Challenge Grants Innovations Program 2008-2009
The Quest for Innovative Technologies in Cocoa Farming Communities
From the Cocoa Seedling to the Dried Bean
Request for Grant Applications
Date of issue of the Request for Grant Applications: 1 August 2008
Deadline for submission of Grant Applications: 1 September 2008
Announcement of Successful Grant Applications: 8 October 2008
The World Cocoa Foundation is seeking grant applications within one of three technical areas that will focus on innovations in cocoa farming at the farm and community levels.
Challenge Grant Program Objectives
- Improve the quality of life for cocoa farming families and the quality of their cocoa production - a shared interest between cocoa farming communities, national governments, World Cocoa Foundation member companies, and other partners around the world.
- Foster linkages between universities, research institutes and non-governmental organizations in cocoa-producing countries to further collaborate with cocoa farmers to design new and innovative technologies and training methodologies that will improve quality of life.
- Introduce innovations that will make a long-term difference for cocoa-farming families and communities.
Grant Application Requirements
Who is eligible: Research institutes, universities, farmer groups, and non-governmental organizations only from cocoa-producing countries.
(NB: Individuals, international organizations, institutes and universities from non-cocoa producing countries are NOT eligible.)
Grant Duration: The grant duration will be for 12 months from October 2008 thru September 2009 with a maximum budget of USD 20,000.
Definition of “Innovation”: An innovation can be defined as something that creates value as any of the following: a brand new creation; an existing idea translated into action; an existing idea measured (e.g. quantitative measures of the benefit of solar drying); an existing action translated into a new application; an existing action translated into a new location/function; a new idea proven to work; something that improves on the status quo (economically, socially, environmentally, etc.); a positive contribution to existing capability (e.g. new accessibility and/or application of some knowledge or technology); something that crosses all three innovation grant technical areas.
Technical Areas of Focus
A proposed innovation must address at least one of the identified priorities listed within one of the three categories:
Farm Level Innovations focusing on labor-saving techniques and production efficiency that address:
- Appropriate planting materials, availability to farmers.
- Implementation of disease and pests IPM (integrated pest management) – including biocontrol.
- Harvesting, opening pods, fermentation, drying or storage, composting at the farm level.
- Managing a cocoa farm as a business.
- Consolidation, adoption and application of best (sustainable) agricultural practices globally (propose easy, massive and cost effective ways of disseminating information and replicating practices).
- Use of information technology (text messaging, kiosks, radio, television, farmer-to-farmer exchanges, printed materials, DVDs, VCDs, etc.) as mechanisms for broad dissemination of knowledge and skills (market information, extension services, etc.).
- Input supply systems, accessibility (knowledge, information, finance, agricultural inputs).
Improved Farm Safety including appropriate technologies to make cocoa farming safer that address:
- Traditional hazardous tools, unfavorable tree (height) canopy
- Work accidents, exposure to agrochemicals, appropriate protective clothing
- Use of agrochemicals
- Pod transportation, manual lifting
- Any other identified farm safety issues for family members working on the farm.
Expanded Education & Community Development methodologies including improved training approaches and methods of disseminating information related to basic education, farmer training, sensitization on social issues, and farmer/community organization development.
- Alternative education approaches and techniques (sustainable in local context).
- Innovative technological delivery systems (reaching large numbers of communities in local context).
- Strengthening farmer groups/organizations (core business development skills, financial, management, marketing, management information systems, etc.)
- Community involved extension service systems.
- Mobilizing youth to engage in farming and community development, training for out-of-school youth and young adults.
- Mobilizing women to engage in farming and community development.
- Micro-finance, affordable credit systems.
- Health and wellness of community members (malaria, HIV/AIDS, STDs, water-borne illnesses, nutrition).
- Involving communities in solutions to economic development through participatory approaches.
Language: All communications and grant applications must be submitted in English
Submission Requirements
Eligible applicants are invited to submit their completed application via electronic mail only. All submissions must include the following documentation and arrive no later than 1 September 2008:
Letter of collaboration from technical partners (if applicable)
Letter of support from interested stakeholders (maximum of three, if applicable)
Questions
Questions concerning the grant applications may be submitted by e-mail only to Tracey.Duffey@worldcocoa.org . The deadline to submit questions is 8 August 2008. Answers to questions will be posted on the World Cocoa Foundation website on 12 August 2008 (and are located at the bottom of this page).
Applications
All grant application materials may be submitted by e-mail only to Tracey.Duffey@worldcocoa.org . The applicant will be notified electronically of the receipt of the grant application.
Provisions
Issuance of this request for grant applications does not constitute a grant award commitment on the part of the World Cocoa Foundation. The World Cocoa Foundation will not pay for any expenses incurred in the preparation and submission of the grant application. Final award of any resultant grant will not be made until funds have been fully appropriated, allocated and committed. The World Cocoa Foundation offers no commitment to respondents other than the promise to keep all responses confidential in their entirety.
Questions submitted by August 8, 2009
The following questions were submitted regarding the grant application process:
Question 1: There is a concern that the grant application materials are exclusively accepted in English. This provides an advantage to Anglophone producing countries and limits the distribution in Francophone producing countries. We request the grant eligibility requirements be adjusted to accepted applications in French.
Answer: [As noted in the Request for Grant Applications, under the section entitled: Grant Application Requirements:
Language: All communications and grant applications must be submitted in English.]
The language requirements of all grant applications and communications is English. This single language requirement is due to the number of technical advisors that will serve on the technical review committee and the need to identify a common language to review all applications.
Question 2: The USD 20,000 grant amount may be too modest to reach the expected outcome. We request the maximum grant amount be increased.
Answer: [As noted in the Request for Grant Applications, under the section entitled: Grant Application Requirements:
Grant Duration: The grant duration will be for 12 months from October 2008 thru September 2009 with a maximum budget of USD 20,000.]
The maximum budget per grant is USD 20,000 for the 2008-2009 Challenge Grants Program. If your innovation project will exceed the maximum budget, you should secure additional funding in advance, or not submit a proposal under this grant program.
Question 3: Please provide information on the audit and oversight requirements of the World Cocoa Foundation.
Answer: Each Awardee will be required to submit quarterly financial and progress reports to their World Cocoa Foundation Challenge Grant Manager.
Question 4: When submitting the completed application form, are we expected under the “Authorization Agreement for Consideration” section to either sign and then scan the entire document, or print the name before sending as a word document?
Answer: Either is acceptable. The contact person representing the organization may sign and then scan the document, or he/she may print the name and send as a word document.
Question 5: Can a proposal from an individual be submitted? For example, I am a scientist working at a research institute but I would like to submit a proposal on my own, individually.
Answer: [As noted in the Request for Grant Applications, under the section entitled: Grant Application Requirements:
Who is eligible: Research institutes, universities, farmer groups, and non-governmental organizations only from cocoa-producing countries.
(NB: Individuals, international organizations, institutes and universities from non-cocoa producing countries are NOT eligible.)]
Individuals are not eligible. A research institute is eligible to apply, therefore if your innovation is in direct relation to your work at the research institute where you are employed, the research institute as an organization could apply and you could be the contact person at the organization.
Question 6: May an organization develop and submit more than one proposal from the same organization, but addressing different issues?
Answer: An organization may submit more than one application.