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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Cuba announced a new call for proposals that will allow stakeholders in the agri-food sector to access funds of up to $40,000 to strengthen their productive capacities and promote sustainable development.
According to the PNUD Cuba, in its website, the initiative is part of the project “Support for New Economic Actors for Economic Diversification, Innovation, and Sustainability (NAE)”, funded by the European Union and executed in collaboration with French Cooperation, the Ministry of Economy and Planning (MEP), the National Institute of Economic Research (INIE), and other Cuban institutions.
The call is directed towards Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MiPymes) both state-owned and private, Non-Agricultural Cooperatives (CNA), and Local Development Projects (PDL) in the western, central, and eastern regions of the country.
Beneficiaries will be able to use the funds to acquire equipment, material resources, and technologies that enhance their efficiency and sustainability, the call emphasized.
While the initiative could currently benefit some projects in eastern Cuba, a region severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa, it also once again highlights the "passive financing" of these international organizations to the Cuban regime.
According to the UNDP, the program prioritizes projects with local impact, job creation, innovation, and the use of information technologies.
The availability of co-financing from the applicants is also valued, which reinforces each entity's commitment to its proposal.
In the first call, held at the beginning of the year, ten initiatives from Eastern Cuba were selected, and this second edition aims to expand the reach to other provinces, especially those affected by Hurricane Melissa, where economic and productive recovery remains a challenge.
Applications will be open from November 21 to December 19, 2025, and the results will be announced following a selection process that will not exceed four months.
Those interested can go to the Territorial Development offices in their provinces to receive advice and guidance on the application process.
With this call, UNDP and the European Union aim to strengthen the role of new economic actors in the context of structural crisis in the Cuban agricultural sector, where the lack of inputs, financing, and autonomy hampers the growth of the agri-food sector.
A few days ago, the UNDP issued a urgent call to businesses and local actors in Cuba to support recovery efforts following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
The call was directed to local economic actors who had emergency supplies available and could deliver them immediately, in order to support the humanitarian response to the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa in eastern Cuba.
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