The Agribusiness Challenge Fund is a rolling call for proposals open from 18 March 2024 to 22 November 2024, with three application harvest periods in between. The challenge is open to SME applications from any country as long as the projects meet the eligibility criteria and are being implemented in at least one of the 20 focus countries the Fund is targeting.
Support from the Fund includes grants ranging from US$ 500,000 to US$ 2,500,000, disbursed over a three-year period, based on the applicant’s development stage, scalability, and business model, in accordance with agreed periodic milestone targets. The funding structure will be determined on a case-by-case basis after evaluating proposals and organizations. Additional support to successful applicants will include tailored technical assistance in alignment with the Fund objectives over the three-year period.
CATEGORIES OF INTEREST IN THE AGRIBUSINESS CHALLENGE
Primary production
Processing and aggregation
Trading and market linkages
CATEGORIES OF INTEREST WITHIN THE AGRICULTURE VALUE CHAIN
While broadly interested in any agribusiness opportunity that is capable of work creation opportunities for young women and men, those working in these or other parts of the agriculture value chain are encouraged to apply:
Forestry
Fishing
Horticulture
Plant Breeding
Agro input supplies
Cash crop – cocoa
Cash crop – cotton
Cash crop – coffee
Cash crop – tea
Fruits and vegetables
Livestock – dairy
Livestock – beef
Livestock – goats
Livestock – pig
Poultry
Solar powered agriculture tools
Early warning systems
Climate resilient crop varieties
Food storage and preservation
Farmer training on adaptation techniques
Crop insurance services
Smart irrigation systems
Drip irrigation
Soil moisture sensors
Organic fertilizers
Bioenergy production and fossil fuels
Solar powered agricultural tools
Capacity building
Applicants will be requested to also state and describe if they have integrated climate adaptation, climate mitigation or digital aspects to their projects.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
To be eligible to apply, an SME must:
Be involved in the sector of focus i.e. agriculture.
Be an existing for-profit Small or Medium-sized Enterprise.
Be implementing business in at least one of the 20 focus countries in Africa.
Be requesting for grant funding ranging from US$ 500,000 to US$ 2,500,000, disbursed over a three-year period, based on applicants’ development stage, scalability, and business model. Additional tailored technical assistance will be provided to successful applicants.
Be providing matching contribution of at least 30% of the total project cost.
Have innovative, practical, and scalable businesses that aim to create work opportunities for young women and men, young people with disabilities or refugee youth.
Adhere to fundamental human rights, labour standards, and environmental management laws, both nationally and internationally, including seed laws/policy.
Refrain from any involvement in acts of terrorism or support for terrorist activities.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Applications in the Agribusiness Challenge Fund will be selected based on the following criteria:
Project description and objective
Alignment with Fund for Resilience and Prosperity priorities
