Innovate to revolutionize Food Security: Be the change with Tadamon Accelerator!

Food security is crucial to human well-being, directly impacting the health and stability of individuals and communities. However, many regions face growing food insecurity due to climate change, conflict, and crises. The Tadamon Accelerator for Food Security, funded by IsDB and ISFD and implemented by UNDP, invites Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)—with a focus on community-based organizations, tech-driven CSOs, and social enterprises—to address these challenges through innovative and impactful solutions that contribute to a more secure future.​

Do you represent a CSO with an innovative project aimed at enhancing food security? Are you operating in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Libya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, the State of Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, or Yemen? If so, we invite you to join the Tadamon Accelerator for Food Security and further develop your innovative solutions to create a more secure and resilient future with sustainable food access. Building on the success of the 2022 Tadamon Accelerator, this second edition promises to be even more transformative, impactful, and rewarding!

Sign up to Tadamon and apply via the application form on your profile before January 20, 2025!

What we offer

• An 11-week intensive online training program
• 1 - 1 mentorship 
• Tailored, engaging modules and sessions on Business Model Development, Impact, Project Development and Management, Finance and Fundraising, and a Thematic Focus on Food Security
• Access to world-class experts and a vibrant community of changemakers
• Funding - grants (up to $40,000), a total amount of 850,000 USD provided to the best-performing CSOs.

Thematic focus

Your project proposals should align with one of the following two thematic tracks:

• Track 1: Climate smart agriculture
• Track 2: Tech for food, energy, and water access and utilization

Your project should focus on innovative solutions, with an emphasis on tech-driven approaches where applicable, including:

Track 1: Climate smart agriculture

• Combining traditional methods like planting trees, community gardens, and market gardening with technologies such as precision farming and smart irrigation to sustainably manage natural resources.
• Empowering youth and women through community initiatives and digital tools that foster their participation in the green economy and climate-smart agriculture.
• Supporting climate adaptation, including reforestation and desertification control, with technology (e.g., blockchain) to enhance transparency and efficiency for local communities and CSOs.
• Incorporating biodiversity conservation into community projects by balancing traditional land-use practices with relevant tech innovations.
• Improving food production and distribution for vulnerable populations, including refugees, through traditional campaigns and tech tools.
• Developing early warning systems and predictive analytics for faster, more effective disaster risk management and food security solutions.

Track 2: Tech for food, energy, and water access and utilization

• Facilitating access to energy, water, and food in underserved communities by integrating technologies such as solar power, IoT-enabled water systems, and blockchain for transparent resource distribution.
• Implementing digital and tech solutions to optimize energy, water, and food systems from production to distribution.
• Promoting natural resource management and climate change mitigation by employing tech innovation.

We welcome a wide range of innovative solutions, and while the areas listed above are a priority, we are open to exploring other creative approaches that address food security challenges. We encourage applications from projects offering innovative solutions or technologies, especially those incorporating artificial intelligence, blockchain, IoT, data analytics, and more.

Accelerator format

The Accelerator will consist of two phases:

Phase 1

• 100 CSOs will be selected to participate and will gain access to Module 1: Business Model Development.

Phase 2

• 55 CSOs will be selected based on the Selection Committee’s assessment of their video pitches.
• These CSOs will gain access to four additional modules on: Impact, Project Development and Management, Finance and Fundraising, Thematic module on Food Security.
• At the end of Phase 2, 50 CSOs will be selected to receive grants of up to $40,000, based on the Jury’s evaluation of their final pitches.

Will you be one of these game-changing innovators? To find out, let’s start with the first step! Get ready to check all the boxes!

Step 1 - Eligibility criteria

Type: You are an NGO, association, social enterprise, INGO, foundation, cooperative, community-based organization, or civil society network.

Country registration and implementation country

Registration: You are a registered CSO in one of the following 12 countries and planning to implement your project in these countries: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Libya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, the State of Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, or Yemen.

Note: If you are an INGO and your organization is registered in one of the 36 OIC member countries (see below)* but not in any of the 12 targeted countries, you can partner with a local CSO registered in one of the 12 targeted countries and should apply through the local CSOs of these 12 targeted countries to implement the project there.

*Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Benin, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Guinea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, State of Palestine, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, and Yemen. 

Tadamon membership: You are a member of the Tadamon Community. (If you’re not a member, don’t worry! You can sign up now – it’s easy and free.) Please note that CSOs will be screened through the UNDP security platform and/or other due diligence processes.

Language: You must clearly demonstrate proficiency in both written and spoken English, as the program will be conducted in English.

Relevance: Your proposal must align with one of the Accelerator’s thematic areas and contribute to the program’s goal of enhancing food security in 12 conflict-affected countries. The focus should be on improving food access and sustainability for vulnerable communities while promoting innovation.

Do you meet all the eligibility criteria listed above? If so, let’s move forward and explore the selection criteria we’ll be evaluating during the process.

Step 2 - Selection criteria

Project feasibility: Your innovative solution is feasible—it can be easily developed, tested, and implemented within 6 months of graduating from the Tadamon Accelerator.

Innovation novelty: You leverage cutting-edge technologies, digital tools, or introduce new ideas, approaches, products, or services to a target group or market. Projects that effectively integrate technologies such as AI, blockchain, IoT, or data-driven solutions to enhance food security, resource management, or community resilience will be prioritized.

Established partnerships: You show a willingness and readiness to engage with local or other partners during implementation. Collaboration with INGOs is strongly encouraged.

Scalability: Your organization demonstrates a need for the proposed solution/innovation and potential to reach new target groups and markets.

Potential for impact: Your innovative solution has a high potential for impact, which you can demonstrate through a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Management: You have a dedicated team consisting of at least 2 members with relevant backgrounds and expertise.

Co-financing: You demonstrate a willingness and potential to provide a minimum of 1:2 of the project’s total budget, either as an in-kind contribution or as co-financing from external sources.

In addition to the above selection criterias, the following criterias will also be taken in to account when selecting final participants:

• Gender: You promote gender representation, and to ensure gender balance, submitted solutions should be gender-responsive and/or contribute to gender equality. At least 35% of the selected organizations will need to be women-led CSOs.
• Conflict areas and vulnerable groups: You operate in conflict-prone areas and support vulnerable groups.

Now that you have learned about the eligibility and selection criteria, it is time to apply to the Tadamon Accelerator!

How to apply?

You can access the Tadamon Accelerator application form once you have signed up. If you’re already a member, you can find the application form in your Tadamon profile. Be sure to provide all the required documents and complete all the questions in the form.

Tadamon Accelerator modules

Contact

For any questions regarding the Tadamon Accelerator or the application process, please reach out to us at team@tadamon.community. We will respond as soon as possible.

We look forward to receiving your application!