81317521-Scaling digital agriculture innovations through start-ups (SAIS)

The Scaling Digital Agriculture Innovations through Start-ups (SAIS) programme is a global accelerator and company development initiative implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), SAIS also receives co-funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the European Union. Launched in 2019, SAIS aims to scale tech and tech-enabled private sector solutions in agriculture, livestock, food, climate, and the circular economy. Through its investment readiness programmes, SAIS provides tailored support to start-ups and companies to enhance their investment readiness, enabling them to attract funding, scale operations, and increase their impact. SAIS currently operates the following programmes: - SAIS Africa: A 12-month investment readiness programme for up to 25 tech and tech-enabled African start-ups, with tracks for francophone countries (PPI), anglophone countries (r-IRP), and livestock-focused start-ups. - SAIS CIRCULAR (Sri Lanka): Supports start-ups and SMEs developing circular economy solutions to reduce food loss and plastic waste in Sri Lanka, including incubation, acceleration, and access to finance. Through SAIS, GIZ aims to scale proven digital innovations that improve income, nutrition, or climate resilience in the agri-food sector. SAIS is currently commissioned until June 2029.