Design of Fund for Frontier Tech Innovations in AgricultureResults for Development
Londo 08-10-2024
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Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents around the world — government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators — to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Together with our partners, we build self-sustaining systems that serve everyone and deliver lasting results. Then we share what we learn so others can achieve results for development, too.
We have a unique and vibrant culture at R4D. Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of our work environment and help advance our mission. Diversity—of ideas, identities, perspectives and backgrounds—is vital to who we are and what we do. We seek people who embrace these values and will help reinforce them. Our work culture is collaborative, creative and entrepreneurial. We operate based on trust and respect. Teams across the organization frequently collaborate on programmatic work and support each other in continuously building a better R4D.
Frontier Technologies Hub
Deadline for applications: 23rd October 2024; 23:59 UK time
Background to the Fund – why it is important
Innovation is going to be critical in achieving food security and sustainable food systems; the world needs to produce 60% more food by 2050. At the same time, agriculture as one of the main producers of greenhouse gases and a driver of biodiversity loss, must find ways to reduce its impact on the environment, while supporting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. While the complexity of these interlinked challenges cannot be underestimated, the advent of AI, Machine Learning and other frontier technologies offers a new opportunity to tackle these issues, with many applications offering transformative solutions to development issues.
The FCDO has been driving efforts in this space, through the Scaling Agriculture Investment in Digital, AI and Innovations (SAIDAI) programme. The programme aims to support and scale types of innovations that have the most potential for transformative impact, whilst generating evidence of what works, where and to whom. SAIDAI’s existing programmes include:
- Cliimateshot Investor Coalition (CLIC): a network of impact investors, philanthropists, the private sector and DFIs to facilitate financial innovation and address barriers to investments in the ClimateAg sector, through research, action groups and bridging partnerships
- Partnership with the Bill Gates Foundation: focuses on digital access, literacy and promotion of better digital public infrastructure to support digital innovators, agribusinesses and smallholder farmers
- Acumen Trellis Fund: agriculture and smallholder farmer-focused impact investment fund, investing in early-stage agri-business entrepreneurs across four investment regions in East Africa, West Africa, India, and Latin America
- Catalysing Agriculture by Scaling Energy Ecosystems (CASEE): accelerating access to energy-enabled solutions for smallholder farmers and agricultural SMEs in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia in partnership with the Shell Foundation.
FCDO believes that a new fund, which identifies, supports and transitions to scale impactful frontier tech innovations to support smallholder farmers and in the related value chains would complement its existing portfolio. This fund is likely to focus on pre-commercial, very early-stage innovations that are high-risk but also high potential and could bring about game-changing ideas that could transform the sector.
What is FT Hub:
The Frontier Technologies (FT) Hub has been approached to undertake some research into the design of this new early stage argi tech innovation fund. The Frontier Technologies (FT) Hub works with the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) at the intersection of tech, innovation, and international development. The FT Hub engages in a wide range of emerging tech solutions (Blockchain, AI, Biotech, IOT sensors, drones, web3, augmented/virtual reality, 3D printing/distributed manufacturing) providing investment and support to early-stage higher risk frontier technology innovations for social good, gathering evidence on what works and what does not to inform future investments. Since 2015, the FT Hub has invested in 70+ innovations. In 2023-2024, FT Hub pilots received 15.33 million in follow-on investments, and successfully influenced the change in several internal and external policies.
The Opportunity:
FT Hub is looking for a consultants/partners that can undertake some research on key challenges faced by smallholder farmers and low-income agricultural workers, to identify potential and promising emerging tech solutions and to initiate a design of an early stage tech innovation. The consultant/partner will identify suitable contexts/geographies for a tech innovation fund to take place. The innovation fund will be for the Africa region only and the scope of work for the consultant/partner will be Africa focused.
The key design principles (values) of the innovation fund will include localisation, equitable outcomes, be gender transformative, and tolerate high-risk (early stage emerging tech innovation). The scope of the work is tech-agnostic, any emerging and frontier tech can be included.
It is important that this research is evidence-based, with clear rationale for why particular options are being put forward. In particular, the fund must work for early stage agri-tech innovation e.g. is a Challenge Fund, the right approach? What other innovation funding mechanisms could be considered any why? The result of this work will be a comprehensive package of information/outputs that will guide the design of the agri-tech fund.
Scope of Work:
We welcome proposals that can answer the following questions, using a scope of work/approach that is recommended by the proposal. The key design component so far is that the Fund must focus on innovations that benefit smallholder farmers, low-income agricultural workers or the related value chains and support local tech-entrepreneurs in those countries to solve challenges for smallholder farmers or related value chains.
The key questions are:
The scope of work is limited to Africa only.
1. Assessing challenges for smallholder farmers:
• What are the key challenges that exist for both smallholder farmers in creating higher yields (food production), getting food to markets (access), reducing negative impacts on land, environment and climate and supporting their own livelihoods? What are the challenges that exist for low-income agricultural workers?
• What innovative emerging and frontier tech solutions are already being used to resolve some of these challenges that smallholder farmers face? What future emerging tech solutions could also be deployed?
2. Barriers and opportunities for early-stage innovations, identifying enabling ecosystems:
• What barriers do early-stage innovators face that prevent them from: A) testing their innovation in particular contexts with smallholder farmers; B) scaling their innovation to have a greater impact (either depth of impact or breadth of impact)
• Are there any other funds/interventions that have tried to work at a similar stage (early-stage, high-risk, frontier tech OR already tested innovations)? What countries are they working in? What did they learn? How did the fund(s) operate? What were the impacts?
• What are the key drivers required in an innovation and agriculture ecosystem to enable early stage emerging technologies to be supported and tested and adopted for scale? What are the key risks to consider?
3. Existing programmes/funds:
• Are there are other funds that have managed to incorporate/design with key principles/values at their core? (e.g. localisation, gender transformative, high-risk/early stage tech innovation). What has the impact been? How do they retain those values in their operations?
• What funds might be relevant at: A) pre-commercial/pre-seed stage; B) early-stage (either at transition to scale or scaling stage)? How do they operate (what is their model)? In what contexts has this worked?
• What identified gaps exist in current programmes/ag infrastructure/countries that could be filled by frontier tech innovations? At what stage in the Ag value chain are these gaps? What opportunities do early-stage, high-risk innovations offer to some of these gaps?
4. Recommendations: Geographical and context & fund model recommendations
• What contexts have a mature innovation and agricultural ecosystem to support an enabling environment for early-stage tech innovation to thrive? Please suggest 2-3 contexts/countries, and if possible, recommend a region in Africa that would be suitable.
• Clearly explain the rational for these countries and regional selection.
• What type of fund model would be recommended in Africa for early-stage tech innovations? What are the key design elements you would consider?
Outputs and timelines
Outputs must include the following, although the consultants/partner should propose an approach and set of deliverables that will be deemed most useful to FT Hub/FCDO:
Start date expected 1st November 2025.
1. A landscape report answering questions 1-3
Deadline: 3rd February 2025
2. An interim face-to-face presentation on questions 1 & 2, sharing key findings to date (1.5 hrs)
Deadline: 9th December 2024
3. An interim face-to-face presentation on question 3, sharing key findings to date (1.5 hrs)
Deadline: 9th January 2025
4. An options paper detailing recommended contexts, regions, and innovation fund model (question 4)
Deadline: 27th January 2025
5. A workshop with FCDO and FT Hub partners to co-design an early-stage innovation fund (1 day)
Deadline: Week commencing 3rd February 2025
The type of consultants/partner:
The FT Hub is looking for a group of consultants or partner that have experience in the following:
1. Deep understanding the challenges of smallholder farmers and relevant value chains, particularly working across multiple contexts in Africa.
2. Experience in working in agriculture ecosystems in Africa.
3. The application of emerging tech and other frontier tech solutions in agricultural value chains
4. Working with entrepreneurs/early-stage innovators in agriculture/climate/environment solutions, either directly through investment and business support or indirectly through a fund/accelerator/incubator.
5. Understanding of innovation ecosystems and strengthening innovation ecosystems in Africa
6. Design of innovation funding mechanisms for investing into early-stage entrepreneurs
Application Instructions
Please submit the following materials to FTLenquiries@dt-global.com (with “Design of Ag Fund” in the subject line):
● Key documents:
○ A maximum 5-page proposal, which includes:
■ Understanding of the problem
■ Any challenges/questions/critiques of the ToR
■ Experience related to the ToR
■ Approach to the work
■ Workplan
■ Overview of Team
■ Budget (up to a maximum of 60,000 GBP – please consider value for money as part of your proposal)
○ 2-page CVs for each team member
The deadline for applications 23rd October @ 23:59 UK time
If successful, you will likely be invited to a short interview (TBC – likely w/c 27th)
Results for Development is an EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled/Affirmative Action Employer committed to fostering
and nurturing an energetic, collaborative and diverse workforce. R4D provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits.