The caveat: Proposals will only be accepted from registered agricultural cooperatives, small-scale producer groups, and agricultural processors working directly in the sectors and countries listed on their website. Nigeria is listed on the website (http://www.usadf.gov/apply/).
Applicants qualified to apply are expected to submit a completed application and support documents to the email address for your country on the website by January 29, 2018. The email address for Nigeria is Nigeria@usadf.gov.
The foundation’s specifications for consideration for successful proposals state that they must: “have a clearly defined market opportunity to grow revenues that can increase farmer incomes; have a clearly defined plan of how they can increase revenues and farmer incomes in two to four years; be able to make significant cash or in-kind contributions toward making the project successful; be able to impact hundreds of farmers” and must “be able to identify additional financing options available after the USADF grant ends.”
Applicants who are interested in submitting proposals are required to submit completed application form, copy of a valid organization or enterprise registration form, most recent business plan and two years of financial statements to the email addresses listed on the website.
To be eligible for consideration, the USADF says that submitting organisations must be 100 per cent African-owned and “managed by country nationals and must be a legally registered African entity (or in the process of becoming legally registered. Registration must be completed before any funding may be provided).”
Also, submitting organisations are required to demonstrate that they have successfully worked together and has the capability to effectively use grants funds, just as the “ownership and management must be in agreement on the problem to be addressed and have a commitment to benefit their community; and must have basic functional management and controls to account for USADF funds.”
The USADF said it “will review all applications and will contact those organisations that best fit country strategies and objectives.” The USADF says also that a site visit will be conducted and finalists will be referred to USADF Washington for a final assessment and selection.
“Once an application is selected by USADF Washington, a local USADF Technical Partner will be assigned to the organisation to help complete additional Grant Design and Budget steps. After the design steps are completed USADF will enter into a formal agreement to award grant funds to the organisation.
“The USADF Technical Partner will continue to assist the organization during the grant implementation period. Grant funds are disbursed to the organization over the grant period as the organization achieves the plans, activities, and outcomes of the grant design,” it adds.
Grant organistions are expected report to USADF on a quarterly basis.
Some of the countries listed are Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, DRC, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, among others.
and then