- Grant Amount – €6,000,000
- Deadline – August 31, 2025
- CLICK HERE TO APPLY
The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kampala (EKN) is initiating and funding a project within its €6,000,000 Private Sector Development portfolio, aimed at the inclusive development of Uganda’s aquaculture sector.
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Scope
The scope of the intended project should include the following:
- Strengthening input supply for aquaculture production
- – Access to quality and affordable inputs remains a challenge for the development of the aquaculture industry. Access to high quality fingerlings and feed remain an impediment for fish farmers to attain profitability and business growth. Access to equipment is also a bottleneck. The availability of high quality, indigenous genetics for tilapia is lacking in the industry. The development and distribution of these genetics will be highly beneficial for farmers to ensure that there is a high feed conversion rate for the available fingerlings on the market.
- Improving aquaculture production and distribution
- – As stated in the context above, Uganda is leading in aquaculture production in the East African region with large commercial farms exporting over 70% of their production. Poor infrastructure and the low production capacity prevents smaller farmers from doing the same and procuring better prices for their fish by exporting. By improving farm management practices and engaging in collective bargaining, fish farmers would be able to benefit from economies of scale and increase their incomes.
- Skills development and capacity building
- – In order to enhance skills and professionalism in the aquaculture sector, it is important to build the capacity of various stakeholders in the value chain. In order to ensure the sustainability of the project, training should not only be provided to fish farmers but also the district agricultural extension officers. Hands-on training will help to improve farm management practices, increase the adoption of modern fish farming technologies, provide tailor- made content to improve productivity and profitability of farmers in the sector, and strengthen the farmers’ ability negotiate competently with buyers.
- Domestic market development and consumer awareness
- – The domestic market for farmed fish has the greatest potential for fish farmers in Uganda. Domestic consumption of farmed fish remains low due to affordability by consumers. By conducting domestic market development efforts, this project can increase domestic consumption of farmed fish which will in turn increase the nutritious uptake of fish.
- Access to financial services
- – Lack of sufficient capital remains a considerable barrier to entry for farmers who aspire to engage in aquaculture in Uganda. The cost of commercial credit remains high, with interest rates above 16% per annum. Cheaper financing alternatives through the agricultural credit facility exist, however, the farmers that are in most need of this financing do not qualify for it under current requirements. Additionally, there exist no insurance options for aquaculture farmers that can help de-risk their investments.
- Enabling environment for sustainable aquaculture
- – In order to support the development and to strengthen the aquaculture sector in Uganda, it is important to ensure that there is an enabling environment for investment in the sector. This includes ensuring that government policies are supportive towards fish farming activities, there are limited barriers to trade, and that there is enough capacity to regulate the industry by ensuring sustainable and good business practices.
Funding Information
- The current funding available for this project is maximum 6.000.000 euros.
Eligibility:
The prospective partner should meet the following minimum requirements:
- The lead partner has proven experience in the management of single-projects of USD 5 million or more in which the lead partner is the lead (or contract) party. The following information is required: name of the project, thematic area, main results, total budget (including currency) and the contact details of the contact person of the donor organization.
- Applicants should have an office in Uganda or willing to establish an office in the first three months of implementation.
- The lead partner should preferably be an NGO, Foundation or Consultancy Company (with no investments in the sector) and should have proven experience with the implementation of aquaculture sector development projects in one country at a comparable scale in terms of finance.
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