Enhancing nutrition through mobilising investment in climate resilient nutrition-sensitive agri-food value chains in Ethiopia

EU Action Grant EuropeAid funds projects to mobilise investment in climate-resilient, nutrition-sensitive agri-food value chains in Ethiopia with a total budget of €4,000,000. Projects must be implemented in Ethiopia, run 48–60 months, and focus on improving access to nutritious foods, climate resilience, and livelihoods. Eligible applicants include legal non-profit entities established in an EU Member State, Ethiopia, or other NDICI-GE eligible countries, with international organisations eligible under specific derogations. Applications must be submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal by 28 April 2026 at 10:00:41 UTC following the call guidelines and annexes.

What it funds

Scope

Grants to mobilise investment and strengthen climate resilient, nutrition-sensitive agri-food value chains in Ethiopia. Activities should link nutrition outcomes with investment readiness and climate resilience across agri-food systems.

Total budget:€4,000,000 allocated to this call.

1. 1Deadline for submission: 28 April 2026 (10:00:41 UTC).
2. 2Call published: 11 February 2026; last updated: 10 March 2026.
3. 3Action grants instrument.

Apply and find full documentation on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Opportunity page.

This is an Action Grant opportunity under the Sub-Saharan Africa programme focused on Ethiopia. The call aims to enhance nutrition outcomes by mobilising investment in climate-resilient, nutrition-sensitive agri-food value chains. Reference: EuropeAid. Status: Open for submission. Total indicative budget: €4,000,000. Published on 11/02/2026, last updated 10/03/2026. Deadline: 28/04/2026 at 10:00:41 UTC. Submission is via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Primary source and submission:EU Funding & Tenders Portal listing EU Funding & Tenders Portal call page.

Key Facts

Scope and Objectives

The call seeks projects that enhance nutrition by mobilising investment into agri-food value chains in Ethiopia that are both climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive. Expected interventions likely focus on improving availability, accessibility, affordability, and consumption of diverse, nutritious foods; strengthening climate adaptation and resilience within agricultural production, processing, storage, and distribution; catalysing private and public investment into value chains with high nutrition impact; and supporting enabling environments, including capacity building, value chain governance, and inclusive market development for vulnerable populations, especially women, children, and smallholder producers. Exact objectives, expected results, and indicators are defined in the official Guidelines and Logical Framework template annexes.

Eligibility and Applicant Profile

Eligible Applicant Types

The call is an Action Grant under EuropeAid/INTPA procedures and includes standard identification forms for public law bodies, private or public entities with legal form, and natural persons, as well as a derogations appendix for international organisations. Based on the available document set for this call, the following applicant types are relevant or typically eligible under comparable Action Grants, subject to the specific rules in the Guidelines: NGOs and civil society organisations; nonprofit entities; public bodies and authorities; international organisations; research and academic institutions; private sector entities engaged in agri-food value chains; social enterprises and cooperatives; and consortia combining these profiles. The precise list of eligible legal statuses, required legal personality, and any restrictions on for-profit participation must be confirmed in the call Guidelines and PRAG-referenced eligibility sections.

Funding Type

Grant. This opportunity provides grant funding under a standard EuropeAid/INTPA action grant contract framework (Annex G - Standard grant contract).

Consortium Requirement

The presence of both Concept Note and Full Application forms indicates a standard two-stage Action Grant procedure. Under many EuropeAid Action Grants, applications can be submitted by a single lead applicant with optional co-applicants and affiliated entities, while some lots or priorities may recommend or require consortia to ensure technical coverage and geographic reach. For this call, applicants should verify in the Guidelines whether a consortium is mandatory or optional. If optional, a consortium can strengthen implementation through complementary expertise in nutrition, climate resilience, value chain finance, and local delivery capacity.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility)

The geographic zone is Ethiopia, and activities must be implemented in Ethiopia. Applicant establishment eligibility typically follows NDICI-Global Europe and PRAG rules. Frequently, lead and co-applicants may be established in Ethiopia and in other eligible countries as defined in the Guidelines, with a strong preference or requirement for local presence or partnership. International organisations, where applicable, may be eligible under specific derogations. Exact geographic eligibility and nationality rules must be checked in the call’s Guidelines and PRAG references.

Target Sector

Agriculture and food systems, nutrition, climate adaptation and resilience, agri-food value chains, rural development, inclusive finance and investment facilitation for value chains, and potentially cross-cutting priorities such as gender equality, youth, and environmental sustainability.

Mentioned Countries or Regions

Ethiopia.

Project Stage

Projects are expected to be at development and implementation stages, potentially including validation and demonstration of climate-resilient, nutrition-sensitive practices across agri-food value chains, and scale-up of proven interventions. Research-only proposals are not the primary focus; instead, applied, field-level interventions and investment mobilisation activities are anticipated.

Funding Amount

Total indicative budget for the call is €4,000,000. The number of grants and individual grant sizes are not specified in the scraped content and must be confirmed in the call Guidelines and the Application Forms. Typical Action Grants may define minimum and maximum grant amounts and co-financing rates per lot or priority.

Application Type

Open call via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the e-Calls/PADOR system for registration and submission. PADOR registration is indicated by the presence of Annex F and the PADOR privacy statement.

Nature of Support

Money. Beneficiaries receive grant funding governed by the Standard Grant Contract (Annex G).

Application Stages

Two-stage procedure:1) Concept Note (Application Form CN), followed by 2) Full Application (Application Form FA) upon invitation for shortlisted concept notes. This is standard for EuropeAid Action Grants and is corroborated by the two distinct application forms listed for the call.

Success Rates

No success rate information is provided in the available content. EuropeAid calls generally publish results after evaluation; applicants should consult the call’s Questions and Answers or post-call statistics if released.

Co-funding Requirement

Action Grants typically require co-financing from the applicant and or partners. The co-financing percentage, any ceiling on EU contribution, and possible in-kind contributions are specified in the Guidelines and the Budget Annex. Applicants should consult the specific rules in Annex B (Budget) and the Guidelines to determine the exact co-funding obligation for this call.

Documents and Templates

The following templates and documents are listed for this call. Applicants should download and strictly follow the version included in the call’s Documents section on the EU portal.

• Guidelines: Defines eligibility, objectives, lots or priorities, funding ceilings and floors, co-financing rates, evaluation criteria and scoring, selection and award criteria, timetable, and submission instructions.
• Application Form CN (Concept Note): Short project overview, relevance and alignment with objectives, indicative results, summary budget or requested EU contribution, and lead applicant profile.
• Application Form FA (Full Application): Detailed project description and methodology, logical framework, detailed workplan, detailed budget and cost justification, risk management, M&E plan, safeguarding and gender mainstreaming, value for money and sustainability, visibility and communication, applicant and partner capacities.
• Annex B - Budget: Detailed budget template for all eligible costs, per budget heading, including personnel, travel, equipment, supplies, subgrants or financial support to third parties if applicable, subcontracting or procurement costs, and indirect costs within eligible limits.
• Annex C - Logical framework: Results framework with overall objective, specific objectives, outputs, activities, indicators, baselines, targets, means of verification, and assumptions/risks.
• Annex D - Identification Form (public law bodies): Legal identity documentation requirements for public bodies.
• Annex D - Identification Form (private or public with legal form): Legal identity documentation for private or other legal entities.
• Annex D - Identification Form (natural person): Legal identity documentation requirements for natural persons, where applicable.
• Annex F - PADOR offline registration form: For creating or updating the organisation profile when online registration is constrained; includes organisation legal data, financial capacity figures, governance, experience, and references.
• Annex G - Standard grant contract: Model contract terms and conditions including general conditions, special conditions, annexes on reporting, procurement by grant beneficiaries, visibility, and payment arrangements.
• Annex H - Declaration of honour on exclusion and selection criteria: Mandatory declaration on exclusion grounds, conflict of interest, and acceptance of conditions.
• Annex J - Information on the tax regime applicable to grant contracts: Covers taxation rules for EU-funded grants.
• Appendix - Derogations international organisations: Specific provisions applicable to international organisations where derogations from standard rules apply.
• Annex L - Self-evaluation questionnaire on SEA-H: Safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment; applicants must assess and document safeguarding policies and procedures.
• e-Calls PADOR privacy statement: Data protection information related to registration and submission.

Indicative Technical and Thematic Focus

While detailed priorities must be taken from the official Guidelines, projects are expected to integrate climate resilience and nutrition outcomes across agri-food value chains in Ethiopia. Illustrative components include climate-smart agricultural practices, diversified production and post-harvest loss reduction, fortification and food safety improvements, cold chain and storage enhancements, inclusive market linkages for nutrient-dense foods, investment facilitation and blended finance mechanisms to crowd in private capital, capacity building for SMEs and cooperatives, and behaviour change communication to support healthy diets. Cross-cutting requirements typically include gender equality, youth inclusion, environmental safeguards, do-no-harm, protection from SEA-H, and robust M&E using nutrition-sensitive indicators.

Evaluation and Selection

The two-stage procedure generally applies the following approach:Concept Notes are screened for eligibility and scored primarily on relevance, design, and expected impact; shortlisted applicants are invited to submit Full Applications, which are evaluated on methodology and feasibility, cost-effectiveness and budget coherence, operational and financial capacity, added value elements such as climate mainstreaming, gender, human rights based approach, and sustainability. Exact evaluation grids, thresholds, and weighting are specified in the Guidelines and may include minimum scores at both concept and full application stages. Standard exclusion, selection, and award criteria apply, as reflected in Annex H and PRAG-referenced procedures.

Administrative and Compliance Requirements

• Registration: Lead applicants and co-applicants typically must register in PADOR prior to submission or provide the PADOR offline form (Annex F) if required.
• Declarations: Submission of Annex H Declaration of honour on exclusion and selection criteria.
• Safeguarding: Completion of Annex L Self-evaluation questionnaire on SEA-H and evidence of safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Legal identification: Annex D forms and supporting legal documentation appropriate to the entity type.
• Budget and eligibility of costs: Use Annex B and adhere to eligibility rules for direct and indirect costs; procurement by grant beneficiaries must follow PRAG.
• Contracting and payments: Governed by Annex G Standard grant contract; includes pre-financing, interim, and final payments against approved reporting and verification.
• Visibility: EU visibility and communication requirements apply, including branding and acknowledgement of EU funding.
• Taxation: Refer to Annex J for applicable tax regimes in Ethiopia and possible exemptions or VAT treatment.

Timeline and Process

1. 1Call publication: 11 February 2026.
2. 2Concept Note submission deadline: 28 April 2026 at 10:00:41 UTC (unless otherwise specified in the Guidelines).
3. 3Evaluation of Concept Notes and invitation to Full Application for shortlisted proposals.
4. 4Full Application submission by invited applicants through the portal using Application Form FA and required annexes.
5. 5Evaluation of Full Applications, eligibility verification, and award decision.
6. 6Contracting using the Standard grant contract (Annex G).

Structured Answers to Classification Questions

Eligible Applicant Types:Nonprofit or NGO, civil society organisation, international organisation, public body or authority, university and research institute, private sector entity active in agri-food value chains, cooperative or social enterprise. Final eligibility and any restrictions must be confirmed in the call Guidelines and PRAG-referenced eligibility rules.

Funding Type:Grant under an Action Grant framework.

Consortium Requirement:Other. EuropeAid Action Grants often allow a single lead applicant with optional co-applicants; some priorities may recommend or require consortia. Applicants must verify the requirement in the call Guidelines.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):Ethiopia-focused implementation. Applicant establishment eligibility typically follows NDICI-Global Europe and PRAG nationality rules; entities established in Ethiopia and other eligible countries may apply as per the Guidelines. International organisations may be eligible under specific derogations.

Target Sector:Agriculture and food systems, nutrition, climate resilience and adaptation, agri-food value chains, rural development, inclusive investment and finance related to value chains.

Mentioned Countries:Ethiopia.

Project Stage:Development, validation or demonstration, and implementation or scale-up of nutrition-sensitive, climate-resilient agri-food value chain interventions.

Funding Amount:Total indicative call budget is €4,000,000. Individual grant size and number of awards are not specified in the available content and should be verified in the Guidelines.

Application Type:Open call via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, using e-Calls and PADOR registration.

Nature of Support:Money, disbursed as grant funding under the Standard Grant Contract.

Application Stages:2. Stage 1: Concept Note. Stage 2: Full Application upon invitation.

Success Rates:Not specified in the available content. Applicants should consult any published statistics or Q&A if released by the contracting authority.

Co-funding Requirement:Likely yes. EuropeAid Action Grants typically require co-financing with defined EU contribution ceilings and minimum applicant contributions. Exact percentages must be checked in the call Guidelines and Annex B Budget instructions.

Practical Guidance for Applicants

• Register in PADOR and keep the organisation profile complete and up to date, including legal and financial information.
• Use the Application Form CN to submit a strong Concept Note that clearly articulates nutrition outcomes, climate resilience integration, value chain investment mobilisation strategy, and Ethiopia-specific context and needs.
• On invitation, prepare the Full Application using Application Form FA, Annex B Budget, and Annex C Logical Framework, ensuring full coherence among objectives, activities, indicators, and budget.
• Demonstrate operational and financial capacity, including relevant track record in Ethiopia and in nutrition-sensitive, climate-resilient value chain programming.
• Address cross-cutting requirements: safeguarding (complete Annex L), gender equality, youth inclusion, environmental and climate mainstreaming, human rights based approach, and robust M&E with disaggregated indicators.
• Plan for procurement by grant beneficiaries in line with PRAG and detail how value for money, transparency, and competition will be ensured.
• Incorporate risk analysis including climate and market risks, conflict sensitivity, and mitigation measures.
• Define an investment mobilisation pathway, such as blended finance, de-risking instruments, TA for SMEs, pipeline development, or partnerships with financial institutions, aligned with local regulatory frameworks and market conditions.
• Ensure compliance with EU visibility rules and budgeting of communication and dissemination activities.
• Verify taxation and any applicable exemptions using Annex J, and reflect correct tax assumptions in the budget.

Where to Find Official Information and Submit

All official documents and submission services are available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal call page EU Funding & Tenders Portal call page. If any direct document link is not accessible, retrieve documents via the call’s Documents tab on the portal. Applicants must rely on the latest versions published there for accuracy and compliance ¹.

Summary

This Action Grant call finances projects in Ethiopia that mobilise investment to make agri-food value chains both climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive. With a total budget of €4 million, it targets interventions that can improve nutrition outcomes through resilient production, processing, and market systems, and by catalysing public and private investment. The procedure follows a two-stage process using Concept Note and, upon invitation, Full Application, submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal with PADOR registration. Standard EuropeAid documentation applies, including Budget, Logical Framework, Standard Grant Contract, Identification and Declaration forms, and safeguarding self-evaluation. The opportunity is relevant to NGOs, public bodies, international organisations, research institutions, and private sector actors active in agri-food value chains. Exact eligibility, funding ceilings, co-financing rates, and evaluation criteria are defined in the call Guidelines and must be carefully followed. In practical terms, strong proposals will combine nutrition impact with climate adaptation across the value chain, demonstrate credible pathways to mobilise investment, ensure compliance with EU rules and safeguarding, and present a coherent results framework and budget aligned to Ethiopia’s context and priorities.

Footnotes

1. 1Official information, templates, and updates are provided on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Applicants should consult the call page and its Documents tab for the Guidelines, application forms, and annexes prior to submission.

This EU grant opportunity, referenced as EuropeAid, aims to mobilise investment in climate-resilient, nutrition-sensitive agri-food value chains in Ethiopia to improve access to nutritious food and enhance livelihoods. The total budget is €4,000,000 for action grants, with implementation focused exclusively in Ethiopia under the Sub-Saharan Africa programme.

Key Dates and Status

The call was published on 11 February 2026, updated on 10 March 2026, and remains open for submissions until 28 April 2026 at 10:00:41 UTC. Applications must be submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Primary Source:Full details and documents available at EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants are legal, non-profit entities effectively established in an EU Member State, Ethiopia, or countries eligible under NDICI-GE (Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument - Global Europe). International organisations are eligible with specific derogations. Lead applicants may apply alone or with co-applicants who must meet the same eligibility rules and provide a signed mandate.

• NGOs and non-profit organisations
• Entities from EU-27, Ethiopia, and extensive list of eligible developing countries including Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, and many others¹
• Actions must take place in Ethiopia

Funding Details

The overall budget is €4,000,000, with an award ceiling of up to €4,000,000 per project. Specific funding rates, minimum/maximum amounts per grant, and co-financing requirements are detailed in the Guidelines for Applicants.

Project Requirements and Duration

Projects must last 48 to 60 months and focus on mobilising investments in climate-resilient, nutrition-sensitive agri-food value chains. Objectives include improving access to nutritious foods, enhancing climate resilience, and supporting nutrition outcomes in Ethiopia. Detailed objectives, expected results, and logical framework are outlined in Annex C.

Sectors

• Food Systems & Livelihoods
• Gender & Human Rights
• Health

Application Documents

All documents are available in English from 11 February 2026 via the portal, including Application Forms (FA and CN), Guidelines, Budget Annex (B), Logical Framework (C), Identification Forms (D), PADOR form (F), Standard Grant Contract (G), Declaration of Honour (H), Tax Regime Information (J), Derogations for International Organisations, SEA-H Self-Evaluation (L), and privacy statement.

Additional Considerations for Applicants

Applicants should register in PADOR (Participant Data Online Registration) and review exclusion/selection criteria in Annex H. The grant is managed by the Delegation of the European Union to Ethiopia. Ensure compliance with climate resilience, nutrition sensitivity, and investment mobilisation aspects, aligning with broader EU priorities on sustainable agri-food systems².

Note:Detailed funding rates, exact eligibility lists, and evaluation criteria require consulting the official Guidelines document from the portal.

Footnotes

1. 1Full list of eligible citizenships and countries per DevelopmentAid summary based on official call.
2. 2Context from related EU climate-resilient agriculture initiatives highlights synergies in Ethiopia's rainfed agriculture challenges.