Overview
To address “last-mile challenges”—such as logistics and market access—in rural Zambia, JICA is seeking private-sector companies that aim to simultaneously solve development challenges and build sustainable business models.
This Proof of Concept (PoC) is being conducted as part of the “Information Collection and Verification Survey for Promoting Corporate Co-creation (PSE) Related to Improving the Rural Last Mile in Africa (Open Competitive Bidding [Comprehensive Evaluation Bidding Method] – Ramp-up Type)” (hereinafter referred to as the “Last Mile Baseline Survey”) implemented by JICA. Selected companies will conduct the PoC under a contract with the consultant awarded the survey and will carry out hypothesis verification and demonstration activities aimed at commercialization.
JICA is supporting private companies in creating and expanding new businesses by providing resources—such as the networks with government agencies and farmers, as well as local expertise—that it has cultivated over many years through cooperation in the fields of agriculture and rural development in Zambia.
Through this PoC, we are seeking innovative businesses and solutions that will help address last-mile challenges in rural areas, such as logistics, market access, access to agricultural technology and market information, access to financial services, and building trust with farmers.
Last-Mile Challenges in Rural Zambia
In Zambia, approximately 70 percent of the total labor force is engaged in agriculture; however, because farmers are scattered across the vast country, logistics services that provide farmers with various forms of access lack inclusivity. Specific challenges include the following (figures are for reference only).
1. The cost of transportation associated with purchasing agricultural supplies (such as seeds and fertilizer) and selling crops is a significant burden, with approximately 10 percent of sales revenue going toward transportation costs (the “last mile” of logistics).
Transportation costs associated with purchasing agricultural supplies (such as seeds and fertilizers) and selling crops are a significant burden, with approximately 10 percent of sales revenue consumed by these costs (the “last mile” in logistics). 2. The costs associated with agricultural technical guidance provided by government and private-sector entities are high, making it difficult for farmers to access appropriate technical and market information (the “last mile” of knowledge and technology).
The costs associated with agricultural technical guidance provided by government and private-sector entities are high, making it difficult for farmers to access appropriate technical and market information (the “last mile” of knowledge and technology). 3. Because it is difficult to maintain contact with farmers, building trust is challenging, which hinders the establishment of efficient logistics and financial services (psychological last mile: see the example “Crop Collection and Off-Takers (Private Companies)”).
We define the “last-mile challenge”—the difficulty farmers face in accessing agricultural knowledge, technology, market information, and financial services—as stemming from the fact that “small-scale farmers are scattered across vast tracts of land.” We summarize the situation of the stakeholders involved as follows.
1. Farmer
In Zambia, the rainy season is limited to a specific period (approximately November through March), and the instability of this high-risk production environment has been increasing year by year due to recent climate change.
In this environment, it is not realistic for farmers to try high-risk cultivation methods or invest in irrigation facilities or transportation, and as a result, conventional corn cultivation—which relies on government subsidies, as described below—has become the norm.
2. Government Agency (Ministry of Agriculture)
Zambia’s Ministry of Agriculture has traditionally continued to implement agricultural subsidy policies such as the FISP (Farmer Input Support Program) subsidies and purchases by the FRA (Food Reserve Agency).
FISP is a subsidy program for farmers that provides agricultural inputs (such as seeds and fertilizers), primarily for corn, while FRA is a government program that purchases corn and other crops.
While these measures have kept the price of the staple food (corn flour) in urban areas low, the Ministry of Agriculture is allocating a large portion of its budget to implement them, leaving limited resources for irrigation infrastructure and agricultural extension services.
3. Product Collection and Off-Takers (Private Companies)
For private brokers and off-takers as well, the “last-mile” challenge is a serious one; selling agricultural supplies to farmers and collecting their harvests are costly, and it is not easy to maintain a consistent relationship with farmers on a large scale.
Contract farming—which combines the provision of agricultural inputs with opportunities to sell produce—is an effective means of providing market access to farmers facing the challenges described above. However, in rural Zambia, where maize, rice, and soybeans are the mainstream crops, prices fluctuate significantly, and contract farming is not common (with the exception of certain crops such as tobacco).
As a result, many transactions involving private brokers and off-takers are based on verbal exchanges of information and agreements.
Under these circumstances, even if a buyer (company) goes to the trouble of supporting farmers’ production, there is still a risk that the farmers will sell their harvest to another buyer offering a higher purchase price. Therefore, careful consideration is needed when developing an investment model for farmers (such as providing fertilizer and seeds and recouping the costs at harvest time).
Furthermore, farmers face the risk that their investments in production—such as fertilizer and seeds—will go to waste if buyers they were counting on fail to purchase their crops, for reasons such as having already secured the necessary quantities in other regions.
In other words, the challenges posed by the physical “last mile” are also making it difficult to build trust with farmers (the “psychological last mile”).
To summarize the situation described above, structural challenges—such as a high-risk production environment due to climatic conditions, high transportation costs resulting from the geographically dispersed nature of small-scale farms, and the difficulty of building trusting relationships with farmers—are creating significant barriers to investments aimed at stabilizing productivity (such as irrigation infrastructure, road improvements, and mechanization).
For many years, JICA has continued to provide assistance aimed at promoting market-oriented agriculture, improving productivity, and ensuring stable production; however, we believe that creating value through sustainable business practices is essential to resolving the “last-mile” challenges mentioned above.
On the other hand, it is not realistic for private companies to undertake investments and business development while bearing the risk entirely on their own.
For this reason, we sought a new approach that combines JICA’s resources—including its human networks, such as the relationships of trust it has built with government agencies and farmers—with those of private companies, which led to this call for applications.
Job Posting Details
1. Business Ideas We Are Seeking
Businesses and solutions that help address the last-mile challenges mentioned above.
(Solutions that can provide alternative access to opportunities—such as knowledge, technology, information, and services—for farmers who face difficulties accessing them due to structural challenges (environmental and geographic factors, etc.))
(Solutions that can provide alternative access to opportunities for farmers who face difficulties accessing knowledge, technology, information, services, etc., due to structural challenges (such as environmental and geographic factors)) While the target region for this project and solution is Zambia, it is also possible to consider and pilot expansion into neighboring countries (Malawi, Zimbabwe, and South Africa).
2. Hypotheses for Solving Last-Mile Challenges
(The following are JICA’s current hypothetical scenarios for solving these issues, but please feel free to offer your own hypotheses and proposals without being limited by them.)
It is not realistic to physically establish adequate transportation infrastructure in “last-mile areas”—regions where population density and geographic conditions make standard logistics services unfeasible—because doing so would require an enormous amount of time and money.
On the other hand, the development of telecommunications and the Internet has led to dramatic improvements in information infrastructure, and there are now examples where farmers are benefiting from operational efficiencies achieved by leveraging these improvements to streamline transportation (such as notifying farmers in a specific area in advance of the location, time, and service details to collect their produce, and then providing a pivot-style delivery service).
However, these models are based on the assumption that there will be a certain number of farmers who participate regularly and as agreed. Therefore, they cannot be sustained unless the services themselves include mechanisms to “attract” farmers.
Training for farmers using digital technology, small-scale contract farming, and providing new income opportunities through carbon credits and other means—if we can build “solidarity” with businesses that attract farmers, we may be able to lower the psychological barriers associated with the “last-mile” challenge, even if farmers are scattered across the countryside, and sustainably create win-win relationships between businesses and farmers. Furthermore, this could lead to farmers investing the income they earn or save in technologies and services that reduce environmental risks (such as irrigation, machinery, and financial services).
3. Duration
*Please note that the schedule is subject to change depending on the progress of the Last-Mile Basic Survey.
Application Period: Today (the date this page goes live) through Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
Selection Period: Thursday, August 20, 2026 – Friday, September 18, 2026
(Interviews (second round of screening) are scheduled for September 7–9 with companies that have passed the initial screening.)
PoC Period: Friday, September 18, 2026 – Friday, February 26, 2027
(Notifications of selection will be sent to the selected companies on September 18, after which a contract for the implementation of the PoC will be concluded between the selected companies and the consultant (Last Mile Baseline Survey) contracted by JICA. Although there is no restriction on beginning activities toward the PoC after the notification of selection, only activities conducted on or after the contract start date will be eligible for reimbursement under the contract. Please note that reimbursement procedures are expected to be completed by around mid-February.)
4. Expected Outcomes
Through this PoC, we hope to assess the feasibility of commercialization by testing hypotheses, identifying local partners, understanding customer needs, and conducting small-scale pilot projects.
We plan to hold the final presentation in late February 2027. While the consultant for the Last Mile Baseline Survey will be responsible for the overall coordination of the final presentation, your participation and presentation at the event are required.
In addition, please submit the final report summarizing the results of the demonstration to the consultant for the Last-Mile Basic Survey.
5. JICA’s Support for Hiring Companies
Information provided by JICA and introductions to resource persons during the PoC implementation period
Financial support of up to 5 million yen, within the limits of the requested amount
(Can be used for travel expenses, fees for hiring local researchers, and subcontracting to local vendors, etc.)
6. Application Requirements
Companies and organizations registered in Japan, as well as their overseas subsidiaries listed on the left (in which the Japanese parent company holds a 10% or higher stake).
That the company is considering expanding its business operations in Zambia or neighboring countries
You must be available to participate in the PoC from Friday, September 18, 2026, through Friday, February 26, 2027.
Please note that we do not provide individual explanations in the event of rejection.
7. How to Apply
Please submit a proposal, in PDF or Word format, that includes the following and is no longer than 10 pages in total.
(1) Name of Applying Company
(2) Overview of the Proposed Project
(3) Development Challenges We Aim to Resolve
(4) Details of the Business Model
・Target Customers
・Solutions (including unique features)
・Monetization Methods
・Projected Income and Expenses for Business Continuity
・Economic benefits of the project as a whole
・Commercialization Roadmap
・Barriers to Commercialization
(5) Objectives and Areas to Be Verified in This PoC
・For PoC purposes
・Hypothesis to Test
・Activities
・PoC Implementation Schedule
・Required Partners
・Expectations for JICA
(6) Estimated Budget
Please send your email to the address below. The subject line should be [Last Mile PoC Application] [Company Name].
To: JICA Africa Division, Africa Section 3
Email address: [email protected]
8. Selection Process
Based on the application materials and interviews (conducted as necessary), JICA will review the applications and make selection decisions, while the consultant for the Last-Mile Baseline Survey will provide support for the selection process. The review will primarily evaluate the following criteria:
(1) Innovation in Approach
Does the approach to solving the problem have a clear strategy, and does it demonstrate innovation and advantages compared to conventional approaches to solving social issues?
(2) Scalability as a Business
Are the value proposition, target customers, and sustainable revenue model clearly defined, and are the processes from development through demonstration to business expansion, as well as the economic benefits and investment plan, specifically outlined?
(3) Likelihood of Developmental Impact
We will evaluate the specificity of the partner structure and collaboration framework aimed at resolving development challenges, generating spillover effects for ODA projects, and creating initial use cases.
(4) Presence or Absence of Hurdles
Are there any hurdles related to required permits, licenses, or legal regulations?
(5) Structure of the Participating Team; Experience and Capabilities of Team Members
Whether the partnership structure is appropriate; experience in business development in Zambia and other countries; depth of understanding of the local context and analysis of challenges; the lead representative’s experience in international expansion; vision; leadership; and ability to coordinate with external parties
(6) The appropriateness of the objectives and goals of participation
Are the expectations and goals for the program clear, and is there a rationale for providing support?
9. Important Notes Regarding Selection
We plan to select two companies.
The number of selected companies may be subject to change depending on the number of applications received and the results of the review.
We cannot respond to individual inquiries regarding the results of the review.
During the review process, we will ensure fairness and transparency and conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the applications based on the eligibility criteria.
Consultants involved in the Last-Mile Basic Survey, or companies with a conflict of interest, are not eligible for selection as PoC companies.
Contracts will be concluded and expenses settled between the consultants hired by JICA for the Last-Mile Baseline Survey and the selected companies; however, as a general rule, payments must be made to a domestic bank account. However, if the selected company is an overseas subsidiary and does not have a domestic bank account, or for other similar reasons, transfers to an overseas account and the conclusion of contracts in foreign currency are permitted. In such cases, the exchange rate shall be the monthly (fixed) foreign exchange rate set by JICA. Please discuss the details with the Last-Mile Baseline Survey consultant after receiving the notification of selection.
(Please include an estimated budget in yen at the time of submission.)
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