Funding support to Melanesia Rural Market & Innovation Development Driven Programme (MERMAID)

Deadline: 28 May 2019

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is seeking expressions of interest for Grant funding support to Melanesia Rural Market & Innovation Development Driven Programme (MERMAID).

The goal of Melanesia Rural Market & Innovation Development Driven Programme (MERMAID) concept note is to establish scalable pathways for increased consumption of local and nutritious foods, and improved rural incomes. The grant’s objective is to demonstrate innovative methods for increasing local food production and incomes of rural women and youth.

IFAD has identified “production for food security, nutrition and income generation” as the priority area for grant support. The grant will place particular emphasis on rural women and youth.

At the grassroots and household levels, its primary target is rural women and youth. The main strategy for women and youth empowerment, capacity building and targeting is through IFAD’s household methodologies approach and the Family Team approach developed by ACIAR in PNG.

The grant has a two pronged targeting approach. At the institutional level, it targets (i) Government policy makers and (ii) service delivery providers (including civil society organisations).

Components

• MERMAID has three components namely
  • Demonstrating responsive service delivery for rural communities
  • Innovations for investing in women and youth
  • Knowledge sharing and policy advocacy.
• These components will:
  • Test/adapt scalable models for integrating agricultural productivity activities into one package of support with community empowerment and targeted support
  • Establish efficacy of targeted support to rural women and youth
  • Capture knowledge and implement learning partnerships in Melanesia

Primary Target Countries: Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

Countries targeted for evidence generation and knowledge sharing: Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga