USDA RAIN Annual Program Statement – Scaling Climate Smart Innovations in Thailand

USDA RAIN APS01: Scaling Climate Smart Innovations in Thailand
Call for Concept Notes: Cassava Machinery / 10008-25-RFA-01
Food for Progress USDA Regional Agriculture Innovation Network
Call for Concept Notes

The USDA Thailand Regional Agriculture Innovation Network (USDA RAIN) is a five-year USDA-funded Food for Progress project implemented by Winrock International. USDA RAIN facilitates adoption of climate-smart innovations (CSi) to increase farmer incomes, reduce environmental impact, and expand trade. Our approach identifies CSi and enhances them by incorporating extension, financial, and data services, and promotes the availability and use of innovations to processors and producers. 

USDA RAIN issued an Annual Program Statement (RAINAPS-01) to all eligible, qualified, and registered applicants to submit concept notes to receive grant funding for climate smart innovations in agriculture. Under this APS, RAIN has issued a Request for Application (10008-25-RFA-01) and hereby solicits concept notes to provide funding for up to six CSi grants that scale climate smart agricultural equipment in the Cassava value chain, such as cassava planters and weeders.

Private sector organizations working in the agriculture sector are highly encouraged to apply. Each grant is estimated to receive between 500,000 to 1,300,000 Thai Baht of funding. USDA RAIN will prioritize concept notes proposing work in the Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Khon Kaen, and Ubon Ratchasima provinces. Concept notes must provide a description of objectives, proposed activities, and strategy for expanding services or products not to exceed four (4) pages. No attachments or annexes will be accepted.

How to Apply: Interested applicants may submit their concept note(s) to RAIN.consultant@winrock.org. RAIN has the right to evaluate concept notes throughout 2025, but we encourage submissions by March 15. Concept papers will be evaluated on a rolling basis; thus, applicants are encouraged to apply early. All grants are subject to available funding.  RAIN will select compelling concept notes and collaborate with potential applicants to co-create a full application for grant funding over a two-week period after notification of a successful concept note. This ensures applications demonstrate effective and sustainable strategies for project implementation, aligning with the goals of the grant program and addressing key commercial issues.

At this time, USDA RAIN requests submission of Concept Notes only. Please refer to the links below for the concept note template. The linked APS, RFA, and other documents are relevant to review as background information and what to expect should your concept note be successful.

All inquiries about this Call for Concept Notes should be submitted in writing to Khem Suksathit, Grants and Operations Specialist at Rain.Consultant@winrock.org and titled USDA RAIN – RAINAPS-01/10008-25-RFA-01. All questions and responses will be made public as a regularly updated attachment to this Call for Concept Notes. 

Request for Applications: Cassava Machinery / 10008-25-RFA-01

The purpose of this Request for Applications (RFA) is to solicit applications from prospective grantees to support the implementation of the USDA RAIN project. USDA RAIN intends to support equipment manufacturers, retailers, or other suppliers to expand and enhance a sustainable network of service providers specializing in cassava planting and weeding equipment. This network will ensure long-term farmer access to essential services, boost smallholder farmer profitability, and create a resilient market system for cassava production.

Through a series of targeted grants, USDA RAIN will enhance the availability, accessibility, and adoption of agricultural inputs and technology that improve cassava production and input supply chains in the project’s priority provinces. The objective is to promote two machines that the project considers to be key climate-smart innovations (CSi) in the cassava value chain: An all-in-one cassava planting machine, and a rapid weeding machine. 

USDA RAIN APS01

This Annual Program Statement (APS) serves as a notice that the USDA-funded Regional Agriculture Innovation Network (USDA RAIN) project in Thailand, implemented by Winrock International, is seeking a applications to fulfill its primary goal of scaling adoption of climate-smart innovations (CSi) to increase farmer incomes, reduce environmental impact, and expand trade.