Call for Expression of Interest: Strengthening the Supply Side for Market Creation and Increased Adoption of Food Loss Reduction Technologies – RE-GAIN Programme

The RE-GAIN programme will support the innovative adaptation of the harvest and post-harvest value chain; strengthening food security by addressing the climate change impacts on post-harvest food losses through the wide-scale adoption of Food LossReduction Solutions (FL-RS) among smallholder farmers. In addition to increasing the amount of food available for consumption due to reduced losses, this approach will also improve the quality of produce leaving the farms, thereby increasing nutritional value, marketability and income potential, 5 while simultaneously reducing the GHG emissions associated with food loss. These interconnected solutions will address food loss under smallholder settings of Africa.

The programme will operate over five years in seven African countries: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia. In each country, two food crops and specific regions have been selected for the interventions. The programme will work towards increasing demand and absorption capacity for FL-RS by smallholder farmers, enhancing supply and affordability of the solutions, and strengthening enabling environments for scaling them up. This will result in reducing exposure and vulnerability of key grain and legume crops that are grown by smallholders and that are strategic for food security, in regions identified as vulnerable to climate hazards – especially unpredictable rainfall with heavy downpours, high temperatures and flooding (with drought of secondary importance). These hazards are already increasing with climate change and are predicted to intensify, worsening food losses during harvesting, post-harvest handling and storage, and processing, transport and logistics.

The call for expression of interest invites implementing partners/organisations in each of the 7 countries for components 2, which is about strengthen markets on the supply side of food loss reduction technologies to facilitate adoption of food loss reduction solutions, to work with AGRA in the implementation of the RE-GAIN Programme.

Component

• Component 2: FL-RS supply side development to increase availability and affordability of FL-RS
  • Outcome 2:
    • Enhanced supply and affordability of FL-RS
  • Output 2.1:
    • Business development support provided to local MSMEs to adopt FL-RS
  • Output 2.2:
    • Financial mechanisms established to support smallholders and MSMEs to adopt FL-RS
  • This component focuses on strengthening the supply side of food loss reducing solutions. The project aims to work with partners that are involved in the manufacturing and supply of these technologies to increase supply, affordability and reliability of the technologies. This component will also work with financial institutions to structure smart access to finance mechanisms that will stimulate markets for these technologies

Period of Performance and estimated value

• The overall period for implementation of the programme is estimated to be a maximum of 48 months, spanning from 2025 to 2030, with grant funding issued on an annual basis, in instalments, as per the performance terms and conditions.

Who should apply?

• For component 2, the applicants include but are not limited to:
  • Manufacturers or suppliers of at least one of the proposed physical solutions (type-1 and -2) and their distribution networks
  • Financial institutions that finance type-3 solutions: leasing or hire purchase companies, commercial banks, digital lenders, MSME funds, SACCOs/Credit Unions or community banks, microfinance banks etc.,
  • BDS providers to support the FL-RS service providers develop their business case
• These applicants can submit the EOIs as individual organisations for one or more workstreams or they choose to partner with other technical service providers with whom they can design and implement the catalytic programmes under RE-GAIN.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligibility Criteria for Suppliers of FL-RS :
  • These partners will be selected in the RE-GAIN programme host countries based on the criteria below:
    • Legal capacity to operate: Registration (and ability to produce registration certificate) as a sole trader, partnership, franchise, cooperative, or limited liability company in good order with the local tax authorities
    • If operating as an importer, evidence of compliance with import permits
    • If appropriate, demonstrated compliance with any Environmental standards or requirements to obtain licences or environmental impact assessments, reports or management plans as required by local laws
    • Proof of VAT registration
    • Preferably a track record of producing and selling FL-RS as defined as part of the RE-GAIN programme that is approved by the national authorities
    • Evidence of record keeping, including financial records
    • Willingness and financial capacity to expand the production levels and distribution network (agro-dealers, cooperatives, development projects) for the FL-RS
    • Willingness and financial and human capacity to develop and deploy (subsidized) marketing efforts to enhance uptake of the FL-RS among small scale producers
    • Presence in the target regions in the Host Countries for the Funded Activity; and
    • Preferably engaging in the provision of solutions for smallholder farmers
• Eligibility Criteria for Financial institutions
  • These partners will be selected competitively in the RE-GAIN programme’s Host Countries based on the criteria below:
    • Financial institutions must demonstrate they are licensed, regulated and supervised by the relevant authorities (Central Bank, MFI regulatory body, cooperative agency) and in compliance with any prudential liquidity requirements
    • Experience and willingness to offer asset financing facilities of between USD 1,000 and USD 10,000 to equipment buyers and/or operators 10
    • Willingness and ability to engage with Agricultural MSMEs or cooperatives and other key actors in the value chains
    • Willingness to open an escrow account in AGRA’s name at no/low cost and interest rate offered on the AGRA deposit; and
    • Preferable presence (branch or agents) in the regions where the Funded Activity will be implemented.

For more information, visit AGRA.