Agribusiness Growth Challenge 2026 training and awards for young agripreneursAgribusiness Growth Challenge 2026 training and awards for young agripreneurs
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Agribusiness Growth Challenge 2026

Free online training and business growth awards for young agripreneurs in OACPS countries.

Organizer: Agribusiness Facility for Africa (ABF)
Deadline: October 30, 2026 (in 3 days)
Categories: Training & Learning, Funding , Competition/Challenge, Award/Prize
Countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Angola, Barbados, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, The Bahamas, Botswana, Belize, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Congo, Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Cook Islands, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Fiji Islands, Micronesia, Gabon, Grenada, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Comoros, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Liberia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Rwanda, Solomon Islands, Seychelles, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, Suriname, South Sudan, Sao Tome and Principe, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Tanzania, Uganda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Vanuatu, Samoa, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
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The Agribusiness Growth Challenge 2026, organized by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH through its Agri-Business Facility for Africa (ABF) and MOVE-ComCashew projects, invites young and emerging agripreneurs to develop stronger, climate-resilient business models and compete for business growth awards. The initiative combines free online training with a competitive business idea submission process to help early-stage agricultural entrepreneurs improve their business planning, adapt to climate risks, and strengthen their investment readiness. It is implemented under the Joint Action "Business Support Facility for Resilient Agricultural Value Chains," co-financed by the European Union (EU) and Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Funding and Benefits

Eligible participants who successfully complete the mandatory training and submit a qualifying business idea can compete for the following awards:

  • €6,000 in Business Growth Funding: Financial support to develop or expand a selected agribusiness.
  • Dell Pro 14 Essential Laptop: A laptop awarded to a selected participant to support business activities.
  • Agribusiness Mentoring Programme: An opportunity to receive mentoring and guidance for business development.

Additional programme benefits include:

  • Free Training: Access to all three mandatory online courses without registration or participation fees.
  • Practical Business Skills: Training in business model development, climate resilience, and investment readiness.
  • Flexible Online Learning: Approximately five hours of self-paced training through the Agribusiness e-Academy.
  • Certification: A course completion certificate and certificate ID required for submitting an application.

All awards are competitive and subject to evaluation. Completing the training does not guarantee funding, equipment, or mentorship.

Training Modules

Participants must complete three mandatory online courses through the Agribusiness e-Academy:

  • Climate-Smart Agribusiness: Adaptation: Identify climate-related risks and develop practical strategies to strengthen agribusiness resilience.
  • Business Model Canvas: Learn to design and refine a business model that explains customer needs, value creation, revenue generation, and business operations.
  • Creating an Investment-Ready Agribusiness: Assess business viability, identify financing needs, and strengthen readiness for investment and sustainable growth.

The courses are free and take approximately five hours to complete. Applicants must obtain the required certificate ID to demonstrate successful completion of the learning pathway.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

  • Be at least 18 years old.
  • Reside in a member country of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).
  • Have an agribusiness idea or enterprise focused on maize, cocoa, cashew, or livestock (cattle, sheep, or goats).
  • Successfully complete all three mandatory Agribusiness e-Academy courses.
  • Obtain a valid certificate ID from the Agribusiness Growth Challenge learning pathway.
  • Complete a Business Model Canvas as part of the official online application.
  • Explain the proposed business model, revenue generation approach, climate resilience measures, and estimated capital requirements.
  • Describe the project's innovative approaches and potential to create opportunities for women and young people.

Each applicant may submit only one business idea per submission window. Applications must be completed in a single online session, as drafts cannot be saved. Submitted applications cannot be revised or resubmitted using the same certificate ID. Proposals outside the eligible agricultural value chains will not be considered.

Application Deadline

30 October 2026

The deadline applies to the third submission window, running from September to October 2026. No specific closing time has been confirmed.

Selected winners are expected to be announced towards the end of December 2026.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should follow these steps:

  1. Register on the Agribusiness e-Academy: Create an account or sign in through the atingi online learning platform.
  2. Complete the Mandatory Training: Successfully finish the three required courses covering climate-smart agribusiness, business model development, and investment readiness.
  3. Obtain the Required Certificate ID: Complete the relevant learning pathway and obtain the certificate ID needed for the application.
  4. Prepare the Business Model: Develop a Business Model Canvas describing the agribusiness concept, target customers, value proposition, revenue model, climate resilience measures, innovation, and financing requirements.
  5. Complete the Official Application Form: Enter the Business Model Canvas information and all required project details directly into the official submission form.
  6. Submit Before the Deadline: Review and submit the completed application by 30 October 2026.

The Agribusiness Growth Challenge 2026 provides aspiring and early-stage agripreneurs across OACPS member countries with an opportunity to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills, develop climate-resilient and investment-ready agricultural business models, and compete for financial and non-financial awards. By combining practical training with competitive funding, equipment, and mentorship opportunities, the initiative aims to support resilient, inclusive, and commercially viable agribusinesses in the maize, cocoa, cashew, and livestock value chains. Eligible applicants are encouraged to complete the required training and submit their business ideas before the application deadline.