This blog was written byJinyu Chen, ICLEI World Secretariat and *Sara Baglioni, ACRA

In the bustling markets of Arusha (Tanzania), Kisumu (Kenya), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and other AfriFOODlinks cities, food vendors play a vital role in connecting farmers’ harvests to family dinner tables. Together with smallholder producers, traders, processors and transporters, they form the backbone of local food economies – their daily work generates income for thousands of households, keeps nutritious food flowing into cities, and sustains countless jobs along the value chain. 

Behind their everyday work stand the municipalities striving to keep these food systems running. Cities act as builders, upgrading markets, storage facilities and cold chains; as enablers, strengthening governance, food safety and enterprise ecosystems; and as nurturers, investing in school meals and nutrition programs. Yet, these ambitions often outspace the resources and institutional pathways available to local governments. Most funding still flows through national channels, leaving city-led innovation undervalued, fragmented or underfunded. 

The Cultivate Marketplace, developed under the AfriFOODlinks project coordinated by ICLEI and ACRA, is designed to help address this gap. Unlike a traditional pitch event, the Marketplace will create a structured, low-risk space where cities and funders can learn from one another, exchange insights, and explore alignment. It will support AfriFOODlink’s Braided Funding approach by bringing together philanthropic actors, bilateral donors, development finance institutions and impact investors around city-led priorities.

The first full series of Cultivate Marketplace sessions will take place in 2026, with thematic gatherings designed to deepen understanding, spark collaboration and prepare the ground for the future investment conversations.

Redefining city-funder collaboration

The Cultivate Marketplace is a city-led initiative designed to transform how municipalities and funders meet, learn from one another, and build investable pathways together. Rather than presenting polished proposals in isolation, the Marketplace aims to create a curated, interactive space where cities will be able to share emerging ideas directly with foundations, technical experts, development partners, and impact investors.

This approach will shift the center of gravity. Cities will lead the conversation in the Marketplace, drawing on months of preparation shaping concise City Investment Briefs that capture each municipality’s priorities, evidence base, and anticipated impact. These briefs act not as final products, but as living entry points for dialogue, iteration, and co-creation with funders. 

In the upcoming 2026 Marketplace, this co-creation will become tangible. Ouagadougou, for example, is building an integrated food ecosystem linking its Green Belt vegetable production to school canteens and market infrastructure – an idea strengthened through direct exchanges with nutrition experts and development finance institutions. Mbale (Uganda), similarly, is refining its vision for inclusive market upgrades and citizen-led food governance, and it intends to use Marketplace discussions to sharpen how infrastructure, livelihoods and safety standards can come together in a coherent investment case.

These examples reflect the core purpose of the 2026 Cultivate Marketplace: Enabling cities to openly test ideas, receive targeted feedback, and craft braided financing strategies that combine philanthropic, bilateral and development finance in ways that match their ambitions.

Through its 2026 thematic sessions, the Marketplace aims to reshape how cities and funders meet, listen and invest, catalyzing African urban food systems that are resilient, inclusive and rooted in local leadership.

Why dialogue matters

Designing the Cultivate Marketplace was never just about showcasing city projects, but about reshaping the conversation itself. During early consultations and at the 2025 Milan Urban Food Policy Pact Global Forum (MUFPP), many city representatives voiced the same frustration: “We meet funders, but rarely get to speak with them about what we actually need.” 

This insight became the foundation for the Cultivate Marketplace initiative.

Together, ACRA and ICLEI seek to create a process that goes beyond pitching – one that allows two-way dialogues where both cities and funders can explore fit, feasibility, and shared value. Through past project experience, we learned how much additional impact we can yield when municipal teams articulate investment needs in their own language, and funders respond with curiosity rather than checklists. And when cities take the lead, they are able to move from isolated projects to coherent programs serving their residents, developing integrated, long-term visions that align with territorial plans and make better use of resources. 

With this in mind, the Marketplace will be, at its core, a space for co-creation, a recognition that solutions to urban food challenges are most powerful when they are built with cities, not for them.

Shared value for cities and funders

The Cultivate Marketplace aspires to reimagine investment as a partnership, one where both cities and funders stand to gain.

For cities, it will open a pathway to practical engagement with donors who understand their realities. Beyond funding, they will gain exposure to new financing models, technical expertise, and potential allies to scale their impact. Cities can test their investment briefs, refine project design, and access support networks that extend far beyond a single grant cycle.

For funders, the Marketplace will offer curated, evidence-based entry points into local innovation ecosystems. Instead of abstract proposals, they will meet real implementers, equipped with data, partnerships, and political will. This transparency will reduce transaction costs and surface investment opportunities that are both impactful and feasible.

For both, the process builds trust – a foundation for blended finance, long-term partnerships, and shared accountability. By aligning public priorities with private and philanthropic capital, the Cultivate Marketplace aims to help translate the ambitions of transforming urban food systems into tangible, investable pathways for change in Africa.

A call for connection

The Cultivate Marketplace sessions will take place in 2026, bringing together city innovators and global funders committed to transforming Africa’s urban food systems. We invite partners, development agencies, philanthropic foundations and impact investors to follow AfriFOODlinks updates and join us in this journey.

To express interest or request more information, please contact: Jinyu Chen ([email protected]) and Sara Baglioni ([email protected]). 

Stay tuned for opportunities to connect, collaborate, and co-invest in the next generation of city-led food system solutions. Together, we can turn shared vision into shared value, cultivating not just projects, but long-term partnerships for a more nourishing urban future.

*About the author:

Sara Baglioni, ACRA: Sara holds a Master’s Degree in Cooperation for Sustainable Agrifood Development from the University of Milan. At ACRA, she works on project development and management, agroecological research, and coordinates the Secretariat of the Azione TerrAE Coalition, which promotes agroecological transition in West Africa. Her work focuses on project design, stakeholder engagement, and bridging grassroots initiatives with institutional actors.