• Overview on AfriFOODlinks Project 

Transforming Africa’s Urban Food Environments through Strengthening Linkages between Food Systems Stakeholders in Cities across the Continent and Europe

AfriFOODlinks aims to address the systemic underpinnings of food insecurity and environmental impact, to lead to real transformation. AfriFOODlinks views urban food environments as the key arena for improving nutrition and reducing environmental impact in African cities. This is because food environments are where residents make the choices about the food they eat and it is where the food security priorities of food availability, access, agency, utilization and stability manifest. AfriFOODlinks proposes to influence three key drivers of food environment form, function, and dynamics. These are Infrastructure Investment, Social and Cultural Preference & Business Innovation. 

AfriFOODlinks aims to improve food and nutrition security while delivering positive outcomes for climate and the environment, and building socio-ecological resilience in 65+ cities by:

1. promoting public shifts to sustainable healthy diets. 
2. transforming urban food environments through real-world socio-technical experiments; 
3. promoting inclusive multi-actor governance to empower public officials, established and informal small businesses, communities, youth and women with ownership and agency to shape their food systems; and
4. accelerating innovative, women- and youth-led agri-food businesses to support local value addition and inclusive economic participation.

It will do so through 6 work packages:

• Knowledge validation, amplification, creation and uptake
• Strengthening multi-stakeholder governance processes 
• Promoting inclusive and circular agribusiness & innovation 
• Improving food environments through experimentation
• Building lasting Africa-Europe partnerships   
• Mutual learning, exchange communications & outreach  

AfriFOODlinks invests in direct food system change in 5 African Hub Cities and invites 10 African and 5 European Sharing Cities to join them on a mutual-learning journey, to share their innovative food systems work and to co-design pilot projects for implementation in each Sharing City. Through a diverse set of AfriFOODlinks interventions, these cities will become beacons of inspiration for urban food systems transitions across the continent. Novel practices, methodological guides, and public awareness toolkits will be developed and shared with 45+ Network Cities in Africa, Europe, and Global South regions, who can adopt, adapt and replicate outcomes. 

• Work package 3: Business Innovation 

Business innovation plays a critical role in driving economic development in cities, both in formal and informal sectors. It helps enhance the local availability of diverse and improved food products, reducing reliance on imported processed foods. Business innovation also promotes environmentally sustainable practices such as bio-based packaging, utilizing less desirable produce, and increasing access to nutritious foods. Governance processes, however, significantly shape these innovations, influenced by a complex interplay of policies, relationships, and vested interests, particularly from large multinational food retailers. AfriFOODlinks aims to strengthen governance to ensure equitable representation of local needs and build resilience in urban food systems. Through business innovation, infrastructure investment, and cultural transformation, AfriFOODlinks,  through the implementation of the WP3 with its different tasks, seeks to create fair, healthy, and environmentally sustainable urban food systems from production to consumption.

• Context of the activity: 

The work package 3 and specifically Task 3.2 aims to incubate innovative women- and youth-led businesses that contribute to the transition to sustainable urban food systems in the governorate of Tunis with a specific focus on businesses with a circular business model at their core. The incubation program will consist of three key phases: an initiation event or hackathon, a bootcamp, and a comprehensive incubation cycle.

PS: The current concept note will focus only on the Hackathon day 

• Agenda of the hackathon: 

The Hackathon is set to take place on November 2nd at the City of Science in Tunis. This event will gather approximately 60 participants, all selected entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs from the agro-food sector, with the goal of fostering innovative solutions for sustainable urban food systems.

Participants will be divided into two clusters according to their stage of business development:

Ideation: For those developing early-stage ideas.

Business Launching and expansion: For those focused on scaling and expanding existing projects.

Objectives of the activity: 

• Introduce the AfriFOODLinks project, its key partners,  its goals, and opportunities in the sustainable urban agrifood sector.
• Provide an opportunity to test ideas, receive feedback, and share projects with peers and experts.
• Facilitate networking and validate innovative ideas.
• Engage participants in ideation workshops with entrepreneurship experts.
• Encourage joint idea development.
• Collect and consolidate ideas at the end to support application submissions.
• Enable participants to understand the policy environment and financing systems to support the development and growth of agrifood businesses

Proposed agenda

• Required Mission 

The mission of the facilitators at the AfriFOODlinks Hackathon is to guide and support participants by providing collective learning experiences and practical tools that will help them refine their business ideas or expand their existing projects. Facilitators will focus on developing participants’ understanding of key concepts and strategies in the context of sustainable food systems.

Facilitators will work with two distinct clusters of participants:

1. Ideation Cluster: For participants at the early stages of developing their business ideas.
2. Business Launching Cluster: For participants looking to expand and scale their existing projects.

Key Responsibilities of the facilitators: 

1. Animate Collective Learning Sessions
   • Lead interactive group sessions on essential terminology and concepts, including:
     • Business Innovation: Exploring new models and strategies to enhance business impact.
     • Circularity: Understanding how circular economy principles can be applied to food systems.
     • Food Systems: Discussing the components of sustainable food systems and how they relate to urban environments.
     • Entrepreneurship: Building entrepreneurial thinking, leadership, and strategic planning skills.
   • Facilitate discussions that encourage participants to apply these concepts to their own projects.
2. Animate Specific Learning Sessions

• Develop and lead targeted sessions for each cluster:
  • Ideation Cluster: Focus on brainstorming, idea validation, and early-stage business development.
  • Business Launching and expansion Cluster: Concentrate on scaling strategies, market entry, and operational planning

1. Facilitate Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking
   • Encourage teams to think critically about the challenges they face and propose innovative solutions.
   • Use practical exercises to deepen their understanding of how to incorporate sustainability and scalability into their business models.
2. Provide Structured Feedback
   • Offer feedback during group activities and ensure that participants can use the knowledge gained in their projects.
   • Guide teams as they prepare their proposals, helping them align their ideas with the principles of sustainable business and innovation.
3. Support Team Collaboration
   • Foster a collaborative environment where participants can exchange ideas and learn from one another.
   • Promote teamwork by encouraging each member to contribute based on their strengths.
4. Monitor Progress and Time Management
   • Ensure that all teams adhere to the hackathon schedule and complete the required tasks on time.
   • Provide guidance during check-ins to keep participants focused and motivated.

6. Type of mission: 

This concept note outlines a 2.5-day engagement for facilitators, consisting of a half-day kickoff meeting, one day of preparation, and one day of hackathon facilitation. This short-term mission is designed to assess facilitators’ expertise and working style. Beyond the hackathon, it also serves as a means to evaluate their potential for future involvement in the upcoming bootcamp and incubation cycle, which will take place from December 2024 to June 2025. Below is the detailed breakdown of the engagement:

Facilitators who excel during this engagement may be invited for extended involvement in the project.

7. Criteria of eligibility: 

• Ability to lead workshops and hackathons while fostering collaboration among participants.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills for articulating ideas clearly and building rapport with diverse teams.
• Proficiency in managing group dynamics to ensure active participation and constructive dialogue.
• Flexibility to adjust facilitation methods based on participant needs.
• Proven knowledge in business innovation, circularity, and sustainable practices.
• Understanding of the Tunisian entrepreneurial landscape.
• Knowledge in agriculture and food systems relevant to the local context.

Call for application for facilitators