CTA/IFAD Call for Applications: Innovation Grant Facility (IGF) for Pacific Agro-SMEs

Deadline: 31 January 2019

In 2016, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) launched a four-year project on “Leveraging the Development of Local Food Crops and Fisheries Value Chains for Improved Nutrition and Sustainable Food Systems in the Pacific Islands” which is being implemented in partnership with the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO).

Within this framework, the partners are launching a 2^nd call for proposals for an Innovation Grant Facility (IGF) which is open to agro-based small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the seven target countries.

The objective of the IGF is to provide Pacific Islands SMEs with access to grant funding, that they can use to overcome bottlenecks and/or take advantage of opportunities to grow their business.

Grant Information

Maximum amount per grant award is Euro 17,000 (≈ USD 20,000).

Eligibility Criteria

The Innovation Grant Facility is open to agro-based SMEs that are contributing, directly or indirectly, to the sustainable development of the agriculture and fishery sector with a focus on upgrading nutritionally, culturally, and environmentally sensitive local food crops and fishery value chains.
The agro-based SME (hereafter called ‘The Applicant’) must meet the following criteria:
- The Applicant is registered in Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu.
- The Applicant is a legal entity and fully or majority owned by citizens of any of the seven target countries (e.g. sole proprietorship, or limited liability or public company with maximum 20% government share).
- The Applicant employs a minimum of three full time equivalent staff members.
- The Applicant must be able to contribute at least 20% of the total project budget (cash or in-kind ).
Priority will be given to SMEs who can demonstrate that the grant will be used to directly or indirectly benefit smallholder farmers, rural farming communities and disadvantaged groups, youth and women.

IGF Supported Activities

The Applicant can use the IGF to fund a range of services, alone or in combination, for example as per the following:
- Design projects (e.g. new packaging, production layout for improving process flow)
- Feasibility studies (e.g. to assess technology options)
- Development of marketing plans or new/updated business plans
- Research and product development (e.g. to expand product range)
- Training of employees (e.g. to introduce a new technology or meet certification requirements)
- Laboratory testing and technical support to meet quality/ food safety standards and/or certification of facility and/or product(s)
- Mentoring support (e.g. peer to peer, business to business)
- Small equipment purchase not exceeding Euro 2,500 ≈ USD 2,940.
The IGF will permit Pacific Island SMEs to access knowledge, technologies or expertise and build staff capacity to ‘take the next steps to grow their agri-business’ – improve product quality, expand product offerings, enhance process efficiency, increase market share or competitiveness.