Resilient Agriculture Innovations for Nature (RAIN) Challenge

RAIN aims to convert seed-level innovative agricultural ideas that are meeting resilience needs in East Africa and scale them to sustainable business ideas.

Kelvin Trautman | Kands Collective

The Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) has partnered with the Shockwave Foundation and the MunichRe Foundation on the Resilient Agriculture Innovations for Nature (RAIN) challenge to convert seed-level innovative agricultural ideas that are meeting resilience needs in East Africa and scale them to sustainable business ideas. The aim is to identify new innovative agricultural initiatives and provide customised support to maximise each initiative’s potential for impact. The challenge aligns potential funders to these initiatives and drive attention to the urgent need for agricultural systems transformation.

RAIN is open to rural farmers, entrepreneurs, organizations or consortiums of organizations across public, private, civil society and grassroots organizations as well as academia in East Africa (Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda).

Winners will be connected to investors, receive a tailored mentoring program, and communications support. In addition, winners will be invited to an investor forum and pitching session in-person or virtually.  Subject matter experts will facilitate a leadership academy for the winning entrants. Winners will also receive a cash prize after the initial mentoring period and after the leadership academy.

RAIN Phase I was launched at COP27, and the winners were announced in January 2024. RAIN Phase II applications closed on 30 January 2024. The shortlisted candidates will be announced in 2024. Learn more about RAIN Phase II here.

Learn more about the RAIN Phase 1 winners here.

RAIN News

News April 28, 2024

The rise of regenerative farming in Ikunu, Githunguri Sub-county

In this photo story, Benedict Isiaho of CAFAESUP, one of the RAIN Challenge winners, describes how the project is implementing regenerative agriculture to foster sustainable food systems within communities

News April 24, 2024

Meet the RAIN Round 2 Shortlisted Candidates 

23 seed-level initiatives have been selected as part of RAIN Challenge Round 2 and over the next several months will work in collaboration with GRP to receive tailored mentoring and leadership training. 

Article April 18, 2024

CAFAESUP:  Empowering farmers through regenerative practices

Interview with Hamis Said Hincha, Project Lead of CAFAESUP, one of the nine winning projects of the RAIN Challenge

News January 3, 2024

Nine projects spearheading nature-positive agricultural innovations

Together with Munich Re Foundation and Shockwave Foundation, we are pleased to announce the nine winning projects as part of the first round of the Resilient Agriculture Innovations for Nature (RAIN) Challenge.

News December 10, 2023

RAIN phase II is now open

GRP has partnered with the Shockwave Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation on the Resilient Agriculture Innovations for Nature (RAIN) challenge. Apply by 30 January 2024.

Read more

Although the agricultural sector is rapidly becoming more susceptible to the harsh impacts of climate change, it is ripe with innovation and transformation potential. Supporting agricultural entrepreneurs’ resilient climate solutions is essential to adapt to climate change, build resilient food systems and enhance biodiversity. The United Nations at the UN Food System Summit (UNFSS) and through the UN Climate Change Conferences has also called for a transformative response to agricultural development from the private sector. However, private capital is only available if resilience investments can show that they can potentially generate acceptable risk-adjusted returns.

In response, Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) and Shockwave Foundation are partnering on the Resilient Agriculture Innovations for Nature (RAIN) challenge. RAIN aims to convert seed-level innovative agricultural ideas that are meeting resilience needs in East Africa and scale them to sustainable business ideas of interest to private investors and funders. The aim is to identify new innovative agricultural initiatives and provide customized support to maximize each initiative’s potential for impact. The challenge will align potential funders to these initiatives and drive attention to the urgent need for agricultural systems transformation.

RAIN is open to rural farmers, entrepreneurs, organizations or consortiums of organizations across public, private, civil society and grassroots organizations as well as academia in East Africa (Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda).

Winners will be connected to investors, receive a tailored mentoring program, and communications support. In addition, winners will be invited to an investor forum and pitching session in-person or virtually.  Subject matter experts will facilitate a leadership academy for the winning entrants. Winners will also receive a cash prize after the initial mentoring period and after the leadership academy.

Launch event

RAIN will be launched at the Resilience Hub event ‘Seed to Scale: Accelerating Innovation Enterprises‘ on 12 November 2022. Register for the Resilience Hub here.

Application details

The application period is now closed. 

Guidelines for Applicants
Application Form

Timeline

RAIN launch on 12 November 2022.
Applications close on 20 January 2023 – application period is now closed.
Winners will be announced in the beginning of March 2023.

Please, email any questions to challenge@globalresiliencepartnership.org.