Context

As part of the ESOP (Service Firms and Organizations of producers) promotion program, the Innovation Fund has been created in Ethiopia to support the cereal banks and justify their viability. This fund aims at facilitating the development of new activities generating of incomes for the members of the CBs (promotion of new agricultural products, news channels of production...) as the lack of financial resources prevent them from diversifying their activities by their own.

Contribution

The document describes the main procedures ruling the allocation of an Innovation Fund to CBs.
It will be helpful to list the requirements needed to obtain and then manage properly this fund which is adapted to the specificities of an ESOP structure.

Content

In the first part, the document presents clearly : the objectives of the Fund, the types of innovation projects that can be submitted by CBs, the criteria for eligible candidates, the process for selection and implementation of projects (an example of schedule activities is given), etc.
Two forms requiring to be completed by the CBs to be granted the Innovation Fund are then appended (“Opportunity note format” and “Feasibility note format”.