FS4Africa Open Call 1 – Apply for up to €60,000!

FoodSafety4Africa (FS4Africa) is launching its 1st Open Call to fund innovative, market-ready food safety solutions addressing challenges in Africa’s informal food sector. This call provides financial support to individual startups, SMEs, and research organisations (no consortia) to scale solutions and tackle food contamination, traceability, and safety risks in African value chains.

What’s Funded?

• Up to 10 projects will receive up to €60,000 each (total budget: €600,000).

• Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) will enable:

  • Testing and validation of new or enhanced food safety solutions.

  • Field testing involving at least 10 participants.

  • Public demonstration events with at least 30 stakeholders.

  • A roadmap for scaling and market rollout.

Target Challenges

Proposals must align with FS4Africa’s goals and address one or more of the following:

• Weak channels for value chain organisation, traceability, and safe food authentication.

• Mycotoxin contamination in food and feed.

• Pesticide residues in grains and vegetables.

• Microbial contamination (e.g. E. coli).

• Food adulteration.

Eligibility

• Open to individual organisations only (start-ups, SMEs, research organisations).

• Based in Europe or Africa.

• No consortium applications.

• Projects must start at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 and reach TRL 6 by project end.

• Must commit to a 12-month implementation period beginning February 2026, divided into:

  • Design Phase (3 months)

  • Development Phase (6 months)

  • Validation Phase (3 months)

Submission Procedure

• Proposals must be submitted online via the official platform

• Deadline: September 30, 2025 – 17:00 CET

Evaluator Opportunities

FS4Africa is also recruiting independent evaluators with experience in food safety systems, African informal food markets, or European Commission proposal reviews.
Apply as an evaluator by registering and uploading your CV (PDF).

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement by Agri-web. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit the official websites and portals of this opportunity for complete program details and verified application instructions. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to exercise due diligence before submitting any personal or sensitive information.