The Mastercard Foundation Agribusiness Challenge Fund (Grant: US$ 500,000 to US$ 2,500,000)

Deadline: 22nd November 2024

The Agribusiness Challenge Fund is a rolling call for proposals open from 18 March 2024 to 22 November 2024, with three application harvest periods in between. The challenge will be open to SME applications from any country as long as the projects are being implemented in at least one of the 20 focus countries the Fund is targeting and meet the eligibility criteria.

Categories

1. Categories of Interest in the Agribusiness Challenge

• Primary production
• Processing and aggregation
• Trading and market linkages

2. Categories of Interest Within the Agriculture Value Chain

• • While broadly interested in any agribusiness opportunity that is capable of work creation opportunities for young women and men, those working in these or other parts of the agriculture value chain are encouraged to apply:
•  Forestry
• Fishing
• Horticulture
• Plant Breeding
• Agro input supplies
• Cash crop – cocoa
• Cash crop – cotton
• Cash crop – coffee
• Cash crop – tea
• Fruits and vegetables
• Livestock – dairy
• Livestock – beef
• Livestock – goats
• Livestock – pig
• Poultry
• Solar powered agriculture tools
• Early warning systems
• Climate resilient crop varieties
• Food storage and preservation
• Farmer training on adaptation techniques
• Crop insurance services
• Smart irrigation systems
• Drip irrigation
• Soil moisture sensors
• Organic fertilizers
• Bioenergy production and fossil fuels
• Solar powered agricultural tools
• Capacity building

Grants

Grants ranging from US$ 500,000 to US$ 2,500,000, disbursed over a 3-year period, based on the applicant’s development stage, scalability, and business model, in accordance with agreed periodic milestone targets.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, an SME must:

• Be involved in the sector of focus i.e., agriculture.
• Be an existing for-profit Small or Medium-sized Enterprise.
• Be implementing business in at least one of the 20 focus countries in Africa.
• Be requesting for grant funding ranging from US$ 500,000 to US$ 2,500,000, disbursed over a 3-year period, based on applicants’ development stage, scalability, and business model. Additional tailored technical assistance will be provided to successful applicants.
• Be providing matching contribution of at least 30% of the total project cost.
• Have innovative, practical, and scalable businesses that aim to create work opportunities for young women and men, young people with disabilities or refugee youth.
• Adhere to fundamental human rights, labour standards, and environmental management laws, both nationally and internationally, including seed laws/policy.
• Refrain from any involvement in acts of terrorism or support for terrorist activities.

Eligible Countries

• Benin, Burundi, Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

For more information and application.