Annual Program Statement (APS) 

Call to Participate in Enterprise Growth, Employment, and Entrepreneurship Partnerships in Rwanda’s Agri-Food System

The Feed the Future Rwanda Hanga Akazi (HA) Activity is a 5-year activity designed to facilitate growth leading to inclusive job creation and entrepreneurship in Rwanda’s agri-food system. Using a market systems approach, the Activity aims to support access to productive resources for enterprises and entrepreneurs in the agri-food system that are poised to grow and hire. The Activity will also work on the labor supply side through a workforce development component, linking demand from growing enterprises to curriculum development and training so that job seekers bring the skills employers need. The Activity will support increased entrepreneurship in the agri-food system, helping to identify areas of opportunities for entrepreneurs and connecting them with the supporting services—such as business development, access to finance, and market linkages— they need to succeed.

The Activity wishes to partner with existing and new businesses, cooperatives, training providers, and other private sectors operating in the agri-food system in Rwanda to increase employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, particularly for women, youth, and persons with disabilities. Examples of actors in the agri-food system who may be interested in responding to this APS are shown below and include a range of actors including, but not limited to, enterprises, producers, processors, transporters, and consumers.

The Activity has no geographic restriction and is therefore looking for partners throughout the country. Hanga Akazi is also working to strengthen the business enabling environment through improving access to finance, policy and regulation, and business development services, and may match applicants with other forms of technical assistance.

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Final funding levels will depend on quality of applications received, number of fundable applications received, market needs, availability of funding, suitability of the application in line with HA’s scope of work and competing priorities Grants will be awarded competitively in amounts commensurate with their impact but shall not exceed the maximum amount of USD 250,000.

APS Application Package

Application to Participate in Enterprise Growth, Employment, and Entrepreneurship Partnerships in Rwanda’s Agri-Food System 

Dear Applicant:

The Feed the Future Rwanda Hanga Akazi (HA) Activity is a 5-year development project designed to promote and facilitate inclusive economic growth in Rwanda leading to increased employment and entrepreneurship. The project seeks partnership with new existing and new businesses of all sizes operating in Rwanda’s agri-food system. Hanga Akazi is also working to strengthen the business enabling environment by strengthening and increasing access to business development services, finance, incubation/acceleration in Rwanda. Through these efforts, the project aims to facilitate 19,000 new full-time jobs and to improve the employment of 23,000 Rwandans while increasing the participation of women, youth and people with disabilities in the economy as entrepreneurs, employers, and employees.

HA is seeking applications to participate in partnerships to implement activities that lead to enterprise/firm growth and generate jobs and entrepreneurs in Rwanda’s agri-food system. The partnership agreements will be awarded and implemented in accordance with USAID and US Government regulations and Hanga Akazi management policies.  

The Application Package includes:

Section I.    Illustrative Partnership Activities

Section II.  Leverage

Section III. Technical Evaluation

Section IV.  Application and Submission Information

Section V.   Types of Awards

Section VI.   Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) 

This is an open application process with evaluations made in three rounds. The first round of evaluations will be based on applications received on or about April 24, 2023, the second round of evaluation will occur on June 19, 2023, and the third round of evaluation will occur on August 15, 2023. Resources are limited and applicants are strongly encouraged to respond promptly.

All questions and APS Application Forms must be submitted to CGF-Grants@Hanga-Akazi.org For applicants who need support or assistance completing this application, please contact CGF-Grants@Hanga-Akazi.org

Section I.  Illustrative Partnership Activities

Hanga Akazi will consider activities that directly contribute to the achievement of project results in a sustainable and tangible manner.

The awards are intended to facilitate economic growth through increased employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, especially for women, youth (ages 16-30 and persons with disabilities.

 Areas of possible assistance include, but are not limited to:

• Innovative Business Models: Test, expand, and/or scale innovative business models. This may also include access to technology or other seed capital that would unlock larger investments.
• Access to Finance: Increase access to finance for businesses in the agri-food sector through creation or expansion of affordable, accessible financial products and services.
• Market Access: Market information and other services (e.g., certification, accreditation, value addition, BDS) that improve access to local, regional, and/or international markets.
• Labor Market Linkages: Foster connections between employees and employers through activities such as competitions, career fairs, mentorship/coaching for start-ups, networking, B2B forums, and digital platforms.
• Skills Building and Talent Management: Support private sector to adapt or initiate the development of new and/or existing technical and soft skill training programs, including on-the-job training programs and paid internships/apprenticeships. This may also include approaches to talent management capacity of employers through inclusive HR management training.
• Social Inclusion: Businesses that are specifically promoting employment and/or skills building activities that support women, youth and/or persons with disabilities or supporting policies/practices that improve employment circumstances for these groups. 

Applications can include more than one of the above-mentioned activities.

Hanga Akazi grant funds will not be used to support any of the following:

1. Construction or infrastructure activities of any kind.
2. Ceremonies, parties, celebrations, or “representation” expenses.

• Purchases of restricted goods, such as: restricted agricultural commodities, motor vehicles including motorcycles, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, contraceptive products, or prohibited goods. Prohibited goods under USAID regulations, including but not limited to the following: abortion equipment and services, luxury goods, alcoholic beverages, police and military equipment. Refer to the link for more information.https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PBAAD445.pdf

1. Purchases or goods or services restricted or prohibited under the prevailing USG Foreign
2. Policy restricted countries. Refer to the link for more information. https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/310.pdf
3. Any purchase or activity, which has already been made.

• Purchases or activities unnecessary to accomplish grant purposes as determined by the Hanga Akazi Activity.
• Prior obligations of and/or, debts, fines, and penalties imposed on the Grantee.

1. Purchase of secondhand goods or used machinery unless prior approval has been given by Hanga Akazi based on sound justification.
2. Creation of endowments.

Section II.  Leverage

There is no minimum leverage requirement under this APS, but leverage is encouraged from all applicants.  Priority will be given to applicants that can provide a meaningful contribution of the cost on the proposed activities. Applicant contributions can be in the form of cash (such as capital or loans), infrastructure, property, equipment, new staff, and others directly used for the proposed activity. Standard operational costs will not be considered as part of the contribution. However, special considerations on leverage amounts will be given to businesses led by women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

The applicant can propose mobilization of additional financial resources, such as equity or debt that will come from other sources including, formal financial institutions such as commercial banks, individuals, other companies, funds and foundations, and bilateral or multilateral organizations. 

Applicants must demonstrate that their contributions will, in most cases, be “incremental” to the “new” effort associated with the grant. However, if the applicant can successfully demonstrate that this was a recent direct investment then the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) will consider accepting this leverage on a case-by-case basis.

Section III. APS Applications Review

The TEC will review the APS Applications submitted by the applicant using the criteria listed below.

Short listed applicants will be contacted to continue to the next step of the application process.

Section IV.  Application and Submission Information

The APS Application Form must be submitted in English and may not be more than 5 pages. The 5 pages limit excludes Section I: Overview of the Application Form Applicants must adhere to the guidance provided in Annex A, below. The application and any supporting documentation should be submitted in electronic form to: CGF-Grants@Hanga-Akazi.org

Subject Line: APS-HA-2023-001 

Submission should include:

APS Application Form (See Annex A, below)

This is a rolling process with evaluations and selections made over three rounds. As resources are limited, applicants are encouraged to respond quickly. Evaluations will occur at least every two months but may occur more frequently. Based on applications, the first round of evaluations is anticipated on or about April 17, 2023. The second round of evaluation will occur on June 15, 2023, and the third round of evaluation will occur August 15, 2023.