FAQs

Only 20 teams for the Startups Category, and 20 teams for the Student Teams Category will be selected to join the Agri-Aqua Innovation Challenge. Results will be released in the second half of November 2024. Those accepted need to ready themselves for the start of the online training on December 2, 2024 (student teams) or December 3, 2024 (startups) 

Applicants must have developed (or co-developed) a new technological innovation and the ambition to take a leading role in creating a new business to commercialize this innovation.   

Specific eligibility criteria are as follows:   

• Applicant must be Filipino citizen.  
• Applicants must be in the process of developing a business proposition of their innovation. Projects at the basic research stage shall not be considered.  
• The applicant’s innovation can be any new product, service or business model, based on research in agriculture or aquaculture technology.  
• The innovation should have the potential to benefit our farmers, fisherfolks and the Filipinos in general in terms of improving social welfare and driving economic growth, and they should contribute to one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.   

Qualified applicants will undergo a competitive screening process that involves the submission and presentation of their idea or business plan to a panel of experts from the Department of Science and Technology, the Management Association of the Philippines, and the Asian Institute of Management.   

A rigorous scoring system will be used with such criteria for the proposed innovation as the following:   

• Expected benefits and social impact of the innovation to the Philippine economy  
• Relevance of innovation to agri-aqua sectors 
• Record of accomplishment of the applicant (e.g., technical and non-technical capabilities) 
• Entrepreneurial potential and commercial awareness of the applicant  
• Degree of the technology’s innovation  
• Feasibility and global market potential of the innovation  
• Estimated distance to market (i.e., technology readiness, investment readiness)   

From a shortlist of candidates, the top 20 teams for Startup Category, and to 20 teams for the Student Teams Category will be selected as participants of the Innovation Challenge Program. 

Applicants should have at least a lab-scale prototype of their innovation, as well as a general idea of which market would benefit and who would purchase their product. Formally, they can assess the technology readiness level of their product at  https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/clean-growth-hub/en/technology-readiness-level-trl-assessment-tool. For Startups, the TRL must be 6 or above; for Student Teams, 4 or above. Applicants with proof of concept may be selected under exceptional circumstances. 

An endorsement letter from your preferred agri-aqua Technology Business Incubator (ATBI) is necessary in order to be able to pitch and qualify as a participant. The signed endorsement letter needs to be uploaded to the application website once you are endorsed by your preferred ATBI.  

The endorsement letter ensures you have a host incubator committed to supporting your innovation journey and monitoring your progress beyond the Agri-Aqua Innovation Challenge. 

You are in an advantageous position in that an incubator is already hosting you and believes in your potential. However, you still need to be endorsed by an ATBI so that support, resources, and guidance can be extended to you. Our partner is DOST-PCAARRD, and the focus is to make the ATBIs your partner in your innovation journey. You can identify your preferred ATBI or let your incubator do it on your behalf to enable incubator-to-incubator collaboration.