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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The core objective of the FS4Africa Open Call 1 (OC1) is to provide financial support to research and technology stakeholders, enabling them to develop, test, and demonstrate innovative food safety solutions. These solutions specifically aim to address critical food safety challenges within the African informal sector, contributing to the broader goals of the FS4Africa project. - Target recipient type and size: Research organizations, start-ups, SMEs, and other multidisciplinary actors. Applicants must be single entities; consortia are not permitted. - SECTOR-SPECIFIC - Geographic scope: Solutions are required to target food safety challenges in the African informal sector. The geographic eligibility for applicant organizations to receive funding is not explicitly stated in the provided documents. - Key filtering criteria for initial grant screening: Focus on food safety, application by a single entity, and proposed solutions operating within Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 4 to 6. - Grant frequency and program context: This is the first of two Open Calls launched by the FS4Africa project, which aims to fund a total of at least 15 sub-projects across both calls. This particular call will select at least 10 sub-projects.

Financial Structure

Funding amounts: The maximum grant amount available for each selected project is €60,000.
Total call budget: The overall budget allocated for FS4Africa Open Call 1 is €600,000.
Currency: All financial amounts are specified in EUR.
Funding rate: The grant provides Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP). While not explicitly stated as 100%, FSTP mechanisms typically cover 100.0% of eligible costs up to the maximum amount, with no co-financing requirement mentioned.
Payment schedule: Payments are linked to the completion and acceptance of specific deliverables, disbursed in three phases:
- 30% of the total grant will be paid upon the submission and acceptance of the 'Activity plan' deliverable, marking the completion of the Design Phase (months 1-3).
- 50% of the total grant will be paid following the submission and acceptance of the 'Results demonstration' deliverable, signifying the completion of the Development Phase (months 4-9).
- The final 20% of the total grant will be paid upon the submission and acceptance of the 'Report on market or community associated activities' deliverable, at the end of the Validation Phase (months 10-12).
Financial reporting: Payments are contingent upon the successful review and acceptance of the required deliverables for each phase.

Eligibility Requirements

Organization Type & Structure

Eligible entities: The call is open to 'research and technology stakeholders', including start-ups, SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), research organizations, and other multidisciplinary actors.
Legal structure: Applications must be submitted by a single legal entity; forming a consortium for the application is expressly not permitted.

Geographic & Temporal

Geographic location: The grant aims to address food safety challenges in the 'African Informal Sector'. However, the specific geographic eligibility criteria for applicant organizations to receive funding are not explicitly detailed in the provided grant materials.
Project duration: Successful projects are required to have an implementation timeframe of 12 months.
Project start date: Selected projects are expected to commence in February 2026.

Technical & Project Stage

Technology Readiness Level (TRL): Proposed solutions must initiate at TRL4 (Technology validated in lab) and are expected to advance to TRL6 (Technology demonstrated in relevant environment) by the conclusion of the project.

Exclusion Criteria

Consortia: Applications submitted by consortia (groups of entities) will not be considered.

Application Process

Application Timeline

Application opening date: June 2, 2025.
Submission deadline: Proposals must be submitted by September 30, 2025, at 17:00 CET (Central European Time).
Project implementation period: Selected projects will be launched in February 2026, with implementation expected to conclude by January 2027, spanning a total of 12 months.

Submission Process

Submission platform: All proposals must be submitted digitally via the 'opencalls.fund' (OCF) platform.
Multiple submissions: In cases where multiple versions of the same application are submitted, only the latest version will be considered for evaluation; all prior versions will be discarded.
Terms and conditions: By submitting an application, applicants automatically agree to abide by the terms and conditions detailed in the 'Open Call Kit'.

Required Documentation

Applicants are required to prepare and submit specific documents as outlined in the 'FS4Africa Open Call Kit'. This kit typically includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- The 'Open Call Applicants’ Guide'
- The 'Open Call Proposal Template'
- The 'Open Call Budget Template'
- A 'Declaration of Honour' (DoH)
- An 'SME Declaration' (if applicable)
- 'Bank account information'
- The 'Model sub-grant agreement'
- The 'Open Call Frequently Asked Questions' (FAQ) document.

Post-Award Requirements & Reporting

Project phases: The 12-month implementation is structured into three distinct phases, each requiring a specific deliverable:
- Design Phase (3 months: February 2026 – April 2026), concluding with the 'Activity plan' deliverable.
- Development Phase (6 months: May 2026 – October 2026), concluding with the 'Results demonstration' deliverable.
- Validation Phase (3 months: November 2026 – January 2027), concluding with the 'Report on market or community associated activities' deliverable.
Progress monitoring: The work done during each phase will be summarized in the respective deliverable, which will then be reviewed by the FS4Africa Open Call Advisory Board. Requests for updates or modifications to deliverables may occur.
Expected project activities: Each selected project is expected to:
- Propose either a completely new innovative solution or enhance an existing one, directly addressing specific food safety challenges in the African Informal Sector.
- Implement a clear testing methodology involving a minimum of 10 participants (e.g., farmers, SMEs, other food supply chain actors) to measure the solution's effectiveness and scalability.
- Organize and conduct a public demonstration event to showcase the solution's functionality and outcomes to at least 30 stakeholders (e.g., policymakers, industry representatives, researchers, community leaders).
- Present a comprehensive roadmap for scaling the solution to a broader audience or market, including strategies to overcome potential barriers.

Evaluation Criteria

Main Evaluation Areas

Concept and Feasibility: This criterion assesses the clarity, originality, and practical viability of the proposed solution and the overall project plan.
Technology Readiness and Innovation Development: Evaluation focuses on the current technological maturity of the solution, its innovation potential, and the robustness of the proposed development path.
Impact & Exploitation: This criterion examines the expected social, economic, or environmental benefits, and the effectiveness of the plan for broader dissemination, adoption, and potential market exploitation of the solution.
Organisational Capacity and Sufficiency in the Team’s Background: This evaluates the applicant organization's internal capabilities, including its expertise, available resources, and the qualifications and composition of the project team to successfully deliver the proposed activities.

Scoring System

Scoring scale: Each of the four evaluation criteria will be scored individually on a scale from 1 to 5 points.
Threshold: A minimum score of 3 points is required for each individual criterion to pass the evaluation stage.
Total score: In addition to individual thresholds, a minimum cumulative score of 12 points across all four criteria is required for a proposal to be considered for funding.
Weighting: All award criteria are given equal weight in the overall assessment of the proposal.

Compliance & Special Requirements

General Compliance

Confidentiality: The identities of applicants and the content of their proposals will be treated with strict confidentiality throughout the entire application and evaluation process.

Project Scope and Focus

Challenge alignment: Proposed solutions must align with the broader objectives of the FS4Africa project and specifically address one or more of the identified food safety challenges within the African informal sector. These challenges include:
- Food safety issues arising from weak value chain organization, and lack of traceability & authentication of safe food.
- Contamination by mycotoxins in various food and feed crops.
- Presence of pesticide residues in grains and vegetables.
- Microbial contamination, with a particular focus on coliforms (e.g., Escherichia coli).
- Issues related to food adulteration.
Innovation requirement: Solutions are expected to be innovative, either by introducing new concepts or by significantly enhancing existing tools or business concepts, ultimately contributing to the project's goals.

Risk Management

Evaluator conduct: External evaluators are required to adhere to strict guidelines concerning conflict of interest, impartiality, and confidentiality throughout the evaluation process. They are prohibited from contacting applicants directly during this period.

Unique Considerations

Single entity application: A key requirement is that applications must come from a single legal entity, as consortia are not permitted to apply for this call.

Grant Details