EU-supported Fiji Agri-Innovate Competition 2026 Celebrates Agribusiness Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The two-day event marks the final stage of a rigorous selection and training process, which forms an integral part of the Fiji Agribusiness Incubator Centre's annual programming. The In-Country Showcase opened on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, and will be followed by the final Pitching Competition and Closing Ceremony on Wednesday, 17 June 2026. The event will take place at the Southern Cross Conference Room on Gordon Street, Suva, where the top three winners will receive FJD 5,000 each in seed funding to scale their ventures.

In her opening remarks, the Ambassador of the European Union to the Pacific, H.E. Ms. Barbara Plinkert, highlighted the European Union's continued commitment to supporting agribusiness innovation and entrepreneurship in Fiji.

In Fiji, Business Assistance Fiji (BAF) organizes the annual competition to identify, train, and empower micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and agribusinesses across the country.

The showcase and pitching competition are the culminating steps in a process that included an intensive ten-day virtual bootcamp designed to strengthen participants' business knowledge and investment readiness. Ten shortlisted finalists competed in the final pitch presentations, showcasing innovative products, services, and business models aimed at transforming Fiji's agriculture and food systems:

1. Delainaulucavu Organic Enterprise;

2. Farm to Table Enterprise;

3. Kula Palms (Fiji) Pte Limited;

4. Zonah United;

5. Impact Pacific (Fiji) Limited;

6. Vuadomo Company (Fiji) Pte Limited;

7. Being Fit PTE Ltd;

8. Discover Taveuni Enterprises;

9. Go Vet Clinic;

10. Teivaka Pte Ltd.

The following businesses participated in the pitching session only:

1. Sokoiwasa's Dream Investment

2. Shahil's Party Ice and Frozen Supplies

The 2026 edition marks a significant milestone: the third consecutive round of the competition since the establishment of Fiji's first ever Agribusiness Incubation (ABI) Center, representing a major step in transforming the country's agricultural sector into a modern, knowledge-based business ecosystem.

Ms. Joann Young, Assistant FAO Representative to Fiji

"The continued success of the Agri-Innovate Competition underscores the dynamism of Fiji's agribusiness sector and the ingenuity of its entrepreneurs. Recent national economic discussions have reaffirmed the resilience of MSMEs in the face of increasing global shocks and their vital role in sustaining livelihoods and growth. FAO, through initiatives such as the EU-funded STODAS project, is supporting MSMEs to scale innovation and strengthen agrifood systems, and we call on development partners to deepen collaboration and investment to unlock the full potential of this sector."

FAO provides technical leadership across all project activities, from agrifood systems diagnostics to business development support for MSMEs, working in close collaboration with national government partners and civil society organizations.

Ms. Nitika Singh, General Manager of Business Assistance Fiji - BAF

"The Fiji Agri-Innovate Competition 2026 is about supporting our people. We want to inspire our MSMEs to innovate, helping them move beyond subsistence and empowering them to build modern, climate-resilient agribusinesses they can be proud of. By giving our local agri-entrepreneurs a platform to pitch their ideas and promote their products, we are shaping a secure future for our youth and helping Fiji grow more of its own food. We are deeply grateful to the European Union for their generous funding, and to our partners at FAO, the Ministry of Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar Industry, and the Ministry of Commerce and Business Development. Together, we are walking alongside our farmers to turn passion and innovation into thriving, sustainable businesses. "

About

The STODAS Project

Sustainable Transformation of Domestic Agrifood Systems is a regional EU-funded initiative implemented by FAO in Fiji, Samoa and Solomon Islands. The project aims to strengthen domestic food production, improve nutrition outcomes, and build the resilience of agrifood systems in support of the SDGs and the UN Food Systems Summit commitments. The Agri-Innovate Competition directly advances these goals by investing in the capacity of agri-entrepreneurs to grow sustainable, market-linked businesses. In Fiji, FAO implements the STODAS project in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar Industry, the Ministry of Commerce and Business Development, and implementing partner Business Assistance Fiji (BAF).

FAO in the Pacific Islands

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the specialized UN agency that has been leading international efforts to defeat hunger and malnutrition for 80 years. Since 1996, Samoa has been hosting the FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands in its capital, Apia. This office is responsible for developing, overseeing, and implementing programmes and projects to address food security, nutrition, agriculture, and rural development priorities in the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, as well as the territory of Tokelau, an Associate Member. For more information, visit https://www.fao.org/asiapacific/about-us/fao-in-asia-and-the-pacific/pacific/en.

Business Assistance Fiji - BAF

As a key facilitator for the Fiji Agri-Innovate Competition in both 2025 and 2026, BAF conducts virtual boot camps featuring expert guest speakers from financial institutions, government ministries, and the private sector to provide comprehensive support and insights for MSMEs, visit https://businessassistancefiji.com/

For More Information / Media Contact:

Business Assistance Fiji - BAF

Lanieta R. Senirosi

Attachee: Administration and Communication officer

Phone: +679 992 9172

Communications: [email protected]

Administration: [email protected]

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Nusrat Anwar

Communications Specialist, FAO Sub-regional Office for the Pacific Islands (FAO SAP)

Email: [email protected]

European Union

Delegation of the European Union to the Pacific

Email: [email protected]

Distributed by Business Assistance Fiji - BAF for the Pacific Islands

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