Call for Funding Support for Innovation Platforms, Agribusinesses and Other Multi-Stakeholder Platforms to Scale Agricultural Technologies in Africa

Introduction

FARA is the continental apex body for agricultural research and innovation in Africa. Its mission is to contribute to generating high, broad-based and sustainable agricultural growth by catalyzing improvements to the productivity and competitiveness of the sector through increased and effective application of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).

FARA is currently implementing the Capacity Development and Technology Outreach (CDTO) compact of the Technologies for Africa Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) programmes in African countries. TAAT has emerged as a framework to foster the development of Agriculture on the continent through the scaling of proven technologies. The CDTO technology scaling instrument is the agricultural Innovation Platform (IP), established agribusinesses and other multi-stakeholders’ platforms (MSP).

Having completed series of training of trainers on the establishment and facilitation of IP, FARA proposes to facilitate the support to strengthening of existing IPs and agribusinesses and the establishment of new ones in the countries and around the different TAAT commodities. The ten commodity compacts of the program (led by various CGIAR institutions) include; Rice, Maize, cassava, beans, wheat, Sorghum and Millet, Fish, small-ruminants, Sweet Potato, and the fall army worm control Programme. This is initially being implemented in 24 countries in Africa around a set of specific technologies within the above value chains.

The Call

The goal of this call is to competitively provide support to existing/new innovation Platforms, agribusinesses and other Multi-stakeholders platforms to bring technologies to scale on TAAT commodities value chain.

This call is only suitable for agribusinesses and multi-stakeholder groups working on the TAAT commodities value chain with business considerations.  This call will prioritize the development and operationalization of business cases on the IP using existing technologies and less on conducting research to develop new technologies. As a result of this call, smaller Innovation platforms or clusters may be requested to consolidate into larger operational platforms.

FARA has some seed funding from the African Development Bank to pilot capacity development support. Furthermore, it proposes to facilitate the development of investment portfolio for consideration at national level through the compilation of the applications to this call. Incremental and phased sub-grant funding and other capacity development support valued up to US $20,000 are expected to be provided to suitably developed proposals on case by case basis.

Application process

The call seeks:

1. Applicant IPs, agribusinesses or MSP to Register and/or update their information on the Innovation platform Agribusiness portal ipabp.org. The IP facilitator or the designate, will be required to complete this on the portal as well as fill the template and submit.
2. Facilitators and/or directors of innovation platforms, agribusinesses and multi-stakeholder groups in the IP portal are also required to register ipabp.org as well as fill out the template.
3. Fill out all required details of the IP, agribusiness or multi-stakeholder group using the template provided
4. Submit a convincing business proposal on how the IP/agribusiness will be established/reactivated, maintained and sustained using the template provided and showing clearly the income streams of stakeholders and how the intervention will help increase profits and revolve to other groups including extension and advisory services. It must also show clearly the involvement of YOUTH and WOMEN.

Call Calendar

1. May 6th – Call advertised; BIP, directors or group facilitators registered onto the IP portal and access provided
2. June 30th – Closing date for submission of applications.
3. July 19th – Application review and selection
4. July 23rd – Selected IP/agribusiness/MSP will receive communication directly from FARA and information on support process

Submission

The application document should be submitted together with the filled templates (Facilitator/Director and IP/MSP) to Benjamin Abugri (babugri@faraafrica.org) copying  ofatunbi@faraafrica.org and kbheenick@faraafrica.org not later than June 30, 2019.

Downloadable Templates to use for submission

1. FARA Guidelines for IP-MSP Proposal Submission -FINAL
2. FARA IPAbP Registration Form for IP MSP & Facilitators_FINAL
3. Pdf Version of FARA Call for Registration of IPs and MSPs- FINAL

Register your IP/Agribusiness/MSP at:  Innovation Platforms Agribusiness Portal (IPAbP)

Source: FARA