Deadline: 16 November 2018
Agriculture Fast Track Fund is seeking concept notes to provide grant funding for the initial project development costs of a broad range of agriculture infrastructure projects spanning the entire value chain – from production to market. These can emanate from the private or public sector and from local or international businesses. The types of projects envisioned range from rural feeder roads to agro-processing and marketing facilities to out-grower schemes. The emphasis will be on projects that contribute to food security and support to smallholders.
The Agriculture Fast Track (AFT) Fund is facilitating investments in agricultural infrastructure in Africa by lowering project preparation costs for AFT Grant Recipients.
The AFT Fund is a multi-donor trust fund managed by the African Development Bank with funding support from the US government represented by USAID (US$ 14.024 million), the Danish Government represented by DANIDA (US$ 1.823 million) and the Swedish Government represented by SIDA (US$ 7.837 million). It was launched on 8 May 2013 with initial funding amounting to US$ 23.684 million. The AFT is housed at the Agriculture & Agro-Industry Department (AHAI) of the African Development Bank.
Funding Information
The amount of funds available at project inception was US$23.8 million.
Areas of Focus
- An environmental/hydrological study for an irrigation system that would support smallholder crop production.
- A marketing plan for an agro-processing facility supported by a nucleus farm and corresponding out-grower scheme, which will create stronger market linkages for smallholders. This would include crops, livestock and fishery products.
- Financial Modeling for a joint venture to establish a crop/ livestock/ fishery products – processing operation focused on smallholder farmers that produce high-quality flour for the domestic market.
- An engineering study for the construction of an extraction and refining centre; a centre which would provide inputs and training to allow new smallholder farmers to enter the supply chain.
Eligibility Criteria
- AFT accepting grant applications from 10 countries in Africa – Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania.
- AFT supports Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture sector, government agencies preparing agriculture infrastructure projects, non-governmental and civil society organizations such as farmer organizations and agriculture Fund Managers with clients seeking last mile financing or advisory services to formulate bankable agricultural development proposals.
- They only receive applications from organizations in the agriculture sector and applications that have a bearing on agricultural development in Africa.
How to Apply
Applicants can apply via given website.
For more information, visit http://aftfund.org/en