World Food Forum 2025 offers $80,000 in startup awards for young agrifood innovators
The World Food Forum 2025, in collaboration with Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC), is now accepting applications for the Startup Innovation Awards. This global competition aims to highlight and support youth-led enterprises using technology to transform agrifood systems. By supporting these innovators, the competition seeks to contribute to the eradication of global hunger, thereby achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
In 2021, the World Food Forum was established by the Youth Committee of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) as an independent partner network. FAO hosts it and serves as the leading worldwide platform for actively shaping the agrifood system for a better food future, hence accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The World Food Forum Global Youth Action serves as a catalyst and driver of young engagement in food governance. It is also a knowledge centre and innovation lab that fosters and inspires youth-driven solutions. Thus, it actively contributes to the achievement of the UN’s Young 2023 Strategy while also increasing young participation in the follow-up to the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit.
The World Food Global Youth Action is carried out through thematic initiatives that promote intergenerational and cross-sectoral collaboration, innovation, and investment, like education, youth assembly, innovation lab, local action, and culture.
All year long, activities of the World Food Forum Global Youth Action culminate in an annual flagship event that promotes intergenerational collaboration, partnership, and action in culture, education, politics, research, innovation, and investment.
The competition focuses on four major categories, which seek to promote and accelerate the young, entrepreneurial businesses that show the most promise to revolutionise agrifood systems across these four categories:
- Digital innovation in food processing award: startups using innovative technology to improve the resilience, efficiency, and sustainability of food processing systems
- Equitable and sustainable nutrition award: for startups that identify solutions to ensure health and well-being in communities by promoting access to wholesome and sustainable food for all
- Enhancing climate resilience and water security award: for startups that recognise innovations addressing water scarcity and climate change, while promoting agrifood systems and sustainable water management
- Driving innovation in agrifood systems: for startups showcasing technological advancements in the agrifood value chain, which maximise resource utilisation and advance long-term sustainability
Benefits of Participation
Selected finalists from the World Food Forum 2025 will receive:
- Up to $80,000 to support the expansion of your startup
- Access to a global network of stakeholders, partners and investors
- Professional advice from the WFF and FAO networks
- Access to valuable resources and networking opportunities
- Travel support to travel to Rome, Italy, for the WFF flagship event
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Who can apply
To be eligible for the World Food Forum 2025, startups must meet the following criteria:
- The founder or a C-level executive must be between the ages of 18 and 35
- The organisation must have a valid legal registration
- The organisation must concentrate on developing scalable and significant agrifood innovation solutions
Competition timeline
- Application opens: April 16, 2025
- Application deadline: May 22, 2025
- Semi-finalists notification: June 30, 2025
- Finalist selection and invitation: July 24, 2025
- SIA finals at FAO headquarters, Rome: October 15, 2025
How to apply
Interested startups should submit their applications for the World Food Forum 2025 through the official application portal on or before Thursday, May 22, 2025.
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