The Feed the Future Market Systems and Partnerships Activity (MSP) is pleased to invite for-profit businesses in Bangladesh, Kenya, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria and Tanzania to submit an application for co-investment through its Food Loss and Waste (FLW) Partnerships Facility. These investment partnerships will increase the uptake and scaling of technologies and management practices that reduce FLW with an emphasis on nutrition. Additional countries may be added if funding becomes available; an amendment to this RFA will be issued should that be the case. The ultimate purpose of these MSP partnerships is to reduce vulnerability to the impacts of Putin’s War in Ukraine and of other systemic shocks.

Through the FLW Partnership Facility, MSP seeks to channel business resources, expertise, technology and influence to contribute to one or more of the following objectives:

• Pilot innovative solutions to reduce FLW with an emphasis on nutrient-dense products throughout the supply chain in target countries; 
• Reduce methane and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through a reduction in FLW via improved practices in storage and distribution and processing;
• Create climate smart circular economy systems of regeneration within focus countries’ food systems so that waste does not exist but is instead used as feedstock for another cycle;
• Strengthen the focus countries’ agricultural competitiveness through enhanced services, private sector engagement, and investment, especially within nutrient-rich value chains; and
• Improve the focus countries’ resilience and capacity to mitigate and respond to food system shocks.

Illustrative partnership activities that could meet these objectives by introducing or scaling technologies and improving management practices include but are not limited to: 

• Warehousing, storage, sustainable cold chain, transportation and other technologies that prolong shelf life, improve food safety and reduce product losses from damage or spoilage;
• Agro-processing that reduces microbial contamination, improves food safety, and generates additional income for smallholder farming households and expanded opportunities for farmer groups (e.g., value addition, washing, grading and packaging);
• Technologies that improve sanitary and phytosanitary food safety standards;
• Innovations to prevent post-harvest food loss (e.g., crates to carry produce, cooling facilities, spraying of biodegradable biofilm) focused on nutrient-dense agricultural products;
• Climate-smart practices that create circular economy opportunities where unsafe or inedible foods are safely recycled back into the food system for human, livestock, poultry, fish, or other animal consumption, especially those focused on nutrient-dense products and value chains (e.g., Black soldiers fly or other insects for food or feed, compositing, anaerobic digestion); 
• Other innovations that promote value addition, nutrient-dense agricultural products, and prevent FLW; and
• Processes that extend the shelf life of perishable and nutrient-dense agriculture products. 

Partners will be selected following a competitive application process. Priority will be given to applications that demonstrate a positive impact on women and youth and those that emphasize nutrient-rich products.

MSP will issue two-year grant agreements and require a 1:1 match (or 50 percent). This means that we are looking for partners who are willing to invest close to $250,000 over the course of two years, and we (USAID through DAI/MSP) will additionally invest $250,000, making the total project amount around $500,000 at a minimum. Partners are selected through an open and competitive process. Access full request for applications: www.mspgrants.com/flw2.

Applications due

August 18, 2023; 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4)

Applicant's conference (virtual)

July 20, 2023; 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4). Please register here.

Questions

Questions regarding this opportunity are accepted on a rolling basis through August 11, 2023. Questions must be submitted to [email protected] before 12:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4) on August 11, 2023. Answers are posted weekly, every Tuesday, from June 27 to August 15, 2023.

Contact

Submit questions to [email protected].

Issuance of this announcement does not constitute an award or commitment on the part of DAI, nor does it commit DAI to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of applications. Further, DAI reserves the right to reject or approve any or all submitted applications. The MSP Activity is advancing learning and good practice in market systems development and private sector engagement within USAID, USAID partners and market actors. For more information, access to technical resources and opportunities to engage, visit www.agrilinks.org/msp.