Acceleration programme: a diagnostic visit to Kenya to meet the companies pre-selected by the Validation Committee!

On Tuesday 14 January, the Validation Committee met to validate the applications of Kenyan companies in the agri-agro sector who had applied to join the Farm’Innov acceleration programme. This was a key moment in the project, bringing together in Nairobi our Kenyan partners ASNET, Equity Bank, the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Developement, AFD and, by videoconference, the members of the Valorial team involved in this cooperation and technical assistance project between Kenya and France.

This is a very important turning point in the development of the project! We would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the high quality of the 33 applications received and analysed. 15 companies were shortlisted, representing all Kenyan sectors and spread across the country.

Diagnoctic visit to Kenya from 27 to 31 January

The next stage will take place from 27 to 31 January, with a mission to Kenya to meet the pre-selected companies, which will officially join the acceleration programme in April.

Valorial mobilised 2 recognised experts from its network, Pierre Weill (Valorex / Bleu Blanc Coeur) and Renaud Sergheraert (BCF LifeSciences), to meet these companies and gain a thorough understanding of their technical needs and development challenges. This is yet another example of the fine spirit of Franco-Kenyan cooperation that underpins the Farm’Innov project, with the aim of improving the country’s food security and supporting its agri-agro players in their innovation initiatives.

The list of “winning” companies will be announced shortly. Stay tuned! 

Attendees of the Validation Committee: 
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development:
– Silas Kenyatta, Monitoring & Evaluation Officer – Youth in Agriculture Unit
Equity Bank:
– Florence Kariuki, General Manager Food & Agriculture Pillar, Equity Group Foundation
– George M. Kaburu, Senior Relationship Manager Food & Agriculture
– Daniel Ndungu, Senior Program Manager Equity Group Foundation
ASNET
– Winnie Muya, Membership, Partnership Development and Communication
Valorial:
-Jean-Luc Perrot, Managing Director
– Blandine Fortin, Innovation Manager
– Gwenn Weber, Project Manager
– Adèle Guérin, Farm’Innov Project Officer based in Kenya
– Lola Nicolas, Europe and International Project Officer
Agence Française de Développement (observer):
– Guillaume Polge, Program Officer Water & Sanitation – Rural Development & Agriculture