AGRI-TECH CATALYST ROUND 10: AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS, EARLY STAGE – FUNDING

1. Title: AGRI-TECH CATALYST ROUND 10: AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS, EARLY STAGE – FUNDING2. Awarding Authority: Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), GB Tel: 0300 321 4357. Email: support@innovateuk.ukri.org.3. Contract type: Service contract4. Description: Up to £2.5 million of funding is available from the awarding authority across the 3 strands. This is for projects working on agri-tech and food chain innovations with partners in eligible African countries.The aim of this competition is to increase the pace of innovation in the development of agricultural and food systems in Africa. Your project must result in more use of innovations by farmers and food systems organisations, such as manufacturers, processors, retailers, distributors and wholesalers.We are running 3 strands to this competition at the same time:Early stage feasibility studies (this competition).Mid stage industrial research.Late stage experimental development.It is your responsibility to make sure you are applying for the correct strand.The competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated.Who can apply State aidAny UK registered business claiming funding must be eligible to receive state aid at the time we confirm you will be awarded funding. It is not possible to award grant funding to organisations meeting the condition known as undertakings in difficulty. If you are unsure please take legal advice. For further information see our general guidance on state aid.cAll projects must:be collaborativeinclude a UK registered lead applicant organisation (known in previous rounds as the ‘administrative lead’)include a technical lead, from any countryinclude at least one business (from the UK or an eligible African country from the list below)include at least one partner from an eligible African countryimplement significant activity in the eligible African countryThe roles of lead applicant and technical lead could be carried out by a single UK organisation.Your project can also include other businesses, academic institutions, public sector organisations or research and technology organisations (RTOs). They must claim funding through this competition and be invited to join the application by the lead applicant.Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) can join the consortium as non-grant claiming partners. Their costs will count towards the total eligible project costs.Lead organisationsThe lead applicant:will be responsible for completing the applicationwill be the recipient of the award (referred to as ‘project manager’ in the Innovation Funding Service)will manage and be accountable for the project’s finances in accordance with the terms and conditions of the awardmust be a UK registered business of any size, academic institution, charity, public sector organisation or research organisationmust claim grant funding through this competitioncan partner in up to 2 other applications where they are neither the lead applicant nor the technical leadThe technical lead:will lead on the development of the scope, work packages within the project and other work from a technical perspectivecan be a UK registered business of any size, academic institution, charity, public sector organisation or research organisation, or a partner organisation from any countrymust claim grant funding through this competition and be invited to join the application by the lead applicantcan also be the lead applicant if it is a UK registered organisationFind out which definition your organisation falls into.Innovate UK acknowledges that the legal categories for institutions differ in other countries. If you wish to partner with an organisation that does not fit into the categories listed above, email support@innovateuk.ukri.org at least 10 working days before the competition registration deadline. We will decide whether to approve your request.If you have any questions about the eligibility or grant rate of African country organisations, email support@innovateuk.ukri.org.Multiple applicationsAcross the 3 competition strands:any one UK registered organisation can be the lead applicant or technical lead on one application and collaborate in a further 2 applicationsif a UK registered business is not leading an application as lead applicant or technical lead, it can collaborate in up to 3 applicationsif an academic institution or research and technology organisation (RTO) is not leading on any applications they can collaborate on any number of applications5. CPV Code(s): 73110000, 73100000, 732100006. NUTS code(s): UKK, UKK1, UKK147. Main site or location of works, main place of delivery or main place of performance: Eligible African countriesAngolaBeninBurkina FasoBurundiCameroonCentral African RepublicChadCongo (Brazzaville)Congo, Democratic Republic ofCôte d’IvoireEritreaEthiopiaGambia, TheGhanaGuineaGuinea-BissauKenyaLesothoLiberiaMadagascarMalawiMaliMozambiqueNigerNigeriaRwandaSao Tome and PrincipeSenegalSierra LeoneSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth SudanSudanTanzaniaTogoUgandaZambiaZimbabwe8. Reference attributed by awarding authority: Not provided.9. Estimated value of requirement: UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £2.5 million to work on agri-tech and food chain innovations in Africa.Project sizeFor early stage feasibility studies, your total eligible project costs must be between £100,000 and £500,000.Your projectYour project must:have total eligible costs between £100,000 and £500,000start by 1 April 2021last between 12 and 18 monthsFundingUp to £2.5 million is available from the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) to fund innovation projects in the 3 strands of this competition.If your organisation’s work on the project is mostly commercial or economic, your funding request must not exceed the limits below. These limits apply even if your organisation normally acts non-economically.For the early stage feasibility studies, you could get funding for your eligible project costs of:up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisationup to 60% if you are a medium-sized organisationup to 50% if you are a large organisationWe use the EU definition of an SME to determine business size for both EU and international businesses.The research organisations in your consortium undertaking non-economic activity as part of the project can share up to 50% of the total eligible project costs. If your consortium contains more than one research organisation undertaking non-economic activity, this maximum is shared between them.This competition provides state aid funding under article 25, ‘Collaborative research and development’ of the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER). It is your responsibility to make sure that your organisation is eligible to receive state aid.10. Competition closes: 21.10.2020 (12:00:00).11. Address to which they must be sent: For further information regarding the above contract notice please visit: 12. Other information: Competition opens: Monday 20 July 2020Competition closes: Wednesday 21 October 2020 12:00pmFunding type GrantSubcontractorsSubcontractors are allowed in this competition. Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the world. We would expect subcontractor costs to be justified and appropriate to the total eligible project costsAdditional assurancesFunding for this competition comes from the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).In view of the overseas nature of this funding, there are some additional assurance requirements:successful UK applicants must demonstrate they have proper and transparent arrangements for passing grant monies to African partners applying for funding, or grant funding will be withdrawnInnovate UK will carry out initial due diligence and final audit checks on all non-UK partnersInnovate UK has the right to refuse funding to projects where the cost of due diligence and monitoring requirements outweigh the potential benefits of funding. This decision will be made as part of our risk-based considerations.Previous applicationsResubmissionsYou can use a resubmission to apply for this competition.Failure to exploit (UK applicants)If you applied to a previous competition as the lead or sole organisation and were awarded funding by Innovate UK or UK Research and Innovation, but did not make a substantial effort to exploit that award, we will award no more funding to you, in this or any other competition. You will not be able to contest our decision.We will:assess your efforts in the previous competition against your exploitation plan for that projectreview the monitoring officers’ reports and any other relevant sources for evidencedocument our decision, which will be made by 3 team members, and communicate it to you in writingPrevious projects (UK applicants)Under the terms of Innovate UK funding, you must submit an independent accountant’s report (IAR) with your final claim. If you or any organisation in your consortium failed to submit an IAR on a previous project, we will not award funding to you in this or any other competition until we have received the documents.Your proposalThere are many opportunities and challenges for food systems, as described by the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition.We are looking to fund a portfolio of projects, across a variety of technologies, markets, technological maturities, research categories and different strands of the competition.Your proposal must show the potential to have a positive impact on poverty through the uptake of agricultural and food systems technology and innovation.You can choose from one or more of the following areas:primary crop and livestock production, including aquaculturenon-food uses of crops, excluding ornamentalschallenges in food processing, distribution or storage, and value addition (such as through a change in the physical state or form of the product)improving the availability and accessibility of safe, healthy and nutritious foodsYour project’s innovations must:be sustainable in the context of environmental challenges such as climate change and resource scarcityminimise negative effects such as pollution, food loss and wastepromote safe, healthy and nutritious dietsYour project and its outcomes must fit within the Official Development Assistance (ODA) criteria.Your application must demonstrate how the primary benefit from your project will be a contribution to international development outcomes, specifically:enhanced food and nutrition security andwelfare of the poor in urban and rural areas in developing countriesActivities carried out in the UK must clearly deliver impact in an eligible African country. Any benefits to the UK must be secondary in nature and result from delivering the primary benefit. Your proposal must clearly demonstrate the ways it will have an impact in the country.If your project will support crop breeding it must have clear potential for impact at scale, in more than one eligible African country.Gender analysis and data disaggregationMen and women experience poverty differently and face different obstacles to moving out of poverty. A significant gender gap in agriculture means women have unequal access to and control over productive assets and income. This is despite contributing a significant share of agricultural labour.If your project is not sensitive to how this affects agricultural productivity, marketing and processing, the impact will be limited and potentially exacerbate gender inequalities. You should not assume that the household is a unit in which everything is pooled and shared and in which one person makes decisions on behalf of all household members.Your proposal should recognise that to promote gender equality and empower girls and women is not only a goal in its own right. It is often a means to improving agricultural productivity or achieving food and nutrition security.You must include an analysis of the gender factors affecting the innovation. For example, you may find it is inappropriate to refer to ‘farmers’ without indicating whether you are referring to male farmers, female farmers, or both. Consider whether you need to include expertise on gender and social analysis within your project.You must separate data about other variables, where relevant, such as ethnicity, age, disability and spatial geography. There is more guidance in question 7.Animal welfareYou must make sure that all your proposed research, both in the UK and internationally, complies with the principles of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s (BBSRC) and other UK funders’ common guidance on Responsibility in the use of animals in bioscience research.We will not fund projects likely to directly compromise farm animal welfare outcomes. Projects likely to benefit animal welfare will be viewed favourably.UK institutions should be aware of this extract from the guidance:“When collaborating with other laboratories, or where animal facilities are provided by third parties, researchers and the local ethics committee in the UK should satisfy themselves that welfare standards consistent with the principles of UK legislation (e.g. the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986), and set out in this guidance, are applied and maintained. Where there are significant deviations, prior approval from the funding body should be sought and agreed.”Examples of specific themesYour project can focus on any area that improves the uptake of agricultural and food systems technology and innovation, for example:integrating smallholders into global and local supply chainsincreasing the value of production to smallholderscontrol of crop pests, weeds and diseasesmeeting quality standards and improving productivityreducing food losses ‘post-farm gate’ and through the value chainaddressing food safety issues through the value chainnew food technologies and data-driven food systems, including for urban areasaddressing challenges in downstream food processing, distribution, or storage and value additioninnovation that supports food systems to deliver nutritious, healthy and safe foodResearch categoriesWe will fund feasibility projects, as defined in the guidance on categories of research.Projects we will not fundWe are not funding:forestry or ornamentalswild-capture fisheriesequinecrops for energy productionprojects that support the tobacco industry July 2020 Crop production online networking event: register9 July 2020 Livestock and aquaculture online networking event: register9 July 2020 Food systems and nutrition online networking event: register20 July 2020 Competition opens28 July 2020 Online briefing event21 October 2020 12:00pm Competition closes18 December 2020 Applicants notifiedBefore you startYou must read the guidance on applying for a competition on the Innovation Funding Service before you start.Innovate UK is unable to award grant funding to organisations meeting the condition known as undertakings in difficulty.International applicantsIf your organisation is not registered in the UK and is:a business, you must apply as a businessan academic institution, you must apply as a ‘non-J-eS registered organisation’a research organisation which is not a university, you must apply as an RTOIf you need more information, email us at support@innovateuk.ukri.org or call the competition helpline on 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 11:30am and 2pm to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).The lead applicant is responsible for the following:collecting the information for the applicationsubmitting the finished applicationrepresenting the consortium if your application is successfulmaking payment to their project partners# funding opportunity