Fellowship for
Action Program

The program will run for a bit more than 9 months from October 2026 to August 2027 and is divided in three parts: (1) It launches with a one-week intensive in Zürich, Switzerland (October 25 - 31 2026) where you meet your fellow participants and the team. (2) This is followed by an online period of 9 months with regular group calls, expert inputs and coaching sessions where you remotely develop your initiative for your organisation, community or local context. (3) The program will be closed with another one-week intensive in Zürich, Switzerland (August 8 - 14, 2027) to celebrate your learning journeys and present them to a wider audience.

You don’t need a developed project to apply - you might have an idea or a direction you’re passionate about or a community or organisation that you want to support with an initiative. Or you are still trying to figure out where you can best make your contribution. The program is designed to support you in identifying your subsystem and context, in developing and refining your idea and providing the tools to step into action to implement it. This is, however, not a start-up incubator program.

The program is offered in a combined in person and online format. The two one-week intensives at the beginning and the end of the program are in person in Switzerland, combined with a longer period of 9 months of online learning. This will allow you to work in your local context while still interacting and learning from a diverse, global cohort of participants.

The program includes topics of three interrelated pillars: (1)  Food as complex systems and how to navigate them, (2) (Co-) developing your intervention, initiative or project and (3) leadership development and inner work. Important to note - this program is not a substitute for a summer school, university program or short course on food systems. The focus is on helping you integrate and deepen your knowledge and experience in food systems and start to move into action for change.

The program is designed so that you can participate beside your regular work. In general, you can work through the material on your own time in approximately 2-3 hours per week.  Additionally, you are expected to join the weekly group calls on Thursdays at 3-4 pm CET/CEST and make space for two one-week intensives in Zürich, Switzerland. In those two weeks, you are asked not to have any other commitments outside of the program.

You will join a supportive group of peers with regular online meetings, personalized coaching, and opportunities to learn from each other - helping you stay engaged and motivated. During the two intensive in-person weeks, you will build strong connections that will support you along the way. The program is designed to provide both structure and flexibility to fit around your existing commitments.

If you are accepted into the program, we can provide you with an official letter of invitation to support your visa application. While we cannot guarantee visa approval or cover visa costs, we will offer support where we can. Please contact us in case you need support.

Accommodation, meals and transportation during the one-week intensives are included in the participation fee. However, you will need to pay for your own travel to and from Rheinau (Zürich, Switzerland), potentially your visa application and you need to factor in any other personal expenses such as insurance, snacks, souvenirs or transportation outside the official program.

A limited number of scholarships are available to cover a portion of the program fee. These will be considered on a case-by-case basis after you submit your application. The deadline to apply for scholarships is 1 July 2026 (early bird deadline).

Full participation in both on-site intensives is required of all participants. We recognize that this is a significant commitment, but these weeks are essential for building the supportive cohort and experiential learning journey that define our program.

To participate in the program, you will need a stable internet connection, a computer or tablet with a camera and microphone, and access to basic video conferencing tools like Zoom. We will be using shared online platforms (such as Google Drive or Miro) for collaboration, so a modern browser and a quiet place to make calls will help you get the most out of the experience. No special software or advanced technical skills are required - just the basics and a willingness to participate.

We welcome participants who are 21 or older, have a demonstrated interest in food system challenges and creating change, and have prior work experience. Participants should be open to learning and collaboration and able to communicate in English. They must also be able to attend both intensive weeks in Switzerland and actively participate online.

Ideally, participants have a connection to a specific location, local context, community, or organisation where they would like to (co-)create change. Ideally, they apply with one or more co-creators from their local context to support each other in the process.

Having a fully developed project idea isn't required; what matters most is your curiosity, commitment, and genuine interest. The documentation you submit with your application is your opportunity to demonstrate what makes you a unique candidate.

Yes, you can reapply for another year in case you are not selected.

Please get in touch with us on any special needs or concerns via the contact form on the website. We are happy to see if and how we can best accommodate them.

After the program ends, you are invited to initiate the FoodHaus Fellowship Alumni Network to stay connected with your fellow participants, access community support and resources, and collaborate with the community and partners on future projects and opportunities.

This program helps you work at the interface of both inner and outer work. You will get support to work on a concrete initiative in the food system, and additionally get leadership support to bring this to life.

The programs at The Great Full, such as Be the Change and Lead the Change, have a focus on the inner, relational and leadership work, and are for women working in food systems, sustainability or regeneration fields more broadly. In these programs there is no support to develop your project in food systems, the emphasis is rather on your own personal, leadership and relational development.

The Fellowship program will explore some of the same, but mostly different, tools for inner work than those that are covered in Be the Change and Lead the Change.