USAID Nepal is calling upon innovative problem-solving, for-profit companies, non-governmental organizations and associations, private sector stakeholders, academic/educational research institutions, civil society and foundations – individually or in partnership – to take up the challenge of finding innovative solutions to sustainable food security. The contest, organized through USAID’s Feed the Future program in partnership with the agribusiness firm NIMBUS, is open to Nepali organizations. It will be open for entries until October 15, 2014. A minimum of one grant for up to $50,000 will be awarded in each of the two categories: 1) grant to pilot a new idea and 2) grant to scale-up a proven concept. 

Nepal, like the rest of the world, has a major challenge on its hands when it comes to figuring out how to provide more food and income to a growing population while still protecting the local environment and dealing with the growing uncertainties of climate change.  This is why there is a critical need to find new sustainable solutions not just for the country’s food security, but also to ensure the growth of a sector that is Nepal’s largest GDP contributor and the source of employment for over 70 percent of the population.

This competition aims to encourage private sector engagement and innovative thinking to bring new knowledge, tools, and partnerships to the challenge of helping communities maximize food security, while also making them more resilient to the effects of climate change and other environmental challenges. Winning proposals need to –

1. Leverage the transformative power of technology and partnerships to introduce and/or scale-up climate smart, scalable, and sustainable solutions.
2. Increase agriculture productivity and bring disadvantaged farmers more income, while also conserving environmental resources.
3. Contribute to the sector development of livestock and/or one or more of the four crop categories: rice, maize, lentils, and high-value vegetables. Proposals, whether pilot testing or scale-up idea, must be implemented in or benefit farmers in any of these twenty USAID focus districts: Kanchanpur, Kailali, Doti, Dadheldhura, Accham, Baitadi, Banke, Bardiya, Surhket, Jajarkot, Dailekh, Dang, Salyan, Rukum, Rolpa, Pyuthan, Kapilvastu, Argakhachi, Gulmi, and Palpa.

Proposals that can leverage private sector or other capital will be preferred. We encourage potential applicants to focus on one or both of these two areas that are critical to building sustainable food security: 

• Poverty reduction using climate-resilient agriculture
• Ecologically sustainable technologies to improve agriculture production

To apply for the competition, you must submit Grant Concept Paper to sneha.bhattarai@winrock.org 

Grant Concept Paper [MS Word]

Note: This competition will be funded and managed through USAID’s Knowledge-based Integrated Sustainable Agriculture and Nutrition (KISAN) project. For any other questions, please contact:sneha.bhattarai@winrock.org