At a Glance

Program Name: Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) 29th Call for Proposals – “Thriving Farmers, Resilient Ecosystems, Empowered Communities”, a catalytic funding call from the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) for projects that strengthen smallholder led commodity value chains in developing countries.

Support Type: Catalytic financing mainly in the form of loans and other debt type instruments, with some flexibility for projects that combine commercial viability with strong social and environmental impact.

Funding Amount:

• Regular projects: up to USD 1.5 million per project.
• Smaller Fast Track projects: up to USD 300,000 per project.
• CFC may show limited flexibility above these caps for very high impact proposals with a strong financial case.

Application Deadline: 1 October 2026; applications and financial statements must be submitted in English only using the downloadable CFC templates.

Program Focus

The 29th Call targets SMEs, cooperatives, social enterprises, NGOs, and public/private sector entities based or operating in any of CFC’s 101 member countries, including Nigeria.

Projects must:

• Improve smallholder livelihoods and drive inclusive local development within commodity value chains.
• Be financially viable and clearly link smallholder benefits to business growth.

Priority areas include:

• Trade finance for smallholder linked companies.
• Regenerative agriculture and biodiversity protection.
• Local value addition with low environmental impact.
• Agtech and digital tools for transparent, sustainable value chains.
• Improving financial access for smallholder farmers.
• Women led entrepreneurship and gender sensitive business models.

CFC gives extra priority to projects in the Congo Basin region (Cameroon, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Congo) and to Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Location

The program is global but commodity chain specific, with projects implemented in CFC member countries (including Nigeria).

CFC runs online webinars in 2026 (e.g., 13 January, 4 March, 6 May, and 1 September, all in CET) to guide applicants; participation is remote via Zoom.

About the Program

The 29th Call supports transformative, high impact projects that align commercial success with environmental regeneration and social inclusion, such as:

• Connecting smallholders to higher value markets.
• Adopting climate smart and regenerative practices.
• Adding value locally and protecting biodiversity.

CFC’s mission is to reduce poverty by strengthening smallholder income generating capacity; its vision is a diversified, sustainable commodity sector that contributes to broader economic development

Program Benefits

• Access to CFC catalytic financing that can help renown, scale, and strengthen local value chains.
• Opportunity to align projects with strong social and environmental co benefits (climate smart agriculture, biodiversity, women’s empowerment, financial inclusion).
• Extra visibility and priority for projects in Congo Basin countries and in LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS.

Eligibility Criteria

Who can apply

• SMEs, cooperatives, social enterprises, NGOs, and public/private sector entities based or operating in any of CFC’s 101 member countries (including Nigeria).

Project requirements:

• Project must enhance smallholder livelihoods and inclusive local development.
• Project must be financially viable.

Organizational requirements:

• Minimum of three years of operational history, showing relevant experience and capacity.
• Ability to submit the application form and Balance Sheet/Income Statement in English.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

• Download the Application Form (PDF and Word) and Balance Sheet/Income Statement (Excel) from the CFC “Call for Proposals” page.
• Complete the application and attach the financial statements, then submit in English via the method indicated on the page.

Key Timeline Notes

• Deadline: 1 October 2026.
• Webinars: CFC offers open call webinars in 2026 (13 January, 4 March, 6 May, and 1 September, all in CET) to explain the process; registration is via Zoom links on the CFC page.
• Queries: Direct questions to opencall@commonfund.org.

Apply Here

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