IFAD Food Systems Transformation for Agri-food systems Initiatives (Up to $2 Million Grant)

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Applications are open for IFAD Food Systems Transformation. IFAD is pleased to launch a call for proposals to receive US$2 million in grant financing to implement the project ‘Support for Food Systems Transformation in the Central Sahel.

The US$2 million grant will support innovative and scalable interventions addressing challenges and opportunities across the livestock, cassava and rice value chains, from production and processing to marketing and consumption.

Through this Call for Proposals, IFAD will select an eligible organization, governmental agency, private sector entity, research institution or consortium to implement a transformative regional initiative supporting food systems transformation in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

The grant will provide catalytic seed financing for innovative and scalable interventions that address bottlenecks and unlock opportunities across the selected value chains, from production and processing to marketing and consumption. Proposals should demonstrate regional relevance, commercial viability, climate resilience, inclusion of women and youth, and potential for scaling up transformative results across the Central Sahel.

IFAD Food Systems Transformation Funding Details

The US$2 million grant will support transformative regional initiatives that demonstrate:

Regional relevance across the Central Sahel
Commercial viability
Climate resilience
Meaningful inclusion of women and youth
Potential to scale results across the region

Priority Value Chains

The initiative focuses on:

Livestock
Cassava
Rice

These value chains were selected for their potential to strengthen food security, create employment, promote regional integration and attract private-sector investment.

Eligibility Criteria

Applications are open to:
- Organisations
- Government agencies
- Private sector entities
- Research institutions
- Consortia
Applicants must meet IFAD’s grant-financing requirements and demonstrate relevant institutional capacity and experience in the priority areas and themes of the grant.

How To Apply for IFAD Food Systems Transformation

Applicants must submit the following documents:

Grant Concept Note Template
Self-Certification of Eligibility for IFAD grant financing (standard form)
Self-Certification of eligibility for IFAD grant financing (UN entities)
Brief institutional profile, detailing experience in the priority area and specific themes of the grant in the region (one page or less)
General Provisions Applicable to IFAD Grant Agreements

Please provide proposals in English or French. All documents must be submitted electronically in PDF format. For further information on the proposal and application requirements, please refer to the Call for Proposals documentation.

Submission address: sahelfoodsystems@ifad.org

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Application Deadline: 16 October 2026 at 23:59 GMT.