USAID CFDA Call For Concept Note: Nature-Based Solutions for Agricultural Resilience Window (Up to $500,000 USD Funding)

Reach us on

Chemonics International, through the USAID Climate Finance for Development Accelerator (CFDA), has released Addendum 001 under the General Annual Program Statement (APS) to invite concept notes for the Nature-Based Solutions for Agricultural Resilience Window (NBS4Ag). This opportunity aims to strengthen partnerships and fund projects that build resilience in agrifood systems, reduce deforestation, promote regenerative agriculture, and advance climate-smart farming techniques.

Agrifood production systems face significant threats from climate change. Extreme weather events related to climate change, such as intense heat, droughts, and floods, adversely affect agriculture in emerging and frontier markets where USAID operates. Developing countries, already grappling with decreasing yields, are particularly vulnerable to these climate shocks and weather events. As temperatures rise and weather patterns become more unpredictable, these challenges are expected to intensify, leading to increasing economic losses, production costs, and threats to food security.

CFDA envisions partnering (1) directly with corporate partners whose agricultural commodity supply chains extend to markets where USAID works or (2) indirectly with corporate partners through intermediaries that are supporting the financing or implementation of aligned projects or technologies. Awardees are expected to support nature-based solutions that build resilience in agrifood systems as well as reduce deforestation and degradation of critical landscapes and native vegetation and promote adoption of regenerative agriculture, climate- and water-smart agriculture, and/or landscape-level approaches for conservation.

Nature-Based Solutions for Agricultural Resilience Window Objectives

CFDA is soliciting concept notes for innovative business models that can achieve the following objectives:

Increased food security, resilience, and agricultural productivity of systems through adoption or intensification of climate smart, regenerative and/or low GHG practices.
Increased conservation that creates climate and nature benefits in biologically significant areas with a focus on biodiversity habitats and native species, reduced threats to biodiversity (such as, but not limited to agricultural expansion, deforestation, and degradation of land and native vegetation), and effective management of conservation schemes.
Equitable participation and benefits sharing, such as through inclusion of women, youth, indigenous peoples/local communities, and other vulnerable/underrepresented groups in the supply chain and decision-making processes, and positive social and financial impacts on vulnerable groups.
Increased access to capital or financial incentives for implementing and scaling sustainable activities.

Funding Details

Under this funding window, CFDA anticipates issuing three or more grant awards valued at $500,000 USD each.
Outstanding, impact-driven, scalable, multi-stakeholder concepts will be considered for funding of $1,000,000 USD or more. US-based firms are restricted to awards up to $500,000.

Eligibility Criteria for Nature-Based Solutions for Agricultural Resilience Window

CFDA will prioritize concepts in countries where USAID operates with geographies/landscapes under threat of biodiversity loss. Preference will be given to concepts that align with U.S. Government Feed the Future geographies and USAID’s biodiversity conservation priority areas. Relevant countries can be accessed here.
Interested applicants are encouraged to join the Climate Finance Investment Network (CFIN). Managed by CFDA, the CFIN brings together climate finance stakeholders across a diverse set of sectors and emerging and frontier markets to partner with USAID. The objective of the network is to crowd in private sector climate financing through learning, partnership facilitation, and catalytic grants. CFDA will share all answers to questions, and other updates with contacts registered with the CFIN. There is no cost to join the CFIN and membership does not involve any commitment or obligation.