Deadline: 28 March 2017
The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is seeking applications for its Food & Business Global Challenges Programme (GCP) with an aim to encourage scientific research and innovation projects (covering technological, organizational, policy, and social innovations) on food security and related private sector development that contribute to long-term access to affordable, safe and nutritious food for vulnerable and resource-poor populations in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).
Objectives
- New business models for Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) at local levels (e.g., new approaches to feeding cows in dairy enterprises; bundling insurance with droughtadapted varieties; achieving scale in production through producer organisations);
- Explore innovative value-chain based incentive mechanisms for CSA adoption (e.g. climate-smart value chain for coffee, certification approaches);
- Explore emerging innovative finance instruments that will support CSA scaling up (e.g. blended finance involving climate/development and private finance; index-based insurance as a means to reduce risk);
- To improve the enabling conditions for scaling up (e.g. pinpointing capacity development needs, removal of restrictive regulations, fostering strategies and policies that incentivise adoption).
Funding Information
A maximum of 250,000 euro can be applied for per Fast Track Research project (FTR), with a duration of two to three years.
Focus Areas
- Business models at farm level for climate-smart technologies and practices where the emphasis can be either adaptation and/or mitigation;
- Business models for climate information services and advisories, that provide incentives to farmers;
- Innovative finance for climate-smart commodities and value chains, including indexbased insurance;
- Financial instruments, such as payment for environmental services linked to CSA;
- Any other incentives that improve and scale CSA, with the focus in this call being on enabling the private sector.
Eligibility Criteria
- Proposals should be submitted by consortia of research organisations, a public and/or private organisation from a Low or Middle-Income Country (LMIC) and CCAFS.
- The consortium coordinator (who is the main applicant) should be a senior researcher with a PhD degree employed by a Dutch research institute (partner 1). Other consortium members should be at least one senior researcher from an LMIC research organisation (partner 2), a representative of another (non-academic) public or private organisation from the LMIC involved (partner 3) and a CCAFS Project Leader (partner 4). Partner 3 can be from any public or private organisation that can be seen as an actor or stakeholder in food security. Partner 4 can be identified in consultation with CCAFS.
- Additional partners from (other) LMIC or high income countries are welcomed and encouraged.
How to Apply
Interested applicants can apply electronically via given website.
Eligible Countries: Armenia, Belize, Bolivia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo, Rep., Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kosovo, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Federated States, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Syria, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, West Bank and Gaza Strip.
For more information, please visit Global Challenges Programme.