The Efficiency for Access invites organisations to apply for the fourth call of the Efficiency for Access Research and Development Fund.
Launching in November 2023, the Efficiency for Access Research and Development (R&D) Fund, with support from the IKEA Foundation and UK aid (from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access platform), will provide over £1.3million to organisations under the Efficiency for Access R&D Fund’s fourth call. Since 2018 the fund has provided over £5million of grant funding, supporting 38 R&D projects to accelerate innovation and address important barriers to access in the off- and weak grid appliances sector.
Under this call, support will be provided to develop agricultural technologies, sometimes known as agri-technologies, that are high performing, energy efficient appliances. These appliance technologies will increase post-harvest resilience and productivity, supporting post-harvest management including harvesting, handling, storage, processing, and transportation, within food systems in horticulture, dairy, fishing and livestock.
Scope
To be in scope for this call, R&D projects must:
Develop or improve an innovative electrical appliance technology for use in off- and/or weak grid settings; and
Improve post-harvest resilience and productivity of food systems, while reducing their environmental impact. Improved resilience and productivity can be achieved in any of the following ways: ensuring and increasing incomes, expanding access to markets, reducing waste and loss, and improving the operations, service and maintenance of essential equipment within one or more value chains of a food system.
Examples of eligible R&D projects could include, but are not limited to, the development of high performing, energy efficient appliance technologies (agri-technologies) for use in off- and/or weak-grid settings, digital or software solutions enabling agri-technologies, systems and models that:
Extend the shelf life of food (for example, through cold storage, ice production or drying)
Process food (for example, by milling, pressing or threshing)
Sustainably transport food (i.e. e-mobility or temperature-controlled logistics)
Improve the performance, maintenance or timely service of critical equipment within scope
Funding Information
Grants are available from £50,000 to £300,000. Over £1.3 million in funding has been made available for this call.
R&D Categories
Your project should fall under one of the following categories based on the stage of your R&D:
Early stage for feasibility studies – This includes both developing and demonstrating the concept for a technology, and analysis and evaluation of a technology’s potential, aimed at supporting the process of decision making.
Mid-stage for industrial research – This should be for the purpose of product development, processes or services that lead to an improvement in existing products, processes or services. It can include the creation of component parts to complex systems and may include prototypes in a laboratory or environment with simulated interfaces to existing systems, particularly for generic technology validation.
Late stage for experimental development – Experimental development may comprise prototyping, demonstrating, piloting, testing and validation of new or improved products, processes or services in environments representative of real-life operating conditions. The primary objective is to make further technical improvements on products, processes or services that are not substantially set.
Eligibility Criteria
The minimum eligibility criteria are:
Applicants must be a legally registered and physically established business, academic organisation, non-profit, public sector organisation, or research and technology organisation based in any country in the world. Applicants for funding may also form partnerships (such as between academics and businesses, or between entrepreneurs and established businesses). However, the lead partner will assume responsibility for the project and will be the recipient of the grant funding.
Your application must demonstrate outcomes linked to both the programme’s overall objective (of accelerating the availability, affordability, efficiency and performance of a range of Low Energy Inclusive Appliances particularly suited to developing country contexts) and the R&D scope for this call.
Applicants must demonstrate sufficient match funding for project costs.
Applicants must demonstrate a track record in research and innovation, and/or provide strong evidence of your capacity to successfully implement the R&D project.
Applicants must be compliant with fundamental in-country and international human rights, labour standards, and environmental management laws. Applicants must not be involved in any act of terrorism or support terrorist activities.
