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9th Call for Proposals for Country-led Projects

The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) supports country-led investments that strengthen food security, build resilience, and improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers and rural communities in the world’s poorest countries.

The Ninth Call for Proposals comes at a critical moment for global food security. Conflict, climate shocks, economic instability, and rising food and fertilizer costs continue to drive hunger and malnutrition worldwide, while development financing is under increasing pressure. Through this Call, GAFSP will provide approximately US$163 million in grant financing to support high-impact, scalable investments that help countries strengthen agriculture and food systems over the medium and long term.

Aligned with the GAFSP Strategic Plan (2025–2030), the 9th Call places a strong emphasis on innovative and integrated solutions that improve agricultural productivity, strengthen market access, enhance climate resilience, empower women and girls, and support more sustainable and inclusive food systems. The Call also encourages stronger collaboration across public and private actors, greater alignment with national priorities and global food security initiatives, and increased support for fragile and conflict-affected countries.

The 9th Call is expected to finance between 6 and 10 projects across eligible low-income countries.

Submission Deadline for Proposals and Required Documents is September 15, 2026.

The GAFSP 9th Call for Proposals for Country-led Projects launched on May 13, 2026. Eligible countries are invited to submit proposals and all required supporting documents by September 15, 2026.

Applications should be prepared by governments in consultation with their selected Supervising Entity(ies) and relevant stakeholders, including smallholder farmers, producer organizations, women’s groups, private sector actors, civil society, and development partners.

Priority will be given to high-quality proposals that demonstrate strong country ownership, implementation readiness, co-financing, and innovative approaches to addressing food security and nutrition challenges.

For full eligibility criteria, submission requirements, and application guidelines, please refer to the official Call documentation.

Resources

Please note: the proposal template was updated on May 26 to correct a numbering error in Question #20. Please use the updated template, linked below.

Information Sessions

The GAFSP Coordination Unit has provided two information sessions to give an overview of the Call. Recording and slides will be available following the sessions.

Information Session 1 Date: Thursday, May 28, 2026 Time: 9:00 – 10:30 AM EDT 

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAUxwN_fR4E 

Information Session 2 Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 Time: 9:00 – 10:30 AM EDT 

Zoom Meeting Link: 

https://worldbankgroup.zoom.us/j/97140376300?pwd=huqnd4hnP6WRVR3D3XnOanWmNsvLbS.1

Meeting ID: 971 4037 6300

Passcode: 66%bAQD3tV

Key Contact:

GAFSP General Inbox, gafsp-info@gafspfund.org

Frequently Asked Questions

Download the PDF version here.

Eligible Supervising Entities


1. Which development agencies are eligible to serve as Supervising Entities? 


Countries must be supported by an eligible GAFSP Supervising Entity (SE). Applicant governments may choose one of the following investment Supervising Entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), or the World Bank. In addition, countries may optionally choose the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) or the World Food Programme (WFP) to serve as an additional SE for technical assistance activities.
According to GAFSP’s Governance document, it is noted that the World Bank, AfDB, ADB, IDB and IFAD are eligible for both investment activities and technical assistance activities, while FAO and WFP are eligible for technical assistance activities only.


Eligibility to Apply
 

2. Who is eligible to submit a proposal under the 9th Call for Proposals? Can civil society organizations, farmers organization, local government, academic institute, private firms or individuals apply directly for GAFSP funding on behalf of their country?


The Country-Led modality is open to national governments of eligible countries, working in partnership with one of GAFSP's approved Supervising Entities. Proposals must be submitted by representatives of the eligible national government. NGOs, civil society organizations, individual farmers, consortiums of private sector actors or research institutes, local governments, academic institutions, and individual organizations are not eligible to apply directly. However, applicant countries are expected to demonstrate engagement with civil society, the private sector, farmer organizations, and other relevant stakeholders in the preparation of their proposal. These actors are therefore strongly encouraged to liaise directly with their government — specifically the ministry responsible for agriculture or food security — to explore how they could contribute to their country's national proposal.


3. Can international NGOs or civil society organizations (e.g., International Red Cross) contribute to or partner in the implementation of a GAFSP-funded project under the 9th Call for Proposals?


As stated in question #2, international NGOs and civil society organizations are not eligible to receive GAFSP grant financing directly, nor to serve as Supervising Entities. However, the Guidelines make clear that proposals are assessed in part on the "soundness of institutional arrangements and implementation roles and responsibilities," as well as on the "track record of implementing entities in executing comparable projects."  This means that where an international NGO or civil society organization brings relevant expertise or operational capacity — for example in fragile and conflict-affected settings where organizations such as IRC often work — they may contribute to project implementation as partners engaged by the government or the SE, subject to the Government's demand, and the SE's own policies and procedures governing procurement and partnership arrangements. Countries and SEs should discuss the specific role of any such organization with their chosen SE early in the proposal preparation process.


4.  Can non-SE UN agencies (e.g., UNDP, UNOPS, UNIDO) participate in a GAFSP-funded project as implementing partners, technical delivery partners, or subcontractors alongside the Government and an approved Supervising Entity?


Yes, although these entities cannot participate as Supervising Entities, the Government may choose to work with these agencies as an implementation partner. This means that any engagement of additional partners — including non-SE UN agencies — in a delivery or technical service provider role would be governed by the internal procurement and operational rules of the government and the chosen SE, not by GAFSP directly. Please work with the national government directly in such engagement. 


5.  I am a farmer/small business owner/small non-profit. How can I benefit from this funding opportunity? 


GAFSP grants are provided directly to national governments of eligible countries, so you cannot apply for funding individually. Individual farmers are not eligible to apply directly under the 9th Call for Proposals. However, the Guidelines require that applicant governments demonstrate meaningful engagement with farmers, farmer organizations, the private sector, civil society, and local communities in the preparation of their proposal.  Please liaise directly with your government — specifically the ministry responsible for agriculture or food security — to explore how you could contribute to the country's national proposal.

On Co-financing


6.  Is co-financing mandatory, and how is it assessed? 


Yes, co-financing is a mandatory eligibility requirement under the 9th Call. Proposals that show no co-financing will be considered ineligible. Both cash and in-kind co-financing are treated equally. Proposals must submit evidence of secured co-financing (e.g., signed agreements) or expected co-financing (e.g., formal letters of intent). 


Co-financing is also scored: proposals can earn up to 3 additional points for co-financing sourced outside of official development assistance — such as from the private sector, government — and up to 4 additional points if the total co-financing amount equals or exceeds 50% of the GAFSP grant request. Please see Section 7, Annex 1 – Selection Criteria and Scoring, and Annex 2- Required documents to see the details. 

Annex 2 provides further guidance on evidence to be submitted for “#7. Co-financing Evidence”. The type of evidence required depends on the status of the co-financing. 

  • Secured: Official documentation confirming the commitment, such as a signed financing agreement, budget allocation letter, government appropriation document, or approved project document. 
  • Expected: Documentation demonstrating a formal basis for the anticipated contribution, such as a letter of intent, draft memorandum of understanding, or official government communication confirming the co-financing