9th GAFSP Call for Proposals 2026: US$163 Million Food Security Grants for Low-Income Countries

The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) has launched its 9th Call for Proposals for Country-led Projects, providing approximately US$163 million in grant financing to support agriculture, food security, and climate resilience initiatives in some of the world’s poorest countries.

The programme supports country-led investments that strengthen:

• Food security
• Agricultural productivity
• Climate resilience
• Market access
• Rural livelihoods
• Women and youth empowerment
• Sustainable and inclusive food systems

The 2026 call comes at a critical time as countries continue to face:

• Climate shocks
• Conflict-related food insecurity
• Rising food and fertilizer prices
• Economic instability
• Increasing hunger and malnutrition

The call is aligned with the GAFSP Strategic Plan 2025–2030 and encourages innovative, scalable, and integrated agricultural solutions.

Funding Available

• Total grant funding available: Approximately US$163 million
• Expected number of funded projects: 6–10 projects
• Funding type: Grant financing

Who Can Apply?

Applications must be submitted by:

• National governments of eligible countries
• In collaboration with selected Supervising Entities and national stakeholders

Proposals should involve consultations with:

• Smallholder farmers
• Producer organisations
• Women’s groups
• Private sector actors
• Civil society organisations
• Development partners

Eligible Countries

The call is open to active IDA-only countries that are eligible under GAFSP guidelines.

Africa

• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Comoros
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Djibouti
• Ethiopia
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Mozambique
• Niger
• Rwanda
• São Tomé & Príncipe
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• South Sudan
• Sudan
• Tanzania
• Togo
• Uganda
• Zambia

East Asia & Pacific

• Cambodia
• Kiribati
• Lao PDR
• Marshall Islands
• Micronesia
• Myanmar
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

Europe & Central Asia

• Kosovo
• Kyrgyz Republic
• Tajikistan

Latin America & Caribbean

• Guyana
• Haiti
• Honduras
• Nicaragua

Middle East

• Syria
• Yemen

South Asia

• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• Bhutan
• Maldives
• Nepal
• Sri Lanka

Priority Focus Areas

Eligible projects should focus on one or more of the following:

Food Systems Outcomes

• Increased agricultural productivity
• Improved farm-to-market linkages
• Reduced risk and vulnerability
• Improved rural livelihoods and entrepreneurship
• Stronger agricultural institutions

Cross-Cutting Priorities

Projects must address at least two of the following:

• Climate resilience
• Women and girls’ empowerment
• Nutrition improvement

Additional encouraged themes include:

• Biodiversity conservation
• Water security
• Soil health
• Sustainable land management

Eligible Project Activities

Projects may include:

• Climate-smart agriculture
• Food systems transformation
• Agricultural value chain development
• Rural infrastructure
• Nutrition-sensitive agriculture
• Farmer resilience initiatives
• Agricultural innovation
• Public-private partnerships
• Market systems strengthening
• Women and youth-focused agricultural interventions

Special Priorities Under the 2026 Call

The programme places strong emphasis on:

• Innovative and integrated agricultural solutions
• Co-financing and partnerships
• Private sector engagement
• Fragile and conflict-affected countries
• Scalable investment models
• Alignment with national agricultural strategies

Supervising Entities

Countries must partner with one or more approved Supervising Entities, including:

• African Development Bank (AfDB)
• Asian Development Bank (ADB)
• International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
• Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
• World Bank

Technical assistance partners may include:

• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• World Food Programme (WFP)

Application Timeline

• Call launched: 13 May 2026
• Proposal submission deadline: 15 September 2026
• Expected funding decisions: January 2027

Required Supporting Documents

Applicants must submit:

• Completed proposal template
• Budget spreadsheets
• National agriculture or food security strategies
• Government endorsement letters
• Sector working group endorsements
• Supervising Entity support letter
• Co-financing evidence
• Associated project documents

Why This Opportunity Matters

The GAFSP programme remains one of the largest multilateral agriculture and food security financing platforms supporting low-income countries.

The initiative is particularly important because it:

• Supports long-term food systems transformation
• Strengthens resilience against climate and economic shocks
• Helps countries address hunger and malnutrition
• Encourages public-private collaboration
• Promotes scalable agricultural investments
• Prioritises vulnerable and conflict-affected regions

Since 2010, GAFSP has mobilised over US$2.46 billion supporting agriculture and food systems across 53 low-income countries.

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