The Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) is seeking applications for financing projects along the commodity value chains. CFC provides a range of financial and technical instruments to support projects proposed by SMEs/enterprises, cooperatives, and institutions along the entire commodity value chain in its member countries.

Project proposals incorporating innovative solutions for the commodity sector (e.g. new agritech applications, innovative productivity practices, regenerative technologies, increase availability of renewable and affordable energy, expanding environmental services, expediting green recovery, adding to the nutrition security, climate friendly practices contributing to biodiversity, saving deforestation, digitalization etc ) are especially encouraged to apply. 

Objectives

CFC supports activities which promote the contribution of the commodity sector to achieving the SDGs in CFC member countries. The principal aim in productivity gain for enhanced income to the producers and subsequent value chain upgradation, with innovations and creativity, shall include the following aspects:

• Social: Create employment (particularly for youth and women), provide sustained increase in household incomes, reduce poverty, and enhance food security.
• Economic: Enhance production and productivity, achieve higher local value addition; improve competitiveness of producers, producer organisations and small and medium sized industries, support the financial sector development.
• Environmental: Enhance production taking into account the environment and its longterm possibilities for the same, or increased use of productive resources while maintaining or reducing the impact on the environment.

The CFC supports implementation of activities along the value chain that:

• are innovative, scalable and replicable,
• are financially sustainable,
• have a potential measurable positive socio-economic and environmental impact on the stakeholders in commodity value chains as compared to the prevailing baseline situation,
• develop stronger connections with existing markets or create new markets along the value chain,
• increase financial or other services available for commodity producers and commoditybased businesses,
• enhance knowledge generation and information dissemination,
• Encourage and ensure nutrition security without harming people or planet.
• build effective and cost-efficient collaboration between producers, industry, governments, civil society organisations and other stakeholders for commodity based development, and
• enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural value chains inter alia including climate change and energy related sensitive components as appropriate.
• In a post pandemic era, CFC would continue to promote green recovery in the commodity sector
• added use of ICT and related innovations for enhanced digitalisations for ease of business and connectivity.

Eligibility Criteria

All legal public and private entities are eligible to apply under this Call for Proposals, provided they:

• operate in commodity value chains in CFC member countries or provide financial services to micro, small and medium sized businesses operating in these value chains,
• have a proven relevant track record of sound financial operations in their current and / or proposed activities over a period of at least 3 years, which can be documented by means of (audited) financial statements,
• share CFC’s values, including internationally recognized principles concerning human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption as reflected in the United Nations Global Compact.

For more information, visit CFC.