Last verified: 21 October 2026. Call open.
Does your organisation have the agricultural development experience and cross-country capacity to lead a substantial partnership? AICS’s AgrEcoNUS+ LEAP call focuses on strengthening agricultural and rural economic actors around neglected and underutilised species.
Opportunity at a glance
| Programme | AICS AgrEcoNUS+ LEAP call for proposals |
|---|---|
| Opportunity type | Large partnership grant for agricultural development |
| Eligible geography | Implementation in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire |
| Funding or support | €2.7 million grant; up to 100% of eligible action costs |
| Deadline or application window | 16 December 2026, 15:00 Accra time (GMT) |
Who should consider applying?
The lead must be a nonprofit NGO meeting the establishment rules, with at least seven years’ relevant experience and an average annual project portfolio of €1 million over the last three financial years. Local co-applicants are required in both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire; operational presence and registration conditions apply.
Important limits: This is not a direct small-business grant. Existing AgrEcoNUS+ partners are excluded. Lead and co-applicant conditions differ, so examine each role separately.
How to apply
Follow the full application package and submission instructions in the AICS notice. Concept note and full application are submitted together, although evaluation proceeds in stages.
Read the official programme guidance and follow its application link. Download the full guidelines and annexes from the official notice before assessing eligibility.
Africads application guidance
The following recommendations are Africads guidance, not additional donor requirements.
- Make an early leadership decision. A smaller organisation may offer valuable local expertise while being unable to satisfy the lead’s financial and experience requirements; assess partnership roles before spending weeks on a bid.
- Build the programme around economic constraints experienced by the target actors. Show how services, market relationships and organisational capacity connect, rather than treating training as the whole intervention.
- Test delivery capacity across both countries. Map partner systems, languages, procurement, financial reporting and management oversight against the proposed scale.
- Translate the results framework into a credible evidence plan. Decide what will be measured, by whom, using which baseline and how results will inform implementation decisions.
A practical preparation worksheet
Prepare a bid/no-bid matrix covering lead eligibility, local co-applicants, operational presence, portfolio evidence, relevant experience, results measurement and financial management. Mark each item confirmed, unresolved or not met, and attach the relevant document rather than relying on a verbal assurance.
Copy these prompts into your working document and add an evidence reference, responsible person and completion date to each answer. Treat missing evidence as a task to resolve, rather than a claim to strengthen with more persuasive wording.
Five questions applicants ask
Can a small enterprise apply for the entire award?
The lead role is restricted to eligible nonprofit NGOs.
Must the partnership cover both countries?
Yes. The call requires a compliant structure in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
Does full cost coverage remove financial risk?
No. Africads recommends assessing cash flow, eligible costs and delivery obligations.
Should we send only a concept note?
The guidelines require the concept note and full application package together.
What is the first practical step?
Confirm the lead and partner eligibility before designing the full intervention.
Conclusion and next steps
This is a substantial consortium opportunity requiring evidence of delivery capacity. Make the bid decision on eligibility, partnership quality and implementation readiness, then develop the technical proposal.
For a structured decision on fit, evidence and preparation, use the Africads Grant Funding Toolkit. GrantsWriterAI can help organise a draft; check every statement and budget item against the official rules.
For an opportunity or application review, contact Kimanzi@africadslive.com. Subscribe free to Grant News for verified opportunities and practical funding intelligence. Africads is an independent information service; selection remains the provider’s decision.
