The 2018 Food Connection Challenge invites SMEs from the agri/food sector in Nigeria and Benin to submit their innovative ideas to reduce post-harvest losses. Participants will benefit from workshops, training sessions, and remote coaching to turn their ideas into a business plan. The winner will receive matching funding up to a maximum of €20 thousand. Applications have to be submitted by 18 May 2018. About the Food Connection Challenge
business/enterprise
Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation — Pitch AgriHack 2018
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), with the support of the African Development Bank (AfDB) launches the Pitch AgriHack 2018. The theme for this year’s edition is “Women entrepreneurs innovate for agricultural transformation in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific”. The competition is open to both male and female founders and co-founders of e-agri startups offering digital services to the agricultural sector. Applicants must be aged between 18 to 35 years and need to be nationals and residents of African, Caribbean or Pacific countries. 50% of finalists will be women founders or co-founders of startups. Up to nine winning companies will receive a cash prize of up to € 15 thousand each. The deadline for registration is 21 May 2018. About Pitch AgriHack
U.S. Agency for International Development — Accelerating Women Entrepreneurs
USAID accepts applications for the Accelerating Women Entrepreneurs prize. The prize provides acceleration services including investment readiness consulting, investor matchmaking support, and business analysis to women entrepreneurs. Projects may be focussing on various thematic areas around the main topic agriculture, including aquaculture/livestock, pest management, irrigation and water, and postharvest among others. Eligibility extends to women-owned or operated commercial enterprises in sub-Saharan Africa that provide services and projects to smallholder farmers. Applications must be submitted by 25 April 2018. Follow this link
Access Power — Renewable Energy in Africa
Access Power is a developer, owner, and operator of power projects in emerging markets, focusing on Africa and the Middle East. The 2018 edition of the Access Co-Development Facility (ACF) will provide US$7 million to support up to three projects in renewable energy in Africa. Submitted projects must be located in Africa; use a commercially proven technology for power generation; and be based on renewable energy or hybrid power generation. Short-listed applicants will take part in a final selection round in Copenhagen during the Africa Energy Forum (June 2018). The submission period closes on 08 May 2018. Link
Swedish International Development Agency — International Training for East Africans in Healthy Livestock & Safe Food
Sida funds short-term training in selected development topics for participants from developing countries. The East Africa regional program includes a course in healthy livestock and safe food for applicants from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Invited to participate are governmental departments and agencies, including universities, research institutes and laboratories, cooperatives and other interest groups as well as non-governmental organizations engaged in the sectors of animal health, food safety and antimicrobial resistance. The application deadline is 15 May 2018. Note: Interested individuals should follow the website for additional courses that may be announced, including at the global level and for other regions. Link
Tata Trusts — Social Alpha Energy Challenge
The first edition of the Social Alpha Energy Challenge (SAEC) invites individuals and start-ups with innovative technology solutions across the entire energy life cycle to apply to the Social Alpha Energy Challenge. Up to ten winners will be awarded 6-18 months of intense mentoring at the upcoming Tata Smart Energy Incubation Center. The Challenge calls for innovations across the entire energy lifecycle and is open to energy application in all use cases including (but not limited to) households, agriculture, biofuels, and others. The contest is open to individuals, teams or companies. The deadline for application is 07 April 2018. Details here
GSMA — Ecosystem Accelerator Innovation Fund
The GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator Innovation Fund will support projects that use mobile technologies to improve access to energy, water, and/or sanitation services for underserved communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. Applications are welcome from mobile network operators and mobile tower companies in partnerships with service providers for energy, water, and sanitation. Grants are up to £250 thousand. The deadline for concept notes is 15 April 2018. Find the details here
Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland — Southern African Innovation Support Programme
SAIS 2 provides grants to projects that seek to pilot, demonstrate and replicate concepts and prototypes before rolling them out to the market. (Note: this may include one or more thematic areas of the Terra Viva Grants directory). The objective is to support entrepreneurship and early-stage entrepreneurs as well as to strengthen the cooperation amongst innovation organizations in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. Innovation support organizations from research/academia, civil society and private sector are encouraged to apply. The deadline for proposals is 25 April 2018. Find out more
International Development Research Centre — Accelerating Climate Action
The IDRC seeks proposals on “Accelerating Climate Action: Social Equity and Empowerment of Women and Girls”. Research projects should produce knowledge which facilitates the scaling and financing of socially-transformative climate action, focussing on the resilience and livelihoods of the most vulnerable communities in the developing world. The Applicant must be a research-oriented organization from academia, the private or public sector (e.g., university, government department, NGO) based in Asia, Africa or Latin America. The expected funding per project is C$500 thousand for 36 months. The deadline for applications is 23 April 2018. Find details
World Bank — Public-Private Infrastructure in Water, Energy, and Transportation
The World Bank’s Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) welcomes submissions on topics pertaining to private-sector participation in infrastructure, public-private partnerships, and sub-national finance for energy, water, and transportation. PPIAF is looking for knowledge products that provide lessons learned or best practices which can be applied across countries and across regions. Proposals are strongly encouraged to include co-financing. Proposals with a focus on gender or climate change are also strongly encouraged. The deadline for submissions is 29 March 2018. Information for proposals