Deadline: 21 November 2018

UK businesses and research organisations can apply for a share of up to £3 million from the Department for International Development (DFID) for projects with partners in eligible African countries.

The aim of this competition is to increase the pace of development and scale of uptake of agricultural and food systems innovation by farmers and food systems actors (such as manufacturers, processors, retailers, distributors or wholesalers) in Africa.

Themes

• integrating smallholders into global and local supply chains
• meeting quality standards and improving productivity
• increasing the value of production to smallholders
• innovation that supports food systems to deliver nutritious, healthy and safe food
• control of crop pests, weeds and diseases
• reducing food losses ‘post-farm gate’ and through the value chain
• addressing food safety issues through the value chain
• addressing challenges in downstream food processing, distribution or storage and value addition
• new food technologies and data-driven food systems, including for urban areas

Funding Information

• Early stage feasibility studies: £100,000 to £500,000, 12 to 18 months.
• Mid stage industrial research: £250,000 to £1 million, up to 3 years.
• Late stage experimental development: £150,000 to £800,000, up to 18 months.

Eligibility Criteria

All projects:

• must be collaborative
• must include a partner from an eligible African country, who can be the technical lead
• must include a UK-based administrative lead
• must be carried out in the UK or an eligible African country or both

How to Apply

Interested applicants can apply online via given website.

Eligible Countries: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo, Democratic Republic of, Côte d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, The, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and United Kingdom.

For more information, please visit Agri-tech Catalyst.