The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) has launched a call for proposals for the Investment Projects Focused on Agro-Processing in Northern Uganda to support Agricultural Revitalization and Transformation (START) Funding Facility for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Northern Uganda.

UNCDF in partnership with the European Union under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) and the Government of Uganda under the Office of the Prime Minister is implementing a four-year Programme referred to as the Development Initiative for Northern Uganda (DINU). 

The general objective of the Programme is to consolidate stability in Northern Uganda, eradicate poverty and under-nutrition and strengthen the foundations for sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development. The programme will benefit 40 districts in Northern Uganda with a total population of over 7 million people. With respect to this call for proposals, UNCDF is focusing on improving access to affordable medium term finance for SMEs engaged in agricultural value addition/agro-processing through a dedicated facility for business development services and blended finance.

START Facility is inviting proposals for commercially viable investment projects focused on agro-processing / value addition including, not limited to. processing plants, post-harvest handling technologies, effective storage systems, digital technologies to handling agro-processing, storage and any other agricultural value addition projects.

Priority will be given to enterprises engaged in apiary, cassava, coffee, groundnuts, livestock, rice, sesame, sorghum, soybean and vegetables value chain projects that contribute to economic empowerment of women and youth, contribute to development of refugee hosting areas and leverage the refugee potential for local development as well as to projects that aim at reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. Other agricultural value chains may also be considered.

Eligibility Criteria

• Must be a legally registered person
• An agribusiness entity registered in Uganda under the Companies Act, a cooperative formed under the Cooperative Societies Act, trade association or similar business representative organization legally established in Uganda
• Directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with their partners and not acting as an intermediary
• Stable and have sufficient financial resources to ensure the continuity of their organization throughout the project
• Able to demonstrate their experience and capacity to manage activities corresponding in scale and complexity with those for which financial support is requested
• Can provide, either from its own resources or in combination with other shareholders, equity equal to at least 25% of the total cost of the project.
• Have demonstrable/verifiable ownership of title or right of beneficial use of assets on which the project will be carried out
• Does not use or tolerate forced or compulsory labor or child labor

For more information, visit UNCDF.