AI for climate-smart agriculture and food security in Kenya
The FCDO invites submissions by 27 February 2026 for a study on how artificial intelligence can improve climate smart agriculture in Kenya by helping smallholder farmers better anticipate and adapt to climate, pest and soil challenges.
The FCDO invites research providers to submit technical submissions by 27 February 2026 for a study that investigates how artificial intelligence (AI) can improve climate‑smart agriculture in Kenya. This should help smallholder farmers better anticipate and adapt to climate, pest and soil challenges, while addressing critical evidence gaps around data needs and real‑world effectiveness.
The FCDO is supporting Kenya’s efforts to use digital innovation for food security and climate resilience. The AI for climate‑smart agriculture project will generate evidence on how AI can be applied responsibly to improve farming outcomes.
This research will:
- guide Kenyan institutions including the Ministry of Agriculture and KALRO
- align with national strategies such as the AI Strategy (2025 to 2030) and ASTGS
- ensure future digital agriculture investments strengthen food security and farmer resilience
What the fund will achieve
The fund will generate evidence on how AI can improve climate‑smart agriculture in Kenya. It aims to:
- map the main gaps in agricultural data
- assess how smallholder farmers use and benefit from AI‑enabled tools
- identify the system‑level conditions such as affordability, trust, digital literacy, gender and inclusion, infrastructure and policy that enable AI solutions to scale equitably
It will also evaluate practical data‑sharing and governance models that support AI innovation while protecting farmer rights and privacy. It will guide responsible and impactful deployment of AI in Kenya’s agriculture sector.
Requirements for organisations wishing to apply
A strong research team would demonstrate experience of:
- AI and digital agriculture: expertise in AI, data science and climate‑smart agriculture
- agricultural context: deep experience in Kenyan/East African smallholder agriculture
- participatory research: strong skills in inclusive, field‑based research
- policy analysis: ability to conduct policy research and generate actionable recommendations
- safeguarding and ethics: competence in ethical research, data protection and safeguarding
- project management: proven capacity to manage complex research and stakeholders
- communications: skills in designing communication strategies and producing accessible materials
This opportunity is open to organisations in all ODA-eligible countries (OECD, DAC list).
How to apply
Bidders should email their technical and commercial proposal to ke_evidencefundeastafrica@pwc.com by 11:59pm East Africa Time on 27 February 2026. We will not consider bids received after this time.
Contact
Evidence Fund Manager: ke_evidencefundeastafrica@pwc.com