Growth Poles

14/05/2026

What happens when an unusual partner meets a proven, impact-driven anchor enterprise based in one of the most economically depressed and disaster-affected communities in Malawi?

Palladium is excited to announce the new phase of our partnership with Malawi Mangoes, the nation’s leading producer and exporter of fresh and dried mangoes!

This partnership unlocks the commercial power of Malawi Mangoes to evolve and expand its novel Village Orchard service model across nine communities on the shores of majestic Lake Malawi.

This partnership will expand access to premium markets of roughly 3,000 smallholder farmers and create 70 new jobs. It will further strengthen climate resilience, double families’ incomes, and trial new products including sweet potato, chilis, and pineapple – opportunities with new premium export markets.

By combining catalytic support from the Embassy of Ireland in Malawi, technical and partnership assistance through Palladium and its powerful network of Growth Poles, and Malawi Mangoes’ proven track record of success, this ‘farm-to-factory’ anchor partnership will create long-term value for small family farmers, strengthen export competitiveness, and support Malawi to achieve its Vision 2063 objectives of agricultural commercialization and industrialization.

Please join us in congratulating Team MM! We are excited with this new phase of our partnership demonstrating win-win agribusiness collaborations like this that scale as they uplift!

The Growth Poles Project is an investment by the Embassy of Ireland in Malawi under Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and powered by Palladium!

24/04/2026

🚨 Consultancy Opportunity | Event Communications & RSVP Management
We’re looking for a skilled consultant to support an upcoming Legume Tour Event by managing RSVP processes and attendee communications.
If you have experience in event coordination, stakeholder engagement, and digital communications, this is a great opportunity to contribute to a high-impact agricultural initiative.
🔑 Key responsibilities:
• Manage RSVP and registration processes
• Coordinate invitations, confirmations, and reminders
• Oversee attendee communication and tracking
• Support a smooth and well-organized event experience
This role is critical in ensuring strong participation and seamless coordination across stakeholders in the legumes sector.
📅 Apply here: https://tinyurl.com/4bfbu9mk

10/04/2026

🚨Are you passionate about keeping operations running smoothly and making a real impact? Palladium is looking for Operations professionals to support the Ireland‑funded Growth Poles Project in Lilongwe. We currently have two exciting opportunities:

Operations Assistant
Short‑term Operations Consultant (4‑month maternity cover)

Be part of a project driving sustainable growth, climate‑smart solutions, and private sector investment in Malawi.
📍 Location: Lilongwe

Deadline: 14 April 2026
👉 For full job descriptions and application details, visit:
https://tinyurl.com/hpes2hht
https://tinyurl.com/5cjrjjr7

10/04/2026

We're Hiring! Palladium is hiring for two exciting consultancy roles under the Growth Poles Project 2.0.- both contributing to sustainable development, water security and livelihoods in Malawi

🔹 Water Fund Design Consultant (7 months)
Lead the design of the Lilongwe Water Fund - a long term financing mechanism to strengthen water security, climate resilience, and catchment restoration.
🔹 Entrepreneurship Trainer - Community Nurseries (6 weeks)
Equip community nursery groups with the skills to operate as sustainable, income generating enterprises through practical, hands-on training.
📍 Location: Lilongwe

Deadlines:
Enterpreneurship Trainer: 17 April 2026
Water Fund Consultant: 26 April 2026

If you're passionate about impact, sustainability, and driving real change, this is your opportunity.
👉 For full job descriptions and application details, visit:
https://tinyurl.com/4madnftb
https://tinyurl.com/yj5wjwpf

20/03/2026

Date: 20-March-2026
From: Sub-Awards Manager, Palladium Growth Poles Project
To: General Public

Partnership Opportunity Notice (PON) for the Growth Poles Project’s Soil Health Challenge Competition Round 2 Questions Received and Answers

Thank you to all potential interested parties who submitted questions regarding our recently released Partnership Opportunity Notice (PON) for Palladium’s Growth Poles Project’s Soil Health Challenge Competition Round 2. We appreciate your engagement and interest in this opportunity. The compiled responses to all questions received are now available and are pasted below. We encourage all interested parties to review the answers as they prepare their submissions using the required application form by 31 March 2026.

Question 1: I have a question on exclusion / eligibility: While you state that chemical or synthetic fertilizers are excluded, can a portion of 10% be blended into a biochar-based fertilizer that is otherwise organic? It seems there is a recommendation by GoM that biochar-based organic fertiliser (BOF) should be blended with inorganic fertilizer. If [name omitted] factory becomes operational, we would consider only that one, and strictly no imported inorganic / chemical fertilizer. If this is not eligible, we will only base the formulation of BOF on additional agricultural lime.

Answer:

Yes: blended fertilizers are eligible so long as at least 75% of the ingredients (by volume) are locally produced organic and/or mineral formulas.


Question 2: Would you please share a full list of criteria and examples of co-investment and leverage required in the application of the Growth Pole Project’s Soil Health Challenge Competition Round.

Answer:

These are all available in the application form which can be requested from [email protected].


Question 3: We would be grateful for guidance on the following:

The required documentation or proposal format

Any available concept note or proposal templates

The official submission platform or contact point for applications



Answer:

These are all available in the application form which can be requested from [email protected] .

Question 4: Can a company not currently registered in Malawi but interested in expanding to Malawi apply?

Answer:

Due to the short duration of the grant period, only companies already registered in Malawi, or partnering with a company already registered in Malawi, qualify. If a foreign entity is applying with a Malawian entity as a joint venture, proof of that existing joint venture must be included in your application. Otherwise, the Malawian entity must apply as the primary applicant.

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Open Call for Applications Partnership Opportunity Notice (PON) Opportunity Name: Growth Poles Project’s Soil Health Challenge Competition Round 2 – Commercializing Organic and Mineral Fertilizers…

17/03/2026

📹 Call for Videography Experts - Malawi

Are you passionate about storytelling that drives impact?

Palladium Growth Poles Project is looking for a skilled videographer or firm to produce compelling videos showcasing how organic fertilizer enterprises are transforming livelihoods, creating jobs, and improving soil health for smallholder farmers in Malawi.

This is your chance to bring powerful development stories to life through high-quality, impactful visuals.

📅 Deadline: 24th March 2026
🔗 Apply here: https://tinyurl.com/mvfu9kad

Terms of Reference Videography Services – Organic Fertilizer Enterprise Impact Video Background Palladium is implementing the Growth Poles Project supporting Malawian small and medium enterprises t…

12/03/2026

🚨 Consultant Opportunity in Malawi

Palladium is seeking experienced consultants to support work in Commodity Cluster Compacts in Malawi.

We are looking for professionals with experience working with Norwegian funded projects and agricultural value chains in Sub-Saharan Africa, ideally on Commodity Compacts and Growth Clusters. The assignment will involve intermittent short-term technical assistance over the next 24 months.

📩 Interested? Send your CV to:

[email protected]

⏰ Deadline: Friday, March 13

If you have the expertise and want to contribute to strengthening agricultural value chains, we encourage you to apply.

11/03/2026

📣Call for Applications | Soil Health Challenge Competition - Round 2

Are you a Malawian business working with organic fertilizers or natural mineral soil amendments? This is your chance to scale your impact and grow your business.

Palladium’s Growth Poles Project, funded by the Embassy of Ireland, is offering $50,000 - $150,000 in funding to help businesses scale solutions that improve soil health and agricultural productivity.
📅Deadline: 31 March 2026, 17:00 CAT.
🔗Apply here : https://tinyurl.com/49jc6dcc

Open Call for Applications Partnership Opportunity Notice (PON) Opportunity Name: Growth Poles Project’s Soil Health Challenge Competition Round 2 – Commercializing Organic and Mineral Fertilizers…

11/12/2025

11/12/2025

Why use the Growth Poles approach? Because smallholder-centered agricultural development strategies have had limited success in Malawi over the past several decades, policy makers are now increasingly looking for alternative ways to accelerate agricultural and rural development.
IFPRI just published a policy note on the opportunities and challenges of supporting development objectives through impact-driven, scalable private sector enterprises that anchor growth poles of prosperity (what we call ‘Partner Growth Poles’).

Along with its analysis, IFPRI provides recommendations for how to development partners can utilize use this approach effectively, including:

· Provide assistance in managing relationships with smallholder partners
· Organize financial and business training for smallholder farmers
· Support organizations, such as cooperatives or NGOs, that can act as intermediaries
· Develop easy to implement grades or standards and/or organize third-party certification of quality
· De-risk partnering with smallholder farmers

We are seeking to learn from this research, and so can you—reach the full policy note here:

https://massp.ifpri.info/2025/12/04/policy-note-54-the-development-potential-of-anchor-enterprise-models-in-malawi/

Smallholder-centered agricultural development strategies have had limited success in Malawi over the past several decades. Policy makers are now increasingly looking for alternative ways to accelerate agricultural and rural development. One emerging approach involves larger farms or agri-business fi...