ICPE invites its African member states to forward this opportunity to concerned authorities, SMEs, startups and research organisations. This grant supports innovative solutions that improve food safety in the informal sector, addressing mycotoxins, pesticide residues, microbial contamination, adulteration and value-chain traceability. Member states should circulate this widely; eligible applicants must apply as single entities and engage local stakeholders.

The grant opportunity addresses critical food safety challenges within the informal sector across the African continent. The informal food sector, which is comprised of small-scale producers, processors, vendors, and local markets, accounts for a substantial share of urban and rural food distribution yet often lacks structured quality control, traceability, and regulatory oversight. Unsafe practices can lead to mycotoxin contamination in staples such as maize and ground nuts; pesticide residues in grains and vegetables; microbial hazards including E. coli and Salmonella; and food adulteration, all of which pose significant public health and economic risks.

This grant call seeks to strengthen food safety systems by funding innovative approaches that are:

• Embedded in real-life contexts (“living labs”) with multi-stakeholder participation from farmers, SMEs, research institutes, local authorities, and consumer groups.
• Focused on co-creation and user-driven solutions, leveraging digital, microbiome-based, or low-cost technologies to enhance testing, monitoring, and traceability.
• Designed to validate and demonstrate impact, requiring at least 10 participants for solution testing and a public demonstration engaging a minimum of 30 stakeholders.
• Aligned with the EU’s lump-sum funding model and Horizon Europe Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) principles to streamline administration and ensure timely disbursement.
• Structured across three implementation phases (Design, Development, Validation) over 12 months, with clear deliverables and milestone-based funding (30%/50%/20%).

Through this grant opportunity, ICPE aims to catalyse sustainable improvements in food safety, empower local enterprises and research organizations, and foster south–south and triangular cooperation by linking African innovators with European technology providers. The primary goal is to reduce foodborne risks, enhance market access for informal-sector actors, and contribute to healthier communities and economic resilience across member states.