to farmers’ existing practices are preferred.
8. Financial Traction: Progress towards financial sustainability and past fundraising success will be viewed positively.
9. Technology Readiness Level (TRL): We seek technologies that are well-developed and preferably have existing paying customers.
10. Founding Team: A strong, diverse founding team with a visionary leader is essential for consideration.

Eligibility – $50,000 Post Harvest Loss Innovation Prize

1. Applications may be submitted by any entity including startups, universities, non-profit organizations or for-profit companies.

Submission- $50,000 Post Harvest Loss Innovation Prize

1. To ensure your application is considered, please submit it through the Google Form below by August 14, 2024:
   Submit here 

Nominate – $50,000 Post Harvest Loss Innovation Prize

1. Do you know a deserving candidate? We encourage nominations of qualified startups, companies, or groups!
2. Help us find the most promising participants by submitting your nominations through the form below: Nominate an entity here

Timeline – $50,000 Post Harvest Loss Innovation Prize

1. Request for applications begins Jun 26, 2024
   
2. Applications close Aug 14, 2024
   
3. Applications will be reviewed by the Factor E investment team from Aug 1, 2024– Sep 13, 2024
   
4. Applicants will be notified Sep 16, 2024
   
5. Finalists will be announced Sep 17, 2024
   
6. Award will be announced Sep 25, 2024

Contact Information –  $50,000 Post Harvest Loss Innovation Prize

1. For questions about the prize or eligibility please contact [email protected]