About

The European Commission (EC) is seeking applications for its grant to support circular food MSMEs.

Aims

• The AfriFOODlinks Open Call aims to attract micro, small and medium enterprises based in the five AfriFOODlinks Hub Cities that have an active annual revenue not higher than €50,000 and have between 1 and 50 full time employees. The application must be made from an active business that operates within the Food System of that city. The target of the call is to prioritise businesses led by or benefitting youth (35-year-old and younger) and/or women.

Funding Information

• The grant will benefit Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to improve their circularity, internal processes and the capabilities required to meet market demands for healthy and nutritious diets. The budget dedicated to the grant is €250,000 in total. To support local MSMEs in reaching this goal, the Open Call will provide financial support to:

  • MSMEs operating in the 5 Hub Cities of AfriFOODlinks (Cape Town, Ouagadougo, Kisumu, Mbale and Tunis)

  • Up to 15 businesses from each of these 5 cities making a total of up to 75 businesses reached

  • Grants between €1,000 and €50,000 will be financed.

Evaluation Criteria

• Applications will be evaluated based on the following requirements:

  • Alignment with the AfriFOODlinks goal to increase access to healthy, safe and nutritious food in the Hub City through circular business models.

  • Formalisation stageof the business.

  • Operational capacity of the business:

    • Clarity on business model, including a well-defined problem, clear market opportunity, promising circular business model with an existing customer base and a viable product or service. 

  • Clear plan for growth of the business, including a compelling business plan that shows high-potential for contributing to circular economy transitions in the food system and social benefit; the 5-year growth plan measured either through staff or profitability. 

  • Clear fund allocation set against a clear list of activities with respective timelines, indicating how the funds are expected to be released. 

  • Focus on Youth and Women leadership in the business or in the targeted beneficiaries of the business.

Eligibility

• Applicant must have attended the AfriFOODlinks incubation and training programmes.

• Applicant businesses are to be micro, small, medium enterprises:

  • of between 1 and 50 staff members;

  •  with an active annual revenue of not more than €50,000.

• Applicant business must be locally-owned with active operations in the AfriFOODlinks Hub Cities (Cape Town, Ouagadougou, Kisumu, Mbale and Tunis)

• No member of the business is allowed to be employed by any sphere of government or by any entity majority owned by any sphere of government.

• All activities must comply with EU regulations. 

• Activities funded by the submitted application cannot be double funded by another funding.

• Applications submitted for Cape Town, Kisumu and Mbale must be in English. Applications submitted for Ouagadougou and Tunis must be in French. 

• Applicants must fill in the Application Form of their own City only.

Post Date: July 21, 2025