Call for applications: Pacific AgriHack Lab 2018 – ICTs from Farm-to-Table (Win Euro 5000)

Deadline: October 31, 2018

Applications are open for Pacific 2018 AgriHack Lab,  ICTs from Farm-to-Table. The Pacific 2018 AgriHack Lab aims to identify and assess the potential for upscaling novel or existing ICT4Ag innovations for overcoming challenges in Pacific agriculture, agribusiness and value chain development namely: Communication and market development, Transport logistics and Capacity building of farmers/ SMEs.

The AgriHack lab aims to address the limited support for upscaling the use of novel and existing ICT platforms/applications or developing prototypes that would specifically attract the most farmers (especially smallholders and fisher folk) and small and medium enterprises involved in local food crops and fisheries value chains (from farm to table).

This call for proposals targets in-country ICT experts, Tech savvy young professionals and/or agri-entrepreneurs including farmers to identify and evaluate ICT applications that are in use, select one and propose solutions that have the greatest potential for wider adoption to connect the agriculture and food sector (from farm to table) in any or all of the target countries. Alternatively, the applicant can develop a prototype, which has the same potential.

The AgriHack Lab initiative includes:

• Competition to identify and further develop existing or new ICT applications for agriculture and agri-business/value chain development in the Pacific.
• Capacity building, mentorship and incubation opportunities.
• Enabling and encouraging networking opportunities among ICT experts and the public and private sector including farming community.
• Facilitation of access to grants and investments opportunities.

Benefits

20 semi-finalists will be selected by a multi-disciplinary team from among the applications received. The Top 20 semi-finalists will be invited and supported to attend and pitch their ICT solutions to a multi-stakeholder group during the AgriHack Lab planned for Tonga in December 2018.

During this event, a second evaluation will be done by a multi-disciplinary expert panel to select the top 3 winners who will receive an award (Euro 5000) to implement their ICT solutions.

Eligibility

• Open to ICT experts, tech savvy young professionals, farmers and/or agri-entrepreneurs operating in Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, or Vanuatu.

You are eligible to apply if you meet the following criteria:

• You are working for/with ICT start-ups/public and private sector organisations/businesses promoting and using ICTs or you are an independent ICT expert or own your own business.
• You are a national of/or are registered to operate in one of the 7 project target countries: Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

Selection Criteria (for all the categories of prizes) include:

• relevance to Pacific agricultural, agribusiness and value chain development and responsiveness to needs of farmers/ SMEs challenges, feasibility of proposed ICT solution (technical soundness),
• originality
• scalability (the business model
• level of deployment
• ease of use/uptake, performance)
• sustainability

Evaluation Criteria

• Relevance – 20%
• Feasibility/ Technical Soundness – 30%
• Scalability and Sustainability – 30%
• Originality – 10%

Application

 

The completed application form and necessary supporting documents must be sent to hackathoncta@usp.ac.fj, with a copy to innov4agpacific@gmail.com. Deadline for submitting applications is 31 October 2018.

Download the application form here