CL6-2026-02-FARM2FORK-14: Acceleration for African entrepreneurs & innovators towards food security

Leader of a project in Kenya (FarmInnov with the AFD - french developement agency) on Acceleration for African entrepreneurs & innovators, Valorial would be happy to capitalise on these acquiered skills and knowhow further. We have accelerated calling on diverse local and french actors to mentor, train and guide 14 SMEs in Agrifood over 2 years and followed the multi-actor approach, by combining researchers, food industrials, farmers, and other food systems actors in France and Kenya as well as a Institutional dimenssion.

Supporting the private sector and strengthening partnerships

An acceleration program set up to support around 14 local companies in their growth and transformation, with the aim of developing products for the Kenyan market and also for export. A dozen days of monitoring and expertise sharing will also be organized to inform the entire private sector on topics of interest.

Sharing experiences and expertise between the two countries and strengthening cooperation

To strengthen the sharing of experience and expertise on innovation and performance improvement in the agricultural and agri-food sectors in France and Kenya, 6 discovery and experience-sharing missions organized in France and then in Kenya, which will also be aimed at Kenyan institutional actors.

Farm’Innov is a cooperation and technical assistance project; the acceleration programme will therefore provide intellectual support to companies on innovation issues through the involvement of French and Kenyan experts around 2 different kinds of assistance:

Consultancy & trainings:
Each accelerated company will be designed a 10-day tailor-made programme that will include:

1. Modules common to all companies,

2. Modules specific to a group of companies,

3. Modules tailored to its own needs.

The French and Kenyan ecosystems will be solicited to provide these modules, according to the topics selected and in coherence with their expertise. Depending on the nature of the accelerated companies’ needs, the support offered may take the
form of:

• Trainings or coaching, delivered in groups, small groups or individually, remote by French experts or face-to-face by Kenyan experts.

• Mentoring by a French or Kenyan entrepreneur who shares his or her experience.

Immersion visits:
The immersion visits will allow the accelerated companies to gain an insight into how the French food industry works. It will be an eye-opening experience to other types of operation, and a source of inspiration to accelerate the winning projects.

2 immersion visits will be organised during the lifetime of the acceleration programmeThe accelerated companies will be offered the opportunity to take part to one of the two visits, on the basis of one participant per accelerated company.

The immersion visits include:

• Meetings with agri-food entrepreneurs from the Great West of France,

• Visits to partner sites and companies based on acceleration topics, in line with the themes selected and the concerns of the companies,

• Sharing and feedback workshop for Kenyan companies at the end of the mission