FAO Partnership Award 2026: How to Win $10,000 for Food and Agriculture Partnerships

If your organization has worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to improve food security, nutrition, or sustainable farming, the FAO Partnership Award is the kind of recognition that matters. It is an institutional award that celebrates collaborative projects that advance FAO’s mission—projects that bring practical results to people’s plates and livelihoods. The prize includes a formal scroll and a cash award of USD 10,000. The deadline for nominations is 15 February 2026.

This guide is built for busy program managers, NGO directors, research centre heads, and communications teams who want to prepare a nomination that reads like a clear, persuasive story—one that shows impact, partnership, and potential to scale. I’ll explain who is eligible, what the judges care about, how to present impact evidence, and the tactical moves that turn a good nomination into a memorable one.

At a Glance

Why This Award Matters (Three short paragraphs)

Public recognition from FAO is more than a trophy. It signals to donors, partners, and policymakers that your approach worked and that FAO considers it a model worth sharing. That recognition opens doors to new collaborations, stronger credibility, and often makes it easier to secure follow-on funding.

The USD 10,000 prize is a modest but useful sum. The real value lies in visibility: FAO highlights winners across its networks, in reports and events, and sometimes in media exposure—an amplifier that money alone cannot buy. If your project has demonstrable outcomes and an element of cooperative action with FAO, this award can turn local impact into international attention.

Finally, the award explicitly rewards partnership: not solo heroics, but meaningful cooperation with FAO and stakeholders. If your project was built through shared planning, joint implementation, or policy dialogue with FAO, you’re already speaking the language of this prize.

What This Opportunity Offers (200+ words)

The FAO Partnership Award honors institutional collaborations that deliver measurable progress on FAO’s core goals. Recipients receive two things: formal recognition in the form of a scroll that outlines the achievement, and a cash prize of USD 10,000. The monetary portion is intended to support the recipient’s continued work or to help disseminate lessons from the partnership; FAO disburses the prize within approximately 30 days of notification.

Beyond cash, winners gain amplified visibility. FAO often profiles awardees in its communications, at events, and in policy dialogues—platforms that can introduce your work to donors, governments, and technical partners. This is particularly useful for organizations seeking to scale an intervention, share a replicable method, or advocate for policy change.

The award is organized around four thematic pillars—referred to as the Four Betters—which encapsulate FAO’s strategic priorities: Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment, and Better Life. A successful nomination will link the partnership’s activities and outcomes clearly to one or more of these pillars, and show how the collaboration advanced FAO’s mandate in tangible ways.

Who Should Apply (200+ words)

This award is for institutions and organizations, not individuals. Eligible nominees include FAO member states, UN agencies, international organizations, universities and research institutes, NGOs and civil society organizations, private sector entities, and media outlets. If your organization partnered directly with FAO or contributed to FAO-led work during the two-year period preceding the FAO Conference, you can be nominated.

Real-world examples of suitable nominees:

• A national research institute that co-developed drought-tolerant seed varieties with FAO technical support and demonstrated yield gains across pilot districts.
• An NGO that carried out a joint FAO-led school feeding program that improved children’s nutrition indicators and used local procurement.
• A media organization that ran an evidence-based campaign with FAO to change consumer behavior and raise awareness about malnutrition.
• A public-private partnership that restored mangroves with FAO guidance, benefitting both biodiversity and coastal livelihoods.

If your work involved FAO staff in technical design, joint fundraising, co-implementation, or policy dialogue—highlight those connections. Nominations from projects focused on Africa are common and relevant given FAO’s priorities, but the award accepts nominations worldwide.

Eligibility and Nomination Essentials

The nomination must demonstrate a significant cooperation with FAO that contributed to improving global food security or related outcomes. The partnership should have taken place during the two-year period before the FAO Conference. Nominees must clearly show how they worked with FAO—whether through formal agreements, joint field activities, technical exchanges, policy briefs, or shared capacity-building.

Document the nature of the relationship: who did what, when, and with what results. Simple MOUs, meeting minutes, or email exchanges that show collaboration can help. The nomination should be institution-level; consortia are acceptable provided the lead organization is clearly identified.

Award Criteria: The Four Betters and Cross-Cutting Standards

Nominees are evaluated primarily against these four thematic categories:

• Better Production: Projects that increased productivity in an efficient, inclusive, and resilient way—think smallholder access to improved inputs, better agronomic practices, or improved market linkages.
• Better Nutrition: Initiatives that increased access to safe, nutritious food and addressed malnutrition in its multiple forms, such as community nutrition programs, fortified food distribution, or school meals.
• Better Environment: Work that protected or restored ecosystems—soil health programs, agroforestry, watershed restoration, or biodiversity-friendly farming.
• Better Life: Programs that improved livelihoods, economic inclusion, resilience, and social protection for rural populations.

In addition to fitting one or more pillars, nominations should also meet at least one of the following: community engagement, awareness-raising, innovation and adaptability, demonstrated impact, or effective policy and advocacy. A convincing nomination combines a pillar with one or more cross-cutting strengths—for example, Better Production with clear evidence of impact and strong community participation.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application (300+ words)

1. Tell a crisp story with evidence. Start with a one-paragraph narrative: the problem, the FAO partnership response, and the measurable result. Then back it up with data—before/after indicators, numbers of beneficiaries, hectares restored, changes in dietary diversity scores. Judges read a lot; clear numbers stand out.

2. Name the partnership roles. Don’t be vague. Specify FAO’s role versus yours. Did FAO provide technical guidance, training, seeds, policy support, or co-financing? Which activities were co-planned and which were locally driven? Demonstrating joint ownership matters more than claiming victory alone.

3. Emphasize replicability and adaptability. Judges like solutions that others can adopt. Explain how your approach can be replicated in a different district, country, or agroecological zone. If you adapted methods mid-project, describe why and what you changed—showing adaptability is stronger than rigid “one-size-fits-all” models.

4. Use strong impact metrics and visual summaries. Include simple tables or short charts whenever possible (e.g., yield increases, percentage reduction in post-harvest losses, number of women trained). A compact infographic in the attachment can make complex data readable at a glance.

5. Bring in beneficiary voices. Short testimonial quotes from farmers, community leaders, or program participants add authenticity. If you can include a one-page story of a family whose life improved, that human detail helps judges see the real-world effect.

6. Match documentation to claims. If you claim “reduced malnutrition by 25 percent,” attach the survey or monitoring report that proves it. For policy influence, include the policy text or a signed ministerial letter.

7. Polish communications. This award is as much about visibility as impact. Submit a clean, well-edited narrative, with a short 150-word summary for media use. Judges are more likely to recommend winners whose stories are media-ready.

Application Timeline (150+ words)

Work backward from 15 February 2026. Start at least 6–8 weeks before the deadline. First month: assemble core documents and identify the person who will write the narrative. Collect impact data and supporting files. Week 1–2: draft the one-page summary and the 2–4 page narrative that lays out the partnership and results. Week 3: secure letters of confirmation from FAO counterparts (emails or short letters that state FAO’s role and approval of the nomination). Week 4: compile attachments—monitoring reports, baseline/endline data, photos with captions, MOUs, policy texts. Week 5: internal review—ask someone unfamiliar with the project to read the draft and highlight unclear passages. Final week: finalize formatting, compress attachments into a single zip if requested, and submit 72 hours ahead of the deadline to avoid last-minute technical issues.

If your institution requires an internal sign-off, begin that process even earlier—some organizations have internal review windows of two weeks or more.

Required Materials (150+ words)

FAO’s call typically expects a concise nomination package. While the official page lists exact submission requirements, a robust nomination usually includes:

• A short project summary (150–300 words) that could be used in publications.
• A narrative (2–4 pages) describing the partnership, objectives, activities, FAO’s role, results, and lessons learned.
• Evidence of impact: monitoring reports, evaluation summaries, data tables, or survey results.
• Letters or statements confirming FAO involvement (from FAO officers or official emails).
• Documentation of community engagement (photos with captions, testimonies).
• Policy or advocacy outputs if relevant (policy briefs, legislative texts).
• Contact details for a lead institutional representative and for an FAO counterpart.

Prepare all documents in PDF where possible. If photos are submitted, provide short captions explaining who is pictured, where, and what happened. If you include large datasets, provide a short supporting file with key indicators and notes on methodology.

What Makes an Application Stand Out (200+ words)

Judges look for clarity, evidence, and reach. A standout nomination combines three elements: verifiable impact, clear FAO partnership, and potential for scale or policy influence. Impact without partnership looks self-congratulatory; partnership without measurable outcomes looks hollow. The sweet spot is a joint effort with solid outcomes and a clear plan or evidence that others can adopt the approach.

Another differentiator is inclusive community engagement. Projects that show genuine participation—local leadership in planning, gender-sensitive mechanisms, youth involvement—score highly. Judges want to see that the intervention didn’t just pass through communities but built local capacity.

Finally, documentation quality matters. Concise narratives with clean, well-labeled evidence, and a short media-ready summary are more likely to be recommended. If your nomination can be communicated to a general audience without losing rigor, it will get more traction in FAO’s communications channels.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (200+ words)

One common error is claiming FAO involvement without proof. Always include written confirmation of FAO’s role—an email from the FAO officer, signed MOU, or a program document listing FAO as a partner. Vague language like “we worked with FAO” won’t pass muster.

Another pitfall is overclaiming impact. Don’t state large percentage changes or beneficiary counts without supporting data. If you don’t have a rigorous evaluation, present credible monitoring figures with transparent caveats instead of definitive claims.

A third mistake is submitting an overly technical narrative that’s unreadable to non-specialists. Judges need to grasp your contribution fast. Use plain language and short summaries; include technical annexes for those who want the details.

Finally, missing the deadline or submitting incomplete files harms your chances. Plan for institutional approval time and technical submission hiccups. Submit early and double-check that all required documents are included.

Frequently Asked Questions (200+ words)

Q: Who can nominate an organization? A: Nominations may be submitted by FAO Members, FAO itself, or other eligible bodies depending on FAO’s instructions for the cycle. Check the official call for the exact nomination route. If in doubt, contact the FAO office listed on the opportunity page.

Q: Can a consortium be nominated? A: Yes. Consortia can be nominated, but the nomination should clearly identify a lead organization and explain each partner’s role in the FAO collaboration.

Q: Is the award limited to projects in Africa? A: No. The award accepts nominations globally. The “Africa” tag indicates relevance to audiences in Africa, but FAO recognizes partnerships worldwide.

Q: Is the $10,000 intended for project continuation? A: The prize is discretionary. Many winners use it for dissemination, small-scale scaling, or communications. FAO expects transparent use but the award does not come with strict restrictions.

Q: Will unsuccessful nominees receive feedback? A: FAO often publishes announcements and may provide feedback selectively. Requesting feedback from the program contact is acceptable, but don’t expect detailed reviewer comments for every application.

Q: Can media outlets be nominated? A: Yes. Media organizations that have worked with FAO to raise awareness about food security or nutrition and demonstrated tangible outcomes are eligible.

How to Apply / Next Steps (100+ words)

Ready to prepare your nomination? Start by gathering the following: a short 150–300 word summary, a 2–4 page narrative document, impact evidence (reports, data), confirmation of FAO involvement, and contact details for the lead organization and FAO counterpart. Draft the narrative early and secure the FAO confirmation as soon as possible.

Visit the official FAO application page to review submission requirements and upload instructions: https://www.fao.org/fao-awards/partnership/apply-now/en

Submit your package before 15 February 2026. Give yourself a comfortable buffer—submit at least 72 hours prior to the deadline to avoid last-minute problems. If you have questions about eligibility or submission formats, use the contact information on the FAO page to get clarification from program staff.

Good luck—if your partnership has real results and a clear story of cooperation with FAO, this prize is a chance to amplify your impact and make your work visible to the global food security community.