Africa Agri-food Development Programme (AADP) - Frequently asked questions

Commercial private sector entities operating in the Agri-food sector in Ireland and/or one of the eligible African countries. Applicants could be Sole Traders, Partnerships, Companies, Subsidiaries, Branches, Co-Operatives, Social Enterprises, commercial Agri-food Networks/Groups/Organisations, and commercial Research/Innovation/Development Labs.

The Sub-Saharan African countries that Ireland are accredited to; Botswana, Cóte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The AADP project must be primarily implemented in one or more of the eligible African countries.

Agri-food is broadly defined. It means activities related to commercial agriculture, agricultural technology, food production, food safety, and food value chains.

17.00hrs/5pm GMT+1/Irish Summer Time on Friday, 15th August 2025. Applications forms are linked here. Applications must be submitted to aadp@dfa.ie.

There will be two online AADP application workshops; one was on the 3rd July and another is scheduled for 3pm Dublin time (GMT+1) on the 24th July. You may register on Eventbrite.

The total project costs may exceed, or be lower than, the AADP funding cap. However, the Applicants must demonstrate their capacity to finance all costs not covered by the AADP, including any amount exceeding double the maximum AADP grant. There is no minimum grant amount.

Project budgets should be based on actual costs, quotations, and/or market rates for the resources required to deliver the project. Staff costs should meet or exceed the local living wage.

The below hypothetical examples illustrate how AADP funding is calculated.

No.

All applicants for AADP funding must be commercial in nature.

Not-for-profit or public sector organisations, such as NGOs, research institutions, etc., may join the project in a supporting or advisory role. The project design should not be dependent on the role of third party, non-commercial organisations for its success.

No, this is not possible. Moreover, the AADP cannot act as a partner on a Full Commercial Project.

To find a partner, we recommend approaching the Chambers of Commerce or agri-food business networks that may exist in the country/countries of interest. Embassies may also be able to assist but this is not guaranteed.

Full Commercial Projects require two applicants in partnership. One applicant must be in Ireland and the other in one of the eligible African countries. The applicants will be required to submit a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that outlines each partner’s role in the project. The MoU must be submitted along with the application.

Both applicants must contribute to the design of the project, and the completion of the application. If a third organisation will contribute to the project in an advisory role (as mentioned under Q8 above), a document describing this role, and with their signature, should also be submitted as a Supporting Document.

Any Full Commercial Project applications submitted without a partner organisation will not be considered.

The lead applicant is the commercial organisation that will, if successful in the application, be the one to receive the grant payment from the AADP.

For Full Commercial Projects (and Feasibility studies where there are two applicants) the Lead Applicant must take responsibility for transferring a portion of the funding to the Partner Applicant in line with the budget submitted with the application.

No. The Feasibility Study Project and Full Commercial Project are different types of projects. To apply for a Full Commercial Project again, you will need a partner.

To apply for the Feasibility Study Project, you will need to redesign the project with a research focus, to test the feasibility of a commercial concept/market opportunity. Feasibility Study projects must use a rigorous study methodology.

Feasibility Study projects can be applied for by two organisations in partnership even though it is not a requirement. There is space in the application form to provide the partner applicant’s details.

Prior recipients of Feasibility Study funding are eligible to apply for Full Commercial Project funding for a later stage of the same project (i.e. its full commercialisation or scale-up), if the Feasibility Study successfully demonstrated the potential of the business idea it investigated.

The AADP is not designed to support further scale-up of Full Commercial Projects that have previously received funding. However the AADP committee reserve the right to re-award funding to previous recipients, where the new project can be shown to be distinct and separate from that previously funded.

To be eligible, previous recipients must have submitted all required reporting from previous AADP projects in a timely manner, showing evidence of the commercial viability, successful value addition/innovation and sustainable development impacts of the previous project.

No. Funding must only be used for activities connected to the proposed project. All project activities must be included in the project budget and implementation plan.

No. The recipient of the AADP funds must be one of the applicants - either in Ireland or one of the eligible African countries.

Proof of receipt of funding must be shared with the AADP, as must proof of transfer of funds from the lead applicant to the partner applicant, in line with the project budget.

AADP funds cannot be used to fund land purchase, construction, or renovation activities in Ireland.

AADP funds can be used to purchase machinery and equipment in Ireland only for use on the project activities in one of the eligible African countries; and where an equivalent purchase cannot reasonably be made in the project country or neighbouring region in Africa.

Yes. However, applicants should provide a supporting rationale showing why the purchase of machinery and equipment outside of Ireland or the eligible African countries is necessary.

No. The budget should be properly costed using quotations or published market rates. There should be a full breakdown of the activities in the project budget and a cost associated to each activity. An indication of which partner is responsible for each activity is required in the project budget.

No. Applicants should only apply for the amount of funding that they have the capacity to match with their own co-financing. Proof of co-financing capacity is required to support the application.

Co-financing can only be in the form of liquid assets – for example maintained in cash (in a bank account), low-risk short-term deposits, or capital guaranteed investments. Proof must be provided of all co-financing capacity.

No. Any loans or investments not yet secured at the time of application cannot be counted as proof of co-financing capacity. The AADP must be able to judge that the project can be co-financed. Evidence of co-financing capacity must be provided such as signed loan agreements, bank statements, or similar official documents.

No. In-kind contributions (i.e. anything your company already owns and uses for its normal business activities, such as warehouses, machinery, or land) cannot be considered as part of the co-financing contribution.

No. Budget costs should be split appropriately between the project partners in a way that reflects their role in the project, their expertise and experience, the activities each partner will undertake during the project, their co-financing capacity, and the project context overall.

AADP funds must be allocated in a manner that shows a direct line between the activities supported and core project objectives.

AADP funds can be used for (this is a non-exhaustive list):

• The procurement, use and maintenance of machinery and equipment to be used for the project activities in the eligible African country.
• The construction, retrofitting, renovation and maintenance of commercial facilities and infrastructure to be used for project activities in the eligible African country.
• Costs associated with training, education, and extension services.
• Employment costs for staff working exclusively on the project.
• A maximum of 50% of external consultant, project management or technical support fees for project-specific activities, including Monitoring and Evaluation. Rate to be set at a maximum of €200 per day or as advised by relevant Embassies for local rates.
• 50% of travel and subsistence costs for Feasibility Studies.

Examples of Applicant’s co-financing costs could be (this is a non-exhaustive list):

• Architectural costs.
• Equipment and machinery costs.
• Project establishment costs.
• Project management costs.
• Logistic support costs.
• Marketing costs.
• Import/Export costs.
• Human resource costs (all wages must meet or exceed the local living wage).

Yes, reporting on the project is a formal requirement.

Brief updates should be provided by email on a quarterly basis; the AADP team may request update calls with both partners if deemed necessary.

You will be required to provide a formal report, including a narrative of the project progress and a breakdown of project spending, annually and at the conclusion of the project. Further reporting may be required depending on the project length, location or other factors.

The reporting requirements will be explained to you should you be successful in securing funding.

Progress reports must include a breakdown of actual AADP project spend, so accurate financial records should be maintained by project partners.

It is important that you provide detail on your project’s Monitoring and Evaluation activities and that you adequately resource these activities in your budget.

No. All questions must be answered comprehensively with attention paid to the word limits. Incomplete applications will not be considered for funding.

Yes, the project implementation plan is critically important and must be answered comprehensively.

We recommend that AADP funding should be used over a period of between 12 and 24 months. The AADP-funded project period must have a defined timeline and end-date, however, the project/business activity should aim to be sustainable long-term, beyond the AADP funding period. The latter point is particularly important for Full Commercial Projects.

Applicants should allow for an appropriate length of time to implement the project, assess its success, and evaluate its sustainable development impacts. This should be evident in the Implementation Plan you submit with your application.

Recipients of AADP funding must notify the AADP if there are delays in using the grant.

Providing relevant and current data from reputable sources in your application at appropriate points is encouraged.

You should read Ireland’s Policy for International Development, A Better World, and information about the Sustainable Development Goals, online.

The Sustainable Development Impact section in the application form is where you should explain how the project will support the priorities or the relevant SDGs.

No. An application submitted in a different format will not be considered.

Yes. It is required that the project partners have each been operating in the agri-food sector for at least two years, evidenced by two years’ worth of audited accounts.

Further to this, the application should show how the partners’ particular experience and expertise are relevant and will contribute to the achievement of the project goal, objectives and activities.

Only applications that make the final round may be asked to discuss certain aspect of the project proposal. This will not be an opportunity to present the contents of the application but rather an opportunity to clarify any aspects of the application that the Evaluation Committee requires further information on.

• Call for Application opens 27th June
• Information sessions on 3rd July, 24th July (Eventbrite links are on the website)
• Deadline 15th August, 17:00 Dublin time (GMT+1)

After Applications submitted:

• Initial screening for completeness and eligibility;
• Appraisal of eligible applications;
• Invitation for further presentation/clarification if it is required;
• Shortlisting by the AADP Evaluation Committee;
• Recommendations from external evaluator;
• Meeting of Evaluation Committee
• Decision communicated to applicants

No.

Only Applicants who have made it to the shortlist may request formal feedback on their application.

No, the AADP does not currently provide mentorship or other supports to recipients of AADP funding.

No, currently there is no formal network of businesses or companies that have implemented projects with AADP funding.

You can email aadp@dfa.ie.