Open Call | World Food Forum: Startup Innovation Awards 2026
The World Food Forum (WFF) , an independent global initiative driven by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) , launches the call for the Startup Innovation Awards 2026.
This global competition seeks to identify, support and give visibility to young entrepreneurs and startups that are using technology and innovation to transform agri-food systems, combat hunger and advance towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In this edition, Business Factory Food (BFFood) is actively collaborating with the World Food Forum, as part of its commitment to boosting the foodtech ecosystem in Galicia.
Purpose of the call for applications
To reward and accelerate technological and digital solutions with an impact on the agri-food sector. Applications must fall into one of the following four key categories:
- Digital innovation in food processing: Technologies to improve sustainability, efficiency and resilience in food processing, preservation and packaging.
- Combating malnutrition and improving food security: Scalable solutions to strengthen value chains and improve access to healthy diets.
- Improving climate resilience and water management: Technologies for climate change adaptation and sustainable water resource use in agriculture.
- Empowering women in agri-food systems: Inclusive innovations that improve women’s participation, access to finance, markets and training.
Beneficiaries
The call is aimed at startups led by young people that meet the following requirements:
- Have at least one founder or C-level executive between the ages of 18 and 35.
- Having raised less than approximately 5 million euros in capital and generated less than 1.5 million euros in sales.
- Having demonstrable traction and validated evidence of the solution (pilot programs, early adoption, partnerships or impact metrics).
- Demonstrate the potential for scalability and growth of innovation.
Awards and Special Awards 2026
The finalist and winning startups will receive:
- Cash prizes: $ 7,500 USD for the winners of each category and $2,500 USD for the finalists. The overall winner (“Startup of the Year”) will receive an additional $10,000 USD contributed by Seeding The Future Foundation .
- Business acceleration: Invitation to the MassChallenge Switzerland Accelerator program in Lausanne (Switzerland), gaining world-class mentorship, workshops and access to a wide network of corporate partners.
- Participation in the World Food Forum: Financial support for two members of the finalist teams to attend the main WWF event at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy (October 2026).
- International visibility: Promotional opportunities through WFF’s global platforms and access to investor networks.
- Special Award – Excellence in Applied AI (XTC): The Extreme Tech Challenge platform will award a special prize for innovative use of artificial intelligence. The winner will gain access to XTC’s global investor ecosystem, receive promotion across its media channels, and be invited to attend its flagship annual AI conference in California (USA) in November 2026.
Key dates of the call for applications
Organizing body: World Food Forum (WFF) and MassChallenge Switzerland .
The selection and acceleration process includes the following key dates:
- April 1, 2026: Closing date for submitting applications.
- May 19, 2026: Announcement of the selected startups.
- June 29 to July 10, 2026: Face-to-face acceleration bootcamp in Lausanne, Switzerland.
- September 29, 2026: Online Demo Day and selection of finalists.
- October 12-16, 2026: Final pitch and awards ceremony during the WFF flagship event at FAO headquarters (Rome).