At a Glance

Program Name: IFAD Grant Call — “Leveraging IFAD’s Rural Sector Performance Assessment for Policy and Investment”. It is a competitive call for a recipient or consortium to implement an IFAD-funded rural policy and investment initiative.

Support Type: Grant funding, with IFAD selecting one recipient or consortium through a proposal process. The selected applicant will also need to meet counterpart contribution requirements, which may include eligible in-kind support.

Funding Amount: Up to US$1.2 million in IFAD grant financing. Non-private sector applicants must provide at least 20% counterpart contribution, while private sector institutions must provide at least 25%.

Application Deadline: Optional Expression of Interest by 31 July 2026, and full proposals due by 4 September 2026 at 12:00 CET. Submissions go to RSPAgrant@ifad.org with the subject line “CFP RSPA Grant application”.

Program Focus

The grant supports work that improves the policy and investment environment for rural development through IFAD’s Rural Sector Performance Assessment framework. It is intended to strengthen how rural sector evidence informs government policy, investment planning, and knowledge generation.

Applicants are expected to propose a project that aligns tightly with the Grant Identification Note, including clear objectives, scope, deliverables, and financial envelope. IFAD also emphasizes that the selected partner may be asked for additional information during review and due diligence.

Location

This is a global opportunity rather than a country-restricted one. The call is open to eligible organizations that can implement work in the relevant region or country(ies) described in their proposal, so the actual geographic fit depends on the applicant’s proposed implementation scope.

About the Program

IFAD is using this call to find an implementing partner for a policy-oriented rural development initiative, not a small local subgrant. The award is aimed at organizations with the capacity to deliver research, policy analysis, knowledge products, or related implementation support at scale.

The opportunity appears on IFAD’s official call-for-proposals page and has also been reported by multiple third-party opportunity sites, which helps confirm it is a real and active call.

Program Benefits

Successful applicants may receive up to US$1.2 million to implement the initiative.

Beyond funding, the grantee gets the opportunity to work directly on a high-visibility IFAD policy initiative, which can strengthen institutional credibility, rural policy expertise, and partnership opportunities with governments and development actors.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, private sector companies, universities, think tanks, research institutes, and consortia of such entities.

Applicants must show relevant experience in the priority theme and in the region or countries where the grant will be implemented. The proposal must also include a formal self-certification of eligibility and acceptance of IFAD’s grant design terms.

Application Process & Timeline

The process has two main steps: an optional, non-binding Expression of Interest by 31 July 2026, followed by the full proposal by 4 September 2026 at 12:00 CET.

A complete submission must include: project proposal, indicative budget, eligibility self-certification, and institutional profile. IFAD says all four are mandatory for evaluation, and proposals should be emailed in PDF form to RSPAgrant@ifad.org.

Best Fit

This opportunity is best for organizations that already have strong capability in rural development policy, agricultural investment analysis, research, or program implementation. It fits best where the applicant can demonstrate both technical expertise and a credible plan to deliver policy-relevant outputs.

It is especially suitable for universities, think tanks, NGOs, and consortia that can meet the counterpart contribution requirement and work within a formal grant-and-reporting environment.

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