USAID Announces Third Call for Concept Papers to Boost Agribusiness Development in Uzbekistan

December 7, 2021, Tashkent, Uzbekistan – Today the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Agribusiness Development activity announced a call for concept papers from private domestic agribusinesses. Eligible enterprises will be supported through the “Agribusiness Development Fund” to add value to agricultural products, increase sales, create new jobs, and access new markets.

This is the third call for concept papers for the Agribusiness Development Fund in 2021. More than 200 applications were received in the two previous rounds from all regions of Uzbekistan. Eleven private agribusinesses have been selected and each will receive equipment valued from UZS 200 million to UZS 500 million to introduce new value-added technologies to products in sectors such as horticulture, livestock, dairy, aquaculture, and agritourism.

The Agribusiness Development Fund aims to support agribusinesses by introducing new technologies to promote the growth of their enterprises. Supporting such businesses will help Uzbekistan diversify its economy and increase regional and international trade. The USAID Agribusiness Development activity welcomes concept papers from qualified and eligible agribusinesses and particularly from women-, youth-, and disability-owned businesses and enterprises employing women, youth, and the disabled.

The deadline for the submission of applications is January 14, 2022. The announcement and concept paper template are available for download here.

This initiative is supported by USAID’s five-year Agribusiness Development activity, implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, that supports private sector-led growth in Uzbekistan’s agriculture sector by introducing new value-added technologies and management practices across the entire value chain for targeted agricultural commodities. These efforts are focused on increasing value-added production within Uzbekistan, engaging women and youth, linking educational institutions with private sector demand, and promoting favorable policies for agriculture.

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USAID partners with the Government of Uzbekistan to diversify the country’s economy and increase regional trade, address serious health threats – including COVID-19 – and build the government’s capacity to respond to the population’s needs. For more information, please visit: https://www.usaid.gov/uzbekistan.