Food Security Technology Accelerator

Food Security Technology Accelerator is sponsored by U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD). This initiative supports collaborative R&D projects between Israeli and American partners to bridge research and industry, accelerate the translation of discoveries into applications, and foster innovation in food security.

BARD Food Security Technology Accelerator - BARD BARD Food Security Technology Accelerator This program is a unique opportunity to accelerate food security innovation through binational collaboration, supporting projects at critical stages of development and helping bring transformative solutions to market. Submission is a two-stage process. A successful pre-proposal is a prerequisite for submitting a full proposal.

The BARD Food Security Technology Accelerator is a n joint initiative by the Israel-U.S. Binational Agriculture Research and Development Foundation (BARD) to support collaborative R&D projects between Israeli and American partners. The program aims to bridge research and industry, accelerate the path from discovery to application, and foster innovation in food security.

It provides conditional grants of up to $1 million (for projects with a total budget of up to $1. 6 million) over two years, fully funding academic partners and partially funding industry partners. The program supports projects at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3–6, focusing on significant technological innovation with high commercial and social impact.

The grant covers R&D, dissemination, and commercialization activities, and is designed to share risk and reward between partners. On Monday, February 2, 2026 , we held an online introduction session. Our introductory webinar covered the BARD Accelerator funding opportunity.

The program lead outlined funding terms, eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, reporting processes, and key submission stages, offering prospective applicants a clear overview of how to engage successfully with the new program.

Click here for the full Webinar presentation Click here for full recording of the webinar The BARD Food Security Technology Accelerator is a new pilot program by the Israel-U.S. Binational Agriculture Research and Development Foundation (BARD) to support collaborative R&D projects between Israeli and American partners.

The program aims to bridge research and industry, accelerate the path from discovery to application, and foster innovation in food security. It provides conditional grants of up to $1 million (for projects with a total budget up to $1. 6 million) over two years, fully funding academic partners and partially funding industry partners.

The program supports projects at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3–6, focusing on significant technological innovation with high commercial and social impact. The grant covers R&D, dissemination, and commercialization activities, and is designed to share risk and reward between partners.

Eligible consortia must include at least two research institutions (one from Israel and one from the U.S.) and two industry partners (one from each country). In some cases, subsidiaries of the same parent company in both countries may qualify as distinct partners. Projects must be at TRL 3–6 and address the specific fields outlined in the call for proposals.

Academic institutions must receive at least 50% of the total grant. Industry partners must contribute a minimum of 10–30% of the grant amount, depending on the TRL. Click here to read the full program guidelines Click here to read frequently asked questions about this program.

Climate Resilience – Developing and adopting new crop varieties, vertical farming, and greenhouse technologies to ensure production under harsh environmental conditions (including crop genetics, water management aspects and AI and precision agriculture).

Crop and Animal Health - Advancement of novel technologies and management strategies to detect, prevent, and mitigate diseases and pests in plants and animals (including disease prevention and detection and AI and precision agriculture).

AI-powered Precision Farming and Digital Agriculture- Leveraging artificial intelligence, sensors, and data analytics to optimize inputs, monitor crops, and improve farm decision-making for enhanced yields and sustainability. The process begins with a call for proposals published on the BARD website .

Interested consortia prepare a pre-proposal following the official guidelines and draft a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between all partners, documenting roles and commitments. The pre-proposal and MOU are submitted via email to [email protected] . Pre-proposals are screened for adherence to the call’s theme, completeness, and eligibility.

Successful pre-proposals are forwarded to the Evaluation Committee for further review. Click here for the pre-proposal guidelines . Clarification Regarding Non‑Binding MOU in Pre‑Proposal Submissions We would like to clarify the requirements regarding the submission of a non‑binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between consortium partners at the pre‑proposal stage.

While the program guidelines mention a non‑binding MOU between consortium partners, we recognize that this requirement was not explicitly stated in the pre‑proposal guidelines. To ensure fairness to all applicants, particularly those who may not have reviewed the full program guidelines in detail, we have decided that submission of an MOU at the pre‑proposal stage is not mandatory.

Applicants who have already secured a non‑binding MOU are welcome to include it as part of their pre‑proposal submission. Applicants who have not obtained an MOU will not be penalized, and no additional explanation is required. We appreciate applicants’ understanding and encourage all applicants to continue consulting the full program guidelines when preparing their submissions.

The pre-proposal submission deadline is May 1, 2026 Click here fo r The Cooperation and Project Funding Agreement -standard template . Click here for the Revenue Growth Track template Full Application Submission If the pre-proposal is approved, the consortium is invited to submit a full proposal, again following official guidelines.

The full proposal must include all required sections, a consortium agreement, and financial reports from industry partners. The complete package is uploaded to the BARD online submission portal. The submission deadline is July 27, 2026 .

Failure to comply with requirements or deadlines results in disqualification. The submission portal will open for applications June 25, 2026 Click here for the full proposal guidelines Click here for the full proposal webinar slides Click here for full proposal submission portal The evaluation process involves several stages: Initial screening by Accelerator Management for eligibility and completeness.

Review by the Evaluation Committee, which includes academic and business representatives from both countries and a BARD representative. Criteria include scientific and technological innovation, commercial potential, collaboration strength, implementation feasibility, alignment with the call’s theme, and social/environmental impact. Projects passing the initial review are notified and invited to submit their Full Proposal to BARD.

The evaluation committee conducts a comprehensive assessment, including as interview and presentation by consortium. Recommendations are reviewed by a High-Level Committee (including government and BARD Board members) for oversight and alignment with strategic objectives. The BARD Board of Directors makes the final funding decision.

The entire process is designed to take no more than six months per call. Throughout the project, partners must submit periodic fiscal and technical progress reports, as well as Plan report. The grant is disbursed in installments tied to milestones, with 10% withheld until the third year, pending satisfactory implementation.

Fiscal and Technical Progress reports. For assistance and further information please contact our Business Development Manager Sarai Kemp [email protected] . The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.

The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.

The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Manage {vendor_count} vendors