Feed the Future Partnering for Innovation can help your business
establish its market-ready products and services in the vast and largely
untapped smallholder farmer market. The program co-funds businesses’
initial market entry or expansion, reducing their investment risk and
allowing them to develop effective distribution channels, test new
marketing strategies, and build additional partnerships to provide
farmer training and other customer services.
Background:
Feed
the Future Partnering for Innovation is supported by the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Feed the Future
(FTF) initiative. The goal of this funding announcement is to develop
public private partnerships to support agricultural growth and
development in Cambodia and complement the US Government Global Food Security Strategy by
directly engaging with the private sector. Partnering for Innovation
and USAID will partner and co-fund new investments with the private
sector to address development and business challenges in Cambodia.
Through these activities and investments, farmers at all levels of
production, including small and medium-sized farmers cultivating up to
five hectares of land, will benefit from increased access to high
quality seeds and agricultural inputs, mechanization, and other key
production services as well as improved business, marketing, and
distribution systems. All awards issued under Partnering for Innovation
will be performance-based with partners achieving performance milestones
over the period of the award.
Deadline for questions: Deadline is August 31; answers will be posted on this page.
Deadline for submission: September 14 at 11:59 pm ICT. Please use the budget template and budget costs notes, below, for completing the application.
Partnering for Innovation will provide funding on behalf of USAID/Cambodia by developing shared-value partnerships with private sector companies selling high-quality inputs and services to small, medium, and/or larger-scale farmer customers. For-profit businesses, including domestic and international businesses registered in Cambodia, are therefore invited to submit an application. Businesses should
propose activities that incorporate innovative approaches that ultimately benefit farmers producing at any scale in at least one of the following intervention areas:
1. Increased access to quality agricultural inputs, including but not limited to:
a. seeds, fertilizer, crop protection products, and equipment
b. biological pest control agents
c. anti-counterfeit measures
2. Increased access to production services including but not limited to:
a. pay-per-use services (i.e. mechanization, spraying, technical assistance)
b. financial and agricultural credit services
3. Improved marketing systems, including but not limited to:
a. improved distribution channels for inputs
b. ICT solutions to increase demand for quality inputs
Required elements of the partnership include:
- A for-profit business with a registered, legal presence in Cambodia as the lead applicant. Implementing partners and other organizations may be included in a consortium such as other commercial businesses, farmer cooperatives, consulting firms, NGOs, and/or usiness/member associations.
- At least a one-to-one match between US government funds and private sector funds. Preference will be given to proposed partnerships with higher leverage. See section V for further explanation of leverage requirements.
- Proposed partnership of up to 24 months in duration with an end date on or before January 31, 2021.
