KijaniSpace Innovation Programme

The KijaniSpace Space-IoT Innovation Program will support selected SMEs and start-ups to improve existing agriculture-related products, services or applications using Copernicus and IoT resources. The program will support up to five selected SMEs or start-ups from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Selected teams will carry out innovation experiments using Copernicus, Earth Observation and IoT resources made available through the "Space-IoT Box". The Innovation Program will include onboarding, online training, mentoring, innovation experiment implementation, product and market validation, pitch preparation and an in-person final showcase in Kenya.

Who Can Apply

The open call is targeted at SMEs and start-ups that are legally established and operating in one of the following countries:

• Kenya
• Uganda
• Tanzania

Applicants may apply as a single organisation. Only one proposal will be accepted for funding per applicant or team member. Applicants must have an existing agriculture-related product, service or application linked to crop farming, fish farming or another relevant climate-smart agriculture use case.

Application Requirements

Applicants need to complete an online application form available at:

https://www.kijanispace.eu/space-iot-innovation-programme/

The proposals are submitted in PDF format using the provided proposal template. The proposal package will also include a declaration of honour and ethics self-assessment where required.

Financial Support

Each selected SME or start-up may receive financial support of up to EUR 5,000. The financial support will cover eligible actual costs incurred during the implementation of the approved innovation experiment. Costs must be directly linked to the approved activities, milestones and expected deliverables. The payment arrangement will include:

• One pre-financing payment of 20% of the approved project budget.
• One final payment covering the remaining approved eligible costs after approval of the final report and corresponding deliverables.

Selected beneficiaries will submit a financial statement at the end of the funded experiment for assessment by the KijaniSpace project coordinator.

Eligible Use of Funds

Financial support may be used for activities directly linked to the approved innovation experiment, including:

• Testing and improving the selected product, service or application using Space-IoT Box resources.
• Implementing new features or services based on Copernicus and IoT technologies.
• Collecting data, user feedback or stakeholder validation linked to the experiment.
• Preparing technical documentation, validation evidence and impact summaries.
• Participating in KijaniSpace virtual meetings, hackathons, showcase activities or related dissemination events.
• Communication and dissemination activities linked to the funded experiment.

Funding must be used only for the approved innovation experiment and in line with the sub-grant agreement.

Evaluation and Selection Process

Applications will first be checked for completeness and eligibility. Eligible applications will then be evaluated by three evaluators using the published evaluation criteria. The evaluation will use the following main criteria:

• Excellence: Quality of the proposal, understanding of the open call, relevance of selected Copernicus services and Space-IoT Box tools and suitability for the selected region.
• Impact: Expected contribution to KijaniSpace project objectives, relevance to climate-smart agriculture, expected value for users or stakeholders and potential for dissemination, communication and exploitation.
• Implementation: Feasibility of the proposed activities, quality of the implementation plan, team capacity, budget realism, expected deliverables and ability to complete the experiment within the program period.

The evaluation process will produce a ranked list of proposals based on the scores received. In case of tied scores, a consensus meeting will be held to select the proposals for funding. Selected applicants will be contacted after the evaluation. Unsuccessful applicants will also be informed of the evaluation outcome.

Obligations of Selected Beneficiaries

Selected SMEs and start-ups will:

• Sign a dedicated Sub-Grant Agreement with the KijaniSpace project coordinator.
• Use the financial support only for the approved innovation experiment.
• Participate in onboarding, training, mentoring, review meetings and final showcase activities.
• Submit progress updates during the program.
• Keep records of actual costs incurred.
• Submit a final report, financial statement and supporting evidence.
• Provide documentation of technical outputs, validation feedback, expected impacts and lessons learned.
• Support project communication and dissemination through approved non-confidential materials.

If funds are misused or costs are found to be ineligible, the beneficiary will repay the affected amount to the KijaniSpace project coordinator in line with the financial support conditions.

Intellectual Property, Confidentiality and Data Protection

Applicants will identify any pre-existing products, services, data, tools, software, know-how or materials they bring into the program. The applicant guidelines and sub-grant agreement will define the rules on intellectual property, data protection, confidentiality and liability. Public communication materials will use approved non-confidential information, summaries, photos, screenshots, presentations or demonstration materials provided by the selected beneficiaries.