Heifer International Rwanda has officially launched the 2026 AYuTE Challenge, calling on young innovators across the country to transform Rwanda’s agriculture sector through technology-driven solutions. The initiative increases the total prize pool to RWF 65 million, up from RWF 50 million in 2025, and provides tailored mentorship and business development support.
The AYuTE (Agriculture, Youth, and Technology) Challenge is Heifer International’s flagship youth agritech program, designed to identify and support scalable, youth-led enterprises that address challenges faced by smallholder farmers. The program aims to enhance productivity, increase farmer incomes, and strengthen resilience across agricultural value chains.
Past editions of the Challenge have demonstrated measurable impact. Mugeni Niyidukunda, First Runner-Up of the 2025 AYuTE Challenge and founder of Avocare Ltd, said the grant was transformative:
“The AYuTE Grant has been a transformative catalyst for Avocare Ltd. It enabled us to expand our production and storage facilities, increasing our avocado intake capacity from two tons per day to between six and ten tons per day. The support also allowed us to establish a modern factory capable of processing up to five tons per day, create more than thirty jobs for youth and women, and strengthen partnerships with over 300 avocado farmers nationwide.”
Similarly, Tresor Gashonga, Founder and CEO of Incuti Foods and winner of the 2025 Challenge, highlighted how the funding directly scaled his business:
“The RWF 25 million AYuTE Fund investment was a momentous change for Incuti Foods. It enabled us to increase production capacity from 5,000 to 30,000 bottles per month, expand our customer base from 70 to 100 grocery stores, grow smallholder farmer partnerships from 50 to 100, and create 18 new jobs mainly for youth.”
Commenting on the 2026 launch, Verena Ruzibuka, Country Director of Heifer International Rwanda, said:
“The growth journeys of innovators like Mugeni and Tresor demonstrate the real, measurable impact the AYuTE Challenge delivers, scaling production, creating jobs, strengthening farmer partnerships, and building resilient agribusinesses. By increasing the total cash prize to RWF 65 million this year, we are raising the bar for what young innovators can achieve. We encourage ambitious youth with innovative solutions to smallholder farmers’ farming systems to apply and be part of Rwanda’s next generation of agritech leaders.”
The 2026 AYuTE Challenge is open to youth-led startups and innovators aged 18–35, based in Rwanda, with technology-enabled solutions that address challenges faced by smallholder farmers and have strong scalability potential.
Applications are open online and close on 27 February 2026. Interested innovators can apply via the official application link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AyuTe-Rwanda-Challenge-2026
Written By Jean Bernard MUKUNDENTE