African agri-tech startups are invited to apply for the GSMA Innovation Fund for Digitisation of Agricultural Value Chains, which aims to scale digital solutions for the agricultural last mile and improve smallholders’ financial inclusion, livelihood and climate resilience.
The fund prioritises enterprise services targeted at organisations such as agribusinesses and cooperatives that are procuring from smallholders with the focus on those living on less than US$2 per day.
Up to eight grants of GBP220,000 (US$280,000) are being made available to support projects, while the GSMA will also provide in-kind support and consultancy to assist the development of business plans, and service implementation through market research, user-centric design, business intelligence, user-testing with agribusiness staff and smallholders.
Grants are available across two categories of application – the mobile money-driven category, and the data-driven category. Applications for funding across both categories are assessed through a two-stage application process, with the first step being to submit a concept note. A shortlist of applicants whose concept notes meet the objectives and eligibility requirements of the fund will be invited to develop a business plan.
All eligible applicants at concept note stage, irrespective of whether they ultimately receive grants, will be invited to join the GSMA Agri-tech Priority Learning Partners Initiative, where they will gain access to a number of knowledge sharing resources and events, including webinars on the topic of enterprise solutions for the last mile.
Interested parties must submit concept note applications by July 31.
