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STF Review Process

Review Process

The Challenge application review process for Seed Grant applicants is executed in two steps and in four steps for Growth Grant and Seeding The Future Grand Prize applicants. The first two steps are the same for all three awards.

Applicants should refer to the Award Selection Criteria to determine the appropriate award level based on, your project’s maturity and impact potential. The selection criteria prioritize INNOVATION and the size of the IMPACT on people and the environment over time. See Application Questions for additional detail.

Additional criteria may be considered.

1. Eligibility Screen

  • This is a preliminary application vetting to ensure that each application meets the basic organizational and financial eligibility requirements for the Challenge. This includes a complete application, the applicant is an eligible organization, the applicant applied for the appropriate award level, and the applicant provided the required organizational and financial documentation.
  • Each applicant will receive a pass or fail. Applications that do not pass the eligibility screening will be notified and will not advance.
      

2. Initial Content Screen

During the Initial Content Screen, reviewers will assess and score the quality of each application based on the following criteria, which reflect the Award Selection Criteria explained above:

  • Quality of the Innovation: does the project lead to or create something new that is important and has a benefit?
  • Multidisciplinarity and DEI
  • Clarity and strength of the application’s premise
  • Project Plan, budget, and timeline
  • Potential for impact at scale
  • The application’s demonstrated alignment with the Innovation Focus area

For Seed Grant applicants, up to 16 submissions may be selected as finalists and advance to the final round for Seed Grant applicants. In this round, a group of highly qualified IFT subject matter experts will review, score and vote on the finalists’ applications to determine the Seed Grant awardees. Once Seed Grant awardees are selected, IFT will notify and announce the Seed Grant winners in September.

For Growth Grant applicants, up to 12, and for the Seeding The Future Grand Prize applicants, up to 8 applications may be selected as semifinalists to advance to the Selection Committee Round One, were finalists will be selected by a selection committee consisting of globally recognized, national and international domain experts.
  

3. Selection Committee Round One

Selection Committee members will assess and score each semi-finalist application based on the following criteria:

  • Quality of the Innovation: does the project create or lead to something new that is important and has a benefit?
  • The multidisciplinary nature of the project
  • The innovations demonstrated alignment with the Innovation Focus Area and a food policy perspective
  • The development stage / maturity of innovation
  • The projected size of the impact of the innovation at scale and over time
  • Sound budget, timeline, project plan
  • Projected scalability and economic feasibility at scale
  • Description how to compellingly communicate the innovation benefits to consumers
  • Assessment of risks and challenges
  • Alignment with Seeding The Future Foundation’s Vision and Mission

Based on these criteria, the Selection Committee may select from the group of semi-finalists up to 6 Growth Grant finalists and up to 4 Seeding The Future Grand Prize finalists to advance to the Selection Committee Round Two.
   

4. Selection Committee Round Two - for Growth and Seeding The Future Grand Prize Finalists Only

In this stage, finalists will submit a brief pre-recorded 4-5 minute video presentation highlighting the project innovation focus, potential impact, and team members. The Selection Committee will conduct approximately 20 min interviews with the Growth Grant and Seeding The Future Grand Prize finalists. The interview will consist of a short introduction of the project team, followed by a discussion and Q&A with the Selection Committee members.

Questions may be related to any of the prior submitted material, to selection criteria listed in the attached pdf or the presentation but may also include questions on interest in additional financial or other support, such as networking or advice to further the innovation.

Following the interview meetings, and based on the discussion and Q&A, finalists may have the opportunity to submit supplemental materials to IFT as needed. Once all supplemental materials are aggregated and interviews complete, up to 3 Growth Grants winners and up to 2 Seeding The Future Grand Prize winners may be selected.

Award money will be given to each awardee subject to execution of an IFT award agreement (see Sample Award Agreement). With the submission of an application, applicants agree with the terms laid out in the example award agreement. In order for IFT to release the award funds, all awardees must sign an IFT grant agreement prior to receiving any funds. IFT will notify each awardee and publicly announce the complete list of awardees once all award agreements have been executed.

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