The U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Food Security (USAID’s BFS) is partnering with private sector businesses to empower smallholder farmers with tools and technologies they need to face the wide range of emerging threats and shocks.
These shared-value partnerships through the Feed the Future Partnering for Innovation will leverage business growth for development impact and make solutions available to smallholder farmers to address pest, disease, and weather-related food security threats. Helping smallholders access capital and resources, build assets, and manage risk are important strategies to prepare for and recover from threats and shocks.
Through these activities and investments, private sector agribusinesses will target smallholder customers with proven solutions to these emerging threats, thereby improving smallholder production and regional food security, while also establishing profitable product lines and expanding market opportunities for sustainable business growth.
Partnering for Innovation is inviting registered for-profit businesses that meet the requirements of the Request for Applications (RFA) to submit an application for an award. The RFA and other related documents can be found on the funding page of Partnering for Innovation’s website. The proposed projects are anticipated to begin in January 2019 and end on or before January 31, 2021.
Overall funding from Partnering for Innovation for this solicitation is up to $3 million with up to five partnerships anticipated. Proposals must make business sense for the partner and must clearly demonstrate a significant impact for smallholder farmers in addressing, managing, and mitigating the threats of emerging pest, disease, and weather-related events.
Questions regarding the solicitation are answered in writing and posted publicly at https://www.partneringforinnovation.org/funding-opportunities-1/