The NFP True Pricing Seed Fund 2024: call for proposals

Invitation to apply for funding

As the world becomes more aware of the need for sustainable change and a fairer economy, it has become clear that transformation of the global food system is a key priority to make this happen. This as the global food system currently encompasses around 11 trillion dollars of hidden costs such as water pollution, insufficient living wage, child labour, etc. True pricing is a growing theme on the national and international level among companies, governments, consumers and scientists, as a solution towards a sustainable food system. To stimulate projects on true pricing within food value chains that have significant impact in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) Netherlands Food Partnership (NFP) is launching the True Pricing Seed Fund.

We invite organizations in the public sector, private sector, civil society and knowledge institutes to submit proposals for the start up of new initiatives or boosting components of existing initiatives that focus on true pricing within food value chains that have significant impact on social and/or environmental costs in LMICs. The fund is open for applications starting 11 March 2024 and will close as soon as the fund is depleted. Proposals will be assessed and granted on a first come, first serve basis. Find more information, including the project criteria below.

The application form can be found by clicking on the button at the top of this page. It can be submitted to info@nlfoodpartnership.com. Please include in the subject line: Application to NFP true pricing seed fund

Type of projects and funding

Projects funded through NFPs true pricing seed fund are limited in budget and time span. The project budget is between €10.000 and €50.000 (including all relevant taxes) per eligible project. Projects need to be concluded before 31 December 2024.

Activities can include such things as true pricing assessments, studies and advice on specific food value chains and their externalities; workshops, training and coaching; or policy influencing and consumer awareness campaigns.

Project costs covered include: staff costs, travel costs, training/workshop and other material costs. Overhead costs will not be covered. NFPs true pricing seed fund is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, through the Netherlands Food Partnership (NFP) as the secretariat of the Global Partnership for the True Price of Food. A total budget of €100.000 is available, which means that two to ten projects can be funded. Check the barometer to see what the current depletion of the fund is.

Focus themes

The type of projects funded should contribute to one or more of the below focus themes:

• Awareness & understanding of true pricing, the concept

• Insight into social & environmental costs of one or more food products and their value chains, based on true pricing calculations or true cost accounting

• Policy dialogue stimulating policy which decreases social and/or environmental externalities in food and are based on true pricing calculations

• Dialogue with food value chain actors to create awareness about the social and environmental externalities in their value chain and stimulate innovation to decrease these externalities.

• Consumer awareness campaigns based on true price calculations and transparency

• Integration of true pricing into private or public procurement, for example within school feeding programmes

• Integration of true pricing in school curricula

• The development of practical tools for true pricing

Who can apply

All types of organizations and consortia are welcome to apply for the fund, though preference is given to consortia that include at least one LMIC key partner in the LMIC where impact is focused.

Project criteria

The project criteria can be summarized as follows:

• The project primarily focuses on food value chains with significant impact in one or more LMICs

• The project primarily focuses on at least two social or environmental externalities calculated through true pricing. Preferably one social and one environmental externality.

• Projects address one or more of the above mentioned ‘focus themes’

• Projects are finalised before 31 December, 2024

• Project results are reported to the GPTPF and made publically available by January 31, 2025

• Projects assess and build upon the local context

• Duplication is avoided and complementarity with other initiatives sought

• Projects involve relevant LMIC stakeholders

• Project activities do not benefit a single company only, but contribute to the precompetitive domain

• If the project includes the calculation of true prices, the applicant or at least one of the co-applicants has a proven track record in true price calculation or true cost accounting

Projects preferably:

• Have a plan for follow-up after conclusion of the seed-funding

• Have a plan for the promotion and wide-spread dissemination of project results

• Constitute public-private partnerships

• Are endorsed by the Embassy of the Netherlands in the target country/region

Proposal assessment

Proposals will be assessed by NFP and an independent committee of experts. The committee will rank the proposals according to the following criteria:

1. Problem definition and contribution to true price transparency as well as envisaged impact in LMIC

2. Project approach and methodology, proposed activities and outputs

3. Quality of the project implementing partnership; involving LMIC partners and other relevant partners.

4. Quality of project budget

Criteria 1 and 2 can each earn up to 20 points and criteria 3 and 4 can each earn up to 10 points. This means that 60 points will be the maximum amount of points.

Funding will be granted for any proposal with at least 40 points, following a first come first serve basis.

Publication of proposals and project results

Approved project proposals and final project results will be published on NFP Connects. In case of sensitivities, in agreement with the NFP, specific information may be kept confidential.

Timeline

The call will be open from 11 March 2024 until the fund is depleted. The activities carried out under the seed fund are to be finalized ultimately on 31 Dec 2024.

More information

Read more about true pricing and the Global Partnership for the True Price of Food here

For more information, please contact NFP through info@nlfoodpartnership.com