Somalia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation has awarded a total of $50,000 in innovation grants to 10 companies that emerged as winners of the 2025 Open Innovation Competition for Somali Farmers. The initiative recognizes enterprises that have demonstrated strong progress in agricultural production, business innovation, and job creation, with the goal of strengthening the country’s agribusiness sector.
Each of the selected companies received $5,000 to support the further development, testing, and implementation of innovative solutions designed to benefit Somali farmers. These initial grants mark the first stage of a competitive, multi-phase program aimed at nurturing scalable and sustainable agricultural innovations.
Under the program’s structure, the number of participating companies will be reduced as it progresses. Only five companies will advance to the second phase, and the final phase will see a single company selected, reflecting the Ministry’s focus on identifying and scaling the most impactful solutions.
The initiative is supported through projects funded by the Resilience and Livelihoods Recovery Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and is being implemented by the Center for Agricultural Innovation and Development in collaboration with the Ministry’s Department of Commerce, Investment, and Cooperatives. The broader Resilience and Livelihoods Recovery Programme plans to invest more than $6 million to expand job and business opportunities across Somalia’s farming communities.
The award ceremony took place in Mogadishu and was presided over by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, who highlighted the critical role of innovation in driving economic growth and underscored the importance of active participation by Somali entrepreneurs and farmers in strengthening the agricultural sector.
