Apply: FASA Offers Up to $10 Million to Agricultural Investment Funds in Africa
The Financing for Agri-SMEs in Africa (FASA) initiative is providing investment financing of between US$2 million and US$10 million to investment funds supporting small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises across Africa.
Managed by Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P), FASA is a pan-African financing initiative established to address the funding gap facing agricultural businesses by providing catalytic capital to investment funds that channel financing to agribusinesses.
The programme aims to strengthen Africa’s agricultural investment ecosystem, support emerging and established fund managers, attract private sector investments and promote sustainable growth across the continent’s agricultural value chains.
Unlike conventional grant programmes, FASA operates as a fund-of-funds, meaning it invests in eligible investment funds rather than providing direct grants or loans to individual agricultural businesses.
About FASA Agricultural Investment Financing
FASA was established to improve access to finance for agricultural small and medium-sized enterprises (Agri-SMEs), which play an important role in food production, processing, distribution and other agricultural activities across Africa.
Through its investment model, the initiative provides subordinated capital, primarily in the form of junior equity, alongside technical assistance and capacity-building support to selected investment funds.
The supported funds are subsequently expected to invest in African agricultural businesses, helping them expand operations, improve productivity, create employment opportunities and strengthen food security.
Available Funding
Under the initiative, eligible investment funds can access:
- Investment amount: US$2 million to US$10 million per selected fund.
- Funding instruments: Subordinated capital through junior equity and/or debt.
- Maximum investment exposure: Up to 49% of a fund’s target size.
- Additional support: Technical assistance, capacity building and fund development support.
- Investment focus: Small and medium-sized agricultural businesses across Africa.
The funding is intended for investment funds that can demonstrate the capacity to deploy capital into viable agricultural enterprises.
Priority Investment Areas
FASA supports investment funds targeting businesses operating across different segments of Africa’s agricultural value chain.
Priority areas include:
- Agricultural production and input supply.
- Food processing and value addition.
- Agricultural technology and innovation.
- Livestock and other agricultural enterprises.
- Post-harvest management and storage.
- Agricultural trading, logistics and distribution.
- Climate-smart agriculture.
- Agricultural services and market access.
The initiative also prioritises investments that improve food security and nutrition, strengthen rural livelihoods and promote environmentally sustainable agricultural practices.
Who Can Apply?
FASA financing is open to emerging and established investment fund managers raising capital for investment vehicles focused on African agricultural small and medium-sized enterprises.
Eligible applicants include:
- Emerging investment fund managers.
- Established private equity and growth funds.
- Agricultural venture capital funds.
- SME-focused investment funds.
- Debt and alternative investment funds.
Applicants must demonstrate a clear investment strategy targeting agricultural businesses in Africa.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for FASA investment financing, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Have an on-the-ground presence in Africa, with at least one senior investment professional based on the continent or intending to relocate there within the fund-closing period.
- Operate an SME investment fund with initial investment ticket sizes ranging from US$15,000 to US$5 million, excluding follow-on investments.
- Commit at least 30% of the fund’s total investable capital to agricultural SMEs in Africa.
- Comply with FASA’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements.
- Align with the initiative’s gender requirements and impact standards.
- Commit to participating in FASA’s learning programme.
- Maintain an accessible data room containing relevant investment, financial, governance and organisational documents.
Can Individual Agricultural Businesses Apply?
FASA does not provide direct grants or investments to individual agricultural SMEs, farmers or agribusiness owners.
Instead, it provides capital to selected investment funds, which subsequently invest in eligible agricultural enterprises.
Agricultural businesses seeking expansion financing can therefore explore investment funds supported by FASA and identify those whose investment strategies align with their business activities and funding requirements.
Eligible businesses may include agricultural producers, food processors, agritech companies, farmer cooperatives, logistics providers and other enterprises operating within the agricultural value chain.
How to Apply
Interested investment fund managers should visit the official FASA application portal and review the eligibility requirements and investment process.
Applicants who meet the criteria are invited to submit an online application and provide relevant information about their fund structure, investment strategy, management team, financial projections, existing portfolio and expected agricultural impact.
Investment proposals will undergo screening and due diligence before final investment decisions are made.
Fund managers currently raising capital can also submit their fund presentations to the FASA team through its official contact address.
Application Portal: https://www.fasafund.com/apply/
Email: info.FASA@ietp.com
Application Deadline
FASA operates a rolling investment application process. No fixed closing date is specified on its official application page. Interested investment fund managers are encouraged to submit their proposals as early as possible.
For additional information about the financing opportunity, eligibility requirements and investment process, visit the official FASA website: https://www.fasafund.com/
