The MENA Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme is designed to empower and upskill scientists, researchers and students working on agricultural challenges relevant to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The programme is aimed at researchers and innovators who have developed research-, science- or nature-based solutions and want to take their work toward proof of concept, while gaining the business and entrepreneurial capabilities needed to commercialise, scale and secure future funding.

The programme is specifically looking for solutions addressing challenges such as:

• Food security.
• Soil health.
• Water scarcity.
• Climate resilience.
• Carbon sequestration.
• Salinity.
• Biodiversity loss.
• Desertification.
• Rural and social welfare.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

The programme is open to:

• Researchers
• Scientists
• Innovators
• Students

Applicants should be working on solutions that can contribute to regenerative agriculture and should be interested in developing the entrepreneurship and business capabilities required to move research towards proof of concept, scaling and funding.

SOLUTION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must propose solutions that are:

Research-Based

Solutions must be grounded in:

• Research.
• Science.
• Nature-based innovation.

Regenerative Agriculture Focused

The solution must operate within regenerative agriculture and contribute to more climate-resilient and sustainable farming practices.

Innovation Type

Both:

• Process innovations
• Technological innovations

are eligible.

MENA RELEVANCE

This is an important eligibility requirement.

Although the programme accepts applicants from around the world, the proposed solution must directly address agricultural challenges, conditions or opportunities within the MENA region.

Relevant challenge areas include:

• Climate change adaptation and mitigation
• Soil health restoration
• Desertification
• Carbon farming and sequestration
• Biodiversity enhancement
• Food security
• Water security
• Farmer support
• Farmer livelihoods

An applicant from outside the MENA region can therefore potentially apply, but the solution needs to demonstrate a clear connection to agricultural challenges and opportunities in MENA.

GEOGRAPHIC ELIGIBILITY

Global Applicants

The programme is open to applicants worldwide.

However, the programme currently states that applications are not being accepted from:

• Afghanistan
• Iraq
• Iran
• Israel
• Sudan
• Libya
• Yemen
• Syria

Eligibility is determined by the relevance of the proposed solution to the MENA region.

AREAS OF INTEREST

The programme identifies a broad range of regenerative agriculture solution areas.

These include:

Soil & Land

• Healthy soil regeneration.
• Reducing desertification.
• Addressing salinity.
• Improving soil resilience.

Farming Systems

• Diversified crops.
• Integration of livestock and agroforestry.
• Silvopasture.
• Sustainable farming practices.

Inputs & Crop Management

• Organic fertilisers.
• Bio-fertilisers.
• Reduced chemical use.
• Reduction of synthetic pesticides for disease control.
• Organic waste utilisation.

Biodiversity

• Biodiversity enhancement.
• Nature-positive agricultural practices.

Climate & Carbon

• Carbon farming.
• Carbon capture and sequestration.
• Climate adaptation and mitigation.

Water

• Improving water security.
• Agricultural approaches that use water more sustainably.

Food & Livelihoods

• Sustainable food security.
• Farmer support.
• Improved rural and social welfare.

Technology

• Technology-enabled regenerative agriculture solutions.
• Research-based agricultural technologies.

PROGRAMME BENEFITS

The programme provides a broader support package rather than only financial assistance.

Scale

Develop your research into a viable business solution.

Participants receive support aimed at moving research and innovation beyond the scientific stage and toward a viable business model.

Acceleration

Access potential funding and incubation.

The programme provides exposure to potential funding opportunities and incubation support to help participants advance their solutions.

Community

Access to an online digital community platform.

Participants become part of a wider community of researchers, innovators and ecosystem participants.

Courses

Free access to online self-paced courses.

Participants can access a range of online learning resources to strengthen their knowledge and entrepreneurial capabilities.

Exposure

Regional exposure and networking across the programme.

The programme provides opportunities to build relationships and gain exposure within the wider regional ecosystem.

Mentorship

Specialist training and world-class mentorship.

Participants receive access to specialist guidance and mentorship relevant to developing their solution and venture.

Talks

Expert talks and workshops on innovation, regenerative agriculture and entrepreneurship.

This provides additional learning around both the technical and commercial dimensions of building an impactful agricultural venture.

Grants

The programme highlights three final grants of US$20,000 each, with the top three finalists receiving one of these grants.

WHAT THE PROGRAMME IS TRYING TO ACHIEVE

The programme is designed to bridge a gap that often exists between:

Research → Innovation → Proof of Concept → Business Development → Scaling → Funding

Researchers may have strong scientific solutions but lack the commercial and entrepreneurial capabilities required to bring those solutions to market.

The programme therefore places emphasis on helping participants develop:

• Entrepreneurial capability.
• Business thinking.
• Commercialisation skills.
• Funding readiness.
• Networking capabilities.
• A pathway from research into a viable business solution.

APPLICANT MATURITY

The programme is particularly relevant to researchers and innovators seeking to develop their work toward proof-of-concept stage.

This is important because the programme is not presented as a conventional research grant focused solely on conducting academic research.

Applicants should demonstrate how their research or innovation can potentially become a viable solution addressing a real agricultural challenge.

WHAT A STRONG APPLICATION SHOULD DEMONSTRATE

Based on the stated eligibility criteria and programme focus, applicants should clearly establish:

The Agricultural Problem

What specific regenerative agriculture challenge is being addressed?

The Innovation

What is the research-, science- or nature-based solution?

MENA Relevance

How does the solution address an agricultural challenge or opportunity in the MENA region?

Proof-of-Concept Pathway

How can the solution be developed towards proof of concept?

Entrepreneurial Potential

How could the research become a viable business solution?

Impact

What potential contribution could the solution make to:

• Food security?
• Water security?
• Soil health?
• Climate resilience?
• Biodiversity?
• Carbon sequestration?
• Farmer livelihoods?
• Rural social welfare?

IMPORTANT DISTINCTION

This should not be presented as an ordinary grant opportunity where applicants simply submit a research proposal in exchange for funding.

The programme is fundamentally a venture-development and research-commercialisation journey.

The support package combines:

Business development + incubation + mentorship + entrepreneurship education + networking + regional exposure + potential funding.

The financial component is therefore only one part of the overall programme offering.

FUNDING

The programme highlights:

Top 3 Finalists

US$20,000 grant each

This means the three leading finalists each receive a US$20,000 grant.

The programme also highlights access to potential funding and incubation as part of the acceleration offering.

TARGET SOLUTION AREAS

The opportunity is particularly relevant to innovations addressing:

• Soil degradation.
• Desertification.
• Salinity.
• Water scarcity.
• Food security.
• Biodiversity loss.
• Climate adaptation.
• Climate mitigation.
• Carbon farming.
• Carbon sequestration.
• Sustainable agricultural inputs.
• Organic and biological fertilisers.
• Reduced pesticide use.
• Organic waste use.
• Agroforestry.
• Silvopasture.
• Sustainable farming.
• Farmer livelihoods.
• Technology-enabled agriculture.

Click HERE to visit the official website.

Application period: 7 September – 4 October 2026
Deadline: 4 October 2026