USADF offers grants to support African Agricultural Cooperatives, Groups & Enterprises

Grants will support solutions that extend your organizations’ own capabilities to increase your revenues, create jobs, improve farmer incomes, and achieve sustainable market-based growth.

Innovative approaches to agricultural and economic development will also be considered. This includes, but is not limited to digitization, information technology, agricultural solutions using renewable energy.

USADF is accepting applications in the following countries:

• Burundi
  • Proposals will only be accepted from registered agricultural cooperatives, producer groups, and agricultural processors in Burundi working directly in the coffee, rice, palm oil, potato and integrated cow farming value chain sectors.
• Cote d’Ivoire
  • Only requests for financing will be accepted from agricultural cooperatives, groups of producers, agricultural processors and formalized companies in Ivory Coast that work directly in the sector(s) of cashew nuts, mangoes, corn, cocoa, cassava, rice, livestock, market garden products (eggplant, tomato, pepper), and the use of renewable energies in agricultural equipment.
• DRC
  • Proposals will only be accepted from registered agricultural cooperatives, producer groups, and agricultural processors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo working directly in the coffee, rice, cocoa, maize, and palm oil/palm kernel oil sectors.
• Liberia
  • Proposals will only be accepted from registered agricultural cooperatives, producer groups, and agricultural processors in Liberia working directly in the priority value chain- sector(s) of rice, cassava, oil palm, cocoa, vegetable and animal husbandry.
• Mauritania
  • Only funding requests from the above-mentioned entities formalized in Mauritania will be accepted. work directly in the Livestock, Agriculture and Environment sector(s). Innovative approaches in the context of economic development will be an asset.
• Nigeria
  • Proposals will only be accepted from registered agricultural cooperatives, producer groups, and agricultural processors that work directly in the rice, cassava, and aquaculture value chains. The entities must be located in the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Niger and Benue States of Nigeria.
• Senegal
  • Only requests for financing will be accepted from agricultural cooperatives, groups of formalized agricultural producers and processors in Senegal who work directly in the rice sector(s), millet, maize, horticulture, cereals, fruits and vegetables and sorghum.
• Tanzania
  • Proposals will only be accepted from registered agricultural cooperatives, producer groups, and agricultural processors in Tanzania working directly in horticulture, coffee, edible oilseeds (sunflower and palm oil), and cereal (maize and rice) value chain sectors.
• Uganda
  • Proposals will only be accepted from registered agricultural cooperatives, producer groups, and agricultural processors in Uganda working directly in the coffee, maize, rice, cassava, vegetable oil (including palm oil), cotton, shea nut, banana, and dairy sectors.
• Zambia
  • Proposals will only be accepted from registered agricultural cooperatives, producer groups, and agricultural processors in Zambia working directly in the priority value chain- sector(s) of oilseeds, dairy, rice, fisheries and aquaculture.

Funding Information

• Maximum award US $250,000.

Criteria

• The organization must demonstrate that it has successfully worked together for a minimum of 2 years, have a minimum of 200 active members or suppliers, and has the capability to effectively use grants funds.
• The ownership and management must be in agreement on the problem to be addressed and have a commitment to benefit their community.
• The organization must have basic functional management and financial controls for a minimum of 2 years to demonstrate capability to account for USADF funds.
• Organizations must be Africa-owned and led.
• Applicant must not be an employee of government, or employee of an entity majority owned by government.

Successful Proposals Must 

• Have a clearly defined market opportunity to grow revenues that can increase incomes.
• Have a clearly defined plan of how they can increase revenues and incomes in 2- 4 years.
• Be able to make significant cash or in-kind contributions to the project.
• Be able to directly impact hundreds of people and community members.
• Be able to identify a path for growth after the USADF grant ends.
• Special consideration will be given to applications that incorporate innovative strategies to make use of new approaches and technologies, including complementary finance and information technology.
• Special consideration will also be given to women owned organizations and applications that promote youth.

For more information, visit USADF.