Call for Applications: Innovation Challenge – Empowering Women Farmers in Armenia’s Horticulture Value Chain

UNDP Armenia has launched an Innovation Challenge under Platform #5 to support smart, scalable solutions that enhance economic opportunities for vulnerable women engaged in horticulture. The initiative focuses on income generation, skills development, access to productive assets, and sustainable market linkages in Armenia’s horticulture value chain. Selected projects may receive up to USD 40,000 in funding for a 12-month implementation period starting March 2026.

Programme Overview

The UNDP Armenia Innovation Challenge under Platform #5 is a targeted funding initiative designed to accelerate the economic empowerment of vulnerable and self-employed women farmers.

The challenge supports innovative, market-oriented solutions that strengthen women’s participation in Armenia’s horticulture sector while promoting inclusive local economic development.

The programme prioritises practical interventions that combine capacity building, access to inputs, and sustainable market integration.

Core Objectives of the Innovation Challenge

The challenge aims to address structural barriers faced by women in horticulture by strengthening their skills, resources, and economic independence.

Key objectives include:

• Increasing income and economic independence of women farmers

• Strengthening women’s participation in the horticulture value chain

• Building capacity in high-value crop production and processing

• Improving marketing, business planning, and financial management skills

• Enhancing access to productive agricultural assets and inputs

• Creating sustainable market linkages with SMEs and market platforms

Geographic Focus Areas

The Innovation Challenge specifically targets women farmers operating in the following regions of Armenia:

• Vayots Dzor

• Tavush

• Lori

Proposed solutions must demonstrate relevance and impact within one or more of these regions.

Key Focus Areas and Priority Interventions

Supported solutions should align with the following thematic priorities:

• Economic empowerment of vulnerable and self-employed women

• High-value horticulture production and value addition

• Agricultural processing and quality improvement

• Market-oriented production and entrepreneurship

• Financial literacy and farm-level business management

• Inclusive local economic development

Types of Supported Activities

Proposals are expected to integrate skills development with tangible production support.

Eligible activities may include:

• Practical training in high-value crop cultivation

• Capacity building in processing, packaging, and quality standards

• Marketing and sales training tailored to horticulture products

• Financial management and farm enterprise planning

• Provision of essential agricultural inputs such as:

  • Seeds and planting materials

  • Farming tools and equipment

  • Fertilisers and soil improvement inputs

  • Irrigation systems

  • Greenhouse materials

These interventions should enable women farmers to increase productivity, improve product quality, and manage farming activities more effectively.

Market Linkages and Partnerships

A strong emphasis is placed on creating sustainable market access for women farmers.

Proposals are encouraged to include:

• Partnerships with small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

• Collaboration with cooperatives and producer groups

• Linkages to market platforms and buyers

• Contract farming or aggregation models

• Long-term income generation strategies

These partnerships are intended to improve resilience and ensure lasting economic impact beyond the project period.

Funding Amount and Duration

Selected proposals may receive:

• Funding of up to USD 40,000

• Contract duration of 12 months

• Expected project start date: March 2026

Funding must be used to deliver clearly defined, results-oriented activities aligned with the challenge objectives.

Who Is Eligible to Apply?

Eligible applicants must demonstrate capacity to design and implement innovative solutions in horticulture and women’s economic empowerment.

Eligible entities include:

• Small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

• Agricultural cooperatives

• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

• Foundations

Applicants should have relevant experience, operational capacity, and strong local partnerships in the target regions.

How the Innovation Challenge Works

Step-by-Step Process

1. UNDP Armenia launches the Innovation Challenge under Platform #5

2. Eligible organizations submit innovative project proposals

3. Proposals are evaluated based on relevance, innovation, and impact

4. Selected applicants enter into a contract with UNDP Armenia

5. Projects are implemented over a 12-month period

6. Progress and results are monitored to ensure measurable outcomes

Selection and Evaluation Criteria

Proposals are assessed based on:

• Alignment with the challenge objectives

• Innovation and scalability of the solution

• Potential for income generation and economic empowerment

• Integration of capacity building and productive inputs

• Strength of market linkage strategies

• Feasibility, sustainability, and implementation capacity

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Proposals that focus only on training without market access

• Weak integration of women farmers into value chains

• Lack of clear income-generation or sustainability strategy

• Insufficient focus on the target regions

• Limited evidence of partnerships with SMEs or buyers

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is Platform #5 under UNDP Armenia?

It is an innovation platform designed to support solutions that drive inclusive economic opportunities for vulnerable groups.

Who is the primary target group of this challenge?

Vulnerable and self-employed women engaged in horticulture in Armenia.

Which regions are eligible?

Projects must target Vayots Dzor, Tavush, and/or Lori regions.

How much funding is available per project?

Selected proposals may receive up to USD 40,000.

What is the project duration?

The expected duration is 12 months starting in March 2026.

Are partnerships required?

While not mandatory, strong partnerships with SMEs, cooperatives, and market platforms are highly encouraged.

What type of organizations can apply?

SMEs, cooperatives, NGOs, and foundations with relevant experience.

Why This Innovation Challenge Matters

Women play a critical role in Armenia’s agricultural sector but often face limited access to resources, markets, and income opportunities.

This Innovation Challenge directly addresses these gaps by enabling women farmers to move into higher-value horticulture, strengthen market access, and build sustainable livelihoods.

Conclusion

The UNDP Armenia Innovation Challenge under Platform #5 offers a strategic opportunity to advance women’s economic empowerment through innovative horticulture solutions.

By combining skills development, access to productive assets, and sustainable market linkages, the initiative aims to deliver lasting income growth and inclusive local economic development in Armenia’s rural regions.