The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is pleased to announce the first call for proposals of the Africa Trade Fund (AfTra). Award amounts shall range from 50,000 USD to 1,000,000 USD per project.

We invite African-based national and regional organizations and associations involved in trade development such as African government agencies, regional economic communities and private sector and civil society organizations located in Africa to apply. Bank organizational units (sector and regional departments, field offices) are also invited to apply.

Under this call for proposals, the Africa Trade Fund will finance initiatives and projects that help boost the continent's trade capacity and accelerate its integration in the global trading system.

Examples of such projects include but are not limited to:

Trade facilitation projects such as the creation of one stop border posts (OSBPs), modernization of customs and ports systems, development of corridors, enhancement of border management, etc.;

Projects aiming to enhance standards capacity (especially sanitary and phytosanitary standards) to facilitate market access and increase product quality;

Development of market information systems to facilitation access to information;

Projects and programs aiming to strengthen the capacity of trade-related national and regional institutions so that they can better implement their mandates.

All applicants are invited to submit their proposals online by 20 November 2013.

AfTra is a joint initiative of the AfDB and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The Fund aims to assist low income African countries and their institutions to develop trade-related skills, regulatory regimes and infrastructure needed to enhance their trade performance and competitiveness and benefit from international trade and market opportunities.