DFID Call for Applications: Commercial Agriculture Programme, Deadline: 16 September 2016

DFID is currently seeking applications for its Commercial Agriculture Programme, a multi-million £ programme which will stimulate agricultural transformation (Stepping Up) through improved productivity, increased market access for smallholder farmers and increased investment in agribusiness in DFID focus countries. The Programme will help to deliver on the DFID Conceptual Framework for Agriculture.

DFID will be hosting an Early Market Engagement Event about the planned Programme and the services required from interested parties. The main objective is to elicit market views on the feasibility of the proposed delivery options and to discuss challenges and opportunities.

The event will be in the form of a two hour session that will take place in DFID, 22 Whitehall, London, on September 21st, 2016 between 1pm and 3 pm. The programme will have duration of up to 5 years.

Programme Components

The programme will include several components, of which the following will go to tender:

1. a learning and innovation facility (including monitoring and learning from the programme)
   • Commissioning research to address knowledge gaps and test innovative approaches to increasing the development impact of commercial investment in agriculture Integrating learning from relevant research already commissioned by DFID and from DFID research programmes and programme interventions (including those undertaken as part of this programme)
   • Communicating findings and influencing the actions of a diverse range of audiences including governments, investors, private sector, NGOs, academia among others
   • Learning for the overall programme
2. a direct intervention component.
   • Supporting smaller agribusinesses to prepare for and access investment from impact investors and local banks;
   • Linking smallholder farmers to agribusinesses through aggregation scheme such as producer organisations and contract farming; Improving the enabling environment and removing barriers within selected agricultural value chains.

Thematic Areas

DFID will present the programme, its proposed outputs and delivery channels, as well as stimulate discussion around the following themes:

• Interest and/or capability in the market to deliver this program
• Ensure better understanding of business needs
• Thematic scope of the work and delivery channels

How to Apply

Interested applicants must apply using DFID supplier portal.

Eligible Countries

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan,Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia,Zimbabwe

For more information, please visit DFID.