The Agri-Aqua Innovation Challenge 2024 is back! After its first run in 2022, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), Asian Institute of Management (AIM), and Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) collaborate again to convene top agri-aqua startup and student teams for a 12-month challenge.
The Agri-Aqua Innovation Challenge 2024 or AAIC 2024 is a DOST-PCAARRD project being led by Prof. Matthew George O. Escobido of AIM.
Participant categories include: Startups and Student Teams. Startups are businesses at an early stage with formal business registration either, through the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), or the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) within at least 7 years ago. A Startup member should not be a finalist of a previous edition of the Innovation Challenge or a recipient of a DOST Startup Grant Fund (SGF) to be qualified to participate.
Student Teams, on the other hand, are college or graduate students who have not yet formalized their innovation journey but have a technology that can be transformed into a product as a basis of their business.
The Innovation Challenge aims to translate research into actual products and services that will benefit more Filipinos and support the agri-aqua sector.
DOST-PCAARRD’s 25 Agri-Aqua Technology Business Incubators (ATBI) will support the accepted teams. Participants need to identify their preferred ATBIs, which will endorse them to complete their application.
The ATBI program is designed to support agribusiness startups and enterprises. It aims to accelerate the commercialization of agriculture and aquatic technologies by providing incubation services, technical assistance, and access to resources for entrepreneurs.
During the program, accepted applicants will undergo training and expert mentorship to be provided by AIM and MAP. After every milestone, the qualifying teams will receive funding support and benefits.
The final pitch will happen during the Demo Day where five startups and five student teams will demonstrate their product and pitch their businesses to potential customers, partners, and investors.
Investment grants await the teams that will make it to the Demo Day. At least P100,000 will be given to each student team and P200,000 to each startup. Grand winners will get much more — P400,000 for the student teams and P1 million for the startups. The ATBI will be given P50,000 when their incubatee is selected for the final round. This ensures continual support to the teams and enrichment of the ATBI program.
Interested teams are encouraged to apply online at agri-aqua.aim.edu on or before 11:59 PM on October 31, 2024. Likewise, an Information Session for the aspiring teams will be held on October 17, 2024 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm via Zoom. For inquiries, please contact the Agri-Aqua Innovation Challenge Secretariat via