Capsha South-South Collaboration Innovation Pitch Challenge

CAPSHA South-South Collaboration Innovation Pitch Challenge
CAPSHA Innovation Pitch ChallengeInnovation Opportunity

National Agricultural Research Extension and Education Systems (NAREES) are central to advancing sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food, land, and water systems across Africa, Asia, and South America. Yet addressing increasingly complex challenges requires new approaches to capacity sharing that move beyond traditional training towards equitable partnerships, co-creation of knowledge, mutual learning, and long-term institutional transformation.

The CGIAR Capacity Sharing (CapSha) Accelerator promotes a collaborative model in which CGIAR and NAREES jointly generate, exchange, adapt, and apply knowledge as equal partners. A consultative side event will be organized during the International Dryland Conference.

Overall Goal

The goal is to identify and catalyze innovative, demand-driven capacity-sharing partnerships that strengthen national research and innovation systems while advancing CGIAR’s long-term impact agenda.

Specific Objectives

  • Strengthen engagement between CGIAR and NAREES around capacity sharing.
  • Identify innovative and scalable opportunities for co-investment.
  • Promote equitable partnerships and co-creation.
  • Advance South-South and North-South knowledge exchanges.
  • Generate scalable models for strengthening national agrifood systems.
  • Foster Communities of Practice and sustainable learning networks.

Award: USD 45,000 total, with three grants of USD 15,000 for the top-ranked candidate from Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Application period: 24 July – 11 August 2026 (23:59 IST).

Selection timeline: Selected candidates will be contacted by 15 August 2026.

Who can apply?

Applications must be led by a NAREES institution from Africa, Asia, or Latin America and the Caribbean. The lead applicant may partner with CGIAR Centers, universities, government agencies, farmer producer organizations, the private sector, NGOs, development partners, and regional organizations.

Scope of Ideas

The call encourages ideas that foster collaboration, knowledge exchange, and institutional strengthening across agricultural disciplines and sectors. Themes may include digital platforms, joint research and innovation, youth and women’s leadership, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable water management, resilient seed systems, food systems transformation, artificial intelligence, digital agriculture, extension models, innovation ecosystems, research management, policy capacity, One Health, agribusiness incubation, commercialization, scaling, and institutional strengthening.

Essential Characteristics

Successful proposals should be NAREES-led and demonstrate mutual learning, co-creation, equitable partnerships, transdisciplinary collaboration, South-South and North-South cooperation, scalability, sustainability, alignment with CGIAR impact areas and national priorities, and reciprocal value for all partners. Co-investment is encouraged but not mandatory. An endorsement letter from the lead institution is required.

Benefits

The six highest-ranked proposals will be invited to present during the CapSha South-South Cooperation Side Event in New Delhi, India, from 10–12 September 2026. Successful applicants will receive return economy airfare, conference registration, and accommodation, and will engage with CGIAR leadership and NAREES institutions.

Evaluation Criteria

CriterionWeight
Innovation in capacity sharing25%
NAREES leadership and ownership20%
Alignment with national priorities15%
Alignment with CGIAR impact areas15%
Transdisciplinary and multi-institutional collaboration10%
Scalability and sustainability10%
Co-investment and/or institutional commitment5%

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