HealthyDiets4Africa Agribusiness Accelerator Program Cohort III: Call for Agri-Innovators

Deadline: March 22, 2026

Key Takeaways

• Participants receive business training, mentorship, up to $5,000 in awards, and market exposure to scale agri-nutrition ventures.
• The program targets youth aged 18-35 and women aged 35-45 with innovations in sustainable crop production, urban agriculture, and value chains like finger millet and cassava.
• Eligible enterprises must operate in Kenya, especially in counties like Makueni, Nairobi, and Kitui, and have a prototype or minimum viable product.
• Applications closed on March 22, 2026, with rolling reviews encouraging early submissions.

Food Security for Peace and Nutrition Africa (FSPN-Africa), through the EU-funded HealthyDiets4Africa Project, has launched a call for applications to the HealthyDiets4Africa Agribusiness Accelerator Program Cohort III. This program targets youth and women innovators in Kenya to boost agri-nutrition ideas that change food systems. Applications closed on March 22, 2026, with reviews on a rolling basis until then. It focuses on counties like Makueni, Nairobi, Kitui, Machakos, Kiambu, Kajiado, and Murang’a. The goal is to equip these innovators with skills to scale their work and attract investors. This article covers key benefits, eligibility rules, and how to apply.

FSPN-Africa runs this program to engage youth and women in Kenya for food system changes. The HealthyDiets4Africa Project supports these efforts with EU funding. It aims to empower youth-led and women-led innovations through online learning, hands-on training, mentorship, and links to experts and investors. Youth aged 18-35 and women aged 35-45 who care about agri-nutrition can join. The program helps turn ideas into strong businesses ready for growth.

Benefits

Participants gain real tools to grow their ideas. Here is what they receive:

• Business development support through training, upscaling, retooling, and mentorship. This builds skills to run and expand agri-nutrition ventures effectively.
• Total award of $5,000 for the top 3 high-potential innovations. Winners get cash to scale up their ready-to-grow projects.
• Funding linkage support through partners and investors. The program connects strong ideas to money sources for further growth.
• Market exposure at national and international trade fairs, exhibitions, expos, and exchange programs. Innovators meet buyers and partners to boost sales and networks.
• Access to HealthyDiets4Africa project partners for learning and collaborations. This opens doors to more resources and joint work.

Eligibility

Innovations must meet strict rules to qualify. They need to fix food system issues in key areas. Here are the details:

• Address problems in these thematic areas:

• Sustainable Innovations for Crop Production (better yields with care for water and soil)

• Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture (food from small city spaces)

• Value Addition and Fortification (turning raw foods into fortified products)

• Storage and Post-harvest Handling Innovations (cut waste after harvest)

• Training, Distribution, and Aggregation services

• Focus on underutilized value chains like:

• Vegetables (mushrooms, African leafy vegetables, pumpkin and leaves)

• Cereals (finger millet, pearl millet, sorghum)

• Tubers (cassava, yams, sweet potatoes)

• Legumes (pigeon peas, cow peas, ground nuts, green grams, beans)

• Fruits (tree tomato, guava, baobab, others)

• Livestock (indigenous poultry, insects for feed and food)

Enterprises must operate in Kenya, best in Makueni, Nairobi, Kitui, Machakos, Kiambu, Kajiado, or Murang’a counties. They should be up to 5 years old with a minimum viable product or prototype. Ideas must show uniqueness, real-world fit, and long-term promise.

Thematic Area	Example Value Chains
Sustainable Crop Production	Cereals (finger millet), Tubers (cassava)
Urban/Peri-Urban Agriculture	Vegetables (African leafy), Fruits (baobab)
Value Addition/Fortification	Legumes (pigeon peas), Livestock (poultry)
Post-harvest Handling	All underutilized foods
Training/Distribution	Aggregation for markets

Team Eligibility

Teams or solo innovators can apply. A team may have up to 10 people. All must fit these age groups:

• Youth applicants and team members: 18-35 years
• Women applicants and team members: 35-45 years

Application

Submit by March 22, 2026, at 11:59 PM. Reviews happen on a rolling basis, so apply early for first-come, first-served spots.

Click here to apply

Apply now via this form before the deadline!

For full details, check the HealthyDiets4Africa Agribusiness Accelerator page. Deadline: March 22, 2026.

The EU funds this push for agri-nutrition in foods like African leafy vegetables, finger millet, and cassava. It targets underutilized chains to transform Kenya’s food systems. While past cohort stories are not listed, the strong benefits point to real growth chances. Priority counties get a visual boost in mapping tools for applicants.

The HealthyDiets4Africa Agribusiness Accelerator Program Cohort III offers youth and women in Kenya key tools like training, funding up to $5,000, and investor links to grow agri-nutrition ideas. It targets innovations in sustainable farming and underutilized foods in counties like Makueni and Nairobi. Check the full details on the FSPN-Africa site to learn from this opportunity or prepare for future cohorts.

Frequently Asked Questions