INCiTiS‑FOOD Open Call 2: Funding for Independent Innovators in African City‑Region Food Systems
The INCiTiS‑FOOD project (Integrated and Circular Technologies for Sustainable City‑Region Food Systems in Africa) has launched Open Call 2 for Independent Innovators (IIs) to support start‑ups and SMEs working on sustainable urban and peri‑urban food production. The call provides a total of €60,000 in prizes to 24 innovators (three winners per Living Lab location) to develop and test practical solutions that address key bottlenecks in hydroponics, aquaponics, insect farming and other circular agri‑food technologies in African cities.
INCiTiS‑FOOD focuses on transforming African city‑region food systems through soilless crop production, recirculating aquaculture systems and insect farming, aiming to improve food and nutrition security, reduce environmental pressures and advance environmental justice. The Open Call invites innovators to tackle real‑world challenges such as high input costs, limited technical capacity, climate‑related production risks, low uptake of circular technologies and weak financial or institutional support for scaling Living Lab activities. Winners will implement 4‑month mini‑projects in close collaboration with their local Living Lab, using Lean Start‑up approaches to adapt and scale context‑appropriate solutions.
Targeted topics for funded projects include:
- Reducing high costs and limited availability of critical inputs (feed, nutrients, water, energy, materials) for urban farming
- Addressing high market prices for fish and indigenous vegetables, improving access to affordable, nutritious food
- Strengthening technical capacity and support for operating and maintaining agri‑aquaculture systems
- Managing environmental stresses and climate variability to stabilise production
- Increasing awareness and adoption of circular food production technologies, including efficient water and effluent use
- Overcoming limited financial resources and institutional support to sustain and scale Living Lab activities
Projects are expected to build on or replicate solutions developed in the eight INCiTiS‑FOOD Living Labs and contribute to more resilient, circular and inclusive city‑region food systems.
Countries eligible to apply / geographic scope
INCiTiS‑FOOD operates through eight Living Labs in six African countries, which define the geographic eligibility for this call:
- Eligible countries (INCiTiS‑FOOD countries):
- Sierra Leone
- Ghana
- Nigeria
- Cameroon
- Gabon
- Kenya
- Eligible cities/towns (Living Lab locations) – applicants must reside in and implement projects in one of these city‑region systems:
- Lagos, Nigeria – AGLOBE Development Center (urban agriculture, technology and development)
- Ibadan, Nigeria – University of Ibadan Living Lab (aquaponics, aquaculture, hydroponics, agronomy, insect culture)
- Bamenda, Cameroon – Bamenda University of Science and Technology (mixed climate testbed for animal and plant systems)
- Franceville/Masuku, Gabon – USTM Living Lab (crop production and fish farming demonstration site)
- Njoro, Nakuru County, Kenya – Egerton University (aquaponics, hydroponics, bioponics, insect rearing)
- Nairobi Metropolitan zone, Kenya – Kenyatta University (hydroponics and soilless greenhouse cultivation)
- Moyamba District, Sierra Leone – Njala University (integrated fish–vegetable–livestock–insect “farm village”)
- Tamale, Ghana – University for Development Studies, Nyankpala Campus (integrated fish–vegetable farms with aquaponic and hydroponic systems)
Only Independent Innovators based in one of these eight cities/towns within the six INCiTiS‑FOOD countries are eligible to apply, and winners cannot be located outside these Living Lab locations.
Who can apply and funding details
The call is aimed at Independent Innovators, defined as:
- Individuals, start‑ups and small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) residing in one of the eight Living Lab city/town locations.
- Start‑ups that qualify as SMEs under the EU definition (EUR‑Lex 32003H0361) are eligible to apply individually.
Applicants must either:
- Already have a legally established entity (with VAT number or equivalent national registration), or
- Commit to establishing a sole proprietorship/legal entity if selected, via a letter of commitment submitted with the application.
Additional technical requirements include having or accessing a farm/home farming facility, willingness to integrate data collection on their production unit, adherence to local agricultural and INCiTiS‑FOOD standards, access to necessary resources (space, equipment, water) and the ability to communicate in English.
Key funding and timeline details:
- Total prize budget: €60,000
- Number of winners: 24 Independent Innovators (3 per Living Lab location)
- Support per innovator: Fixed prize amount (indicative per innovator share of the €60,000; exact breakdown provided at contracting)
- Implementation period: 4 months (Phase 1: Plan – April 2026; Phase 2: Implement – May–July 2026)
- Open Call launch: 11 December 2025
- Application deadline: 9 February 2026, 17:00 CET (Brussels time) – late submissions, even by one minute, are automatically ineligible.
How to apply
Applications must be submitted online via the INCiTiS‑FOOD website (https://incitis-food.eu), where a direct link to the Open Call 2 application form and full call kit is provided. Proposals submitted through other channels are automatically rejected, and the system timestamp determines eligibility with respect to the deadline.
The Open Call 2 kit includes: the call text, Applicants’ Guide, proposal template (ppt), Declaration of Honour, Declaration of conducting business or letter of commitment, bank account information (for winners) and an indicative model sub‑grant agreement. Proposals are evaluated in two stages (remote evaluation and, where applicable, pitching) using defined award criteria, and successful applicants will sign a sub‑grant agreement and receive support from the INCiTiS‑FOOD consortium during implementation.
Click HERE to visit the official website.