UEMF and AFD launch the “Tech4Farmers” program
Miscellaneous announcements
Launch of the Tech4Farmers call for applications, a support program specially designed for project leaders in the sector of innovative technologies in the field of agriculture (AgriTech).
During a launch conference which brought together key players in the agricultural sector of the Fez-Meknes region this Thursday March 7 at the Euromed University of Fez (UEMF), the University and the French Agency for Development (AFD) officially launched the Tech4Farmers program, the objective of which is to support the development and marketing of AgriTech solutions that meet the needs of national agriculture and that of the Fez-Meknes region, in particular.
The Tech4Farmers program is part of an ambitious project to build a Regional Hub for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in agriculture and the agri-food industry in the Fez-Meknes region. This project is supported by the UEMF, the AFD in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, the Digital Agriculture Pole and a consortium of partners including government agencies, sectoral federations, universities and research centers.
Tech4Farmers: A complete platform to accelerate the marketing of AgriTech solutions
Tech4Farmers is a 12-month incubation program, deployed by the UEMF and the AFD with the help of the IMPACT Lab and BearingPoint firms, which aims to support the acceleration of startups for the marketing of AgriTech solutions which meet the needs of the Moroccan market, and the Fez-Meknes region in particular.
Tech4Farmers will allow project leaders to work both on the development of their prototypes to arrive at marketable solutions, and on the development of their business plan and their market launch strategies.
Project leaders will benefit from training and personalized coaching to structure their entrepreneurial approaches, define the key elements of their business plan and address their specific expertise needs.
Thanks to access to the laboratories and equipment of the program's partners, project leaders will be able to quickly develop their solutions from a technological point of view. They will also benefit from financial support of up to 100,000 dirhams to cover their equipment and expertise needs.
They will finally have access to collaboration opportunities with agricultural companies in the Fès-Meknes region which will allow them to confront the reality of the market and validate the relevance of their offers in relation to the needs of their target customers, while collecting field data. Through this dynamic, the program aims to accelerate the dissemination of technological solutions to farmers in the Fez-Meknes region.
“The Tech4Farmers program is the first initiative that we are launching as part of the Fez-Meknes Regional AgriTech Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub. Through this program, we want to breathe new life into project leaders committed to competitive and sustainable Moroccan agriculture, and we will continue to support them through the Cluster's future initiatives. », declares Florent Sassatelli, Head of the Social Sectors Pole at AFD.
Twenty projects will be selected to participate in this first cohort of the program
The selected projects must offer AgriTech solutions which target the Moroccan market and which have a first prototype. They will also have to respond to the key themes chosen for this edition on the basis of a study carried out with farmers in the region.
The projects will be evaluated on the basis of their application file submitted on the platform http://impactlab.africa/tech4farmers , and a passage before a jury of experts who will decide on the innovative nature of the proposed solution, the maturity level of the prototype, alignment with the program themes, the quality of the project leaders, the relevance of the business plan, and the growth potential of the startup.
“Tech4Farmers offers a unique opportunity for AgriTech project leaders to contribute to the transformation of the agricultural landscape in the Fez-Meknes region, and to join a network that brings together key institutions in the sector in Morocco. For this program, we are looking for talented and ambitious profiles, capable of ultimately taking their innovations beyond the Moroccan market. », Says Ghada Bouhlal, Director of Partnerships and Entrepreneurship at UEMF.
The deadline for submitting applications is April 7, 2024.
