Food Innovation and Technology Hub (FIT-Hub) aims to promote and nurture a culture of entrepreneurship and inventions on Agri-food systems and product development and processing innovations in Malawi, while ensuring intellectual property protection. FIT-Hub is dedicated to advancing resilient agri-food systems through research, innovation, and collaboration...

Learn more

The Center for Resilient Agri-food Systems (CRAFS) brings together researchers from the University of Malawi and stakeholders from various sectors to advance agri-food systems research. Funded by the World Bank and the Government of Malawi, CRAFS is part of the Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence Additional Financing (ACE II AF) project.

Learn more

FIT-Hub Objectives

Providing services towards product development and food analysis and product profitability assessment.

Facilitating the prototyping of novel food products to test feasibility, functionality, and consumer response before moving on to final production.

Supporting the development of digital platforms for knowledge management and sharing, as well as linking incubatees to markets.

Facilitating formal partnerships between incubatees, the university, and public and private organizations.

More about the Hub

Implementation Team
Implementation Team

Discover our implementing team...

Read More
Partnerships
Partnerships

FIT-Hub collaborates with various partners...

Read More
Opportunities
Opportunities

Explore the latest opportunities available at FIT-Hub...

Read More

Active Calls for Proposals

FIT-Hub Incubation Program Call for Incubatees 2025 – Cohort 1 -DRAFT

Status: Open

Deadline for applications: 30 May, 2025

Cohort: 1

The Food Innovation and Technology Hub (FIT-Hub) within the Center for Resilient Agri-Food Systems (CRAFS) at the University of Malawi is inviting innovators to join its 2025 Incubation Program.

  • Goal of FIT-Hub: Transform food tech start-ups into sustainable, investment-worthy businesses.

  • Purpose of this call: To encourage teams or individuals with products or services in line with the thematic areas below to apply. Incubatees will compete for seed grants to help them implement their prior set project activities and milestones.
Thematic Areas of this call:
Agri-value added product
Functional and therapeutic foods
Natural foods and beverages
Feed formulation and processing
Improved nutrition & production
Digital agri-solutions
Other agri-related innovations

What You Gain as an Incubatee:

1. Capacity Building:
  • Training in business plan development, financial management, grant writing, IP as business strategy
  • Workshops on market strategies, branding, pitching, and investor readiness
2. Regulatory & Legal Guidance:
  • Support in business incorporation
  • Support in intellectual property (IP) registration
  • Navigation of Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) and other regulatory approvals
  • Assistance with ethical/protocol approvals (e.g., IRB, NCST, or international equivalents)
3. State-of-the-Art Facilities:
  • Access to CRAFS/UNIMA laboratories (Microbiology, Food Science, Analytical Chemistry, Computing, and Physics) and libraries
  • Use of the FIT-Hub food processing lab and Technology and Innovation Support Centre (TISC)
4. Funding & Exposure:
  • Opportunity to compete for seed grants to implement project milestones Publicity through CRAFS/FIT-Hub platforms and peer-to-peer networking
Eligibility:
Open to students, staff from UNIMA, and entrepreneurs in Malawi.
Condition for participation:
Participation is free for selected startups (facility access, trainings, workshops). Each participant is responsible for their own upkeep, travel costs, and accommodation during the stay.
How to Apply:
Eligible teams or individuals can apply by clicking the apply now button below fill the application form and submit online. Download the attached application documents to see full application details and you can also use the offline form to secure your information before submitting online.

Apply Now
Application call details
PDF Document
Download
Application form
DOCX Document
Download
© Copyright 2025 | All Rights Reserved