Co-Investment Opportunities

Event Date: From 10 May, 2023 to 10 May, 2023
Venue: Nigeria, Nigeria
Event Provider: West Africa Trade & Investment Hub

Application is open for Co-Investment Opportunities. The Trade Hub aims to co-invest in activities that create new jobs, generate high levels of private investment, increase the value of exports and/or sales, empower women and the youth, and introduce innovations to modernize agriculture. Eligible partners include private sector companies, research institutions, universities, and non-profit/for-profit organizations.

Eligibility

Monitoring Requirement: Potential grantees will be required to detail how they will monitor the impact
of their proposed activity, notably the resources that will be required to ensure a high standard of data is
being recorded and reported based on set indicators in adherence to the Trade Hub’s Activity Monitoring
and Evaluation Plan. (See Attachment 3: Trade Hub Performance Indicators Table)
Gender: Activities under the Trade Hub seek to reduce gender disparities in access to and benefits from investments. To this end, potential applicants will be expected to outline how their activities will increase access to technologies to improve production, and expand access to and enhance women’s skills and access to better-paid opportunities. Applicants who demonstrate the potential for large-scale impacts on women will be prioritized. If selected to submit a full application, applicants will be expected to participate in a training that the activity will provide on gender and work with Trade Hub designated staff in the co-creation phase to ensure gender is adequately addressed in the proposal. (See Attachment 4: Guide on Gender and Youth Integration for Applicants).
Youth: In addition to promoting gender equality, the Trade Hub also strongly promotes integrating a growing youth population within the workforce (ages 15 to 29). Applicants should describe how youth will benefit from the grant and serve as agents for sustained business growth. Applicants that include elements to promote vocational training and internship programs, offer technical training to facilitate youth integration, and/or target private-sector investment to meet workforce demand for youth will be prioritized. (See Attachment 4: Guide on Gender and Youth Integration for Applicants).
Environmental Considerations: All activities implemented under the Trade Hub must adhere to 22 CFR 216 on environmental compliance. Please refer to the following links for additional information:

Environmental compliance background information
Information on how the Agency will ensure environmental soundness and compliance in design and
implementation when required by the 22 CFR 216 determination (ADS 204)

Please refer to the Trade Hub’s Environmental Review Guide included in Attachment 8.

Source Nationality: Grantees will be required to procure all commodities and services in accordance
with 22 CFR 228 “Rules on Procurement of Commodities and Services Financed by USAID Federal
Program Funds.” The authorized source for procurement is Geographic Code 937, which means the
procurement of commodities and/or services can be from the U.S., the recipient country, and developing
countries other than advanced developing countries, but excluding any country that is a prohibited source.
See ADS 310 for further details.

The Benefits of Outsourcing for Business

Benefits

The Trade Hub aims to co-invest in activities that contribute to:

Help develop and strengthen the Peanut Value Chain sector to produce and supply peanuts to international standards
Increase processing and availability of peanut paste for RUTF production in Nigeria
Increase the production and availability of RUTF products in Nigeria and for exports to neighboring West African countries
Create new private-sector jobs
Increase access to finance for firms and farmers linked to the RUTF market
Improve the use of better technologies and management practices in the RUTF sector

Proposed activities will be evaluated on several factors, the most important being their ability to achieve
significant commercial-scale results through market-based approaches that include co-investment from private
funding sources to advance the project. Another general eligibility requirement is that proposed projects and
activities must be funded through private financing, which can include equity capital (internal or external) and/or
debt capital from banking and other financial institutions. The Trade Hub will prioritize projects and activities
exceeding the 1:1 matching fund requirement governing the grant partnership, engaging women and youth for the job
opportunities and engaging with smallholder farmers to develop and strengthen agro-commodity supply chains.