US $5000 grant up for grabs: Calling on all young agripreneurs – Submit your project!

Deadline: March 15, 2016 

The Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) in partnership with Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), with a commitment to integrate, stimulate and mentor the involvement of youth in all of collective programs, invites the young agripreneurs from across the globe to submit their project proposals on the Third Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD3). 

The aim of this global event is to pilot a number of innovative projects and approaches, one of the projects being, the Youth Agripreneurs Project (YAP). 

YAP is a pilot project targeting young agricultural entrepreneurs or “agripreneurs”.

Benefits 

» US$5000 grant, allocated in 3 tranches over one year; 

» Travel and accommodation funds to attend the #GCARD3 global event in Johannesburg (South Africa) and integration into the panel discussions; 

» At #GCARD3, integration into a two days mentorship program, to initiate into the ins-and-outs of agripreneurship, providing linkup with the mentor(s), and assistance to make project a success; 

» Three days of social media training, with a firm belief that using online tools is a key factor to bring project to a success; 

» Integration into the YPARD mentoring program; 

» Assistance and mentorship during one year, to bring the project to a success. 

Eligibility 

» The young agripreneurs from around the world aged below 39 years at the time of submission are eligible to apply. 

Eligibility Projects 

» The projects have to be related to the agriculture supply chain: input (seeds or fertilizer, tools) or production (crops, livestock, fisheries, forestry, agro-forestry), value-added services (such as processing or storage), market access; 

» The US$5000 seed funding by itself has to make a difference in the project: e.g. projects where one has to wait for another $20,000 to come in before starting will not be accepted; 

» The project has to be practical, realistic and hands-on; 

» The project has to show self-sustainability. e.g. no repeated financial investment is needed, and it has to be eco-sustainable (let’s not ruin the earth while trying to feed the planet); 

» The project should show concrete results or at least tangible outputs within one year; 

» The projects which have a direct impact on rural areas are preferred; 

» “Group submissions” are accepted, e.g. projects run by a group, an organisation, institute or from a small company (with an annual turnover of less than US$50,000). 

» The proposal has to be submitted by the person who would be the project coordinator, and will be the mentee in our project; 

» Up to two project proposals per person will be accepted. 

 To apply and for more information click HERE