The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council is pleased to support the 3rd edition of the FoodTech Challenge, hosted by Tamkeen and the International Affairs Office of the U.A.E. Presidential Court. Applications close on 12 December and winners are announced in May 2025.

The FoodTech Challenge (FTC) is a global competition that identifies and supports leading early-stage, tech-driven solutions poised to transform food systems in arid, hot, and increasingly challenging environments. These environments, in addition to being among the most food-insecure nations, are also underserved, untapped for innovations, and underinvested in by traditional agricultural practices.

FTC is on a mission to catalyze innovation to address the unprecedented strain that climate change, changing demographics, and other supply disruptions are placing on the food security of more countries each year. The third edition of the FoodTech Challenge is structured around three key focus areas related to the food-water-energy nexus: Food & Water, Food & Energy, and Food Loss & Waste. The competition will enable four winners to develop their solutions in the U.A.E. and deploy them across underserved markets in the Global South, with each winner benefitting from a shared prize of 2 million in cash grants, as well as access to a robust network of partners. FTC empowers innovators to contribute to a world where food security is a reality for all.

Please use this link for more information about the FoodTech Challenge. For other inquiries about the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s programming, please contact Caitlin Cottrell at ccottrell@usuaebusiness.org.