The Consortium Europe Africa on Research and Innovation for Food Systems Transformation, CEA-FIRST supports the development of the International Research Consortium (IRC) on Food, Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) between the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU). The IRC functions as a bi-continental platform connecting institutions, networks, and regional partners across Africa and Europe.
AgriCord is a partner in this consortium, contributing to stronger bicontinental collaboration in the field of sustainable agriculture, food and nutritional security.
The IRC has now launched two Calls for Expressions of Interest to reinforce coordination, knowledge exchange, and joint action between African and European research and innovation actors.
These calls are a great opportunity to play substantive roles to contribute to strengthening bi-continental collaboration on food systems transformation, advancing sustainable agriculture, enhancing climate resilience, and promoting inclusive innovation across Africa and Europe. The roles include notable activities such as agenda-setting, knowledge exchange, regional coordination, and policy engagement.
AgriCord welcomes the initiative of the IRC to expand its community and deepening engagement to implement the FNSSA Roadmap 2027–2036 and the IRC Strategy and Implementation Plan (2025–2030)
The IRC invites eligible institutions to apply for designation as Anchor Institutions in one of the IRC’s four geographic coordination blocks:
- Eastern Africa & Eastern Europe
- Western Africa & Western Europe
- Northern Africa & Northern Europe
- Southern Africa & Southern Europe
Anchor Institutions serve as regional coordination and advocacy hubs. They provide support to the IRC’s decentralized governance model by facilitating communication, mobilizing members, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring policy and knowledge alignment at national and regional levels. Their roles include:
- Expanding and diversifying IRC membership and regional engagement
- Supporting coordination with FNSSA stakeholders across sectors
- Providing strategic regional intelligence and facilitating policy dialogues
- Supporting the implementation of Joint Work Programme (JWP)
- Contributing to Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) processes through quarterly snapshots and annual reporting
- Liaising with national focal points in AU–EU member states
Eligible institutions must demonstrate:
- A strong institutional mandate in one or more FNSSA thematic areas
- Experience in regional coordination, policy engagement, knowledge brokerage, or advocacy
- Relevant participation in AU–EU or multilateral initiatives (e.g., CEA-FIRST, LEAP-Agri, DeSIRA, FOSC)
- A commitment to IRC principles such as inclusivity, transparency, gender equity, youth empowerment, and co-ownership
- Readiness to comply with IRC MEL and reporting requirements
Designation covers the period 2026–2028, with potential renewal based on performance.
The second Call for Expressions of Interest invites eligible networks to join one or more of the IRC’s six Functional Working Groups. The IRC work is organised around six Functional Working Groups and a decentralized model supported by regional Anchor Institutions. The two new calls invite institutions to engage more formally in this structure.
- Research – knowledge generation, research alignment, thematic clusters
- Education – human capital development, skills transfer, joint trainings
- Advisory Services – extension, knowledge translation, community engagement
- Policy Think Tank – evidence synthesis, foresight, policy dialogue
- Agrofood Enterprises – innovation uptake, commercialization, SME engagement
- Funding – resource mobilization, financing pathways, sustainability mechanisms
These FWGs constitute the operational core of the IRC, translating priorities under the FNSSA Roadmap into collaborative research agendas, investment pipelines, and policy support. FWG-members contribute by:
- Co-developing and implementing annual Joint Work Programme
- Participating in regular coordination meetings (at least quarterly)
- Sharing institutional assets, evidence, tools, and networks
- Supporting regional anchoring, community engagement, and stakeholder outreach
- Contributing to cross-cutting areas such as gender, youth, communication, and donor alignment
The call is open to “networks of actors” across the AU–EU R&I landscape, including:
- Research institutions, universities, and research infrastructures
- Innovation hubs, civil society organizations, farmer and producer organizations
- Private sector actors and agri-business networks
- Government agencies, regional bodies, think tanks, development partners
- Youth and women-led organizations
Participation offers several benefits, including visibility across the AU–EU community, opportunities for joint proposals, access to IRC digital platforms, and eligibility for performance-based incentives under the IRC Performance Fund.
Submission Details
Deadline for both Calls:
22 November 2025 at 11:59 GMT
Full application guidelines, submission formats, and contact details can be found in the official call documents, available for download here and on the IRC website: