This call for proposals seeks to select a recipient, or consortium of recipients, to receive a four-year IFAD grant, for a total amount of up to US$4.8 million, to implement the project Rural youth employment opportunities: Support to integrated agribusiness hubs initiative.
The recipient(s) can be an inter-governmental or governmental organization(s); TVET or business development institution(s); civil society organization(s) (including NGOs); academic/research institution(s); or one or more private sector entities. Applicants may apply individually or as a consortium. Organizations may join more than one consortium, but can be leading in only one of them.
This grant programme will be implemented in nine countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, as part of a phased approach, this current call for proposals is focused on four of the countries (Algeria, Ivory Coast, Madagascar and Malawi) with a set funding limit of US$4.8 million distributed across all four countries over a span of 3 years. Additionally, a mandatory cash contribution of 8 per cent of the total proposal cost and an in-kind contribution by the applicant - independently or as a consortium - is expected.
Given the nature of the grant, applicants are strongly encouraged to apply as a consortium and to apply either (a) in less than the total number of countries or (b) in all four countries.
(Note: Applicants must submit separate design proposals and budgets for each country they are interested in working in.)
Refer to Annex 3 for the full evaluation methodology and criteria.
The recipient must demonstrate a strong focus on, and experience and expertise with, working on youth employment in rural settings.
The selected organization or consortium will have:
- Ability to provide: shared facilities and equipment; the development of business and technical/vocational skills, soft skills, and market access; technology transfer; and linkage to services (such as financial and employment services) that are backstopped through mentorship (e.g., apprenticeships & internships, business incubation & acceleration) and networking.
- Readiness to facilitate a holistic and proactive process focused on the early-stage development of agribusiness growth and on training in key technical/business skills along the entire value chain, leading to enterprise start-up or entry into agricultural labour markets and those of related sectors.
- Willingness to interact and constructively engage with the larger agribusiness and agro-industry communities.
- Flexibility in developing mentorship modules composed of the "main ingredients" of youth-integrated agribusiness hubs and, above all, post-mentorship support services (e.g., establishment of support services for mentored youth as well as incentives, prizes and other recognition systems).
- Ability to create inclusive and relevant strategic partnerships leading to service/market deals and/or financing linkages between youth entrepreneurs and relevant stakeholders (e.g., the government or the private sector).
- Capacity to facilitate and foster linkages between the training and education system and industry representatives (i.e., employers) by (e.g.) setting up support services to address skill gaps and mismatches.
- Capacity to create incentives for the private sector to participate in skills development (i.e., inclusive skills anticipation systems) and facilitate the smooth transition of youth into the labour market.
- Effective business continuity plans to implement the project in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Financial management of the grant, including the capacity to receive, record, monitor and report on multiple sources of grant funding in line with IFAD requirements.
Application requirements
- A project proposal, created using IFAD's Grant Design Document template.
- A detailed budget, created using the Activity-Based Budget table.
- A completed Bidders' Self-Certification of Eligibility for IFAD Grant Financing.
- A brief institutional profile, including detailed descriptions of the organization's experience in the priority areas and specific themes outlined in the Grant Concept Note, and in the region(s)/country(ies) where the grant would be implemented.
