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AYuTe Africa Challenge Rwanda

Are you a young innovator with a tech solution or a fresh idea that could strengthen Rwanda's agricultural sector? The AYuTe Africa Challenge Rwanda 2025 is seeking visionary young minds ready to support smallholder farmers with innovative agritech ideas. Join our community of changemakers shaping the future of agriculture in Rwanda, with the opportunity to win a share of 50,000,000 Rwf in startup funding.

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About The Challenge

The Agriculture, Youth, and Technology (AYuTe) Challenge is an agribusiness innovation initiative by Heifer International, designed to catalyze ground-up innovation that addresses challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Rwanda.

The Challenge is a platform for the best young agritech innovators in Rwanda to showcase their groundbreaking solutions aimed at driving agriculture forward and supporting smallholder farmers to thrive.

Whether you're a startup ready to scale your proven solution or an innovator with a bold new idea that can support smallholder farmers to work more efficiently, achieve better results, and improve their livelihoods with technology — this is your opportunity!

This isn't just a competition – it's a launchpad for Rwanda's next generation of agripreneurs. Through expert mentorship and business development support, AYuTe Africa Challenge Rwanda helps you showcase your innovation and propel your promising ideas into scalable agritech solutions.

Are you ready for the challenge? Don’t miss the opportunity to take your agritech solution to the next level with AYuTe Africa Challenge Rwanda!

Applications are open until 20th February 2025.

  • Participants will compete for a share of the prize fund, alongside mentoring and business development support. The top three winners will share a 50 million Rwf envelope.

  • To ensure inclusivity and fairness, the competition invites applications from:

    ● Rwandan citizens aged 18-35.

    ● Startups or innovators addressing challenges in smallholder farming, including:

    ○ Smallholder farmer productivity

    ○ Smallholder farmer income

    ○ Labor intensiveness of operations

    ○ Resilience

    ○ Access to information

    ○ Technology Integration

    ○ Community Impact

    ○ Feasibility and Scalability

    ○ Innovative Solutions

    ● The startup/innovator should be appropriately registered and be able to provide identification.

    ● Startups or innovators that have applied in previous AYuTe Challenges are encouraged to reapply, provided they have not received funding/grants from the AYuTe Challenge or other Heifer International programs

    ● Startups or innovators must declare if they are related to an employee of Heifer International. Failure to disclose potential conflicts of interest will result in disqualification.

    ● Candidate will be required to pitch in English.

  • Eligible candidates can apply by completing the application form via this link: https://bit.ly/4fOhhWV

  • ● Call for Applications: 23rd January 2025 - 20th February 2025

    ● Preliminary Pitches: 10th March 2025 - 14th March 2025

    ● Bootcamp: 21st March 2025 - 23rd March 2025

    ● Finals and Award Ceremony: 30th April 2025

  • Who runs the AYuTe Africa Challenge Rwanda?

    The AYuTe Africa Challenge Rwanda is an agribusiness innovation initiative by Heifer International which works closely with Ravel to implement the challenge.

    How long will the Challenge run?

    The challenge will run for three months, during which the top three agritech innovations will share a 50-million prize envelope.

    Who can apply for this Challenge?

    The competition is open to:

    ● Innovators: you have an idea for a product or service designed to address the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Rwanda but it is still in the concept stage and not operationalized.

    ● Startups: you have individually, or as part of a team, founded an agritech organization (commercial or not-for-profit) to address the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Rwanda. Solutions addressing challenges within the Agri-value chain, including production, aggregation, post-harvest losses, value addition, marketplace access, and financing.

    ● Rwandan citizens.

    How many stages are there?

    The AYuTe Africa Challenge Rwanda follows a five-stage selection process:

    1. Eligibility screening – all applications will be evaluated against the eligibility criteria to ensure they adhere to the key requirements.

    2. Expert panel review – our judging panel, made up of sector experts, will evaluate qualifying applications against a pre-determined assessment criterion, selecting the top 15 applications as the final shortlist of candidates. These 15 candidates will then undergo due diligence screening.

    3. Preliminary Pitches – The 15 shortlisted candidates will be given feedback on their applications and asked to pitch virtually to the panel. The 10 top-scoring candidates from this pitch process will then advance to the bootcamp.

    4. Bootcamp – a mentoring and pitch development boot camp will be run to support the 10 candidates during which 5 finalists will be selected.

    5. Finals and Award Ceremony – The final 5 will pitch their ideas to the panel of judges during the finalist event and the top three will be awarded prizes.

    Is the competition only open to Rwandans?

    Yes, the AYuTe Africa Challenge Rwanda is exclusively open to Rwandan innovators and startups that are either already registered in Rwanda or in the process of registration.

    What kind of innovations are expected?

    Innovators or startups should provide innovative agritech solutions that address key challenges within the agri-value chain. Examples include:

    ● Smallholder farmer productivity

    ● Smallholder farmer income

    ● Labor intensiveness of operations

    ● Resilience

    ● Access to information

  • 1. By entering this competition, you confirm that you are not aware of any legal restrictions or prohibitions that would prevent your participation.

    2. Entrants are responsible for ensuring that any submission of photographs, artwork, images of individuals, or any other materials requiring consent or copyright authorization is made with the necessary permissions. AYuTe Rwanda will not be held liable for unauthorized use, and entrants who fail to comply with this rule may be disqualified.

    3. Submission Process

    ○ This is an in-person competition.

    ○ Only entries submitted online via the AYuTe Rwanda official application page will be accepted.

    4. Participation in the challenge is limited to individuals who meet the eligibility criteria specified above.

    5. AYuTe Rwanda will retain full ownership of all videos and photographs collected during the competition for use in promotional, educational, and reporting materials.

    6. Applicants will retain full ownership and rights to their submitted innovations and ideas. AYuTe Rwanda will not claim ownership or rights over any intellectual property submitted as part of the application process.

    7. Applications must be submitted before the specified deadline. Any applications received after the deadline will not be accepted or considered.

    8. AYuTe Rwanda reserves the right to modify these Terms and Conditions. Any changes will be communicated via a written revision on the official challenge application page or through other official challenge communication channels.

    9. AYuTe Rwanda reserves the right to disqualify any entrant who breaches these rules or fails to meet the requirements stated in these Terms and Conditions.

    10. AYuTe Rwanda is not responsible for any damages, loss, or disputes arising from submissions or participation in the competition. Entrants are responsible for ensuring that their participation complies with all applicable laws and regulations.

    11. Entrants’ personal information will be handled in compliance with applicable data protection laws in Rwanda. Details collected will only be used for purposes related to the competition unless otherwise stated.

    By submitting your application, you agree to abide by these Terms and Conditions.

  • For More Information or Inquiries Contact: ayute2025@gmail.com with the subject “Re: AYuTe Africa Challenge Rwanda 2025” or get in touch with us on WhatsApp at (+250) 791 700 210.

    ● Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeiferRwanda

    ● LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/heifer-international-rwanda/