Deadline: 8 January 2020

UK organisations are inviting to apply for a share of up to £5 million from the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) for projects with partners in eligible African countries.

The aim of this competition is to increase the pace of innovation in the development of agricultural and food systems in Africa. Applicants project must result in more use of innovations by farmers and food systems organisations such as manufacturers, processors, retailers, distributors and wholesalers.

Applicants proposal must show the potential to have a positive impact on poverty through the uptake of agricultural and food systems technology and innovation.

Focus Areas

Applicants can choose from one or more of the following areas:

• Primary crop and livestock production, including aquaculture
• Non-food uses of crops, excluding ornamentals
• Challenges in food processing, distribution or storage, and value addition (such as through a change in the physical state or form of the product)
• Improving the availability and accessibility of safe, healthy and nutritious foods

Project’s innovations must:

• Be sustainable in the context of environmental challenges such as climate change and resource scarcity
• Minimise negative effects such as pollution, food loss and waste
• Promote safe, healthy and nutritious diets

Outcomes

Applicant’s application must demonstrate how the primary benefit from their project will be a contribution to international development outcomes, specifically:

• Enhanced food and nutrition security and
• Welfare of the poor in urban and rural areas in developing countries

Specific themes

Applicant’s project can focus on one or more of the following:

• Integrating smallholders into global and local supply chains
• Increasing the value of production to smallholders
• Control of crop pests, weeds and diseases
• Meeting quality standards and improving productivity
• Reducing food losses ‘post-farm gate’ and through the value chain
• Addressing food safety issues through the value chain
• New food technologies and data-driven food systems, including for urban areas
• Addressing challenges in downstream food processing, distribution, or storage and value addition
• Innovation that supports food systems to deliver nutritious, healthy and safe food

Funding Information

• For early stage feasibility studies, applicants total eligible project costs must be between £100,000 and £500,000.
• Projects must start by 1 July 2020 and last between 12 and 18 months.

Eligibility Criteria

All projects must:

• Include a UK registered administrative lead
• Include a technical lead from any country
• Include at least one business (UK or African)
• Be collaborative
• Include a partner from an eligible African country (Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo, Democratic Republic of, Côte d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, 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)
• Implement significant activity in the eligible African country

Projects will not fund

• Forestry or ornamentals
• Wild-capture fisheries
• Equine
• Crops for energy production

How to Apply

Applicants can apply online via given website.

For more information, please visit https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/447/overview#eligibility