Deadline: August 30, 2025
Applications are open for the FONTAGRO LATAM Impact Agrobioentrepreneurship Contest 2025. FONTAGRO, together with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and partners of the Latin American Bioeconomy Network, announce the “LATAM Impact Agrobioentrepreneurship 2025” contest.
The objective of this competition is to identify, incubate and accelerate the 100 initiatives with the greatest impact in the region, thus contributing to the consolidation of an innovation ecosystem that responds to crucial challenges such as climate change, food security and the transition to more sustainable economic models.
Categories
Proposals should focus on the development of products or services based on the sustainable use of biodiversity and biomass, through science, technology and innovation in one of the following priority sectors of the bioeconomy:
- Biomaterials, bioproducts and bioenergy: They replace fossil products with sustainable solutions:
- Green chemistry: biodegradable solvents, non-toxic resins.
- Biomaterials: bioplastics, compostable packaging, biomass panels.
- Bioenergy: biodiesel from used oils, biogas, bioethanol.
- New bioproducts for food, cosmetics, health and well-being: Transformation of biological resources for conscious consumers:
- Functional foods: nutraceuticals, alternative flours, probiotics.
- Biocosmetics: natural products without synthetic chemicals.
- Biopharmaceuticals: therapeutic extracts, natural antimicrobials.
- Sustainable bio-inputs and agri-food technologies: Improving efficiency and reducing impact on agricultural production systems:
- Agricultural bioinputs: biofertilizers, biopesticides.
- Agroecological technologies: smart irrigation, soil decontamination.
- Nutritional value: culture enrichment, biological fermentation.
- Bioservices and nature-based solutions: Use of natural processes with economic, social and environmental benefits:
- Agrobiotourism: educational experiences in sustainable production.
- Bioremediation: cleaning of soil and water with living organisms.
- Ecosystem services: conservation of pollinators, carbon sequestration.
Benefits
- Vouchers of up to USD $15,000 will be awarded to 6 winning agribusinesses to support their incubation and acceleration process.
- In addition, 30 outstanding startups will participate in a specialized incubation and acceleration program that will begin in February 2026, and the 100 best proposals will be part of LATAM’s first catalog of impact agrienterprises.
Eligibility
Proposals can be submitted by:
- Agricultural producers, producer organizations, and/or private companies operating in any IDB borrowing country in Latin America and/or Spain.
- Any research and/or public or private development institution or organization such as universities, research centers, NGOs, etc. operating in any IDB borrowing country in Latin America and/or Spain.
- Public sector of any IDB borrowing country in Latin America and/or Spain.
Application
For more information, visit FONTAGRO LATAM Impact Agrobioentrepreneurship Contest.
