Anyone with an idea that could impact the daily life of Delta residents. We’re looking for ideas at any stage of development that could increase access to food, contribute to resilient food production, increase the quality and availability of health care, or provide the infrastructure that is critical for food security and health equity of rural Americans. If you’ve got an idea that you think fits, please apply! It could be something you have only been thinking about, or something you’ve prototyped, or something you’ve patented and produced. It could be a tangible product, a gadget, a device, a material, a compound, a crop varietal, a consumable good, a service, a business model, or just about anything. 

• We welcome applications from individuals, teams, nonprofits, businesses, entrepreneurs, researchers, faculty, students, and other types of entities. We are looking for creative ideas from anyone that could improve health outcomes and grow the economy of the Delta.  

• Applicants must be 18 years or older, and should be living somewhere in Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, or Tennessee or demonstrate authentic partnership with an organization from the area that serves residents. 

We are not looking for products that are already on the market, unless you’ve found a totally new application for it.  Applications describing technology that defies the laws of physics or nature are also not encouraged. 

The Delta Innovator Search is the first regional initiative that is designed to reach innovations at any stage of development and engage a wide audience of potential applicants. The Delta region is home to several innovation challenges, pitch contests, accelerators, incubators, and other related programs. The Innovator Search is unique from those existing activities in its scope and structure. Many existing programs have restricted eligibility, limiting participation to college students, university faculty, high school students, or existing businesses. Some programs require applicants to propose technology that is already developed, prototyped, or validated. Others are intended to support ideas before they reach a certain stage of development. We are collaborating with the organizers of several other programs with the intent to funnel applicants to more specific opportunities based on the development stage, the applicant type, and the focus or domain application of the idea. 

Applicants who are selected as finalists will participate in the incubator phase to further develop their ideas and prepare their presentations before the showcase and awards ceremony. The incubator will be virtual, primarily taking place on web-based meeting platforms. The incubator is tentatively scheduled to begin August 22, with activities taking place during the day. The incubator will be led by a team of entrepreneurial support professionals and venture development specialists with experience helping finalists get their ideas across the finish line.

We will respond to all applicants to notify them if they have been selected or not. The application deadline closes on July 30. Finalists will be notified by August 21 and the incubator will begin August 22.

During the showcase, finalists who participated in the incubator will deliver presentations to a live audience and panel of judges. The panel includes representatives from sponsor organizations and the core partners of the Rural Innovation Alliance. Presentations will be evaluated on several criteria, including the level of scientific innovation, the level of innovation in the business approach or economic model, impact to the Delta community, relevancy to the Delta region, and impact on health outcomes.  

The Delta Innovator Search is an official activity of an NSF-funded development award called Advancing Equitable Access to Food and Health Technologies in the Delta (AR, LA, MS), award number 2304299. This development project is led by the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement and a team of core partners including the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership, the Delta Health Alliance, Louisiana Public Health Institute, Southern University Agricultural Research & Extension Center, and Hope Credit Union and Enterprise Corporation. This phase of the project began in May 2023 and will end in April 2025. For more information, please visit https://achi.net/nsf/.