For the MENA Regional Innovation Hub, 2024 was a big year as the hub and innovators worked together to improve the region’s water-energy-food nexus as well as farmers’ access to innovations.. The hub onboarded 20 new innovators over the course of two OCFI rounds and the Iraq Call for Innovations, further building a regional community where innovators can improve their knowledge and networks. Support from the MENA Hub also helped innovators improve their operations. To date, innovators have raised over $34 million USD. As part of efforts to improve water management and better understand where different water innovations can be used, the hub worked with a vendor to create Water Availability Assessment Dashboards for the Litani and Nile Basins.
In this blog, we share the year’s highlights, including WE4F events that brought innovators together, contributions to key industry discussions, new partnerships, networking, and skill-building.
Convening as a Region – and Global Program
2024 Innovation Camp in Cyprus
This multi-day event brought together innovators, from past and current cohorts, to accelerate their growth journey through tailored support with technical assistance, investment readiness, grant management, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
One popular activity was the Unconference, where innovators led 12 sessions on topics like modern agriculture, human resource challenges, and effective communication.
With mornings dedicated to workshops and afternoons for one-on-one meetings, the camp built strong connections among innovators, hub staff, Secretariat staff and donors, with everyone working together to tackle issues like the transition to sustainable agriculture and climate change.
Despite difficulties in the region, the event strengthened partnerships and helped innovators refine their strategies, while creating a space for collaboration and knowledge sharing.
2024 Annual Convening in Morocco
Later in the year, WE4F hosted its final Annual Convening. Over 200 participants, including innovators, donors, partners, and program staff, came together to reflect on WE4F’s progress and prepare for the future. Highlights included workshops, networking sessions, and an unconference led by the innovators. One key moment was the pitch competition, where 22 innovators presented their solutions and received valuable feedback.
Both events received great feedback from participants, highlighting the importance of these gatherings in connecting innovators and providing practical support for their growth.
Scaling Climate Innovations and Financing for Change
As innovators and the MENA Hub look to the future, two topics that stand beforehand are climate resilience and investment raising. To help innovators prepare to tackle the subjects, the MENA hub partnered with relevant organizations to host four webinars. These sessions gathered innovators, partners, and stakeholders to share practical solutions, discuss financing strategies, and explore the impact of climate-smart technologies in agriculture and beyond.
WE4F partnered with the Middle East Institute‘s Climate and Water Program for a Fireside Chat that explored the role of small and medium enterprises in building agricultural resilience. Innovators shared how WE4F’s support helped scale their climate-smart innovations. Discussions focused on making technologies (e.g., solar pumping and biogas systems) more accessible to smallholder farmers and their potential to better support their communities.
In collaboration with Res4Africa, another webinar delved into energy solutions addressing the water-energy-food nexus. Innovators shared real-world applications of solar irrigation and agrivoltaics, discussing financing models and sustainable growth. These insights contributed to future capacity-building efforts and a stronger focus on resilience in agricultural systems.
The MENA RIH also hosted a two-part webinar series on climate-lens impact investing. Partners, including Amam Ventures and Al Majmoua, shared strategies for integrating climate perspectives into financing models, while WE4F innovators presented case studies on scaling their solutions. These sessions facilitated knowledge exchange and opened doors for new collaborations and investments in climate-focused projects.
The MENA Hub also worked with a vendor to develop water accounting tools for the Litani River Basin and the Egyptian Nile River Basin. These tools help businesses, governments, and other stakeholders determine the ability to use water-focused innovations in different geographies.
Supporting Innovation Through Targeted Calls
In 2024, the MENA Hub had three calls for innovations – the Open Call for Innovations, the Iraq Call for Innovations, and the Lebanon Call for Innovations.
The Open Call for Innovations, which was a continuation of the call launched in May 2023, awarded up to $250,000. Businesses, nonprofits, and academic and research institutions with for-profit arms were eligible. The call welcomed applications from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan, West Bank/Gaza, and Yemen.
In Iraq, WE4F onboarded the winners of the 2023 Iraq Call for Innovations. This $2 million track supported by Sida and USAID/Iraq focused on helping Iraq-based innovators, dedicated businesses and agri-industry players, and private and public sector partners to foster innovation for a more sustainable and secure food future in Iraq. The winning Iraqi businesses received customized financial and technical assistance as well as investment facilitation that will help scale their business and reach more end-users.
In Lebanon, WE4F introduced the Lebanon Call for Innovations (LCFI) to help food producers and processors affected by the country’s conflict. Grants of $24,999 will provide working capital for salaries, inputs, and operations. With disrupted agricultural lands and rising food demand, the call focuses on helping producers in safer regions scale their operations. It targets innovations in the Water-Food, Energy-Food, or Water-Energy-Food value chains to promote sustainability and food security. Selected applicants will be announced in January 2025.
Improving the Enabling Environment
In Morocco, WE4F launched an expression of interest looking to work with solar irrigation and biogas solution providers that can help smallholder farmers access clean energy and innovative agricultural technologies. This call was especially relevant for businesses committed to serving smallholder farmers, agricultural cooperatives, livestock owners, and women-led operations.
Through WE4F’s partnership with a local Moroccan microfinance institution, the two partners were looking to offer Moroccan farmers and livestock owners flexible financing options. With individual loans of up to 50,000 MAD (approximately 5,150 USD) and micro-enterprise loans of up to 150,000 MAD (around 15,453 USD).
Showcasing Innovation at the Arab SME Summit in Qatar
To conclude the year, the MENA RIH and 14 innovators participated in the Arab SME Summit in Qatar, organized by UN-ESCWA and Qatar Development Bank. Innovators, from sectors like green technology and agribusiness, were featured, sharing their solutions with investors, policymakers, and other entrepreneurs at a dedicated WE4F booth.
The summit provided opportunities to explore new markets and financing options while connecting innovators with key stakeholders. Workshops and policy dialogues focused on sustainability and scaling strategies, offering valuable insights for participants. WE4F also presented its approach to technical assistance, capacity building, and investment readiness, drawing on years of experience working with innovators in the region.
