GAIN: Improving Lives by Catalyzing Innovations in Nutritious Foods

 THE MARKETPLACE FOR NUTRITIOUS FOODS

GAIN launched the Marketplace for Nutritious Foods in 2012 with initial funding from the United States Agency for International Development, USAID.

The Marketplace project has so far been launched in three countries (Kenya, Mozambique and Rwanda) and has supported over 30 companies to date. The Marketplace for Nutritious Foods ("The Marketplace”) is a platform that fosters innovation and drives investment by providing business planning, technical, and financial assistance to companies involved in nutritious value chains. By working with investible businesses to support innovations all along the agricultural value chain —from production to processing and food preparation — the Marketplace makes a sustainable contribution to agricultural and enterprise development as well as to dietary diversity that contributes to improved nutritional status in the home.

The Marketplace has two components: The Community of Practice- a network open to entrepreneurs, businesses, universities, regulatory bodies, NGO’s, associations, and anyone else interested in knowing more about running a business. It convenes regularly for networking and capacity building events; The Innovation Accelerator- the grant-making component that regularly opens calls for proposals in which companies are invited to submit concepts for investible, nutrition-enhancing business ideas. After careful review, the most promising proposals are eligible for technical assistance to support the development of a feasible business plan, which once completed, are reviewed by an Investment Committee that further selects the most investible and impactful concepts to receive grant funding.

ABOUT GAIN

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is FOR MORE INFORMATION GAIN, Marketplace for Nutritious Foods Rwanda CIAT Building, Kacyiru ST KG 563 Kigali, Rwanda E: marketplacerwanda@gainhealth.org F: https://www.facebook.com/marketplacerw/ W: www.gainhealth.org Supported by: CURRENT ACTIVITIES IN RWANDA The Marketplace for Nutritious Foods, Rwanda was launched in 2015 with initial funding from USAID. The Marketplace targets companies that have innovative ideas for transforming Rwanda’s agricultural potential into nutritious foods available to low-income consumers across the country. The First Call for Proposals was launched on the 20th of January 2016 with the Marketplace Rwanda team receiving more than 90 applications from across the 30 districts of Rwanda and encompassing several agricultural value chains including meat processing, fruits, vegetables, INNOVATION. SCALE. IMPACT. an international organization that was launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the complex problem of malnutrition.

GAIN works closely with partners including governments, civil society, businesses, UN agencies, and academic institutions to develop programs that deliver large-scale, locally relevant and sustainable solutions to malnutrition in more than 30 countries. Program and initiatives are focused on early life stages and maternal health; targeting mainly children, girls and women and facilitating their access to sustainable and nutritious diets in order to end the cycle of malnutrition and poverty.

GAIN’s reach extends to more than 30 countries worldwide with key programs including;

• Large-scale food fortification

• Nutrition for women and children

• Agriculture and nutrition

• Business partnerships for nutrition

Through these programs; GAIN has helped 892 million people to access affordable, nutritious food — about 350 million of whom are women and children.

INNOVATION. SCALE. IMPACT.

CURRENT ACTIVITIES IN RWANDA

The Marketplace for Nutritious Foods, Rwanda was launched in 2015 with initial funding from USAID. The Marketplace targets companies that have innovative ideas for transforming Rwanda’s agricultural potential into nutritious foods available to low-income consumers across the country.

The First Call for Proposals was launched on the 20th of January 2016 with the Marketplace Rwanda team receiving more than 90 applications from across the 30 districts of Rwanda and encompassing several agricultural value chains including meat processing, fruits, vegetables, dairy and poultry products, food fortification, cereal blends and modern aquaculture. Nine companies were shortlisted by a panel of local and international experts in nutrition and agricultural development to receive technical support in the form of business planning and product development for their project concepts. Shortlisted applicants will undergo further evaluation in July to determine their eligibility in receiving a grant of up to USD $125,000 that will go towards the development and sustainable execution of their innovation.

Two Community of Practice events have also been held this year with guest speakers from the academic, financial, food processing and certification fields invited to speak on Food Safety and Standards, Nutrition and Impact, Food processing, and Access to investment for agricultural SMEs; topics that members suggested and found to be relevant. Membership has increased to over 80 participants thus far and is expected to increase further as the Marketplace enters its second year of implementation.

UPCOMING

Second Call for Proposals issued on 15th June, 2016 with deadline for submission set for 7th July 2016: Similar to the first call, attention will be paid to the following; (i) Eligible value chains including Fish, Meat, Fruits, Dairy, Oilseeds, Pulses, Vegetables, Cereal Blends as predetermined by GAIN, (ii) Preferred project activities including Value addition activities such as (food processing, transformation, fortification, strengthening), Access to market activities (sales, marketing, packaging, distribution) and Production activities (farming) and (iii) Evaluation criteria: Innovation – market feasibility – nutritional impact – scalability. 1st Community of Practice Meeting held on March 24th, 2016 at Lemigo Hotel 2nd Community of Practice Meeting held on June 16th, 2016 at Lemigo Hotel.