NADISI — Nutritional & Dietary Innovation Solutions Initiative

Why NADISI Exists

Humanitarian aid can't sustain nutrition — enterprise can

West Nile hosts over a million refugees alongside host communities. Nutrition gaps have been addressed through aid for nearly a decade — supplementary feeding, cash transfers, food distributions. These saved lives but built dependency, not local capacity.

WFP has already phased out food assistance for 63% of the refugee population, and further reductions are inevitable. Meanwhile, only 14.0% of children 6–59 months achieve minimum dietary diversity, and just 10.5% meet minimum acceptable diet standards.

NADISI builds the missing alternative: an enterprise-led, regenerative approach that creates locally owned nutrition businesses capable of sustaining dietary outcomes beyond aid cycles.

63%

Refugees Already Phased Out of Food Aid

Enterprise-led solutions are urgent, not optional

Program goal: Nurture early-stage nutrition enterprises from idea to market-ready — measurably improving dietary diversity without reliance on humanitarian aid.

What Every Cycle Achieves

Six outcomes the program is designed around

Foundational business capacity

Viable business models, financial literacy, and operational plans.

Validated product concepts

Nutritious products tested against consumer demand and standards.

Market entry preparation

Go-to-market strategies, pricing models, and initial customer traction.

Pipeline into acceleration

Graduates ready to enter WNAAP or equivalent acceleration.

Nutrition messaging embedded

Evidence-based nutrition education built into every business model.

Aid to enterprise shift

Businesses operating on commercial principles, not handouts.

Who NADISI Is For

Idea-stage and early-stage nutrition founders

Idea-stage participants: individuals and teams with a nutrition innovation idea — not yet operating, or working informally.
Early-stage enterprises: ventures with a prototype or early product, limited traction, and no formal registration or structured operations.
Priority sectors: nutritious food processing, complementary foods, biofortified products, fortified staples, healthy snacks, nutrition education platforms, maternal & child dietary services, school feeding.
Priority to founders from vulnerable populations: women, youth, refugee and host communities.

20–25

Participants per Cycle

Mixed groups of idea-stage and early-stage nutrition entrepreneurs.

How the Program Runs

Click a component to expand details

Supports individuals and teams to move from raw idea to a Minimum Viable Product — a tested concept with nutritional value and a commercial, non-aid-dependent business model.

Ideation & Opportunity Assessment

Workshops identifying nutrition gaps and market opportunities in local communities.
Introduction to regenerative, enterprise-led business models and shared value.
Understanding the shift from aid dependency to market solutions.
Individual needs assessment and personal development planning.

Basic Business Literacy

Business planning, record-keeping, costing, pricing fundamentals.
Market research: customer needs, willingness to pay, competitor landscape.
Legal & regulatory basics: business registration, food safety, UNBS overview.

Nutrition Foundations for Entrepreneurs

Evidence-based messaging aligned with Uganda's MIYCAN framework.
Target consumers: women of reproductive age, under-fives, low-income households.
Product concept development with nutritional adequacy in mind.
Building commercial products for low-income and refugee markets.

MVP Development & Testing

Rapid prototyping: developing a minimum viable product for market testing.
Customer feedback: taste tests, affordability, willingness-to-pay surveys.
Nutritional profiling against national standards.
Iteration based on customer and nutrition feedback.

Concept Validation & Pitching

Concept note, MVP documentation, business model canvas development.
End-of-track pitch to a panel for selection into the Establishment Track.

Delivery: group workshops (2–3 per month), peer learning circles, and individual coaching.

Takes the validated MVP and establishes it in the market — from tested concept to a product with early adopters: real customers who buy, use, and recommend.

Product Refinement & QA

Technical support: recipe refinement, nutrition profiling, shelf-life testing.
Food safety & quality: UNBS pathways, HACCP basics.
Packaging design and labelling compliance.
Linkages with Makerere University's School of Food Technology for technical backstopping.

Business Model & Operations

Full business plans with financial projections.
Pricing strategies balancing affordability and profitability.
Distribution channel testing: direct sales, retail, institutional buyers.
Formalization: URSB registration, TIN, UNBS certification.
Commercial sustainability planning — reducing reliance on grants.

Early Adopter Acquisition

Structured customer discovery and early adopter identification.
Local markets, trade fairs, community events to test demand.
Sales & marketing materials aligned with nutrition messaging.
Introductions to buyers, aggregators, institutional procurement contacts.
Building a repeat-customer base and initial distribution agreements.

Nutrition Education Integration

Embedding nutrition messaging into sales and customer engagement.
Culturally appropriate behaviour change materials.
Partnerships with VHTs and health facility nutrition counsellors.

Investor & Acceleration Readiness

Investor-ready documentation: financials, impact metrics.
Pitch development and presentation practice.
Preparation for acceleration (WNAAP) or direct financing applications.
Graduation pitch event before mentors, financiers, health stakeholders.

Delivery: weekly group sessions, one-to-one mentoring (min. 20 hours per enterprise), hands-on technical support.

Program Timeline

A 9-month pathway — Cycle 1 is currently in Phase 03

01

Phase 01

Selection & Diagnostic

Application screening, nutrition diagnostic, cohort confirmation.

2 Weeks

02

Phase 02 (Now)

Concept Validation

Component 1: group workshops, MVP development and testing.

3 Months

03

Phase 03

Establishment Track

Component 2: weekly sessions, product refinement, early adopter acquisition.

6 Months

04

Phase 04

Graduation & Handoff

Pitch event, graduation, referral to acceleration programs.

1 Week

Total duration: 9 months. Concept Validation graduates can apply for the Establishment Track in a subsequent cycle.

Mentorship Model

Click a mentor type to see who they are and what they focus on

60%

Delivered One-to-One

At least 60% of mentorship is delivered one-to-one during the Establishment Track, with a minimum of 20 hours per enterprise. Group sessions cover cross-cutting nutrition and business topics.

Nutrition & Dietary Mentors

Nutritionists, MIYCAN specialists, district nutrition officers, and public health experts.

They focus on: Recipe adequacy, target-consumer fit, evidence-based messaging, MIYCAN alignment.

Food Technology Mentors

Food scientists, QA experts, product developers, and processing engineers.

They focus on: Recipe refinement, shelf-life testing, HACCP, UNBS pathways, packaging compliance.

Business & Finance Mentors

Accountants, agribusiness advisors, and MSME coaches.

They focus on: Financial modeling, costing, pricing, formalization (URSB, TIN), grant vs. commercial strategy.

Market & Distribution Mentors

Retail managers, institutional procurement officers, last-mile distribution experts.

They focus on: Route-to-market, institutional buyer engagement, channel testing, demand creation.

Peer Mentors Mentors

WNAAP and prior-cycle graduates sharing scale-up lessons.

They focus on: Real-world pitfalls, founder-to-founder advice, alumni network introductions.

Expected Outcomes

Targets we hold ourselves to — numbers animate as you scroll

0%

Concept Validation participants completing the 3-month component

0%

Validation graduates advancing to the Establishment Track

0%

Establishment enterprises with products meeting nutrition standards

0%

Establishment enterprises with formal business registration

0%

Establishment enterprises with early adopters

0%

Graduates entering acceleration or securing financing

0+

Households reached with nutritious products (estimated)

0%

Enterprises operating without reliance on humanitarian aid

What Makes NADISI Different

Five distinctions from existing nutrition programs

01

Intentional Nutrition Focus

Every enterprise supported must show a clear pathway to improving nutritional and dietary status.

02

Regenerative, Enterprise-Led

Shifts away from aid dependency toward commercially sustainable, locally owned enterprises.

03

Dual-Component Structure

Concept Validation (3 months) takes you from idea to MVP; Establishment (6 months) takes MVP to early adopters.

04

Pipeline to Acceleration

Prepares enterprises for WNAAP and similar programs — creating a continuous talent pipeline.

05

Health System Integration

Builds formal linkages between nascent enterprises and Uganda's nutrition governance and service structures.

Building West Nile's Nutrition Enterprise Ecosystem

NADISI is running. Cycle 1 has validated 9 MVPs, enterprises are acquiring early adopters, and formalization is underway. Each cycle strengthens a growing pipeline of nutrition businesses that can deliver nutritious food and dietary education to the communities that need them most — refugee and host populations, women of reproductive age, and young children — without reliance on humanitarian aid.

Join Cycle 2 — or Partner With Us

Applications for Cycle 2 are open to idea-stage and early-stage nutrition founders across West Nile. Nutrition organizations, food tech partners, and financiers are always welcome.

Apply to Cycle 2 Partner With Us