Roots of Peace (ROP) is implementing the 36-month, UNDP-funded Community-Based Agricultural Rural Development – Access to International Markets (CBARD-AIM) Project. The CBARD project supports the production and sales of high value fruits and vegetables as an alternative to poppy cultivation in the three target Provinces of Nangarhar, Farah and Badghis.
Sponsoring Agency: Roots of Peace
Type of Fund: Grant
Deadline Available: Available
Deadline Date (mm/dd/yyyy): 05/31/2021
Size of the Fund: USD $50,000 to $500,000
Roots of Peace (ROP) is implementing the 36-month, UNDP-funded Community-Based Agricultural Rural Development – Access to International Markets (CBARD-AIM) Project. The CBARD project supports the production and sales of high value fruits and vegetables as an alternative to poppy cultivation in the three target Provinces of Nangarhar, Farah and Badghis.
CBARD-AIM’s objective is to link the production areas of the CBARD-East and West projects with cold chain facilities, and then connect these areas to domestic and international markets. The project assists farmers in the three provinces to sell their high value produce to traders, and then for those traders to export the produce to international markets. Exporting better quality products to international markets is expected to lead to higher incomes for both CBARD farmers and traders and, consequently increase the adoption of licit trade. The project has three main areas of focus: (1) International Markets for High-Value Crops Identified; (2) Cold Chain Infrastructure for Target High-Value Crops Improved; (3) Market Linkages Established Between Farmers and Traders.
The CBARD-AIM grants program supports, with matching contributions from applicants, funding to support proven, private-sector investments in equipment and training, aimed at improving Afghanistan’s agricultural supply chains, marketing and exports to international markets. The grants program focuses primarily on cold chain infrastructure but will also consider investments and activities relating to processing, packaging, storage, quality certification, and export facilitation.
Grants should contribute to CBARD-AIM’s three primary objectives of:
• Reducing opium poppy cultivation;
• Creating licit economic development for former poppy farmers and women in the community;
• Supporting more sustainable peace.
Grant Objectives
In addition to meeting CBARD-AIM’s primary objectives, grants should result in increases in business capacity and output, productivity, sales to domestic and export markets, quality improvements, increased profitability and employment of value chain participants. Grant recipients should also encourage the adoption of new technologies and be financially viable and sustainable in the long term. CBARD-AIM particularly welcomes applications from women-owned businesses.
Grant Information
CBARD-AIM will issue grants between US$10,000 and US$150,000. Applicants must be willing to contribute 50% (30% for women-owned and managed enterprises) or more of the total investment required. Partner contributions must not originate from other donor programs or government entities. Contributions can be in-kind or in cash. In-kind contributions (such as buildings, land or equipment) will only be accepted if they were procured within 12 months prior to the submission of the Concept Note. Operational costs will not be accepted as part of a grantee’s financial contribution. The procurement of land will be accepted as a contribution but is limited to US$50,000 per Jerib.
Grant Activities
The grants program focuses primarily on cold chain infrastructure but will also consider investments and activities relating to processing, packaging, storage, quality certification, and export facilitation, so long as they benefit farmers in Farah, Badghis and Nangahar. Cold chain infrastructure includes pre-cooling facilities, cold storage warehouses, reefer transportation and mobile cooling facilities.
Grant Geographical Focus
Grants are targeting businesses in Nangahar, Farah and Badghis provinces (CBARD East & West) either directly by supporting firms located in these three provinces, or indirectly by supporting businesses in neighboring provinces that will source agricultural products from the three targeted provinces.
Eligibility Criteria
• Only businesses officially registered with the Afghan Ministry of Industries and Commerce will be eligible for CBARD-AIM grants. Businesses must be located either in the target provinces of Farah, Badghis and Nangahar or in neighboring provinces. If they are in neighboring provinces, they must source a significant volume of produce from the target provinces. The businesses must be engaged in the agricultural sector or provide products or services to agribusinesses.
• Educational institutions, NGOs and Government Agencies are not eligible to receive grants. Startup businesses are eligible to receive grant funding but must prove and demonstrate that they have the management and/or personnel with the skills necessary for the proposed activity.
More information at: http://www.acbar.org/rfq/14694.jsp
Eligible Countries:
Afghanistan
