Coffee Circle Foundation e.V.: Coffee Circle Vision Fund I
Please note: The request for proposals is officially closed and we no longer accept proposals from December 19th, 2023 onwards. We will contact the shortlisted candidates by mid-January 2024. Thank you for your kind understanding and participation.
About Us
Coffee Circle stands for the world’s best coffees, traded and produced according to the highest ethical standards. The social business – a Certified B Corporation™ and winner of the prestigious SCA Sustainability Award – has invested € 1 per kilogram of coffee sold directly into the Coffee Circle Foundation e.V. since its founding.
The Coffee Circle Foundation e.V. is a catalyst for positive, long-term change in coffee communities worldwide. It implements projects with partners and is funded by the social enterprise Coffee Circle and its community. Through Coffee Circle’s business model and the Foundation’s work, we create essential added value for people in coffee-growing regions.
Coffee Circle Vision Fund I
The Coffee Circle Foundation e.V. is launching Coffee Circle Vision Fund I, a € 500,000 initiative to empower coffee communities. Focus areas of the fund are WaSH, education, sustainable cultivation, fair supply chains, climate resilience, and advocacy for a more sustainable coffee industry.
With this call for proposals we drive global change in coffee communities
Drawing on our decades of expertise and the network that supports us, we aim to serve as an active partner in expanding our areas of impact. Our goal is to help coffee-growing communities achieve economic independence and bring about long-term improvements in their living conditions. We have been working toward this goal since 2010, and with this call for proposals, we hope to inspire others to do the same.
Until 2026 we want to focus on these three pillars:
- People: Improving livelihoods
- Planet: Achieving net positive impact
- Profit: Shaping the market through advocacy and influence
Specialty Coffee for a better tomorrow
What we fund
Geographies
We source quality coffees from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Main sourcing countries in 2022: 34.8 % from Ethiopia, 19 % from Brazil, 6.8 % from Peru 4.3 % from Indonesia, and others.
Our projects‘ locations are aligned with the origins of our coffee to ensure farmers benefit from our relationship.
We thus favor projects in the following list of origins but are open to considering other coffee-producing areas:
- Ethiopia
- DRC
- Rwanda
- Kenya
- Peru
- Colombia
Our Cross-Cutting approach
We start where there is a need.
Projects should respond to needs identified by coffee communities through inclusive and participatory processes that are based on local needs and set realistic goals.
We work with the people on the ground.
We would like local communities to be significantly involved, not only in a selection of activities but also in project planning and implementation.
We promote independence.
The project should demonstrate how it promotes ownership at the local level. We favor co-investments from local communities, NGOs, and local and national government institutions to leverage our impact
Measurable goals.
Each project should have realistic, clearly defined goals but also look at long-term impact on the target group and wider society.
Project focus
We have experience in running projects that span farmer support, health, water and sanitation, education, and coffee research.
Project duration and budget
Our impact strategy stretches to 2026. As we look for projects that can support and build on our 2026 strategy goals, the project timeline should not exceed 3 years and have a minimum budget of € 25,000 a year.
Please indicate in the budget format if the project receives co-investment, even if in-kind.
Selection Process
A decision will be made against established criteria by a committee. The entire process of funding application can take up to 3 months.
The main criteria for selection will be:
- The proposal reflects a shared vision and value with Coffee Circle.
- The proposal demonstrates alignment with the Coffee Circle impact strategy and priorities.
- The proposal indexes a cross-cutting approach to project design and implementation.
- The proposal has a feasible timeline and budget.
- The proposal identifies the project stakeholders and beneficiaries.
Should there be a positive decision on your application, a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed between your organization and the Foundation.
Deadline for Application: December 18th, 2023
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Apply now
Please follow the three steps to apply:
- Download the proposal template and the budget template
- Make sure your application contains all the necessary information
- Send your application via email to us
Your proposal should include:
- Context/statement of the problem
- Contribution to the Coffee Circle strategies
- Information about the applicant
- Objectives/ activities/ expected results.
- Ways of measuring impact
- Risk and assumptions
- Budget
Please download our easy-to-fill form and budget sheet to tell us about your project idea and send it to foundation@coffeecircle.com
Download your Application Templates:
Support to interested applicants
We would like to support interested applicants with the necessary information to submit a successful proposal. We will be collecting questions and providing answers online. Please send your questions to foundation@coffeecircle.com.
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Coffee Circle Foundation e.V.
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