AI Diffusion Pathways for Agriculture (AIDPA) is a six-month programme by the AI Hub for Sustainable Development, co-led by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with DeepLeaf as delivery and platform partner.

Agricultural knowledge exists in abundance, yet often fails to reach farmers when and where they need it, while climate-related challenges are increasing. AIDPA treats AI as shared infrastructure: it connects technology from G7 countries with validated local knowledge so that ventures can build AI services suited to their own markets, with accessible offerings and viable business models. The programme also documents each venture's experience to show which capabilities, methods and partnerships can be reused or need local adaptation, feeding into the AI Hub's ambition of creating 100 AI Diffusion Pathways by 2030.

What selected ventures receive: access to the AI platform, SDKs and APIs at no cost until 31 July 2027; cohort workshops on technology, product development and reaching customers; tailored venture workshops; technical assessments to build, integrate and adapt the product; regular progress check-ups; and access to pilot sites, real users and customer introductions supported by local partners.

Who can apply: The programme is available in seven pilot countries: Ghana, Italy, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda, Tanzania and Tunisia, with one venture selected per country. Applicants must be based in, operate in or demonstrate a credible commitment to working in one of these countries. It is open to agritech ventures at any stage, including startups, social enterprises and other organizations building AI-enabled services for agriculture; individuals with a compelling plan may also be eligible. Selection criteria include ability to carry out the plan, relevance to local development priorities, access to local agricultural knowledge, product readiness, responsible data use and commercial sustainability.

Key dates: applications 3 November to 15 December 2026; programme runs February to July 2027; Demo Day on 3 August 2027. Submit by 15 December 2026 at 23:59 CET via the online application form: https://airtable.com/appr4OS1aCVyfKkI1/pagevj3X0JsyqFGzU/form. Contact: aihubfordevelopment@undp.org