The Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellows Program is a two-year international fellowship to develop leaders committed to finding lasting solutions to hunger and poverty. Leland Fellows must be U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents. The fellowship provides the financial support for one year of international service, followed by another year of policy work. The financial package is provided based on cost of living data for each placement location. Fellows are placed with international and local NGOs, U.S. government agencies, multilateral organizations, and private sector entities. Some fellows are placed abroad to work on projects in developing countries. The host organizations are responsible for providing meaningful work and supervision to the fellow. Applications will be accepted until 11 January 2021. Become a Leland Fellow
Category: Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation seeks smart farming solutions that leverage digital technology innovations that have the potential to drive positive impact for small-scale producer entrepreneurs. There are two grant types – Seed Grants (up to US$250 thousand) and Scale-Up Grants (up to US$1.5 million) – each with its own requirements detailed in the announcement. The Foundation will prioritize applicants who partner with organizations interested in smart farming in low- and middle-income countries. Applicants should be part of a consortium consisting of several types of organizations, such as enterprise technology platforms, enterprise agriculture, ag-tech startups, research organizations, national and international NGOs and farmer-based organizations, government and international organizations. The application deadline is 25 February 2021. Details here
Columbia University invites applications for a training course on Sustainable Investments in Agriculture. Due to the current global situation, the 2021 training program will be held virtually, not in-person. The training will be made freely available to accepted participants from non-profit organizations and government officials from low- and middle-income countries. Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis until 31 March 2021. About the training program
Silicon Valley Global Ventures is an investment, technology and advisory firm that invests in companies that go through their accelerator program. The THRIVE Africa Challenge seeks innovative solutions specifically designed for the African agrifood industry. SVG Ventures will select the best startups and scale-ups for investment. The winner will participate in the Silicon Valley Startup Bootcamp (Summer 2021) and have the opportunity to pitch their idea in front of global investors. The challenge is open to agrifood companies in Africa. The application deadline is 20 November 2020. Link to THRIVE Africa
The African Development Bank connects youth-led African businesses with global investors. The goal of the AgriPitch Competition is to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture among youth in Africa and improve livelihoods through inclusive growth. African companies are invited to submit their project proposals for consideration. The African Development Bank will award shortlisted businesses between up to US$40 thousand in the form of grant capital. The application deadline is 15 October 2020. Details here
The U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) invites proposals for grant financing and local support from African companies with innovative solutions to improve farmer incomes. Proposals will only be accepted from registered African-owned and led entities in Uganda that have experience working with farmer organizations, cooperatives and associations. The maximum funding award is US$250 thousand per project. The application deadline is 15 October 2020. More information
The 2020 Food Factory-4-Us Sustainable Supply Chain International Student Competition seeks great ideas for valorizing food biodiversity. The competition is open to Master’s students enrolled in a food study program in any country. Participants have to form teams of 3-5 students, get a faculty mentor and present a project proposal. Each team will have access to online trainings. The winning team will receive an award of €300 and be invited to the NextFOOD Project Meeting in 2021. The deadline for submissions is 07 October 2020. Participate
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) seeks applications for a Cooperative Agreement to address the drivers of illegal fishing that are degrading coastal fisheries and biodiversity in the Pacific Islands. The overall goal is to co-develop an activity to support sustainable coastal fisheries and protection of associated coastal and marine ecosystems in the Pacific Islands region and increasing the self-reliance of Pacific Island partners. USAID intends to provide US$15 million in total funding over a five year period. USAID encourages applications from potential new partners such as U.S. and non-US non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, universities, and international organizations. USAID will not accept applications from individuals. The closing date for applications is 19 October 2020. Link
IHE Delft and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announce a new open online course on “Water Productivity and Water Accounting using WaPOR.” The WaPOR program assists countries in monitoring water productivity, identifying water productivity gaps, proposing solutions to reduce these gaps, and contributing to a sustainable increase in agricultural production. The online course targets practitioners and academicians who are working in water resources management and related fields and have an interest in using open access remote sensing data and other open-access data to assess the water resources situation in their region. The course is free and self-paced with units being released on a weekly basis. Enrollment starts 01 September 2020. The first course module begins 07 September 2020. Details
The China-IFAD South-South and Triangular Cooperation Facility supports the generation and exchange of innovative solutions that can be of value in the post-COVID-19 recovery period and provide a benefit to poor rural people. The grant amount will range between US$200-500 thousand for a maximum duration of two years. Project proposals have to be developed in collaboration with national governments or local organizations in developing countries, and reflect the priorities of the COVID-19 response package of national governments. The application deadline is 31 October 2020. More information