Deadline: 10-May-23
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded West Africa Trade and Investment Hub, implemented by Creative Associates International, Inc. (Creative), is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from eligible applicants to fund a program entitled Promotion of Catalytic Business Concepts – Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in Nigeria.
Purpose
- The overall purpose of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (the Trade Hub) is to promote and expand employment, trade, and investment opportunities both within the West African sub-region and international markets.
- The program also seeks to increase trade between the U.S. market and West Africa, including through increased utilization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Under this notice of funding opportunity, USAID is seeking partners investing in catalytic businesses with large-scale development impacts.
- In Nigeria, the Trade Hub is specifically looking to enhance existing firms, institutions and business networks to improve local capacities in the production of nutritious ready to use therapeutic foods (RUTF) leading to available and affordable RUTF in Nigeria.
Objectives
The Trade Hub aims to co-invest in activities that contribute to:
- Help develop and strengthen the Peanut Value Chain sector to produce and supply peanuts to international standards
- Increase processing and availability of peanut paste for RUTF production in Nigeria
- Increase the production and availability of RUTF products in Nigeria and for exports to neighboring West African countries
- Create new private sector jobs
- Increase access to finance for firms and farmers linked to the RUTF market
- Improve the use of better technologies and management practices in the RUTF sector
Funding Information
- Subject to the availability of funds, the Trade Hub may issue up to 4 awards under this APS. The total estimated amount of funding available is $1,000,000 (NGN439,000,000). The total value of each award is estimated to range from $250,000 to $1,000,000 (NGN109,750,000 to NGN439,000,000).
- The period of performance of an award made under this APS are expected to be for 12 to 16 months; however, the actual duration is based on the program requirements and is subject to negotiation.
Eligible Activities
- An established company interested in building and operationalizing a new RUTF production company to serve the Nigeria and west African markets.
- An established RUTF company seeking to expand its RUTF production by investing in additional equipment, machines, warehouses, logistics, including transportation, hire new staff, develop new markets, etc.,
- An established RUTF company seeking to vertically integrate the production of peanut paste as part of its RUTF production process
- An aggregator and/or an RUTF company seeking to develop and strengthen the Peanut Value Chain sector to produce and supply peanuts that meet international standards.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible for award under this opportunity, an applicant must demonstrate that it falls into one of the grantee categories below:
- Private Sector Companies – both local and international firms.
- Foreign Organizations
- Non-profit Organizations
- For-Profit Organizations
- Additionally, an applicant must be officially registered and working in compliance with all applicable civil and fiscal regulations, including but not limited to pertinent local laws and status. In lieu of official registration, an applicant may still be eligible for award if it shows proof of effort to secure registration, exemption from registration, or cause for why registration is not optional or practicable.
- An eligible organization may submit only one EOI to the Trade Hub at a time.
- All information must be submitted in English. If an application is in any other language, it will be considered nonresponsive and eliminated from further consideration.
For more information, visit USAID.
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