The Common Fund for Commodities is accepting proposals for projects that improve smallholder livelihoods through inclusive, commercially viable commodity value chains. The call covers trade finance, regenerative agriculture and biodiversity, low-impact local value addition, agtech, financial access, and gender-lens enterprise solutions.
Eligible organizations may be based outside a CFC member country, but every activity financed by CFC must be implemented in a member country. Projects in the Congo Basin and proposals from or focused on least developed, landlocked developing, and small island developing countries receive priority rather than exclusive eligibility.
Benefits & funding
- The current application form offers trade-finance, working-capital, and term loans from USD 300,000 to USD 2,000,000; maximum tenors are 12 months, 18 months, and five years respectively, with up to two years of grace for term loans.
- Equity for investment funds and Development Impact Bond participation range from USD 300,000 to USD 2,000,000; direct equity investment in businesses is excluded, and an equity stake is capped at 49%.
- Fast-Track financing ranges from USD 50,000 to USD 300,000 and asks applicants to provide repayment terms or justify a request for non-repayable funding.
- The requested CFC loan must be matched by at least the same amount from the applicant or identified co-financiers. There is no application-stage fee, although approved applicants share applicable legal and due-diligence costs.
Eligibility
- SMEs, cooperatives, social enterprises, NGOs, investment funds, governmental organizations, and other public or private entities may apply.
- The applicant must have at least three years of operational history and provide the latest three years of audited financial statements. Start-ups are not financed.
- All CFC-financed activities must take place in one or more of the 101 CFC member countries; an organization incorporated elsewhere may apply when this implementation condition is met.
- Projects must strengthen commodity value chains and smallholder livelihoods, be financially viable, and avoid activities on the CFC Exclusion List.
- No nationality, personal residency, degree, age, or gender requirement is stated because applications are made by organizations rather than individuals.
Can you apply?
Open to all applicants
No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.
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Application process
- 1Download the English application form and the applicable balance-sheet and income-statement spreadsheet from the call page.
- 2Select one financing route and specify the request, use of funds, tenor, security or ownership terms, and matching co-finance as applicable.
- 3Complete the project, market, innovation, impact, environmental and social risk, and financial sections.
- 4Attach the required audited statements, financial projections, impact-indicator spreadsheet, registration documents, and group ownership chart where applicable.
- 5Submit the completed English application and supporting documents to opencall@common-fund.org or by post before the deadline.
Program timeline
First webinar for the 29th Call for Proposals
May 6, 2026, 10:00–11:00 CET
Second webinar for the 29th Call for Proposals
Sep 1, 2026, 15:00–16:00 CET
Application deadline
Oct 1, 2026