BARD Food Security Technology Accelerator

BARD Food Security Technology Accelerator

Funds US and Israeli industry-research consortia developing food security technologies at TRL 3–6 through binational conditional grants of up to $1 million.

Eligibility · United States and Israel (binational consortium required)

The BARD Food Security Technology Accelerator is a conditional grant program administered by the U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD), a binational foundation established by the governments of the United States and Israel. It is BARD's first industry-facing pilot initiative, designed to close the gap between laboratory research and commercial deployment in food security technologies. Awards are up to $1 million per project (for projects with a total budget up to $1.6 million) over two years. Academic partners are fully funded by the grant; industry partners receive partial funding and must contribute 10–30% of the grant amount in matching, depending on the technology readiness level. The program targets projects at TRL 3–6.

Projects must address one of three priority areas: climate resilience (crop varieties, vertical farming, greenhouses, water management, AI/precision ag), crop and animal health (disease prevention and detection), or AI-powered precision farming and digital agriculture. The grant covers R&D, dissemination, and commercialization activities.

To be eligible, a consortium must include at least two research institutions (one US, one Israeli) and two industry partners (one US, one Israeli). In some cases, subsidiaries of the same parent company in both countries may qualify as distinct partners. Academic institutions must receive at least 50% of the total grant. Projects must be at TRL 3–6.

The application is a two-stage process. First, an interested consortium prepares a pre-proposal (following official guidelines) and a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding between all partners. The pre-proposal is submitted by email to accelerator@bard-isus.com. Pre-proposals are screened for eligibility and completeness; successful ones are forwarded to an Evaluation Committee. If selected, the consortium submits a full proposal through the BARD online portal. The Evaluation Committee — including academic and business representatives from both countries — assesses scientific and technological innovation, commercial potential, collaboration strength, feasibility, alignment with the call theme, and social/environmental impact. Recommendations go to a High-Level Committee (government and BARD Board members), and the BARD Board of Directors makes the final funding decision. The process takes no more than six months per call.

Practical caveats: The full proposal portal opens June 25, 2026. The pre-proposal deadline for the current call was May 1, 2026 (now closed); full proposal deadline is July 27, 2026. The program is a pilot — future calls are not yet confirmed. Grant disbursements are milestone-based, with 10% withheld until year three. Industry partners must submit financial reports as part of the application.