Opportunity Information: Apply for APS 663 11 000002
Apply for APS 663 11 000002
- The Ethiopia USAID Addis Ababa in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovation Fund for Ethiopian Agriculture (I" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001 USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 20, 2012 and posted on Sep 20, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 30, 2012 The closing date for the submission of First Round Concept Papers is October 25, 2011.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $12,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
- This APS invites applications from Ethiopian Non Governmental Organizations, U.S. and other international Non Governmental Organizations, Ethiopian governmental and non governmental research institutes. U.S. and Other international NGOs are strongly encouraged to form partnership with Ethiopian (local) NGOs as part of their concept development and plan for sustainability.
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Opportunity Summary:
USAID/Ethiopia's "Innovation Fund for Ethiopian Agriculture" is a discretionary funding opportunity released as an Annual Program Statement (APS 663 11 000002) designed to spark new, practical ideas that can strengthen and modernize Ethiopia's agriculture sector. The core aim is to identify innovative projects and investment opportunities that help diversify what the sector produces and where those products can be sold, while also supporting enterprise growth across entire value chains. In plain terms, USAID is looking for concepts that do more than improve farm production in isolation; they want approaches that connect farmers and agribusinesses to inputs, processing, storage, transport, finance, and end markets in ways that measurably improve incomes and livelihoods for Ethiopians who depend on agriculture.
A key emphasis of the fund is innovation that responds to broader development pressures affecting agriculture outcomes, particularly nutrition and climate change. Applicants are encouraged to propose solutions that, alongside economic gains, improve dietary quality or reduce malnutrition, or that help agricultural communities adapt to climate variability and shocks. This could involve climate-smart production methods, risk management tools, improved post-harvest practices that reduce losses, or market and product innovations that make more nutritious foods available and affordable. The opportunity statement makes it clear that USAID's interest is not limited to production improvements; it includes market diversification, enterprise development, and cross-cutting approaches that link agriculture with nutrition and resilience goals for the target population and geographic focus areas.
The funding instrument is a Cooperative Agreement, which generally means the funder expects a higher level of engagement during implementation compared with a standard grant, often including collaboration on planning, monitoring, and learning. USAID anticipated making about seven awards under this opportunity, with an estimated total funding level of $12,000,000. Individual award sizes were expected to range from a floor of $100,000 to a ceiling of $2,000,000, allowing for both smaller pilot-style innovations and larger, more scaled interventions. Cost sharing or matching was not required, which can lower the barrier for local organizations and research institutions that may not have significant unrestricted resources.
Eligibility was broadly open ("unrestricted") but the announcement specifically invited applications from Ethiopian non-governmental organizations, U.S. and other international NGOs, and Ethiopian governmental and non-governmental research institutes. While international organizations could apply, USAID strongly encouraged them to form partnerships with Ethiopian (local) NGOs as part of concept development and to build sustainability into project design. That emphasis signals a preference for locally grounded implementation capacity, local ownership, and approaches that are likely to continue beyond the life of USAID funding.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was posted on September 20, 2011, with a creation date of March 20, 2012, and it was archived on April 29, 2012. The overall closing date listed for the opportunity was March 30, 2012, but the solicitation also highlighted a separate first-round process for concept papers, with first-round concept paper deadlines stated as October 5, 2011 in one place and updated to October 25, 2011 in another. The CFDA number associated with the funding is 98.001 (USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas). Applicants were directed to Grants.gov for full announcement details, and a point of contact was provided for access issues: Assefa Abebe, Acquisition and Management Specialist at USAID Addis Ababa, phone 011 130 6323, email asabebe@usaid.gov.
Overall, this fund is best understood as a competitive mechanism to surface and support high-potential agricultural innovations in Ethiopia that combine value chain and enterprise development with measurable benefits to livelihoods, and that also tackle nutrition and/or climate-related challenges in the targeted communities.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): USAID/Ethiopia Innovation Fund for Ethiopian Agriculture (APS 663 11 000002)
1. What is the "Innovation Fund for Ethiopian Agriculture"?
It is a discretionary funding opportunity from USAID/Ethiopia released as an Annual Program Statement (APS 663 11 000002). The purpose is to spark new, practical ideas that strengthen and modernize Ethiopia's agriculture sector by identifying innovative projects and investment opportunities.
2. What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?
The core goal is to support innovations that diversify what Ethiopia's agriculture sector produces and where those products can be sold, while promoting enterprise growth across entire value chains. The focus goes beyond on-farm production improvements and emphasizes measurable improvements in incomes and livelihoods for Ethiopians who depend on agriculture.
3. What kinds of projects is USAID looking for under this fund?
USAID is looking for concepts that connect farmers and agribusinesses to multiple parts of the agricultural system, such as inputs, processing, storage, transport, finance, and end markets. Projects are expected to improve outcomes across value chains rather than improving farm production in isolation.
4. Does the opportunity focus only on farm production?
No. The opportunity statement makes clear that USAID's interest is not limited to production improvements. It also includes market diversification, enterprise development, and cross-cutting approaches that link agriculture with nutrition and resilience goals.
5. What is meant by "innovation" in this opportunity?
Based on the announcement description, "innovation" refers to new and practical approaches that modernize the agriculture sector, strengthen value chains, diversify markets and products, and generate measurable livelihood benefits. Innovation is also encouraged in areas that respond to nutrition and climate change pressures.
6. Is there an emphasis on nutrition in proposed projects?
Yes. A key emphasis is innovation that improves dietary quality or reduces malnutrition alongside economic gains. Examples mentioned include market and product innovations that make more nutritious foods available and affordable.
7. Is there an emphasis on climate change or climate resilience?
Yes. Applicants are encouraged to propose solutions that help agricultural communities adapt to climate variability and shocks. Examples mentioned include climate-smart production methods and risk management tools.
8. Are post-harvest losses and post-harvest practices relevant to this fund?
Yes. The opportunity description specifically references improved post-harvest practices that reduce losses as one potential area for innovation.
9. What funding mechanism will USAID use for awards?
The funding instrument is a Cooperative Agreement.
10. What does it mean that the instrument is a Cooperative Agreement?
A Cooperative Agreement generally means the funder expects a higher level of engagement during implementation than with a standard grant. The description notes this often includes collaboration on planning, monitoring, and learning.
11. How many awards did USAID anticipate making?
USAID anticipated making about seven awards under this opportunity.
12. What is the estimated total funding amount available under the opportunity?
The estimated total funding level is $12,000,000.
13. What is the expected range of individual award sizes?
Individual awards were expected to range from a minimum (floor) of $100,000 to a maximum (ceiling) of $2,000,000.
14. Does USAID require cost sharing or matching funds?
No. Cost sharing or matching was not required according to the opportunity description.
15. Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility was described as broadly open ("unrestricted"). The announcement specifically invited applications from Ethiopian non-governmental organizations, U.S. and other international NGOs, and Ethiopian governmental and non-governmental research institutes.
16. Are international organizations allowed to apply?
Yes. International organizations could apply, and USAID strongly encouraged them to form partnerships with Ethiopian (local) NGOs as part of concept development.
17. Is partnering with Ethiopian organizations encouraged?
Yes. USAID strongly encouraged international applicants to partner with Ethiopian NGOs and to build sustainability into project design, signaling a preference for locally grounded implementation and local ownership.
18. What does the opportunity suggest about sustainability and long-term impact?
The description indicates USAID wanted applicants to build sustainability into project design, with an emphasis on local partnerships and approaches likely to continue beyond the life of USAID funding.
19. What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number associated with the funding is 98.001 (USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas).
20. When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on September 20, 2011. The overall closing date listed was March 30, 2012. The opportunity was archived on April 29, 2012. A creation date of March 20, 2012 is also listed in the administrative details.
21. Were there concept paper deadlines, and what were they?
Yes. The solicitation highlighted a first-round process for concept papers. The first-round concept paper deadline is stated as October 5, 2011 in one place and updated to October 25, 2011 in another.
22. Where could applicants find the full announcement details?
Applicants were directed to Grants.gov for full announcement details.
23. Who was the point of contact for access issues, and what are the contact details?
The point of contact listed for access issues was Assefa Abebe, Acquisition and Management Specialist at USAID Addis Ababa. Phone: 011 130 6323. Email: asabebe@usaid.gov.
24. How should applicants think about what will be competitive under this fund?
Based on the description, competitive concepts are those that combine value chain and enterprise development with measurable improvements to livelihoods, while also addressing nutrition and/or climate-related challenges for the target population and geographic focus areas.
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