FCI4Africa’s first Open Call received an outstanding 1,045 applications from 77 countries, demonstrating strong international interest in research, technology and innovation that can contribute to fairer, more sustainable and more resilient food commodity trade systems in Africa.
Launched on 7 April 2026, the Open Call invited researchers, technology developers, SMEs, start-ups and other innovation actors to propose solutions that could strengthen and expand the work already being carried out within FCI4Africa.
Through the call, eight sub-projects will receive funding of up to €50,000 each, from a total available budget of €400,000.
Strong participation across 77 countries
The geographic reach of the applications highlights the broad interest in the challenges addressed by FCI4Africa.
Nigeria recorded the highest number of submissions, with 199 applications, followed by:
- Kenya: 129
- Uganda: 65
- Ghana: 46
- Cameroon: 43
- Ethiopia: 43
The strong participation from countries across West, East and Central Africa reflects the diversity of the research, entrepreneurial and innovation communities engaging with the Open Call.
Two pathways for innovation
Applicants were invited to submit their proposals under one of two complementary objectives.
55.2% of applicants selected Objective 2, which focuses on developing ideas and tools that address specific challenges identified by FCI4Africa.
The remaining 44.8% selected Objective 1, aimed at testing, validating and enhancing the project’s existing business concepts and tools, including those already developed within the FCI4Africa Use Cases.
This distribution shows strong interest both in building on the project’s existing work and in introducing new ideas and approaches that can respond to emerging needs.
From applications to implementation
The submitted proposals will now move through the evaluation and selection process, leading to the identification of the eight sub-projects that will join the FCI4Africa innovation ecosystem.
The selected projects are expected to begin their activities in November 2026 and will be implemented over 12 months through three phases: Design, Development and Validation.
Alongside developing and testing their solutions, the funded sub-projects will generate datasets and practical insights that can support the further refinement of FCI4Africa’s tools, methodologies and business concepts.
Thank you to the applicant community
FCI4Africa would like to thank everyone who dedicated their time, expertise and ideas to the Open Call.
The scale and diversity of the response underline the strong commitment of innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs to advancing more sustainable, inclusive and effective food commodity trade systems across Africa.
Stay tuned for further updates on the evaluation process and the announcement of the selected FCI4Africa Open Call 1 sub-projects.
