UN FAO Data for Farm Value Global Challenge 2025 – €5,000 Prize for Innovative Startups

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Application Deadline: August 25, 2025

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the University of Helsinki’s Viikki Food Design Factory have launched the 2025 UN FAO Data for Farm Value Global Challenge. This prestigious competition invites innovative startups from around the world to create solutions that harness farm-level data to boost the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

This initiative aims to bridge the gap between agricultural data and smallholder farmers, ensuring that they are fairly compensated for the value they contribute to the global agrifood data ecosystem.

Why This Challenge Matters

Smallholder farmers are at the heart of global food production, yet they are often excluded from the economic benefits of the data they generate. The FAO Data for Farm Value Challenge is seeking scalable, fair, and transparent digital solutions that integrate farm-generated data into global value chains—benefiting farmers directly and promoting sustainable agriculture.

Focus Areas for the Challenge

Startups are invited to develop solutions that:

  • Transform farm-level data into accessible, structured, and widely usable formats.
  • Create fair business models ensuring farmers are included and compensated for their data contributions.
  • Integrate agricultural data into supply chain, sustainability, and market access platforms.
  • Design transparent mechanisms for farmers to trade or sell data while maintaining ownership.
  • Link farm-generated data with public and private sector initiatives to enhance sustainability and economic value.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the challenge, applicants must:

  • Be a registered company with at least two team members dedicating 50% of their working hours to the solution.
  • Have a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 3–7 (between Proof of Concept and Approved Prototype).
  • Be pre-seed to Series A funded, with annual revenue not exceeding €500,000.
  • Be located anywhere in the world.
  • Have the availability and funds to attend the FAO Science and Innovation Forum in Rome, Italy (October 16, 2025) and, for selected finalists, the Y Science and Slush events in Helsinki, Finland (November 18–20, 2025).
  • Submit all materials in English.

Key Benefits for Participants

Selected startups will gain access to exclusive benefits, including:

  • Specialized workshops on pitching and product-market fit for data-focused startups.
  • Networking opportunities with the agrifood innovation ecosystem—connecting with the UN, private sector, public institutions, and academia.
  • The opportunity for 10 startups to pitch live at the FAO Science and Innovation Forum in Rome.
  • Visibility at the World Food Forum during FAO’s 80th anniversary celebrations.
  • For the top 4 finalists:
    • Pitching at Y Science during Slush in Helsinki.
    • A free Slush ticket.
    • A €5,000 cash prize for the competition winner.
  • Access to FAO’s Data Refinery, a joint initiative with the University of Helsinki, providing valuable datasets from FAO and partners.
  • One-on-one mentoring with FAO’s global digital agriculture and data experts.

Timeline

  • Application Deadline: August 25, 2025
  • FAO Science and Innovation Forum: October 16, 2025 – Rome, Italy
  • Y Science and Slush Events: November 18–20, 2025 – Helsinki, Finland

How to Apply

Startups meeting the eligibility criteria are encouraged to submit their applications online before the deadline. All submissions must be in English. 

For more information and to apply, CLICK HERE

Competition