Overview
As part of the EU’s global response to the food crisis, in July 2022, the European Union mobilised EUR 600 million to strengthen food security and develop sustainable and resilient food systems across ACP countries, with EUR 36.5 million allocated exclusively for the Caribbean. The EU-Caribbean Regional Food Security Programme, running from 2023 to 2027, aims to enhance food system resilience, focusing on improving the livelihoods and food security of vulnerable populations. The programme will invest EUR 19 million, implemented through key regional partners: the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), International Trade Centre, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, and EU member state agencies (FIIAPP and CPVA).
The programme's general objective is to enhance the sustainability and resilience of food systems in the Caribbean, promoting food and nutrition security, particularly for vulnerable groups. Specific goals include improving food production systems with a focus on gender sensitivity, enhancing food processing and distribution, expanding social protection systems for agricultural actors, and ensuring equitable access to nutritious diets across the region.
The Investment Project, led by the CDB, will support agri-MSMEs and producers by providing access to finance, fostering innovation, and improving distribution systems to enhance competitiveness and resilience.
Call for Proposals
The Call for Proposals is now open!
Under Window 3, support will be provided to initiatives which improve logistics and enhance the efficiency of the intra-regional agricultural trade and maritime transport sector.
Eligible applicants are agri-food aggregators, processors, distributors, customs and excise departments, port authorities, terminal and maritime operators, within CARIFORUM member states.
Proposals must be submitted electronically via email to eu-cdb-fsp@caribank.org.
The deadline for submission is November 30, 2025.
Qualifying requirements and submissions details can be found in the document below.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The main objective is to improve the resilience and sustainability of food systems in the Caribbean, especially for vulnerable communities. This includes promoting food and nutrition security, boosting the competitiveness of agri-MSMEs, and enhancing access to finance, innovation, and technology in the agriculture and fisheries sectors.
The call is open to agri-food aggregators, processors, distributors, customs and excise departments, port authorities, terminal and maritime operators, within CARIFORUM member states.
Projects eligible for funding should align with one or more of the following areas:
- Strengthening Cold Chain and Agri-Food Logistics
- Enhancing Port Efficiency for Agri-Food Trade
- Modernising Maritime Transport Services for Agri-Food Products
Resources will be allocated on a competitive basis and based on the assessed value of the intervention. Individual country projects may benefit from a grant up to €600,000 with a maximum of regional projects - covering more than two countries - may benefit from grant resources up to €1.3 million.
The deadline for submissions for the third call is November 30th, 2025.
Projects to be financed under this window are expected to provide counterpart financing of up to 30%.
Proposals will be assessed based on the following criteria:
- Relevance: The project's alignment with national and regional priorities and the program’s objectives.
- Project Design: The quality of the project's design and problem analysis.
- Effectiveness: Feasibility of the proposed work plan.
- Feasibility and Risk Mitigation: The project's overall feasibility, including how risks will be managed.
- Sustainability: The potential for long-term benefits to continue after the project concludes.
- Cost-Effectiveness: The project's ability to meet market demands efficiently.
For further details, applicants are encouraged to review the full evaluation criteria and application guidelines.
Contact
Malcolm Wallace
PARTNER
