Livcd Annual Program Statement (Aps) - Grants, Co-Investments, And Public-Private Partnerships Component

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development (LIVCD) Project formally invites interested applicants to participate in a competitive grant, co-investment, and PPP process, requiring interested organizations to submit an Expression Of Interest (EOI). LIVCD is a five-year project, implemented by Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI) that aims to support the improvement of economic stability in Lebanon, especially in rural areas to improve incomes and livelihoods. The project works to increase the competitiveness of selected value chains expand Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), including farm and agribusiness operations that can compete in selected markets, improve market and business linkages between those firms and other actors throughout the value chain, increase productivity and quality, and expand export opportunities. LIVCD completed an initial six month assessment and selected the following value chains to focus on:

1. Pome Fruits

2. Stone Fruits

3. Grapes

4. Olive Oil

5. Floriculture

6. Rural Basket of Products (honey, poultry, high value crops, thyme, pine nuts, and potentially other items) to improve food security income, and support household level producers

7. Processed Foods (such as household processing for small-scale food processers of products related to value chain commodities)

8. Rural Tourism and Handicrafts

LIVCD also works on cross-cutting components that have linkages with value chain activities, such as Access to Finance, Communications, Capacity Building, and Market Intelligence.

Projects supporting the following activities linked to the selected value chains will be considered for grant, co-investment, and PPP funding: improving quality and yields, information dissemination and adopting agriculture technology and innovation, improving market information, reducing post-harvest losses, improving sorting, packing, and storage of perishable fruits, building capacity and skills, increasing competitiveness, improving market or business linkages, reducing marketing margins, supporting tour operators and tourism promotion, and enhancing community development and association capacity

The full Annual Program Statement, including all terms, and conditions is available by sending an email to: [email protected]. This APS is valid until September 30, 2014. Additional APSs will be issued by LIVCD for subsequent years.LIVCD Grants Team, Confidence Center, 1st Floor, Dimitri Hayeck Street- Horsh Tabet, Sin El Fil; Office Phone: + 961 1 485 619