Africa Innovation in Agriculture and Food Security Accelerator is an intensive hybrid training programme run by Halcyon, a Washington, DC-based organisation known as one of the top launchpads for early-stage social-impact businesses. Through this initiative, the organisation will support eligible Sub-Saharan entrepreneurs developing market-based solutions to improve agriculture and food systems in the region.
Who Is Eligible to Apply?
Halcyon is seeking impact-driven founders whose operations are geared towards supporting smallholder farmers, combating food insecurity, and building communities’ capacity to adapt to climate-related challenges. Here are the eligibility requirements for the programme:
- You must be operating from Sub-Saharan Africa.
- You must have a working Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and demonstrate capacity for growth.
- The business must be a post-revenue/pre-profit venture
- You must have an initial business traction and market validation through revenue, paid pilots, customer contracts, and other factors that demonstrate market demand.
- You must demonstrate early impact on local smallholder farmers, food systems, or vulnerable community members.
- The person applying must be the CEO or serve as the principal decision maker for the business.
- You can apply with just one Co-Founder.
- You must be working full-time on the venture, speak fluent English, and be at least 21 years old by the time the programme commences.
- You must be willing to engage in the programme, participating in all residencies, activities, events, and online and walk-in sessions.
- The product or the business you are building must contribute to one of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Your agricultural solution must be market-based and prioritise improving the livelihoods and resilience of smallholder farmers, low-income communities, and/or vulnerable communities.
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Africa Innovation in Agriculture and Food Security Accelerator Priority Areas
Before sending an application for consideration, ensure your business operates within the programme’s focus areas:
Food security
Halcyon supports ventures that ensure vulnerable populations have access to reliable, safe, and affordable food. If your business operates in this focus area, demonstrate how you reduce the likelihood that a vulnerable community will face food shortages, inadequate food supply, and high staple food costs.
Agricultural productivity
Halcyon invests in ventures that help smallholder farmers produce more or achieve higher-quality yields with fewer resources. You can show what you do, such as using climate-adapted seeds or conducting soil health diagnostics, to ensure higher yields per hectare in the community your venture serves.
Farmers’ livelihoods
The initiative seeks to support ventures whose operations directly contribute to improving smallholder farmers’ net income and overall economic well-being.
If you are working in this priority area, explain how your business allows farmers to spend less on inputs, provide financial support through micro-credit or crop insurance. You should provide proof of a measurable increase in a farmer’s seasonal income.
Market access
The organisation works with businesses committed to promoting market access by eliminating the exploitative intermediaries so that smallholder farmers can enjoy direct access to profitable buyers.
You can make use of digital B2B marketplaces, create transparent pricing platforms, or any other solution that ensures farmers earn a fair income.
Nutrition
Halcyon is interested in accelerating your venture if it’s centred around enhancing the dietary quality, safety, and nutrient density of food supplied in the community you serve.
Highlight what your venture is doing to ensure access to health foods, whether it’s biofortification or food processes that preserve vital nutrients.
Food system resilience
The initiative seeks to invest in ventures that develop infrastructure to help smallholder farmers and vulnerable communities withstand climate-related challenges, from droughts and pest outbreaks to economic volatility.
You contribute to local food system resilience through solar-powered irrigation, the use of weather forecasting tools, regenerative farming practices, and more.
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The Programme’s Selection Criteria
Successful applicants are selected based on:
- Impact. The venture must be making measurable changes in the community it operates in. You stand a better chance of selection if you are working to create a solution to critical challenges facing underserved areas. Your business should also be making notable efforts in reducing equity gaps.
- Scalability. The business must demonstrate sustainable growth potential without requiring additional resources. Halcyon also requires applicants to have users or paying customers to be considered for support.
- Innovation. This refers to the original value your product or venture brings to the market. It could mean bringing a new solution to an existing market or bringing an already existing solution to a new market, as long as it leads to a meaningful change in the community.
- Talent. You must demonstrate the passion and drive to achieve the intended impact. If you are not highly experienced, you can always bridge the gap by adding partners, advisors, and other valuable forms of support to your team.
What You Get Out of This Programme
Successful applicants enjoy:
- Access to Halcyon’s global community, which boasts more than 650 founders you can network with and learn from.
- AWS credits worth $10,000
- $10,000 equity-free stipend
- Access to workshops, where you can meet and interact with industry experts
- Professional advisory services
- Connecting with investors and different stakeholders
The Programme Structure & Timeline
The initiative’s timeline and structure are as follows:
- Initial Deadline for Consideration: October 23rd, 2026
- Invitational Deadline: October 30th, 2026
- Pitch Days: December 7th & December 8th , 2026
- Selected Notified: December 18th , 2026
- Virtual Kickoff: February 9th , 2027
- Residency 1: Accra, Ghana , March 11th – March 19th , 2027
- Virtual Meetings: April 9th, April 23rd, May 7th, 2027
- Residency 2: Nairobi, Kenya , May 28th – June 4th , 2027
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How to Apply for the Africa Innovation in Agriculture and Food Security Accelerator
The accelerator has a two-step application model, which was created to increase access and flexibility for applicants.
The first step is to submit the Eligibility Application, which helps the Halcyon team determine which ventures are a good fit for their programs. At this stage, you are required to give details about your venture, including the mission, business stage, and impact focus. If you are not selected, that means you aren’t eligible to participate in any of the organisation’s fellowships.
If your Eligibility Application succeeds, Halcyon invites you to complete the next step of the application process, which happens when a fellowship programme that aligns with your venture becomes available. The invitation Application is more in-depth, designed to allow the organisation to learn more about your venture’s team, impact, and potential for sustainable growth.
Halcyon requires all Step 2 applicants to upload a 15-slide Pitch Deck and an optional 1-minute video describing what your venture is all about. Ensure you show your passion and drive to make a positive impact in your community.
Tip: Each application is scored based on Impact, Scalability, Innovation, and Talent, so ensure you make good use of this opportunity to stand out.