The Moonshots for Development Open Innovation Challenge invites visionary startups to pilot solutions that address the needs of smallholder farmers, rural communities, and indigenous populations. This initiative, powered by a coalition including the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the IDB Lab, and others, seeks solutions that build resilient food systems. The challenge is particularly interested in innovations that use AI and geospatial analysis to create positive impact, ensuring that technology is context-appropriate and accessible to rural households, accounting for factors like internet connectivity and feature phone prevalence.
Challenge Tracks
• Track 1 - Insurance Solutions for Resilient Food Systems: Seeking innovations to expand access to and effectiveness of insurance for smallholder farmers and rural enterprises. Solutions should strengthen climate, crop, or livestock insurance products or promote digital platforms that improve trust, transparency, and uptake.
• Track 2 - Reducing the Drivers of Fragility: Focused on innovations that strengthen the resilience of rural communities in fragile situations. Solutions should address priority drivers of fragility, promote prevention, apply a “do no harm” approach, and be adaptable to evolving fragile contexts.
• Track 3 - Digital Extension for Accountable Service Delivery: Looking for digital tools that enhance the accountability, efficiency, and reach of agricultural and rural advisory services. This includes data-driven platforms and automated decision-support systems that strengthen local institutions.
• Track 4 - Agroecology for Productive, Climate-Resilient Systems: Seeking innovations that advance agroecological transitions. This includes digital and financial tools, new technical assistance approaches, bio-inputs, small-scale mechanization, soil management, and solutions fostering agroecological production and market access.
Cross-Cutting Themes
• Geospatial Analysis: The challenge has a special interest in innovations that leverage geospatial analysis to advance solutions across all four tracks.
• AI for Good: Applicants are encouraged to consider solutions that embed Artificial Intelligence to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and responsiveness, such as accelerating data interpretation, improving prediction models, or personalizing advisory services.
Program Structure and Funding
• Phase 0: A virtual bootcamp designed to propel business model development, supplemented by a month of personalized mentorship.
• Phase 1: Select teams can secure up to $10,000 USD and receive bespoke coaching with access to M4D resources and networks.
• Phase 2: Top teams advance to receive up to $100,000 USD in funding, along with comprehensive pilot and implementation support.
• Phase 3: Finalists have the potential to earn up to $250,000 USD and receive support to scale their enterprise.
Application and Information Details
• Application Deadline: March 30, 2026.
• Virtual Information Sessions: Interested applicants can learn more by attending an interactive session on March 18, 2026, at 10:00 AM US EDT / 2:00 PM GMT or 9:00 PM US EDT / 1:00 AM GMT.
• Additional Information: Further details are available in the Application Guidelines, and applicants can sign up for private office hours.
Innovators with a new vision for the future of rural development are invited to explore this transformative program. The challenge offers a significant opportunity for groundbreaking success, providing funding and a structured innovation journey to elevate ideas from concept to scale.