8th Call for Proposals for Producer Organizations

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

The Eighth Call for Proposals continues ��׺��’s targeted support to PO-led initiatives. Building on three previous calls, ��׺�� has 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
Par 2: Submission Deadline for Grant Proposals (Full Proposal) - November 11, 2025

If you are interested in learning more about the Eight Call for Proposals, please register for the virtual information and Q&A sessions:

Wednesday, May 28, from 2:00 to 3:30 PM (CEST)/8:00–9:30 AM (EST).
- Registration link available
Tuesday, June 3, from 2:00 to 3:30 PM (CEST)/8:00–9:30 AM (EST).
- Registration link available

Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility Criteria

Are regional or international organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. As specified in Section 2.1 of the PO-Call Guidelines, regional or international POs that satisfy all of the criteria listed are eligible to apply .
Are POs that have not worked with ��׺�� in the past eligible to apply?
Yes. They are eligible as long as they meet the eligibility criteria.
Are PO consortia (i.e., a group of POs) eligible to apply?
Yes. A consortium of POs may apply, provided it meets the eligibility criteria. Moreover, the consortium itself must be a registered legal entity in a ��׺��-eligible country. An ad-hoc PO consortium, formed solely for the purpose of this Call, is not eligible, as stated in Section 2.2 of the PO-Call Guidelines.
Can two or more POs submit a joint proposal in one country?
No. While multiple POs can be involved in the implementation of a project, only one PO should be designated as the official applicant. This PO will be responsible for project coordination and implementation. Other POs can still participate by supporting specific activities or playing a role in delivering parts of the project, but they should not be listed as co-applicants.
Can NGOs apply?
No. NGOs are not eligible to apply. An exception may be considered if the national laws or regulations do not envisage registration of POs, and hence the PO could only be formally registered as an NGO.
The eligibility of national and sub-national NGOs and private companies will be verified on a case-by-case basis. The applicant must describe clearly in the Part 1 submission documentation (Expression of Interest) how their organization fulfils the eligibility criteria as specified in Section 2 of the Call Guidelines.
How can NGOs, private companies, or any other organization (public or private) be involved in a PO-led project?
NGOs, private companies, or any other organization can be involved in the project in two ways: (1) by providing services to the PO in specific activities during implementation of the project, and/or (2) by co-financing an eligible PO proposal.
Does the PO need to have experience working with one of the SEs to be eligible?
No. Prior collaboration with a SE is not a requirement for eligibility. However, proposals that demonstrate linkages with existing SE projects, particularly those funded by ��׺��, will be given priority during the selection process.
What is the minimum capacity required from the PO?
The PO needs to demonstrate the capacity to ensure effective and efficient project implementation, and also to meet the fiduciary requirements of the selected SE. PO Capacity requirements are set out in the Selection criteria table (Table 3 and Table 4). The PO must also submit all required documents listed in Part 1 – Expression of Interest (Annex 1).
During the preparation of the Part 2 submission, the concerned SE will assess PO's capacity using an appropriate assessment tool
Is there a specific amount of funds that the PO needs to have managed in the past to be eligible?
No. There is no specific threshold. However, POs are required to describe their experience in managing funds in line with the grant amount for which they are applying.
Can an organization registered in a ��׺��-ineligible country, but working in a ��׺��-eligible country, apply? For example, what happens when an organization registered in India (ineligible) but working in Sri Lanka (eligible) applies?
Yes. However, this can be done only in the case of regional POs. Regional POs registered in a ��׺��-eligible IDA country (see Table 1 in Call Guidelines) or in an IDA-blend country (see Table 2 in Call Guidelines) are eligible to apply. However, all project activities must be implemented exclusively in a ��׺��-eligible IDA-only country.
Do proposed activities have to contribute to the cross-cutting themes of the 8th Call?
Yes. As outlined in Scoring Tables 3 and 4 of the Guidelines (see 2.3: Alignment with ��׺��), the inclusion of ��׺��’s cross-cutting themes is a key element in evaluating the technical strength of a proposal.
Moreover, climate resilience and women and girl's empowerment are mandatory themes that must be addressed by all proposals. Proposals would also need to include at least one climate indicator in the results framework of the Part 2 submission (Full Proposal).
However, as stated in Section 2.3 of Tables 3 and 4, whether the proposal addresses the improvement of nutrition is optional and confers no advantage or disadvantage in the assessment.
Can POs that have already received funding from ��׺��, apply for operating in a different geographic area and a different type of activities?
No. As outlined in Section 2 of the PO-Call Guidelines, POs currently implementing a ��׺��-funded PO-led project from a previous Call for Proposals are not eligible to apply for additional funding, whether to expand the scope or budget of their existing project or to launch a new one.
However, regional projects, which typically span multiple countries or areas and focus on capacity building, technical assistance, or market access, may include POs already funded by ��׺�� as sub-grantees. This is allowed only if the proposed activities are not already financed under an existing national PO-led project and must be clearly justified in the regional proposal as part of a broader, multi-actor initiative.
Is there a minimum requirement of how many members a PO needs to have to qualify?
No. There are no formal requirements on a number of members a PO must have to apply to the ��׺��. However, the amount of the grant requested needs to be tailored to membership needs and capacities.

Supervising Entities

What is the role of the Supervising Entity?
The role of the SEs is to help formulate and implement the ��׺�� funded project. The final proposal must clearly indicate how responsibilities, in particular costs and budget management, will be divided between the PO and SE . POs are encouraged to engage at an early stage with an SE of their choice to ensure a strong, collaborative fit.
Please note that there are two types of SEs that the PO could choose from according to its needs and preferences:
- Technical Assistance SEs, namely FAO and WFP, that will directly implement certain activities (e.g., training or studies) as part of the grant. As noted in the Guidelines footnote 18: “on average, for PO-led projects to date, 27 percent of the grants have been used by the FAO or WFP for direct project implementation in this way, ranging from 15–49 percent across the sixth and seventh Call-funded projects.”
- Investment SEs, namely International Financial Institutions, channel the full grant amount to the PO, which then directly manages all implementation and procurement activities.
Can SE submit more than one proposal per country?
Yes. Each SE may submit more than one project in each country. However, overall, each SE may submit a maximum of 10 projects at the Expression of Interest stage (see Part 1 Submissions - EOI). However, it would be sensible for an SE to support only one project in a given country.
Are there guidelines for SEs on the selection of POs to support?
No. SEs should use their own assessment and judgment to decide which POs to support. In doing this, they should take into account the eligibility criteria as described in Section 2.1 of the Call Guidelines, as well as any other internal business considerations.
How can a PO get in touch with SEs in their country if it has not previously worked with one?
POs can reach out to SE country offices. Alternatively, they can reach out to contact persons listed below who are ��׺�� focal points for each SE and who can put POs in touch with relevant in-country personnel:
•    African Development Bank, Philip Boahen, p.boahen@afdb.org
•    Asian Development Bank, Shingo Kimura shkimura@adb.org
•    Food and Agriculture Organization, Benoist Veillerette, benoist.veillerette@fao.org; Patrizia Labella (CFIE) Patrizia.Labella@fao.org
•    Inter-American Development Bank, Xu, Jianjun jianjunx@IADB.ORG
•    International Fund for Agricultural Development, Enika Basu, e.basu@ifad.org, Marc Cortadellas Mancini, m.cortadellasmancini@ifad.org
•    World Bank, gafsp_wb_se@worldbankgroup.org
•    World Food Programme, Anna Law anna.law@wfp.org
Can a PO submit a proposal on its own (without any SE)?
No. As the guidelines state in Section 5, all submissions to ��׺�� must be submitted by the SE partner from an SE staff email address.
Can two SEs support the application of one proposal?
No. A PO can choose only one SE as the implementing partner.
If one of the 10 projects submitted by a Supervising Entity (SE) at the Expression of Interest (EoI) stage is not approved, can it be replaced by another project that was not part of the original EoI submission?
No, projects cannot be replaced after the EoI stage. Only those that have successfully gone through the EoI vetting process are eligible to proceed to the full proposal stage. It is the responsibility of the Supervising Entity (SE) to carefully assess and advance EoIs from Producer Organizations (POs) they trust to follow through with the process. Substituting a project that was not vetted during the EoI stage would compromise the integrity and transparency of the selection process.
For the Part 2 submission, it states that the letter of readiness must include a signature by the SE’s head of the country office. In the case of regional POs, does this mean that a signature is required from every country where the regional PO will be active in as described in the proposal?
If the regional PO proposal envisages a sub-grant scheme and the recipients of this scheme are already pre-defined, then the regional PO would need to submit letters of readiness from each of the SE’s heads of the country offices. However, if the regional PO does not envisage a sub-grant scheme or if the recipient is undefined (e.g., competitive sub-grant allocation), then the regional PO should only submit a letter of readiness from the SE’s head of the country office where they are registered.

Project Proposals and Submission Process

What is the recommended project duration?
The recommended implementation period should not exceed 3 to 4 years.
Can a previous proposal be submitted again (if it was not successful before)?
Yes. POs that submitted proposals in the previous Call for Proposals, but were not selected, are eligible to submit a new or an updated proposal. However, the new proposal should be adjusted and aligned with the objectives and requirements of this Eighth Call for Proposals.

Capacity assessment

Is the PO capacity assessment compulsory?
Yes. The PO capacity assessment is for screening purposes, but it also helps identify weaknesses and areas for development that can be reflected in the proposal.
Who is in charge of carrying out the capacity assessment?
The selected SE.
What assessment tool should be used?
The SE and the PO should agree on a well-designed tool that covers as many aspects as possible per the Tables 3 and 4 in the Call Guidelines. Options could include assessment tools developed by the selected SE, the ��׺�� Private Sector Window Advisory Service-financed Agribusiness Leadership Program PO metrics, or other similar tools.

General Questions

Is co-funding required?
No. Co-funding is not required, but it can be included and must be listed under the Project Funding information together with a letter of the intent of co-financing partners to the proposed project.
Can project proposals be submitted in the official language used by the PO?
No. ��׺�� proposals, as well as any submitted supporting documents, are required to be in English or French. If any supporting documents are in a language other than English or French, both the original document and a translated document in English or French should be submitted.

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