The Innovation Grant Facility (IGF) provides funding to agro-based small & medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in seven
Deadline of 31 January 2019 at 23:59 (CET)
Maximum amount per grant award is €17,000 (≈ US$20,000).
About the call
In 2016, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) launched a four-year project on “Leveraging the Development of Local Food Crops and Fisheries Value Chains for Improved Nutrition and Sustainable Food Systems in the Pacific Islands” which is being implemented in partnership with the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO). The project targets seven Pacific Island States: Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu.
The overall project goal is to; “strengthen the capacity of the Pacific Island Governments, farmer and private sector organisations, and sub-regional institutions to develop strategies and programmes, as well as mobilise financing, that can increase poor rural people’s access to nutritious and healthy food”.
Within this framework, the partners are launching a second call for proposals for an Innovation Grant Facility (IGF) which is open to agro-based small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the seven target countries. The total IGF budget for the second call for applications is €119,000 (approximately US$ 139,000), and this will be made available to support at least seven (7) grant awards. The call for applications will close on 31 January 2019.
Who can apply?
SMEs contributing, directly or indirectly, to the sustainable development of the agriculture & fishery sectors with a focus on the development and/or upgrading of nutritionally, culturally & environmentally sensitive local food crops & fisheries value chains in the seven target countries.
Priority will be given to SMEs who can demonstrate that the grant will be used to directly or indirectly benefit smallholder farmers, rural farming communities and disadvantaged groups, youth and women.
Criteria for eligible SMEs
- Registered in and fully or majority owned by citizens of Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu.
- Be a legal entity (e.g. sole proprietorship, or limited liability or public company with maximum 20% government share).
- Employ a minimum of three full time equivalent staff members.
- Can contribute at least 20% of the total project budget (cash and/or in-kind).
Examples of IGF funded activities
- Facility design
- Feasibility/market studies
- Marketing plan or business plan development
- Research and product development
- Employee or business to business training
- Laboratory testing & technical support
- Small equipment purchase (< €2,500 ≈ US$2,940)
Application procedure
Interested parties are invited to read the guidelines with great attention and submit the requested documents before the deadline of 31 January 2019 at 23:59 (Central European Time, CET).
Eligible Pacific agro-based SMEs are required to submit the grant application using the official templates (administrative document and technical document) and required supporting documents in two separate e-mails. The completed applications must be received at [email protected] before the deadline.
