Next Generation Africa is an accelerator program for African startups, innovators, makers, and young innovators who intend to develop products or services for the local economy. The accelerator will select 20 startups to participate in a boot camp week in Kampala, Uganda (August 2021). The project should fit in one of 6 social-impact topics, including Agribusiness & Agritech (farming systems, alternative feed supplies, agri-data business for monitoring and/or planning, new tools for farming and breeding etc.), among others. The startup can be based anywhere in the African continent but its product/service must have potential application in the East African region. The application deadline is 08 July 2021. Know more
Category: Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry
The Agence Nationale De La Recherche (ANR) and European Joint Programme (EJP) launch “Towards Healthy, Resilient and Sustainable Agricultural Soils”, an integrated framework for agricultural soil research in Europe. The objective is to foster holistic agricultural soil management practices which will assist in making a shift to diversify farming. The maximum project budget is €200 thousand. The countries participating in this call are: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Universities, public research institutions, private non-profit organizations, and private companies can apply. The submission deadline for pre-proposals is 25 June 2021. SOIL
The Rainforest Alliance’s Africa Cocoa Fund (ACF) is a three-year, US$5 million fund to support cocoa farmers and help preserve the local landscapes in West and Central Africa. The fund supports select sustainability projects of certified smallholder producer groups, cooperatives and farmers or vulnerable members. All projects must be driven by farmers and intend to create a positive impact for the longer term. Funding will support interventions that build the capacity of certified cocoa farmers. The ACF will distribute a total US$1.35 million in project funding. The application deadline is 07 July 2021. Africa Cocoa Fund
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to the Philippines seeks applications from qualified organizations to carry out a five-year Papua New Guinea Sustainable Landscapes Activity. USAID aims to improve forest governance, increase the environmental sustainability of the forest industry, and protect the land and resource rights of local communities in order to reduce GHG emissions. USAID intends to make an award of US$16 million to the applicant who best meets the objectives of the funding opportunity. The closing date for the submission of concept papers is 07 July 2021. Link
The Earth Journalism Network (EJN) offers reporting grants to journalists to support the production of in-depth stories that will call attention to fisheries subsidies issues, both at a large and small scale. EJN welcomes story ideas on fisheries subsidies, including their links to overfishing and the depletion of fish stocks, their impact on small-scale fishers and livelihoods in coastal communities. Applicants can be from any country in the world, but preference will be given to journalists from India, the Caribbean, West Africa, Southern Africa and Japan. Selected journalists will receive US$1,000 in funding to cover travel and field reporting costs. The deadline for applications is 13 July 2021. Click here
- Tags: Africa, fisheries, individuals, july2021, LAC, media/journalism, South Asia
The Eco Agrifood Challenge seeks to identify and boost innovative startups and SMEs developing innovative solutions in favor of sustainable agriculture. Startups have the chance to win up to €5 thousand in cash and gain free access to the ToasterLAB agrifood acceleration program. The pitch contest is open to startups or small to medium enterprises from around the world. Deadline for online applications is 20 July 2021. More information here
The UN seeks applications for its Food Systems Summit competition ‘Best Small Business: Good Food for All’ to identify the best small and medium-sized enterprises from across the world transforming food systems. Small businesses around the world that help provide healthy food that is good for the environment, good for their communities and create jobs for people locally are invited to apply. Each of the 50 finalists will receive a US$2,000 cash prize. The competition is open to any small to medium sized enterprises (5-250 employees). The competition runs until 04 June 2021. Best Small Business Competition
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) provides a three-year grant to implement the project “Strengthening Borrowers’ Capacity on Environmental, Social and Climate Best Practices” (SUSTAIN) for a total IFAD grant of US$2 million. The applicant should propose some level of cash and in-kind co-financing. The recipient can be a non-profit organization, university, vocational training provider, private sector company or research institute. The deadline to receive proposals is 08 June 2021. More info
The Milken-Motsepe Prize in AgriTech is a global competition for innovative solutions that address problems faced by farmers on small to medium-sized farms in Africa. to increase economic value to farmers. Teams submit a design and business model. An independent panel of expert judges will then select up to 25 teams to receive US$10 thousand each and advance in the competition. Registration is open to anyone (anywhere in the world), with a US$1 million grand prize available for the winning team, and US$1 million in additional prizes. The application deadline for designs is 08 December 2021. AgriTech Competition
The European Union invites proposals on innovative digital solutions that promote adoption of digital technologies for improved agricultural productivity for farmers and agro processors in West Africa. “Accelerating inclusive green growth through agri-based digital innovation in West Africa” AGriDI will provide competitive grants to enhance the capacities of key stakeholders in diverse areas of digital technologies and agro-ecological systems. Funding ranges from €150 thousand to €300 thousand per project. Eligible countries are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Applications from universities, research institutes, legally registered small and medium enterprises, farmer cooperatives, start-ups, community based organizations, and government ministries are welcome. The application deadline is 30 June 2021. Details here