Benefit from PIP

PIP support to producers and exporters includes both small and large companies. In the case of the latter, priority is given to activities that maximise impact on large numbers of small-scale outgrowers, or on particularly disadvantaged groups such as rural women.

To be eligible export companies must:

• be registered as a legal entity in an African, Caribbean or Pacific (ACP) country;
• evidence that they are active in an existing supply chain that provides fresh fruit and vegetables for export, processing, or for local and regional markets (excluding the informal sector);
• provide the baseline data about the company that is requested by PIP on the application form, and during the processing of applications;
• can give evidence that they have been active as an exporter for at least 1 year prior to the application for support or, if not, that acceptable justification can be provided;
• have identified and evidenced problems that are within the scope of PIP;
• be able to demonstrate that they have the capacity to implement the project, and are able to meet the cost sharing element

As an all-ACP programme based in Brussels, PIP cannot support very small-scale local initiatives in every country; in these cases local development programmes would be more appropriate. Instead priority will be given to initiatives that have a potential impact on large numbers of small-scale growers.

To be eligible, the producer group or cooperative must:

• be registered as a legal entity in an African, Caribbean or Pacific (ACP) country;
• be active in an existing supply chain that provides fresh fruit and vegetables for export to the EU (see note below);
• be able to provide a list of members and a document summarising the characteristics of the group or cooperative (status, products, markets, resources, personnel, allocation of responsibilities, etc);
• have identified and evidenced problems that are within the scope of PIP;
• be able to demonstrate that they have the capacity to implement the project, and are able to meet the cost sharing element.

Note: Producer groups and cooperatives who are not producing directly for export may be eligible if they involve large numbers of smallholders who are supplying fresh fruit and vegetables for processing, or for local and regional markets (excluding the informal sector). Activities for these beneficiaries will be limited to specific cases where the adaptation of PIP training tools and courses (originally prepared for the export sector) can be adapted for the benefit of food safety in local processing, and local and regional markets.

Smallholder groups and cooperatives can receive assistance mainly via an intermediary such as a project or support organisation. This could include, for example, government and non-government organisations, or donor projects.

To be eligible, the intermediary must:

• be located and active in one or more African, Caribbean or Pacific (ACP) countries;
• be supporting small-scale growers that are active in an existing supply chain that provides fresh fruit and vegetables for export to the EU (see below);
• be able to provide a document summarising the characteristics and activities of the project or organisation (e.g. status, resources, personnel, allocation of responsibilities, modus operandi) as well as the small-scale growers that they support (e.g. numbers, characteristics, products and markets);
• have identified and evidenced problems that are within the scope of PIP

Note: Smallholder support projects/organisations that are not producing directly for export may be eligible if they involve large numbers of smallholders who are supplying fresh fruit and vegetables for processing, or for local and regional markets (excluding the informal sector). Activities for these beneficiaries will be limited to specific cases where the adaptation of PIP training tools and courses (originally prepared for the export sector) can be adapted for the benefit of food safety in local processing, and local and regional markets.

Producer or exporter associations are professional organisations that represent and provide a service to their members.

To be eligible an association must meet the following criteria:

• be a legally registered entity and active in one or more African, Caribbean, or Pacific (ACP) countries;
• represent, at a national or regional level, one or more stakeholder groups that supply fresh fruit and vegetables for export, processing, or for local and regional markets (excluding the informal sector);
• provide a list of members and a document summarising the characteristics of the association (status, products, markets, resources, source of finance, personnel, allocation of responsibilities, etc);
• have identified and evidenced problems that are within the scope of PIP;
• be able to demonstrate that they have the capacity to implement the project, and are able to meet the cost sharing element.

Public-private stakeholder platforms are forums or working groups made up of individuals who represent and work in the interests of a sector. They can be established as legal entities, but this is not a requirement (and not always an advantage). The platforms are not executive bodies (and thus do not generally implement actions) but act as an advisory body that can identify what is needed, as well as commissioning and supervising activities that are implemented by others. Under new EU Regulations that require exporting countries to have in place national food safety systems, a space for dialogue between public and private sectors is becoming increasingly essential.

PIP can facilitate the creation and establishment of national stakeholder platforms that:

• are representative of the key public and private stakeholders;
• provide a space for dialogue that allows stakeholders to identify, discuss and address problems facing the sector;
• are hosted by an organisation that is a legal entity and thus able to manage an action plan and budget;
• endeavours, before the end of PIP Phase 2, to secure sufficient resources to organise, record and host regular meetings and thus ensure the long-term sustainability of the platform;
• have identified and evidenced problems that are within the scope of PIP;
• be able to demonstrate that they have the capacity to implement the project, and are able to meet the cost sharing element;
• be able to demonstrate that they can put in place the necessary infrastructure and human resources to ensure the sustainability of the platform

PIP can support capacity building of service providers that:

are registered and resident in an African, Caribbean or Pacific (ACP) country ;
provide a service to the horticultural industry in one or more ACP countries on a topic that corresponds with the areas of activity of the PIP (food safety, social and environmental initiatives);
can give evidence of the services they provide to the industry (e.g. clients, description of services provided, personnel (if relevant) and resources);
can give evidence that they have been active as a service provider to the industry for at least 1 year prior to their application for support or, if not, that acceptable justification can be provided;
have identified and evidenced problems that are within the scope of PIP;
be able to demonstrate that they have the capacity to implement the project, and are able to meet the cost sharing element;
be able to demonstrate that they can put in place the necessary infrastructure and human resources to ensure the sustainability of the project