USADF announces CFPs for Climate Resilient Agriculture Grants Facility- Millennium Challenge Account-Niger (MCA

Deadline: 23-Aug-20

The U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) has announced a call for proposals for the Climate Resilient Agriculture Grants Facility – Millennium Challenge Account-Niger (MCA – Niger).

Projects

The program includes two major projects. The Irrigation and Market Access Project (IAM) and the Climate Resilient Communities Project (CRC).

The Climate Resilient Communities Project (CRC), which includes the Activities “Climate Resilient Agriculture” (CRA) and “the Regional Support Project for Pastoralism in the Sahel” (PRAPS), aims to increase the income of dependent families. small-scale agriculture and animal husbandry in eligible rural communes of Niger by improving the productivity of crops and livestock, by sustainably managing the natural resources essential to productivity, by increasing farm business income and sales in target markets.
The Climate Resilient Agriculture Activity is broken down into two sub-activities, namely the development and implementation of climate resilient investment plans (ICRIP) and the financing of grant facilities in sixteen (16) and ten respectively. eight (18) targeted municipalities in the regions of Tillabéry, Dosso, Tahoua and Maradi.
For the implementation of the grant facilities, MCC and the Government of Niger through MCA – Niger sought the expertise of the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) , an agency of the United States government specializing in the implementation of grant work.
Thus, the Subsidy Facility for Climate Resilient Agriculture offers, through subsidies, to provide development services to businesses, to increase investments in productive assets and to allow the adoption of agricultural practices and technologies that respect the environment. the environment.

Funding Information

The maximum amount of a single grant is USD 250,000 (CFAF 137.5 million) with a possible duration of sixteen (16) months at most.

Activities

The proposals must be innovative solutions that increase the incomes of small producers and ensure sustainable growth of agricultural businesses and can be implemented over a period of twelve to sixteen months. They must relate to the following activities:

Production of rain-fed crops: Production and / or distribution of drought-tolerant seeds , purchase of agricultural equipment and machinery, conservation agriculture and integrated soil fertility management (mulching, fertilization of trees, crop rotation, etc.) ), devices preventing wind erosion considered as complementary investments (fences with hedges, windbreaks), production of compost, storage infrastructure
and other technologies to reduce post-harvest losses (transport);
Small-scale irrigation: Improvement of small areas already irrigated existing for niche crops (purchase of seeds, purchase of pumps, creation of Californian networks, acquisition of water conservation technologies for water distribution, wells);
Integrated breeding : Production and distribution of fodder, production of inputs contributing to the breeding and fattening of small ruminants and cattle, production units, processing and storage of the
irrigated fodder crop , treatment units and storage of densified nutritional Multi Block, village poultry production (initial stock, henhouse, feed storage), intensive fish production, purchase and / or construction of animal enclosures.
Food processing : Processing and sales of beekeeping products , cereals (sorghum, rice, millet, cowpea, …), fruits and vegetables, oilseeds and legumes, processing and sale of meat and fish, product collection dairy, cooling, storage and processing, milk transport equipment.
Supply of inputs: Manufacture and sale of compost, stores selling inputs, sale of seeds, manufacturing equipment and storage of animal feed;
Marketing of non-wood forest products: leaves, fruit, ropes etc.

Also, four other categories of activities are eligible for grant funding, if they are integrated into project plans and fit into one of the activities listed above:

productive partnerships that support the growth of the sector agriculture,
research and development on production inputs,
climate resilience practices and technologies such as renewable energies (off-grid), or
marketing , promotion and trade activities for groups, associations and SMEs.

Eligibility Criteria

Through this second call for proposals, USADF and MCA – Niger invites cooperatives, groups of cooperatives or their umbrella organizations, organizations of young producers (men and women), small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises and individual enterprises of qualified young people.
Although this call is open to all the groups mentioned, young entrepreneurs and youth groups or organizations have priority for this call. Cooperatives, groups of cooperatives or their umbrella groups, and small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises must have at least two years of operations and demonstrate experience in the activity which is the subject of the grant request. However, groups of young women and men, with ongoing activities or who have ideas for bankable projects and accompanied by a support structure, may be eligible, even if they are in the process of formalization (subject to the provision of proof such as a confirmation letter from the institution that worked with them before and / or documents from previous business transactions).

Note: Groups that are not yet registered at the time of submitting their application must be registered before signing a grant agreement.

Eligible Areas

The eligible areas are made up of the eight (8) municipalities including: Dan Goulbi, Sabon Machi in the Maradi region; Konni, Tsernaoua, Malbaza, Doguerawa in the Tahoua region, Tanda (Sia Kouanza) and Tessa in the Dosso region.

For more information, visit https://www.usadf.gov/apply/