The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), in partnership with the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, national partners across Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Senegal, and with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and ECOWAS, is launching the NourishNext West Africa 2026: Youth Agrifood Innovation Challenge.
This initiative seeks to identify, support, and scale the next generation of youth-led innovations that strengthen the fruit and vegetable agrifood value chain, improve healthy diets, and build more resilient, nutrition-sensitive food systems across West Africa.
Who Can Apply
- Youth innovators aged 18–35 (up to 40 for women-led enterprises).
- Applicants leading solutions that transform the fruit and vegetable value chain beyond the farmgate.
- Innovations at Proof of Concept (PoC), Prototype/MVP, Pilot, Early Market, or Growth/Scaling stages.
Focus Areas
We are looking for bold, youth-led innovations that:
- Improve post-harvest management to reduce food loss and waste.
- Advance processing and packaging for fruits and vegetables.
- Strengthen logistics and market access for nutritious produce.
- Develop digital platforms that connect farmers, markets, and consumers.
- Encourage healthier consumption of fruits and vegetables.
What We’re Looking For
Eligible solutions should:
- Address a clearly defined challenge in the fruit and vegetable value chain.
- Demonstrate genuine innovation and a strong value proposition.
- Show evidence of technical and/or commercial feasibility.
- Have potential to scale and improve availability, affordability, and desirability of nutritious fruits and vegetables across West Africa.
Not Eligible
- Purely conceptual ideas without a PoC or prototype.
- Existing products or services without meaningful innovation.
- Minor incremental improvements without significant added value.
- Solutions not directly relevant to the fruit and vegetable value chain.
Disclaimer
This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement by Agri-web. Interested applicants should consult the official NourishNext West Africa 2026 platform for complete program details and verified application instructions. Applicants are strongly advised to exercise due diligence before submitting any personal or sensitive information.
To apply for this job please visit docs.google.com.