Africa Agri-food Development Programme (AADP) 2025 - OgaJob - Fastest Growing Job Board Site in Nigeria

Applications are now being accepted for the Africa Agri-food Development Programme (AADP) 2025, a joint initiative by the Irish government to support Irish and African agri-food businesses working together to transform food systems across Africa.

Keep reading to learn more about the eligibility requirements, benefits and mode of application for the programme.

Quick Summary of Africa Agri-food Development Programme (AADP) 2025

Company	Sterling Bank
Category	Internships/Grant/Scholarship
Application Base	Irish & African agri‑food companies
Eligible Country	Nigeria
Benefits	€100 k (feasibility), €250 k (full projects)
Qualifications	OND/HND/B.Sc minimum; strong communication & sales skills
End Date:	15 August 2025, 5 pm Dublin time

What is the AADP?

The Africa Agri-Food Development Programme (AADP) is Ireland’s flagship initiative that promotes the private sector’s role in developing sustainable food systems.

It serves as a catalyst for Irish and African entrepreneurs to investigate and seize interesting opportunities to transfer their knowledge to Africa, establish new markets, and contribute to the strengthening of bilateral trade between Ireland and Africa.

Through matched grant financing, the programme provides Irish and African agri-businesses of all sizes with an essential opportunity to explore and capitalise on the possibilities of creative relationships with enterprises in Sub-Saharan African countries.

It enables corporations to manage financial risk while also leveraging their skills and resources to collaborate on projects that have a major positive impact on African communities.

The AADP, which accepts funding applications for projects and feasibility studies once a year, allows Ireland’s agri-food sector to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to combat poverty, eradicate hunger, fight inequality, and make real and sustainable changes that improve the lives of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Grant types and eligibility criteria for the Africa Agri-Food Development Programme (AADP)

Feasibility Study grants

The Feasibility Study grant is open to applications from Irish private sector organisations and eligible African countries for projects aimed at exploring commercial concepts and market opportunities that can contribute to the long-term transformation and development of Africa’s agri-food system.

Applications for Feasibility Studies will be considered for either solo projects (those conducted by a single organisation) or those delivered in collaboration between two companies.

Full Commercial Project Grants

The Full Commercial Project award is available for collaborative, partnership-based submissions from Irish and African private sector organisations for creative, scalable, and meaningful revenue-generating enterprises.

The whole project award aims to assist the long-term transformation and growth of Africa’s agri-food system, as well as to contribute to a mutual trade and knowledge exchange programme between Ireland and Africa.

Applications for Full Commercial Projects must be created jointly by African and Irish applicants in collaboration.

Business Type for the Programme

Prior to submitting their AADP application, all applicants must be agri-food enterprises that have been registered/incorporated in Ireland or one of the 19 eligible African countries for a minimum of 24 months.

Businesses can be of any scale or structure, such as:

Micro enterprises	SMEs
Companies	Sole traders
Cooperatives	Farming groups
Partnerships	Social enterprises
Registered commercial farming networks	Any other structure

Eligible African countries

The african countries can can apply for the grant are given below

Botswana	Cóte d’Ivoire	Ethiopia
Ghana	Kenya	Lesotho
Liberia	Namibia	Nigeria
Malawi	Mozambique	Rwanda
Senegal	Sierra Leone	South Africa
Tanzania	Uganda	Zambia
Zimbabwe

Proposal requirements

All proposals must:

Be commercial in nature
Be implemented in one or more of the 19 African countries that are eligible.
Illustrate how they will significantly contribute to the sustainable development of the food system, including any possible alignment with the priority areas of Ireland’s international development policy, A Better World, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, within the African country or countries selected.
Demonstrate the applicant or applicants’ qualifications for the proposed project, including their experience, knowledge, and skills, and how they are relevant to the project’s objectives, activities, and deliverables. Additionally, provide a clear rationale for the necessity of public funds to fund the initiative, including their potential to leverage or access additional sources of funding in the future.
Show that all applicants have implemented suitable governance, financial management, and fraud prevention systems.
Demonstrate the project’s intention to share, develop, and/or leverage mutual expertise between Ireland and Africa in the specific project area.
Describe the project’s strategy for enhancing or generating mutual trade between Africa and Ireland.

Supporting documentation

All applications must be accompanied by supporting documentation, including:

an Irish Tax Clearance Certificate – which all applicants, including African applicants, must apply for and receive from the Irish Revenue Commissioners for inclusion with their application
a project budget with breakdown of spending, funding source, activities and equipment
a project implementation with calendar of main steps and activities required to deliver the project objectives
a plan for collaboration over the timeline of the project

What AADP grants cannot be used for

The manufacture, development, or sale of weapons, tobacco, alcohol, or gambling activities is prohibited by the use of AADP funds.
The production of fossil fuels is not eligible for AADP funds.
Activities that contribute to deforestation (i.e., the conversion of a forest to another land use through the long-term reduction of tree canopy cover to below the minimum 10% threshold) or forest degradation (i.e., the reduction of a forest’s capacity to provide goods and services) are not eligible for AADP funds.
If a company is unable to demonstrate clear goals and ongoing measures to address these problems, AADP funds will not be provided to companies or commercial activities that do not comply with international standards and conventions regarding human rights, the environment, corruption, or labour laws.
AADP funds will not be allocated to initiatives that do not adhere to the animal welfare standards established by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine of Ireland.
AADP funds are not permitted to be utilised for any capital expenditure in Ireland without prior written approval.

Who Can Apply?

The agri-food companies must be registered in Ireland or one of the eligible African countries. The minimal number of months for Irish companies is 12, while African companies must be registered for a minimum of 24 months.
Projects must be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), impactful, and commercially viable.
At least one Irish and one African commercial enterprise must collaborate to complete a “full project.”
A clearly defined list of prospective partners should be included in feasibility studies.

Funding Details

Feasibility Study Grants: Up to €100,000
Joint Commercial Project Grants: Up to €250,000
Funding matches 50% of total project cost; applicants must provide the remainder

Evaluation Criteria

Economic, social, and environmental implications of sustainable development
Commercial and financial viability.
Additionality: using public money without replacing them.
Strength of the Irish-African Partnership
Project design, including risk assessment, monitoring, and evaluation strategies.
For returning applicants: success of past collaborations and the strength of matched funds.

Timeline & Deadline

Call launched: 26 June 2025
Application deadline: 5 pm Dublin time, 15 August 2025

How to Apply for Africa Agri-food Development Programme (AADP) 2025

Visit the official application form from the AADP website by clicking on the Apply Now button below
You can also download the application form directly from the AADP website
Submit the completed form and all supporting documents to aadp@dfa.ie before the deadline

Apply Now