ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
The WE4F West Africa call for innovations is aimed at SMEs that have developed innovations that respond, directly or indirectly, to the challenge of increasing food production.
Companies must meet at least the following eligibility criteria:
1. Location
The SME must come from and operate in one of the nine West African countries concerned by the project, namely: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo.
Benin
Burkina Faso
Côte d'Ivoire
Ghana
Mali
Niger
Nigeria
Senegal
Togo
Area of intervention
Have its innovation in the field of water and/or energy applied to the agri-food value chains (production /conservation / processing / distribution).
Duration of existence
The SME must have been in operation for at least 24 months
Number of employees
The SME must have at least 5 permanent employees
Administrative formalities
The SME must be able to justify a trade register and a fiscal existence (depending on the country designation).
Ambition
Applicant SMEs must have an established customer base, an annual turnover between $14,200 and $354,600 USD (equivalent to 12,000 euros to 300,000 euros) and the objective of scaling up their solutions by targeting new geographical areas, reaching new customer segments or increasing their turnover.
ADDITIONALS INFOS
- These innovations can be physical solutions (solar pump systems, biodigesters), technological (moisture sensors, remote sensing by drones), digital (soil monitoring app), or financial (pays-as-you-go).
- The proposed solutions must present a water and energy efficient (and climate friendly) innovation that demonstrates a direct or indirect positive impact on smallholder farmers:
- Applications from women entrepreneurs are strongly encouraged;
- The winners will benefit from technical and financial support (worth up to $ 181,000 USD or equivalent to 152,000 euros) for the scaling up of their innovation;
- A professional investment will be required from the entrepreneur for the proper execution and monitoring of activities.