FS4Africa Open Calls (Deadline: 30 September, 2025)

Driving Innovation in Food Safety Across Africa

To advance innovative food safety solutions, FS4Africa is launching two Open Calls supporting at least 15 high-impact projects. These calls provide Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP) as a strategic tool to amplify the project’s reach and outcomes.

Open Call 1: For Research & Technology Stakeholders

FS4Africa Open Call 1 is designed for start-ups, SMEs, research institutions, and other technology-driven actors to:

• Test, validate, and improve FS4Africa’s existing business concepts/tools, or

• Develop new ideas aligned with FS4Africa’s objectives and food safety challenges.

Key Details:

• Funding Available: Up to €60,000 per selected project

• Total Budget: €600,000

• Minimum of 10 projects will be selected

Focus Areas (select one or more):

• Weak value chain organization, traceability & food authentication

• Mycotoxin contamination in food and feed

• Pesticide residues in grains and vegetables

• Microbial contamination (e.g., Escherichia coli)

• Food adulteration

Project Requirements:

• New or Enhanced Solution: Address African informal sector food safety challenges

• Testing with at least 10 participants: Define methodology & success metrics

• Demonstration Event: Showcase the solution to at least 30 stakeholders (e.g., policymakers, industry, researchers)

• Scaling Plan: Roadmap for broader market rollout, with risk mitigation strategies

Timeline:

• Start: February 2026

• End: January 2027

• Three Phases:

  1. Design (3 months)

  2. Development (6 months)

  3. Validation (3 months)

Technology Readiness Level (TRL):
Start at TRL4 and reach TRL6 by the end of the project

Eligibility:

• Applications accepted from single entities only (no consortia)

• Submit proposals via opencalls.fund

Deadline:
September 30th, 2025 – 17:00 CET

Access the Open Call 1 Kit for full guidelines and terms.

For questions, contact: fs4africa@opencalls.fund

Open Call 2: For Innovation Hubs

Open Call 2 invites innovation hubs to mentor and train FS4Africa’s use case partners and Open Call 1 beneficiaries, helping scale their food safety innovations across Africa and Europe.

Key Details:

• Funding Available: Up to €40,000 per project

• Total Budget: €200,000

• 5 projects will be selected

Activities Include:

• Acceleration of business concepts

• Mentorship and social innovation support

• Strategic planning for upscaling

• Virtual or in-person engagements

Stay Informed:
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates on both Open Calls.

Let’s Build Safer Food Systems Together

Whether you’re driving research or accelerating others’ growth, FS4Africa’s Open Calls are your opportunity to create real-world impact.