Goumbook
Applications are open for the MENA Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme 2026/2027, an initiative designed to support researchers, scientists, students and innovators developing solutions to agricultural and environmental challenges in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The programme aims to help participants strengthen their entrepreneurial skills, validate their innovations and turn research into practical solutions with the potential to create environmental, social and economic impact.
The programme is organised by Goumbook, a social enterprise focused on accelerating sustainability and climate action in the MENA region. It welcomes research based, science based and nature based innovations that can contribute to more sustainable and climate resilient agricultural systems. The initiative is particularly relevant to innovators addressing food security, soil degradation, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, desertification, salinity, carbon sequestration and rural livelihoods.
Unlike a conventional academic research grant, the programme focuses on developing the commercial and entrepreneurial capabilities needed to move promising ideas toward proof of concept and potential scaling. Participants can access specialist mentorship, training, learning resources, networking opportunities and exposure to potential funding and incubation support.
The MENA Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme seeks to bridge the gap between research and real world application. Many researchers develop promising scientific ideas but need additional business knowledge, mentorship and networks to transform those ideas into viable solutions. The programme addresses this challenge by combining innovation development with entrepreneurship training and access to a wider agricultural sustainability community.
The programme focuses on regenerative agriculture, which supports farming practices and systems that improve environmental sustainability, strengthen resilience and contribute to healthier food systems. It encourages both process innovations and technological solutions, allowing applicants to propose different approaches to agricultural challenges.
Solutions may focus on improving soil health, using water more efficiently, reducing dependence on synthetic agricultural inputs, strengthening biodiversity, supporting carbon capture or improving the livelihoods of farmers and rural communities.
Applicants do not have to be based in the MENA region. However, their proposed solutions must demonstrate a clear connection to agricultural challenges and opportunities in the region.
Selected participants can access the following opportunities:
• Innovation development: Support to validate proposed solutions and develop research into practical proof of concept projects.
• Entrepreneurship training: Opportunities to strengthen business knowledge and entrepreneurial capabilities.
• Potential funding and incubation: Exposure to potential funding opportunities and incubation support for promising solutions.
• Specialist mentorship: Guidance from experts who can help participants develop their innovations.
• Online learning: Free access to a range of self paced online courses.
• Expert workshops and talks: Learning opportunities covering innovation, regenerative agriculture and entrepreneurship.
• Networking: Connections with researchers, innovators and relevant stakeholders across the regional ecosystem.
• Digital community: Access to an online community platform for engagement and knowledge sharing.
• Finalist grants: Each of the top three finalists can receive a grant of US$20,000.
The programme combines business development and technical learning rather than providing an automatic cash award to every participant. The US$20,000 grants are reserved for the top three finalists.
The programme welcomes research, science, technology and nature based solutions across a broad range of regenerative agriculture themes.
• Soil health and restoration: Innovations that improve soil quality, restore degraded land and support sustainable farming.
• Water security: Solutions that help agricultural systems use water more efficiently or respond to water scarcity.
• Climate resilience: Approaches that support adaptation to climate change and contribute to climate change mitigation.
• Food security: Innovations that strengthen sustainable food production and resilient food systems.
• Biodiversity enhancement: Solutions that support biodiversity and healthier agricultural ecosystems.
• Carbon farming and sequestration: Approaches that reinforce carbon capture and contribute to carbon sequestration.
• Desertification and salinity: Innovations that help address land degradation, desertification and soil salinity.
• Sustainable agricultural inputs: Organic fertilisers, bio fertilisers and approaches that reduce the use of synthetic chemicals and pesticides.
• Organic waste utilisation: Solutions that use organic waste to support more sustainable agricultural systems.
• Diversified farming systems: Crop diversification and approaches that integrate livestock and agroforestry, including silvopasture.
• Farmer livelihoods and rural welfare: Innovations that support farmers, rural communities and social wellbeing.
• Agricultural technology: Technology based solutions that contribute to regenerative and climate resilient agriculture.
The programme is open to researchers, scientists, students and innovators who want to develop solutions addressing agricultural challenges relevant to the MENA region.
Applicants should meet the following criteria:
• Relevant focus: The proposed solution must fall within regenerative agriculture and advance sustainable, climate resilient farming practices.
• Research or innovation foundation: The solution must be grounded in research, science or nature based innovation.
• Eligible innovation type: Both process innovations and technological innovations are accepted.
• Development potential: Applicants should be interested in advancing their work toward proof of concept.
• Entrepreneurial interest: The proposed work should have potential for further development, scaling or future funding, and applicants should be interested in strengthening their business and entrepreneurship capabilities.
• MENA relevance: The solution must directly address agricultural or food system challenges in the Middle East and North Africa.
• Geographic eligibility: Applications are accepted from around the world, subject to the programme’s country restrictions and the relevance of the proposed solution.
Applications are currently not being accepted from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Syria.
There is no specific age limit, academic degree requirement or minimum years of experience stated in the published eligibility criteria. Applicants should consult the official application platform for any additional requirements.
The published programme overview does not provide a complete checklist of mandatory application documents. Applicants should consult the official application form for the current requirements.
Before applying, it is useful to prepare information that clearly explains the proposed solution, including:
• A description of the agricultural problem being addressed.
• An explanation of the research, scientific or nature based innovation behind the solution.
• Details of how the solution contributes to regenerative agriculture.
• Evidence of its relevance to agricultural conditions or opportunities in the MENA region.
• An outline of the solution’s current stage of development and its potential pathway toward proof of concept.
• An explanation of its potential environmental, agricultural or social impact.
• An overview of how business development, mentorship or further support could help advance the solution.
These points reflect the programme’s stated focus and should not be treated as a substitute for the official application requirements.
The programme’s published eligibility criteria indicate that applications should demonstrate a strong fit with regenerative agriculture and the agricultural challenges facing the MENA region.
Applicants should clearly explain the problem their solution addresses and show how the proposed innovation is grounded in research, science or nature based approaches. They should also demonstrate how the solution could contribute to sustainable farming, climate resilience, food security, soil health, water security, biodiversity or rural livelihoods.
The potential to develop the innovation toward proof of concept and a viable business solution is also important to the programme’s objectives. Applicants should therefore consider both the technical value of their solution and its potential for practical implementation.
The programme does not publish a detailed scoring breakdown on its overview page. Applicants should check the application platform for any additional selection guidance.
Interested applicants can follow these steps to apply for the MENA Regenerative Agriculture Venture Programme 2026/2027.
Goumbook
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