In Open Call for Local Innovation Hubs (LIH), INCiTiS-FOOD project will select 8 winning consortia. To reinforce multi-actor collaborations on main food system challenges and boost the overall impact of INCiTiS-FOOD, 2 Open Calls as part of the Cascade Fund and the FSTP mechanism will be launched. For better urban and peri-urban food systems across Africa, the Open Calls will provide financial support to 8 Local Innovation Hubs (consisting of 2-3 legal entities, 16-24 in total), which can be located also outside the INCiTiS-FOOD countries – total dedicated sum 940,000€.

About 800-1000+ innovators (startups, SMEs, schools, etc.), external to the consortium, are expected to benefit directly or indirectly from the Cascade Fund. Applicants with circular and profitable entrepreneurial concepts, not awarded a grant, will be supported through capacity building offered by Living Labs.

The implementation of INCiTiS-FOOD Open Call for Local Innovation Hubs (LIH) sub-projects will last for 12 months and it will be divided into 3 phases:

1) Development of LIH, Execution Plan of implementation – M01-M02;

2) Demonstration – M03-M10;

3) Exploitation of results – M11-M12.

Each of the 3 phases will be completed with submission of deliverable, which summarized the work done during that phase. The review process will be followed each phase of the implementation. Once the deliverable is received, it will be assessed by the INCiTiS-FOOD Open Call Advisory Board members. A request for the deliverable’s update may occur with specific requirements for what should be modified. Based on the results of the review and acceptance of respected deliverables, payment will be made towards the subgrantees in the following modalities:

Development of LIH, Execution Plan of implementation – M01-M02, report: D1 (40% of the funding will be released upon acceptance);

Demonstration – M03-M10, report: D2 (40% of the funding will be released upon acceptance);

Exploitation of results – M11-M12, report: D3 (20% of the funding will be released upon acceptance)