2021 Regional Call for Innovations

The deadline for submission is November 26, 2021, at 5:00 PM CET. We strongly encourage you to submit your application as soon as it is ready.

The MENA Regional Innovation Hub is proud to announce the second Call for Innovations. The MENA RIH supports innovative companies and organizations that work in the Middle East and North Africa and produce more food while using less water and energy. Together with investors and partners, the MENA RIH works to scale mid-to-later stage enterprises that have an environmental and social impact in the water-energy-food nexus. 

Through WE4F, innovators from the MENA region can access financial support of up to USD $300.000 per innovation, technical support, and investment matching necessary to make food production and farming more sustainable, productive, and bountiful.

Why Apply?

JOIN A NETWORK OF innovative GAME-CHANGING ENTREPRENEURS

  • Winners will be part of an extensive network and introduced to various partners, mentors, and service providers to help them achieve their expansion goals.   
  • They will also have access to an exclusive learning community where they can exchange ideas with their cohort peers in the cohort and other Regional Innovation Hubs through regular workshops and meetings.

RECEIVE TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND INVESTMENT FACILITATION

  • Receive support to expand the business to other geographies, products, or services 
  • Attract and secure external investors by working with S/SEA RIH’s Brokering Unit.
  • Examples of support categories:
    • Investment readiness
    • Commercial expansion
    • Marketing and communication
    • Digitalization and technology enhancement

UNLOCK GRANT FUNDING TO HELP YOUR INNOVATION GROW

Select organizations may qualify for grants to help achieve scaling goals, funding size ranges from $25,000 to $200,000 USD.

What We’re Looking For

WE4F is looking for mid- to late-stage enterprises, nonprofits with a for-profit program, and other organizations based in the Middle East and North Africa, who have innovative water-food, energy-food, and water-energy-food solutions. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements outlined below to participate in this call for innovation.

Women-owned and women-led organizations are encouraged to apply.

TYPE

WE4F is open to legally incorporated/registered for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations or academic institutions with a proven business model, recurring sales, an existing customer base, and the ability to generate revenue and maintain a self-sustaining operational budget. 

SIZE

WE4F is open to all relevant organizations/companies which are ready to scale. We encourage applications from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). 

LOCATION

The MENA RIH supports innovators from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen. Applicants must be legally registered in at least one of these countries. If expansion into a new country is a key part of an applicant’s business plan, they must demonstrate that they already have partners in place in that country to be considered.  

LANGUAGE

Application responses must be written in English, French or Arabic.

MATCHING FUNDS

Applicants should be open and willing to contribute the matching funds to the overall award if a grant is awarded. The final amount of matching funds will be determined on a case-by-case basis for each applicant near the time of award.

IMPACT

Applicants’ innovations must have a direct, tangible linkage to water-food, energy-food, or water-energy-food. In addition, innovations must directly or indirectly impact poverty reduction and gender equality and have a positive impact on the environment and avoid negative environmental effects.

How to Apply

  1. Review the solicitation document.
  2. Review the eligibility criteria.
  3. Create an account on SMApply
  4. Review thecomplete list of application questions. All applications must be submitted via the application portal.  Submissions via email or any other medium will not be accepted. 
  5. Applicants can save their progress on the application form by clicking on the “Save & continue editing” icon at the bottom of the application. Please note that the application must be submitted before the deadline. 
  6. All questions marked with * are mandatory, please ensure you fill them before submitting the application. 
  7. The deadline for submission is November 26, 2021  at 5:00 PM CET; however, we STRONGLY suggest not waiting until the last day to tackle your application. 

In case you have any questions about the application or are facing any technical challenges with the application portal, please contact us at we4f@berytech.org. Content-related questions can be submitted until November 1.

Application Process and Timeline

October 14, 2021  Application Launch 
October 14,  2021  at 4:00 (EN) & 5:00 (AR) PM CET Launch webinar for concept note applicants
October 27, 2021  at 4:00 PM CET  Eligibility & process webinar for concept note applicants
November 1, 2021 Deadline for submitting written questions to we4f@berytech.org
November 4, 2021 at 4:00 PM CET  Q&A webinar for concept note applicants
November 26, 2021 at 5:00 PM CET  Deadline for submitting applications 
Early December 2021 Top applications are notified to proceed to full proposal stage 
December 13, 2021  at 4:00 PM CET  Info webinar for full-proposal applicants 
January 11, 2021  at 4:00 PM CET  Q&A webinar for full-proposal applicants 
January 20, 2021, at 5:00 PM CET  Full-proposal application closed 
Late January 2022  Applications evaluated and scored against set criteria 
Early February 2022  Interview and pitch to expert panel 
February – March 2022  Cohort approval and awardees bootcamp 
February – March 2022  Completion of required documents and approval by Secretariat and Steering Committee  
Mid-April 2022  Awards made to top applicants 

Application Resources

Past Calls for Innovations

Iraq Call for Innovations

DUE DATE EXTENSION: Submit your application by October 6th, 2021 at 5:00PM Iraqi time!

Applicants should retain a copy of their proposals and accompanying uploaded documents for their records.

QUESTIONS:  Prospective Applicants who have questions concerning the contents of this Call for Innovations  shall submit them in writing no later than September 15, 2021 at 5:00 pm CET  through email we4f@berytech.org.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Kurdish Application

دوای پرکردنی فۆرمی بیرۆکەی کاری بازرگانیت، فۆرمەکە بینێرە بۆ ئەم ئیمەیلە we4f@berytech.org

Iraq Call for Innovations Launch Webinars

Iraq Call for Innovations Factsheets

2020 Call for Innovations

The Middle East and North Africa Regional Innovation Hub (MENA RIH) proudly announces its first call for innovations.

DUE DATE:  Concept Notes shall be received no sooner than November 03, 2020 and no later than December 15, 2020 at 5:00 PM CET.

Applicants should retain a copy of their proposals and accompanying uploaded documents for their records.

QUESTIONS:  Prospective Applicants who have questions concerning the contents of this Call for Innovations  shall submit them in writing no later than November 16, 2020 at 5:00 pm CET  through email we4f@berytech.org.

Applying for WE4F MENA Call for Innovations
Q&A Webinar – English
Q&A Webinar – Arabic