6 entrepreneurial projects awarded in urban food system innovation challenge

Six entrepreneurial projects were recently awarded in an urban food system innovation challenge aimed at encouraging youth entrepreneurs to bring innovation in the food system of rapidly growing urban areas of Bangladesh.

On Wednesday night in a virtual ceremony, Jackfruit 360 Degree, Inspira, Dr Recycle BD, Ghost Kitchen Bangladesh, Green Gain, and Ipage received the awards.

The awardees will get a total of $26,000 for implementing their business ideas and scale up, read a press release.  

The young entrepreneurs now will motivate consumption of safe food and work to reduce health risks of people. They will also strive to bring forward the sustainable development of the environment by ensuring smooth market management through the application of their creative innovative model.  

The judging parameters in the competition were innovation, nutrition impact, socio-economic impact, commercial viability, scalability, affordability, and adaptability.

The competition was organized by the Sun Business Network (SBN) Bangladesh with Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (Gain) and World Food Programme (WFP) as co-convenors in association with the Ministry of Industries of Bangladesh, and Stellar Value Partners as its accelerator.

The competition was organised as part of a campaign to motivate the consumption of safe, nutritious and healthy food in urban areas.
Initially, some 85 entrepreneurs took part in the competition. Later, six out of 12 participants were finally selected for the awards based on the effectiveness of their business model.

Dr Ruhul Amin Talukder, additional secretary, Agriculture Ministry, was present at the event as the chief guest.

The ceremony chaired by Md Golam Yahiya, additional secretary (Planning), Ministry of Industries, was attended by Md Abdul Kayowm Sarker, chairman (Additional Secretary), Bangladesh Food

Safety Authority (BFSA), Ministry of Food, Dr SM Mustafizur Rahman, line director, National Nutrition Service under Institution of Public Health and Nutrition (IPHN), among others.