Creating opportunities in the agrifood sector to enable food security
2023
2025
External EIT Food Project
BACKGROUND
The Citi Foundation launched its first ever Global Innovation Challenge in February 2023 to help scale the impact of non-profits around the world that are developing innovative solutions to improve food security. The Foundation provided $25 million to 50 community organisation, of which EIT Food acquired $500,000 in funding to design and pilot the AMPLE Programme to strengthen the physical and financial health of low-income communities. In addition, EIT Food was chosen over 1,000 submissions across 80 countries.
AMPLE started in Madrid in October 2023 and runs until 30 September 2025. Its main purpose is to provide participants with enough resources to overcome food insecurity in their daily lives. As a result, the programme focuses on delivering formative and financial aid to key stakeholders, such as people at risk of social exclusion and SMEs/startups.
The 3 axis that rule the programme:
(1) Community & (2) Learning: EIT Food closely collaborates with NGOs to co-create training courses around the agrifood system to foster job opportunities amongst vulnerable communities. AMPLE not only provides formative sessions on various topics, but it is also a hive where we provide valuable resources to enter the labour market, as well as a sense of community to network and share needs, concerns, and experiences.
(3) Business: AMPLE is involved in supporting innovation within the agrifood system to ensure food affordability and accesibility. Throughout the programme, many agrifood startups/SMEs will benefit from boost vouchers (small grants) to implement upgrades in their production process or final products.
TRAINING COURSES
EIT Food provides training courses, learning resources and networking opportunities to vulnerable communities. The courses have been co-created along with non-profit organizations, which are highly experienced in contributing to the training of their audiences through courses and workshops. After the formative process, we aim to enable participants to enter the agrifood labour market.
BOOST VOUCHERS
Related to EIT Food’s mission, Healthier Lives Through Food, AMPLE is giving economic support to agrifood SMEs and startups to find innovative solutions for affordable products. We want to encourage SMEs to improve their production process or innovate the properties of a food product to provide more affordable, accessible, and healthier food.
If you are a startup or a SME looking to improve their business. Check out our call and be one of the 30 beneficiaries obtaining €2,300to make a change in the agrifood system. You only have to fill in an application form!
*Boost vouchers will be open until September 2025.
Assessment of Social Value for the AMPLE Programme 2023-25
This report presents an overview and evaluation of the initial phase of the social impact of the AMPLE programme, a project developed with funding from Citi Foundation to help tackle food insecurity.
Stakeholders, evaluators, and policymakers will find a clear account of how the initiative fostered empowerment and inclusion through practical support and accessible training. 10 partners from charity, government and academic sectors were brought together to co-create interventions addressing specific needs within the agrifood sector among marginalised communities in Madrid and Warsaw.
The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyse job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant communities. The Citi Foundation’s “More than Philanthropy” approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfil our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation.
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