10 July 2023
1000FARMS supports the implementation of on-farm testing of late-stage breeding materials (candidates for variety release and checks). The digital platform ClimMob supports the tricot approach, which makes it possible to streamline on-farm testing by farmers. Specifically, the tricot approach facilitates that breeding programs collaborate with organizations that have a large ‘footprint’ with farmers (extension, service providers). Such collaborations can increase coverage of on-farm testing, reduce its costs and generate a link with relevant partners in the seed system for subsequent variety dissemination and seed sales. By supporting the implementation of the tricot approach through new partnerships, 1000FARMS aims to catalyze this potential.
Purpose
The call for catalytic small projects provides new partnerships of organizations the possibility to:
- Learn about tricot and implement the approach in a low-risk way.
- Create awareness and common understanding about how the approach works.
- Shape new collaborative multi-stakeholder agreements for more efficient and effective on-farm testing.
- Improve the tricot approach methodologically.
Requirements
1000FARMS has funding available to support 5–6 catalytic projects in 2023 for up to a maximum of USD 20,000. These funds can be accessed by organizations that fulfill all of the following criteria:
- Ongoing collaboration with one or more of the CGIAR centres on crop breeding.
- Active breeding programs for two or more crops with late-stage breeding products near variety release. We especially encourage projects in which two (or more) breeding programmes collaborate.
- Willingness to learn about tricot, improve on-farm or consumer testing practice, and actively work with other organizations in making on-farm testing more collaborative.
- Having completed training in tricot/ClimMob through Alliance, IITA or CIMMYT.
- One of the following:
- Not having implemented tricot yet.
- Having implemented tricot already, and proposing an innovative multi-stakeholder collaboration for tricot implementation (for example a breeding programme partnering with a service organization or farmers’ organization to be more efficient).
- Having implemented tricot already, and proposing methodological innovation or evaluation (examples: improving farmer responses through cognitive interviewing or participatory video, improving post-harvest or consumer testing).
Process
Organizations that want to access the funding should fill out the proposal template (Annex 1) and send it to Ms. Grecia Benavente (g.benavente@cgiar.org) with the subject “RFP Small grants – [Name of organization]”. All the points should be covered. This call opens on 27th June 2023 and closes on 31st August 2023. Successful proposals might be invited for a short interview with the selection panel. For any inquiries related to the call, please contact Ms. Grecia Benavente.
The activities detailed in the proposal should start in January 2024 or after. Do not plan a project for the next agricultural season if this requires rushing the process. Projects can be executed at any point starting in 2024 and should end no later than October 31st, 2024.
Of the allotted funds, 80% will be provided upfront, in December 2023 and 20% upon delivery of (1) the trial data through ClimMob, which will be open access, and (2) a report that describes the lessons learned and the outcomes that have been achieved (Annex 2).
In 2023, we seek to fund 5–6 projects. A second call is foreseen later in 2024. Applicants can apply to both calls.
We will award projects in the following categories:
- Student thesis projects, max USD 4,000.
- NARES with partners, max USD 20,000.
Timeline
| Item | Date |
|---|---|
| Request for proposals announcement | 26-06-23 |
| Online seminar about the call* | 13-07-23 |
| Deadline for applicant inquiries | 19-07-23 |
| Deadline of distribution of answers | 21-07-23 |
| Deadline for submission of applications | 31-08-23 |
| End of review process | 24-09-23 |
| Deadline contract award announcement | 30-09-23 |
| Deadline signing of grant agreements | 30-11-23 |
| Deadline for first disbursement | 18-12-23 |
To find out more about the call and for more information on the project, tricot and ClimMob, please join our upcoming webinar here. Please also subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
Submission of proposal
Please submit the following as four separate documents* in one e-mail to g.benavente@cgiar.org with the subject “RFP Small grants – [Name of organization]”, no later than 31 August 2023, midnight (East Africa Time):
- The completed proposal template (Annex 1) covering all points, including the timeline and budget.
- Complete the Due Diligence declaration that can be found here.
- Bank certificate.
- Registration document of the organization applying for this grant.
* For student thesis projects, only item 1 is required.
More information
- 1000FARMS project: https://1000FARMS.net
- ClimMob: https://climmob.net
- Introduction to tricot: https://climmob.net/blog/wiki/about-tricot/
- Methodological guide: https://cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10568/109942
- Scientific publications: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=tricot+crop+variety
- Proposal template (Annex 1): bit.ly/4336tOj
- Technical report template (Annex 2): bit.ly/3COMfNr
- Call for proposals-related documents: bit.ly/44fc7Od
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/1000farms
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/1000-farms-trials-platform/
