Deadline: 21 April 2019

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is currently seeking applications from eligible youth owned food businesses registered in Rwanda for its Marketplace for Nutritious Foods, Innovation Accelerator.

GAIN is looking for applicants innovative ideas from across the food value chain that brings affordable, diverse and nutritious foods to market and contribute towards the fight against malnutrition.

The Marketplace for Nutritious Foods is managed by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition with funding from the Government of the NetherlandsMinistry of Foreign Affairs.

The Innovation Accelerator supports businesses that have the potential to increase the production and consumption of nutritious foods in the local market. The Marketplace’s Innovation Accelerator supports nutrition-sensitive business innovations by providing support and directing investment to goods and services that can increase consumers’ access to— and consumption of—nutritious foods.

Award Information

Types of Awards: Business concepts submitted by local youth entrepreneurs in agri-business will be assessed on a competitive basis. Those selected for the Marketplace’s Innovation Accelerator programme will be eligible to receive one or both of the following types of support:

• Technical assistance and training (typical award value: USD $5,000)
• Financial grants (typical award value: up to $10,000)

Award type 1: Tailored technical assistance and training

• Selected businesses will be eligible to receive technical assistance (TA) and training to address specific gaps that hinder their ability to deliver nutritious foods to low income consumers. The types of support awarded to companies will include:
  • Training on improved business management techniques
  • Capacity building around the safe production of nutritious foods (for example: product development, quality assurance and control)
  • Technical Assistance for business modelling, business planning, and market development.
  • Technical assistance to assist in linking companies to investors and financial institutions
• Companies that have received technical support and training may become eligible for the second type of award offer by the Marketplace in Rwanda: financial grants.

Award type 2: Grant support

• Selected businesses may be eligible for a financial grant of up to $10,000. Grant support will be awarded based on a company’s ability to make a sound business case (documented business plan with sound financial projections) for a business concept that will improve access to nutritious food/foods for low income consumers in Rwanda. Companies will be required to co-fund these Activities

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria in order to be considered for support from the Marketplace:

• Company is for-profit.
  • Company may partner with other organisations, including non-governmental and governmental organisations; however, the lead applicant and implementer of the business concept must be a commercial company/business.
  • Associations and cooperatives are also eligible to apply if they are functioning as businesses.
• Company is a legally registered entity in Rwanda (able to demonstrate a PIN number etc.).
• Company must currently operate in Rwanda.
• Company is a financially viable business (i.e. the business model counts on sales revenues to cover all of the company’s expenses).
• Proposal relates to an innovative business concept in nutritious agriculture. GAIN defines “Innovation” as a new or significantly improved product, service or business model, or an existing product, service or business model being introduced into a new market.
• Applicant’s product or service should directly relate to one of the following value chains: Poultry, Fish, Beef, Pulses, Nuts, Fruits and Vegetables.
• Implementation of the proposed business concept must emphasize a nutritional impact for Rwandan consumers.
• Business concepts with a primary focus on infrastructure or non-domestic/non-nutrition focused agricultural products (e.g., roads, exports) will not be considered for awards.
• Proposed business concept will be implemented in Rwanda.
• Proposed business concept should use locally-sourced raw materials.

Evaluation Criteria

All proposals are evaluated against the following criteria:

• Innovation
• Business capabilities
• Development objectives
• Feasibility
• Nutrition Impact

How to Apply

Proposals and self-assessment forms should be submitted via email at the address given on the website.

Eligible Country: Rwanda

For more information, please visit https://www.gainmarketplace.com/rwanda/call-proposals