Deadline Date: May 22, 2026
The NEF and GDARD have opened applications for blended finance funding to support Black-owned agro-processing enterprises in Gauteng.
The programme aims to promote value-addition and agroprocessing across agricultural value chains while supporting inclusive participation of Black-owned enterprises with a preference for women, youth, and persons with disabilities, facilitating market access, competitiveness, and food security, and driving job creation, transformation, and localisation within Gauteng’s agro-industrial ecosystem.
This funding opportunity offers a maximum of up to R10 million per project through a blended finance structure that combines a 50% grant component provided by GDARD and a 50% concessional loan offered at preferential interest rates, subject to project viability and due diligence outcomes. The initiative is designed to strengthen businesses operating within agro-processing, value-adding, and marketing segments of the agricultural and forestry value chain, including sectors such as food, beverages, grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, herbs, chilli, hemp, cannabis, and timber processing.
Eligible applicants must be companies or cooperatives incorporated in South Africa under the relevant legislation, with at least 51% Black ownership and management, and must be actively operating within Gauteng Province. Applicants are also required to demonstrate secured or potential offtake agreements with credible buyers and full compliance with all GDARD and NEF legal and documentation requirements.
The application process requires submission of comprehensive documentation, including standard governance documents such as board resolutions and shareholder financial disclosures, FICA documentation for all directors and shareholders, and company registration and compliance records. Businesses must also provide regulatory approvals, including municipal permissions, zoning certificates, environmental impact documentation where applicable, and industry-specific certifications such as food safety or water rights approvals.
Financial documentation is a critical component of the application, requiring detailed funding breakdowns, quotations for requested funding items, three years of audited or reviewed financial statements, management accounts, and five-year financial projections supported by clear assumptions. Applicants must also include operational and market-related documentation such as production process descriptions, lease agreements or proof of property ownership, supplier and offtake agreements, and competitive analysis.
Corporate governance and human resource documentation must outline the organisational structure, management profiles, employment impact, and payroll details, while infrastructure-related projects must submit approved construction plans, bills of materials, and contractor credentials where applicable.
This programme presents a structured opportunity for eligible agro-processing enterprises to access capital that supports expansion, operational efficiency, and market competitiveness within Gauteng’s agricultural value chain.
For more information, visit THE NEF.
