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To reduce poverty and promote sustainable development in the ACP countries.
* Beneficiaries must be established in Ethiopia, another ACP country, a Member State of the European Union or any other OECD member country in the case of contracts carried out in Least Developed Countries or Highly Indebted Poor Countries, as included in the list of ODA recipients.
* Actions must take place in Ethiopia, and in particular in the following regions: North: Amhara and Tigray; South: Oromia, Sidama and SNNPR.
Objectives
* To improve market access and value chains in the agribusiness and hybrid agri-tech (tech-related start-ups providing services to the agri-sector) sectors, by supporting high potential start-ups with an innovative approach to addressing market needs
Priorities
* The development and implementation of ONE intervention framework addressing business incubation that can both unlock the potential of agri-business and deliver the necessary tools such that agro-entrepreneurs are supported through their entrepreneurial journey. The successful applicant will have to address and implement all the following FOUR components:
COMPONENT 1: Incubator capacity development Programme
COMPONENT 2: Establishment of two new end-to-end agricultural value chain focused hybrid agribusiness/agri-tech incubators
COMPONENT 3: Pre-incubation, incubation and post-incubation financing facility
COMPONENT 4: Cross-cutting component- visibility, communication and substantive learning agenda
Among financed actions
* Comparative assessment on policy and regulatory frameworks for promotion of entrepreneurship, innovation and incubation/start-up ecosystems from selected African countries in order to produce upstream policy recommendations and lessons learnt;
* Support regional exchange visits (peer-to-peer), with relevant African countries, to learn from their experiences on public support to incubation ecosystems (including public certification schemes or similar procedures);
* Broad consultation processes at the national level, with involvement of all relevant public and private actors, including academic players/universities, to be used as inputs for the elaboration of the national legislative package;
* Diagnostic and needs assessment of relevant incubators and related organisations;
* Design of capacity development programme to strengthen services for agribusiness;
* Creation of a standardised incubator curriculum to support agribusiness and agri-tech clients;
* Provision of training for incubator staff, management and provision of training for incubator trainers;
* Mapping and networking of the different actors of the pre-incubation, incubation, and postincubation ecosystem in the country;
* Design and release of a national virtual community or digital platform for business support: presentation and promotion of the added value of incubation, the incubation/acceleration phases and the players involved in the various niches of the incubation ecosystem;
* Provision of seed capital (matching grant) for the most promising entrepreneurs’ business plans;
* Development of an ‘Acceleration package’, including a matching loan or a guarantee, for the most promising start-ups;
* Specific support to prepare incubates engaging with investors;
* Design and implementation of specific training and support measures for innovative high potential incubators in all stages of incubation (pre, during and post-incubation).
Additional information
* This call for proposals is a restricted call for proposals. In first instance, only concept notes will be evaluated
* Initial duration of the action: 48 months
* Eligibility:
– Be a legal person;
– Be non-profit-making;
– Be a specific type of organisation such as: non-governmental organisation, public sector operator, local authority, international (inter-governmental) organisation as defined by Article 156 of the EU Financial Regulation;
– Be established in Ethiopia, another ACP country, a Member State of the European Union or any other member countries of the OECD in case of contracts implemented in Least Developed Countries or Highly Indebted Countries, as included in the list of ODA recipient and
– Be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the coapplicant(s) and affiliated entity(ies), not acting as an intermediary
– Can be Higher learning institutions;
– Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself
– Actions must take place in Ethiopia, and in particular in the following regions: North: Amhara and Tigray; South: Oromia, Sidama and SNNPR.
* Amount of the grant: between 2,5 and 5 million euro
* Co-financing rate: between 50 and 90% of the total eligible costs
25 August 2021
