Data for Farm Value Global Challenge

Deadline: Aug 25, 2025

other

unfunded

Finland

To Apply

Please visit the application link below to apply.

Opportunity Overview

FAO and the University of Helsinki’s Viikki Food Design Factory have launched the global Data for Farm Value Challenge to support startups using farm-level data in innovative ways. The goal is to unlock value for smallholder farmers, who often generate key insights but are left out of the data-driven agrifood economy.

📜 About the Challenge

The connection between agricultural data and smallholder farmers needs to be strengthened. To unlock its innovative potential, the challenge seeks fair business models that include smallholder farmers in compensation mechanisms within the data ecosystem surrounding the agrifood world.

Startups are invited to:

Develop scalable digital solutions that render and structure farm-level data in a usable and commonly used format.
Create business models where farmers are included and fairly compensated for their data contributions.
Facilitate the integration of farm-level data into supply chain, sustainability, and market access platforms.
Design transparent mechanisms enabling farmers to sell or trade data while maintaining ownership.
Connect farm-level data with broader public and private sector initiatives to drive sustainability and economic value across the value chain.

🎁 Benefits

Participants in the Data for Farm Value Global Challenge will enjoy the following benefits:

Workshops on pitching and product-market fit for data-focused startups.
Networking opportunities within the agrifood innovation ecosystem spanning the UN, public and private sectors, and academia.
Opportunity for 10 startups to pitch on stage at FAO’s Science and Innovation Forum (SIF) in Rome on October 16, 2025.
Access to the World Food Forum during FAO's 80th anniversary celebrations.
The top 4 startups from the SIF pitchers will pitch at Y Science, a side event of Slush, in Helsinki on November 19, 2025.
A free ticket to Slush for the 4 finalists.
A cash prize of €5,000 for the winner of the pitching competition.
Access to the Data Refinery, a joint initiative by FAO and the University of Helsinki’s Viikki Food Design Factory, including access to valuable datasets from FAO and partners.
Mentoring with FAO's global digital agriculture and data experts through 1:1 office hours.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

To participate in the challenge, startups must meet the following requirements:

Be a registered company with a minimum team size of 2 people working 50% of their working hours on the solution.
Technology Readiness Level between 3-9 (Proof of Concept to Product on Market).
Funding level: At minimum pre-seed funding, at most Series A funded, with annual revenue no more than €500K/year.
Startups can be located anywhere in the world.
Availability and funds to attend the FAO Science and Innovation Forum in Rome, Italy, on October 16, 2025, and (for the selected four pitching finalists) the Y Science and Slush events on November 18-20, 2025, in Helsinki, Finland.
All submissions, presentations, and communications must be in English.

📅 Application Process

Application Deadline

August 25, 2025

How to Apply

Apply for the challenge through the official application portal.

The challenge is sponsored by The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

📞 Contact Information

For further details, visit the official challenge page.

This is an exciting opportunity for startups to innovate and contribute to the agrifood ecosystem while empowering smallholder farmers globally. Don't miss your chance to make an impact! 🚀

Benefits

Workshops on pitching and product-market fit related to data-focused startups.
Networking opportunities in the agrifood innovation ecosystem spanning the UN, public and private sectors, and academia.
Opportunity for 10 startups to pitch on stage at the FAO’s Science and Innovation Forum (SIF) in Rome on October 16, 2025.
Access to the World Food Forum during FAO's 80th anniversary celebrations.
The top 4 startups from the SIF pitchers will pitch at Y Science, a side event of Slush, in Helsinki on November 19, 2025.
A free ticket to Slush for the 4 finalists.
A cash prize of 5,000 euros for the winner of the pitching competition.
Access to the Data Refinery, a joint initiative by FAO and the University of Helsinki’s Viikki Food Design Factory including accessing and using valuable data sets from FAO and partners.
Mentoring with FAO's global digital agriculture and data experts through 1:1 office hours.

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