The IGNITE Challenge 4.0

SCALING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR STRONGER FOOD SYSTEMS & BETTER JOBS

The IGNITE Challenge

is back

Across the first three editions, the program has supported 19 high-potential agrifood enterprises with USD 725,000 in milestone-based funding. These ventures strengthened operations, launched new products, entered new markets, and supported job creation – including in refugee and host communities.

Building on this track record, The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and Impact Hub Kigali (IHK), launched the fourth edition of the IGNITE Challenge. This initiative is part of the five-year partnership between World Food Programme and Mastercard Foundation which supports young women and men in building sustainable livelihoods in agriculture and agribusiness.

What the program offers

Funding

Up to $24,000 in equity-free funding per venture

Acceleration support

5 months of curated technical support, coaching and masterclasses to strengthen skills and business gaps.

Investment readiness + Demo Day

Structured investment and pitch preparation and exposure to the ecosystem through a Demo Day platform.

Market linkages + visibility

Connections to investors and key stakeholders, access to community events and collaboration opportunities with Farmer Service Centres (FSCs).

Who Should Apply?

We are looking for Startups, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and cooperatives with commercially viable solutions to strengthen the food system and contribute to job creation and improvement, especially for young women.

While all food systems solutions are invited, solutions addressing the following areas along the agrifood value chain, and enabling young women to participate as entrepreneurs or employees, are particularly encouraged to apply:

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

All applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Business registration: Valid registration/certificate of incorporation and at least 2 years of operation in Rwanda

Have proof of a revenue-generating business with proven market traction

Be a team of at least three full-time members dedicated to the startup/SME/cooperative, including the founding team

At least 50% of the founding and/or senior management team must be from Rwanda/East Africa

The entity has to have existing key operations in Rwanda

Be committed to support, provide mentorship and share learnings with peers and Farmer Service Centers (FSCs) participating in the program.

Youth-led businesses, particularly those led by young women are especially encouraged to apply. A business is considered youth-led if the CEO/Managing Director or at least one founder is under 35 years of age at the time of application.

A business is considered to be led by a young woman if a woman under 35 serves as CEO/Managing Director or holds significant decision-making authority as a founder.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Applications to the IGNITE Challenge 4.0 will be assessed based on the following criteria:

Innovation: The solution addresses a food systems challenge in a clear and innovative way

Impact: The venture contributes to stronger food systems and job creation, particularly for young women

Financial sustainability: The venture has a viable business model and clear potential for long-term sustainability

Scalability: The solution shows strong potential for growth and expansion

Team: The team brings relevant experience and the capacity to grow the venture

These criteria help identify ventures with the potential to drive impact and scale their solutions.

Program Journey

Pre-acceleration Phase

Bootcamp (3 days): Up to 12 ventures join training with experts/coaches to strengthen skills such as storytelling, leadership, sales, and pitch readiness.
Pitch session: The bootcamp ends with pitches to shortlist up to 8 ventures.
Due diligence + proposals: Up to 8 ventures go through on-site due diligence to assess eligibility and program-fit, and submit proposals and budgets for the acceleration phase

Acceleration Phase

Up to 6 ventures are selected for the acceleration journey, which includes:

Technical assistance and funding

Business diagnostics + scaling plan development
Tailored technical assistance based on scaling needs
1:1 coaching and mentorship
Thematic masterclasses
Equity-free funding up to $24,000 per venture, plus guidance to implement the funds and scaling plans

Partnership and ecosystem opportunities

Networking events and peer-to-peer sessions + connections to potential investors
Peer mentorship: ventures act as peer mentors to Farmer Service Centres (FSCs), sharing lessons, tools, and insights, and exploring collaboration opportunities.

Demo Day Event

The program ends with a Demo Day to boost visibility and exposure.

*Program dates are subject to change.

Everything you need before you apply

Quick answers on eligibility, timeline, funding, and what to expect across pre-acceleration and acceleration.

1. How do I apply for the IGNITE Challenge 4.0?

2. Who is eligible to apply?

3. How many ventures advance at each stage?

4. What stage must my venture be at to apply?

5. Do we have to be based in Rwanda?

6. What are the benefits of this program?

If selected for the acceleration programme, ventures can receive up to USD 24,000 in equity-free funding (up to 6 ventures). You’ll also benefit from a tailored curriculum designed to strengthen your skills and close key business gaps through technical assistance, coaching, and masterclasses, with direct access to experts and mentors from our network. The programme includes investment readiness support and participation in a Demo Day, plus networking and exposure through connections to potential investors and key stakeholders, access to events, and collaboration opportunities with Farmer Service Centres. You’ll also be able to tap into WFP’s strong network across government, public, and private sector partners.

7. How is the pre-acceleration phase structured?

8. What should I expect at the Bootcamp training?

9. How will the due diligence process be conducted?

The due diligence process takes place after the bootcamp training, and is designed to further assess the eligibility of the ventures’ fit into the program acceleration phase. A team of experts conduct site visits at each of the venture’s business locations to evaluate the ventures’ solution/product, financials, traction, market & readiness to scale, team/HR, and corporate documents. Each venture will be asked to provide documents for the experts to evaluate all the components above.

10. How is the acceleration phase of the program structured?

5 months of curated technical support throughout the acceleration phase including: - Business diagnostics, scaling plan and action plan development - Tailored expert support based on your scaling needs - Individualized coaching and mentorship support - Thematic masterclasses in areas relevant to the cohort - Partnerships and investment opportunities Networking events, conferences, and peer to peer sessions - Receive up to $24,000 financial support to scale your venture

11. What language will the program be conducted in?

12. Are there costs associated with program participation?

13. What kind of funding is provided and how is it disbursed?

14. How much should the venture plan to commit?

Selected ventures are expected to actively participate in all core program activities from May to October 2026. This includes attending in-person and virtual masterclasses, sessions with the experts, one-on-one coaching and mentoring sessions, peer learning activities, and key events such as the Demo Day. At least one senior decision-maker (e.g., founder or Managing Director) must be consistently involved throughout the program to ensure meaningful progress and implementation.

15. How do we define youth-led and young women-led?

16. How do we define direct and indirect jobs?

Direct jobs are paid roles within your own business or cooperative. These include founders and staff who work for the venture (full-time or part-time), whether on contract or on payroll, and whose work is managed and paid by the venture. Indirect Jobs are paid roles outside your business that exist because of your business activities. These may include people who earn income through your supply chain or distribution network, such as agents, distributors, aggregators, transporters, outgrowers supplying your business, or other service providers whose work is linked to your operations. This only applies where the roles have a clear link to your business and where the work is ongoing or regular.

17. How are ventures expected to engage with Farmer Service Centres (FSCs)?

18. How will ventures be selected at various stages?

All submitted applications are first checked against eligibility requirements. Eligible applications are then reviewed and scored against the published evaluation criteria, and a shortlist is invited for interviews. Based on the interview results, selected ventures are invited to the bootcamp and pitch session. After the pitch, a smaller group proceeds to due diligence and submits a proposal for funding. Program partners review the due diligence findings and the submitted proposals to select the final ventures invited to the acceleration phase.

19. Data & confidentiality: what’s shared (and with whom)?

Applicant and participant data is handled only for program purposes. Application information and supporting documents are accessed only by the program implementers and partners involved in the selection process. Individual applications, budgets, financial records, and other sensitive business information are not shared publicly. Ventures that advance to key stages may be publicly announced. Any use of a venture’s name, logo, photos, or story for communications follows the consent options included in the application form. Program results may also be shared in summary form (e.g., totals or averages across cohorts) without identifying individual venture data.

Implementing Partners

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.

Impact Hub Kigali is an innovation hub that supports impact-driven entrepreneurs and innovators to start, grow, and scale sustainable ventures that drive economic growth while maximizing their positive impact. Through tailored incubation and acceleration programs, and ecosystem building initiatives, we provide technical support and resources, and facilitate connections to partners, investors, and the public sector.