Call For Applications: Africa Agri-Food Development Program (AADP) Grant For SMEs

Feasibility Study grants

The Feasibility Study grant is open to applications from Irish private sector organisations and from eligible African countries, for projects which seek to explore commercial concepts and market opportunities that can contribute to the sustainable transformation and development of Africa’s agri-food system.

Applications for Feasibility Studies will be accepted for solo projects (i.e. to be delivered by a single organisation) or for projects to be delivered in partnership between two organisations.

Full Commercial Project grants

The Full Commercial Project grant is open to joint, partnership-based applications from Irish and African private sector organisations for innovative, scalable, and impactful revenue-generating projects. The aim of the full project grant is to support the sustainable transformation and development of Africa’s agri-food system, and to contribute to a program of mutual trade and exchange of knowledge between Ireland and Africa.

Applications for Full Commercial Projects must be developed jointly by the African and Irish applicants in the partnership.

Type of business

All applicants must be agri-food businesses that have been registered/incorporated in Ireland or one of the 19 eligible African countries, for at least 24 months prior to submitting their AADP application.

Businesses can be of any size or structure, including:

Eligible African countries

The eligible African countries are:

Proposal requirements

All proposals must:

• Be commercial in nature
• Be implemented in one or more of the 19 eligible African countries
• Demonstrate how they will contribute strongly to the sustainable development of the food system, including alignment wherever possible with priority areas of Ireland’s international development policy, A Better World, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, within the African country or countries chosen
• Explain clearly why public funds are essential to finance the initiative, including to leverage or access other sources of finance in future
• Show why the applicant or applicants are well suited to deliver on the proposed project, with reference to their experience, knowledge and skills, and how these relate to the project objectives, activities and deliverables
• Demonstrate that all applicants have appropriate governance, financial management and fraud prevention systems in place
• Demonstrate how the project intends to share, develop and/or leverage mutual expertise between Ireland and Africa in the specific project area
• Indicate how the project intends to generate or strengthen mutual trade between Ireland and Africa

Supporting documentation

All applications must be accompanied by supporting documentation, including:

• an Irish Tax Clearance Certificate – which all applicants, including African applicants, must apply for and receive from the Irish Revenue Commissioners for inclusion with their application
• a project budget with breakdown of spending, funding source, activities and equipment
• a project implementation with calendar of main steps and activities required to deliver the project objectives
• a plan for collaboration over the timeline of the project

Please see the checklist in the relevant application form, as the Feasibility Study grant and Full Commercial Project grant have different requirements.

Successful AADP funding applicants will be encouraged to engage with Irish and other national and international NGOs on various aspects of the projects, where possible. For example, project design, community engagement and mobilisation, or training and extension.

Please note that applicants seeking funding for a Full Commercial Project must source a partner business themselves. Neither the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), nor the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) are in a position to match Irish and African companies for the purpose of this Programme. Nor can the AADP itself act in place of a partner for AADP-funded projects.

What AADP grants cannot be used for

• AADP funds cannot be used to fund the manufacture, development or sale of weapons, tobacco, alcohol or gambling activities
• AADP funds cannot be used to support the production of fossil fuels
• AADP funds cannot be used to support activities that contribute to deforestation (i.e. the conversion of a forest to another land use through the long-term reduction of tree canopy cover to below the minimum 10% threshold), or forest degradation (i.e. the reduction of the capacity of a forest to provide goods and services)
• AADP funds will not be provided to companies or commercial activities that do not comply with international standards and conventions regarding: human rights, the environment, corruption, or labour laws; and where the company cannot demonstrate clear goals and ongoing measures to address these problems
• AADP funds will not support projects which do not conform to animal welfare standards as determined by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine of Ireland
• AADP funds cannot be used for any capital expenditure in Ireland without additional prior written approval

Deadline: August 15, 2025

Click HERE to Apply