AGCO Agriculture Foundation Grants (Up to USD 450,000)

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The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (“The Foundation”) through its grant application platform, Benevity, is seeking proposals from nonprofit organizations to support the next generation of leaders in agriculture, helping them to develop innovative solutions for agri-food systems. The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (the “Foundation”) was established by AGCO Corporation in 2018 as a private, not-for-profit Foundation with the mission to initiate impactful programs to support food security and sustainable agricultural development in communities.

This call for grant proposals seeks to work with nonprofits to support youth-led and high-impact innovations for sustainable food systems. Working with nonprofits, the Foundation will offer grants of USD 400,000 – USD 450,000 each for one or more projects, disbursed over a three-year project duration to support youth-led innovative solutions and educate young people in the agri-food sector.

AGCO Agriculture Foundation Objectives

The objectives to be achieved by nonprofits through this grant seek to:

Support youth-led and high-impact innovations for sustainable food systems, helping to create new viable opportunities for young farmers and youth startups and support ideas, innovations and solutions that fulfil sustainable agri-food systems ambitions.
Address the main challenges faced by youth in agri-food sector and contributes to healthy and sustainable agri-food systems.
Facilitate a support system for the community of next-generation agricultural leaders to learn, upskill, invent and scale their agricultural innovations and business enterprises.
Create dignified green job opportunities for young people across the agricultural value chains.
Revolutionize perception and limited attractiveness of the agri-food systems for young people.

Focus Areas

Programs must target at least one of these areas:

Digital agriculture: The upcoming innovation program will focus on pioneering solutions aimed at transforming the future of agriculture. The goal is to ensure sustainable and healthy food systems while boosting productivity, cutting costs and reducing environmental impact.
Climate resilience: The innovation program is expected to promote climate resilience and smart agriculture solutions and practices, helping to ensure sustainability across the food value chains.
Capacity development: The innovation program is expected to emphasize on innovative solutions that focus on enhancing next-generation leaders and value chain actors’ skills, knowledge and resources to develop the agri-food systems and strengthen knowledge resources for the agriculture talent pipeline.
Market efficiency: The innovation program under this category must focus on agricultural market transformation ideas and technologies that can be game changers in promoting market efficiency for agricultural commodities and strengthening market stability at all levels of the food chain.
Energy for food systems: The innovation program is expected to emphasize solutions focusing on renewable energy integration that drives sustainable practices and greener energy solutions in the agri-food systems. Innovation program under the energy for food systems category can cover primary food production, processing, among others.
Food innovations: The innovation program is expected to focus on dynamic and innovative solutions that add value or produce high-quality, nutritious and healthy food to meet consumers’ demands, dietary needs and reduce environmental impact.

AGCO Agriculture Foundation Grant Funds and Expected Duration

The Foundation will provide a maximum of US$400,000 to US$450,000 each for one or more projects selected for this grant cycle to carry out the planned activities.
The grant proposal must be designed for a three-year project duration.
The Foundation will disburse the grant funds in three instalments over the project duration.
Proposing nonprofits should consider this arrangement when developing the budget breakdown.
The Foundation reserves the right to decline grant requests that are not within the indicated amount or program thematic.
Proposing nonprofit organizations must ensure the grant proposal budget adheres to the Foundation’s funding guideline – 70% of grant funds go directly towards the program’s activities, while 30% are for administrative support.

Eligibility Criteria for AGCO Agriculture Foundation Grants

The Foundation welcomes grant proposals from nonprofit organizations registered and recognized as charitable, nonprofit, or non-governmental organizations under the law.
As part of the application process, the proposing entity must provide a certificate/proof of nonprofit status.
Where required, as part of the review and approval process, the Foundation may contact the proposing entity for clarification and request further documentation.
Notably, the Foundation does not award grants to activities or programs to benefit:
- Individual for profit organizations (hospitals, hospice programs, etc.).
- Political, faith-based/religious-based, labour or fraternal organizations.
- Individuals and their personal fundraising efforts.
- Groups seeking education, travel or conventions.
- Sporting leagues, youth or adult sports teams, clubs, golf tournaments or similar one-off events.
- Sales related, marketing, or customer requested fundraising campaigns.
- Schools, school districts, individual students, alumni associations, school or parent organizations and activities.
- Organizations, individuals and their fundraising efforts for conferences, summits and webinars.

Country List

The proposing nonprofit organizations can submit grant proposals to be implemented in any of the countries below:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and Zambia.

How to Apply

Click Here to Apply
Supporting Document to submit:
- Project proposal in English (Word Doc format) – (max. 3,000 words).
- Budget breakdown in spreadsheet.
- Proof of nonprofit status.

Application Deadline: 29th November; 5:00pm EST