Water for Food Programme in Netherlands

Deadline: 20-Oct-21

The Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) is seeking applications for Water for Food Programme with the objective to strengthen the connection between the Dutch Water and Agrifood sectors.

• The Water for Food Programme is intended as a multi-year programme, initially starting with a period of two years (2021-2022). The programme’s objectives are to bring about:
  • improved food security, sustainable water use and protection of ecosystems and biodiversity; and,
  • the hands-on acceleration of business cases for the Dutch water sector.
• The programme seeks to catalyse the development of water-related business cases in the agrifood sector through cooperation and joining forces amongst others with financial institutions. This will illustrate that business models can be achieved through adopting an integrated nexus approach.
• The longer-term objective is to establish a sustainable Water and Food hub that connects players in the water and agrifood sector to co-create international projects and to serve as a central information point. This hub aims to be a platform that continues beyond the life of the programme and that is open to Dutch parties interested in water and agrifood. The Water and Food hub is a platform where business opportunities can be explored and successful pilots be brought to the next stage of scaling up, replication or adaptation to other regions.
• This cross-sectoral approach and the focus on financially viable local business cases in the most promising markets are crucial elements in the programme. However, these make the programme more complex. Developing sustainable solutions will take significant effort and multiple interventions, and can only be achieved if all the relevant know-how is shared amongst and put into action by stakeholders. The programme will facilitate this process. By showcasing concrete and viable solutions in the water-agrifood nexus, the programme also aims to further boost the visibility of the Netherlands as the global market leader in the water, agrifood and ecosystems sectors. This will optimise the Netherlands’ position in generating future business opportunities and, subsequently, contribute to the Netherlands International Water Ambition (NIWA) and the SDGs.
• Ultimately, the programme can serve as a model for large-scale implementation.

• Water and agrifood partners are leading in determining country and business opportunities focus.
• Introduction of innovative Dutch water technology and/or practices
• Users of the technology are local beneficiaries.
• Focus on the pre-competitive phase of project development
• The programme will identify and align itself closely with existing, complementary initiatives and key partners (governmental programmes and instruments, NGOs, platforms/networks, financial institutions) to increase overall impact.
• The geographical scope is global but the first phase of the programme, up to November 2022, will select a number of countries according to a set of pre-determined criteria. Strong interest and clear indications from the private sector are leading.
• The programme will stimulate the development of viable business cases.
• Part of the programme budget is seed money to further develop the business cases.
• The programme will clearly demonstrate the enhanced earnings capacity of cases that adopt an integrated nexus approach that simultaneously contributes to improved water efficiency + food security.
• Showcasing concrete nexus cases fills an important gap: the essential role of water in food production and security.
• Important eligibility criteria include (but not limited to): a minimum of two Dutch water/agrifood sector parties per proposal; demand-driven – beneficiary must be a local party/user; follow-on financing must be identified; business case must demonstrate realistic implementation and scalability potential; water technology/expertise that is suitable in the local context must be shared.

• The Water for Food programme supports organisations to further develop high potential Water for Food business cases. It is offering seed capital of a maximum amount of EUR40,000 each (including value-added tax) to applicant organisations that receive the highest scores for their submitted proposals.
• The proposals will be reviewed and scored by a team of reviewers, consisting of NWP staff and 3 external reviewers.
• The proposals with the highest scores will be rewarded with the above-mentioned seed capital amount.

• The proposal should be submitted by a minimum of 2 Netherlands based organisations both of which also play a clear role in the project execution.
• Proposed projects are not subject to any geographical or thematic restrictions. However, the candidate must indicate that the Covid situation within the target geography is such that the project can be effectively executed (if travel is required). Themes must be water-related and can include (but are not limited to) smart irrigation, drainage, dealing with salinity, (ground) water management, water and soil conservation, water storage etc.
• To highlight the essential role of water (management) in food production, the water contribution element, which must include an innovative water-related practise or technology from the Netherlands, must be clearly described.
• An integrated, inclusive and sustainable approach is essential. This means that the proposed business case must also have an impact at the local level and clearly demonstrate that the local (farmer) community benefits and how it contributes to the food security situation in the target community/country/region.
• The scalability and financial feasibility aspects of the business case should also be highlighted, including potential financing options identified and secured for scaling-up the project.
• The candidate is also asked to provide a summary of the proposed business case including background/context (what is the business case, theme, location, partners, beneficiaries etc), objectives, local impact and potential follow-up.

For more information, visit https://www.netherlandswaterpartnership.com/programmes/water-food-programme