To establish a strong and distinctive visual identity, the ICRISAT Center of Excellence for South–South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA) invites creative individuals to participate in an open competition to design the official logo for its website and all marketing collateral.
ISSCA (https://issca.icrisat.org/) is a premier platform dedicated to accelerating agricultural innovation, collaboration, and knowledge exchange among countries of the Global South.
The Centre is led by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), a globally renowned institution with over 50 years of expertise in dryland agricultural research and development. With a strong presence across Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, ICRISAT brings deep technical knowledge, field-tested innovations, and an unwavering commitment to inclusive agricultural transformation. As the catalyst and implementing agency of ISSCA, ICRISAT plays a central role in mobilizing partnerships, curating scalable solutions, and delivering lasting impact on the ground.
Objective
The competition aims to identify a professional and meaningful logo that:
Clearly represents ISSCA’s identity and purpose in advancing South-South cooperation in agriculture.
Reflects ISSCA’s mission of sharing innovations and scalable solutions across the Global South.
Incorporates symbolism that conveys partnership, knowledge exchange, and sustainable development.
Is simple, distinctive, and easily recognizable.
Is visually appealing and adaptable across digital and print platforms.
Maintains clarity when resized for small applications such as icons or letterheads.
Avoids overly complex elements and should not rely heavily on gradients or effects that may not reproduce well.
Is scalable and legible across formats, including websites, social media, presentations, and merchandise.
Is original and does not infringe on existing logos or trademarks.
Includes a brief design rationale explaining the concept and how it reflects ISSCA’s vision.
Who Can Participate
This competition is open to the general public, with a special focus on partners, universities and academic institutions, design schools, students, creative professionals, and development practitioners. Both individuals and teams are welcome to apply.
Submission Requirements
Participants must submit:
Only one entry shall be permitted per individual.
Participants should upload the Logo in .JPG for view purposes.
The design must be submitted in vector formats (.AI, .EPS) along with open, editable source files.
The logo must be designed on a digital platform, in an open file format which may be edited.
Logo should be designed using colors (Not Grayscale or Black & White).
Design Requirements
Color Palette:
Designs may incorporate, but are not limited to, the following colors:
Light Green — #5EA12D
Dark Green — #007C3D
Light Brown — #C6811A
Brown — #701407
Keywords / Conceptual Themes:
Participants are encouraged to draw inspiration from the following themes:
Agriculture
South–South Cooperation
Agricultural Innovation
Knowledge Transfer
Evaluation Criteria
Entries will be judged by an independent panel on:
Originality and creativity
Relevance to ISSCA’s mission and values
Aesthetic quality and visual impact
Scalability and usability across formats
Timeline
Submission your designs on or before 20 Mar 2026
Winning entry will be announced on 28 Mar 2026
Awards and Recognition
An official Certificate of Excellence, signed by ICRISAT leadership.
Public recognition at the next ISSCA event and across ICRISAT’s social media platforms.
Feature in an official press release announcing the launch of the new ISSCA logo.
A formal letter of recognition, suitable for inclusion in academic or professional portfolios.
Terms and Conditions
Participants are required to submit an original logo design created by them, ensuring that the submission does not infringe any existing intellectual property rights, including copyright, trademark, or design rights.
By submitting an entry, participants confirm that they have the right to submit the design and to permit its consideration for adoption as the official logo of ISSCA by ICRISAT.
The logo selected as the winning design shall become the intellectual property of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
Upon selection, the winning designer(s) shall assign ownership and intellectual property rights of the selected logo artwork, including copyright and related rights, to ICRISAT.
The assignment of rights shall enable ICRISAT to use, reproduce, adapt, modify, display, and otherwise utilise the logo for official, promotional, communication, and branding purposes.
ICRISAT may further refine, develop, or adapt the selected logo and may register the final logo as its official logo or trademark, as required, for ISSCA.
After adoption of the logo by ICRISAT, the designer(s) shall not retain or exercise any ownership, commercial, or usage rights in respect of the selected logo.
There is no monetary consideration associated with the transfer of rights or participation in the competition.
The winning designer and runner-ups will be publicly acknowledged by ICRISAT and awarded official certificates, in appreciation of their creative contribution.
