5XÉçÇø

5XÉçÇøProgram Brief 2025: Mobilizing Partnerships and Finance for Food Security

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8th Call for Proposals for Producer Organizations

5XÉçÇørecognizes Producer Organizations (POs) as critical actors in linking smallholder farmers to input, capital, and product markets. By enhancing the capacity and reach of POs, 5XÉçÇøaims to increase agricultural productivity and incomes, particularly for smallholders, while improving food availability and access for consumers.

The Eighth Call for Proposals continues GAFSP’s targeted support to PO-led initiatives. Building on three previous calls, 5XÉçÇøhas already allocated US$80 million across 32 PO-led projects, helping POs improve their internal systems and service delivery to better meet the needs of their members. These investments aim to increase smallholder farmers’ income, food and nutrition security, and resilience to shocks, including those driven by climate change, economic volatility, and fragility.

  • Part 1: Submission Deadline for Expressions of Interest - June 26, 2025

    Part 1 of the 5XÉçÇø8th Call for Proposals for Producer Organizations is now closed.  Forty-four organizations will now proceed to Part 2.  The 5XÉçÇøCoordination Unit thanks all the organizations that submitted Expressions of Interest for this Call.

  • Part 2: Submission Deadline for Grant Proposals (Full Proposal) - November 11, 2025

Information Sessions

The CU has provided two information sessions to give an overview of the Call. Recording and slides are available below in English, Spanish, and French.

Information Session Slides (in English)

Key Contacts:

Resources

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Download the PDF version here.

Abbreviations: PO = Producer Organization; SE = Supervising Entity; TAC = Technical Advisory Committee; CU = Coordination Unit; PO-Call = Call for Proposals for Producer Organizations    

Eligibility Criteria
1. Are regional or international organizations eligible to apply? +
As specified in section 2.1 of the PO-Call Guidelines, regional or international POs are eligible to apply, as long as they satisfy all of the criteria listed.
2. Are POs that have not worked with 5XÉçÇøin the past eligible to apply? +
Yes, they are eligible as long as they meet the eligibility criteria and the proposal satisfies the activity criteria specified in section 3 of the Guidelines.
3. Are PO consortiums (i.e., a group of POs) eligible to apply? +
A consortium of POs is eligible to apply, provided it meets the criteria outlined in the eligibility criteria—most importantly, the consortium itself must be a registered legal entity in a GAFSP-eligible country. Ad-hoc PO consortia formed solely for the purpose for this Call are not eligible as stated in Section 2.2.
4. Can two or more POs submit a joint proposal in one country? +
No. Only one PO should be designated as the official applicant. Other POs may participate as implementation partners or sub-grantees.
5. Can NGOs apply? Can NGO apply as a co-applicant while PO is the lead? +
No. NGOs not meeting the PO definition are not eligible. Each submission can have only one PO applicant. Exceptions apply only if a PO is legally required to register as an NGO locally.
6. What are the exceptional circumstances under which NGOs and private companies can apply? +
In some countries, entities that are de facto POs must register as private companies or NGOs. Eligibility is verified case-by-case based on whether the entity meets PO criteria. Applicants must clearly describe eligibility in the Part 1 submission.
7. How can national/international NGOs be involved in a PO-led project? +
NGOs can provide services to the PO or partner as co-financers.
8. Does the PO need to have experience working with one of the SEs to be eligible? +
No. Prior collaboration with an SE is not required, though proposals showing linkages with existing SE projects may receive priority.
9. What is the minimum capacity required from the PO? +
Refer to the PO Capacity in Tables 3 and 4 of the Call Guidelines.
10. Is there a specific amount of funds that the PO needs to have managed in the past to be eligible? +
No budget threshold exists. POs must describe experience managing funds appropriate to the grant size.
11. Can an organization registered in an ineligible country but working in an eligible one apply? +
Yes, only for regional POs registered in GAFSP-eligible IDA or IDA-blend countries. All activities must be in a GAFSP-eligible IDA country.
12. Is it an advantage if the PO contributes to the cross-cutting themes of the Call? +
Inclusion of cross-cutting themes is key for evaluation. Climate resilience and women & girls' empowerment are mandatory. Nutrition is optional. Proposals should be practical, budgeted, and outcome-driven.
13. If the PO has already received funding from GAFSP, can they apply for a different area or activity? +
No. POs currently implementing 5XÉçÇøprojects are not eligible to apply for new funding or expanding existing projects.
14. Is there a minimum requirement of how many members a PO needs to have to qualify? +
No, there are no membership requirements.
Supervising Entities
15a. What is the role of the Supervising Entity? +
See Section 4 of the PO-Call Guidelines. Two types: TA SEs implement certain activities directly, Investment SEs channel grants to the PO. Final proposals must clearly indicate responsibilities and budget division.
15b. For Investment SE, is it required to channel the full grant amount to the PO? +
Not required. Investment SEs may provide TA directly. Implementation arrangements should be clearly indicated in the budget table.
16. Can SE submit more than one proposal per country? +
Yes. Each SE may submit up to 10 Part 1 Submissions (Expressions of Interest).
17. Are there guidelines for SEs on how to select which POs to support? +
No. SEs decide based on eligibility criteria and internal considerations.
18. How can a PO get in touch with the SE in their country if it has not previously worked with one? +

Contact SE country offices or 5XÉçÇøfocal points:

  • African Development Bank: Philip Boahen, p.boahen@afdb.org
  • Asian Development Bank: Shingo Kimura, shkimura@adb.org
  • FAO: Benoist Veillerette, benoist.veillerette@fao.org; Patrizia Labella, Patrizia.Labella@fao.org
  • Inter-American Development Bank: Xu Jianjun, jianjunx@IADB.ORG
  • IFAD: Enika Basu, e.basu@ifad.org; Marc Cortadellasmancini, m.cortadellasmancini@ifad.org
  • World Bank: gafsp_wb_se@worldbankgroup.org
  • WFP: Anna Law, anna.law@wfp.org
19. Can a PO submit a proposal on its own (without any SE)? +
No. All submissions must be submitted by the SE partner from an SE staff email address.
20. Can two SEs support the application of one proposal? +
No. A PO can choose only one SE as implementing partner.
Project Proposals and Submission Process
21. What is the recommended project duration? +
Recommended duration is 3–4 years, depending on project design, PO capacity, and country context.
22. Can a previous proposal be submitted again if it was not successful before? +
Yes. New or updated proposals can be submitted if aligned with objectives and requirements of the current Call.
Capacity Assessment
23. Is the PO capacity assessment compulsory? +
Yes. It serves both for screening and as a needs assessment to inform proposal development.
24. Who is in charge of carrying out the capacity assessment? +
The Supervising Entity.
25. What assessment tool should be used? +
Use a tool covering aspects in Tables 3 and 4 of the Call Guidelines. Assessment is carried out by the SE.
General Questions
26. Is co-funding required? +
No, but it can be included and must be listed with a letter of intent from co-financing partners.
27. Can project proposals be submitted in the official language used by the PO? +
5XÉçÇøproposals and supporting documents must be in English or French. Documents in other languages require both the original and a translation.