Standards and Trade Development Facility
The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) is a global partnership that funds sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacity-building projects, helping developing countries comply with international food safety, animal health, and plant protection standards. It serves government agencies and small-scale agricultural producers across Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersGeneva, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Standards and Trade Development Facility firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Standards and Trade Development Facility
- Legal name
- Standards and Trade Development Facility
- Website
- https://standardsfacility.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) is a global partnership that funds sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacity-building projects, helping developing countries comply with international food safety, animal health, and plant protection standards. It serves government agencies and small-scale agricultural producers across Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Standards and Trade Development Facility industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Development Grants / SPS Capacity Building
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Foreign Governments (8888)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sanitary & Phytosanitary (SPS) & Food Safety Regulatory Cooperation (BPADANAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Results-Based Financing (RBF) & Performance-Based Grants (BPADAOAF), Safeguarding, Accountability & Compliance (ESG, Gender/GBV, Do No Harm) (BPADAEAM), Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned) (AFALADAH)
Keywords
Where Standards and Trade Development Facility is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Geneva
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Standards and Trade Development Facility business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Project Preparation Grants (PPG): Funds up to US$50,000 are available for PPGs to prepare technically sound and sustainable projects, including application of SPS-related capacity evaluation tools, feasibility studies, and project proposal formulation.
- Project Grants (PG): Funds up to US$1,000,000 for projects that improve food safety, animal and plant health capacity to comply with international SPS requirements. Beneficiaries must contribute from their own resources.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Project Preparation Grants (PPG) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project Grants (PG) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Standards and Trade Development Facility product offering
Product offeringCore offering
STDF is a global partnership facility that finances sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacity building in developing countries through two grant mechanisms: Project Preparation Grants (PPG) of up to US$50,000 for project design, feasibility studies and capacity evaluations, and Project Grants (PG) of up to US$1,000,000 for implementation of projects that improve food safety, animal and plant health compliance with international SPS standards. Alongside funding, STDF develops and disseminates knowledge products and frameworks — including P-IMA, ePhyto electronic certification, Good Regulatory Practice, and Capacity Evaluation Tools — to help small-scale farmers, processors, traders and national agencies in developing countries access safe trade markets.
Product overview
The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) is a global partnership that provides funding and knowledge resources for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacity building in developing countries. The core offering consists of two funding mechanisms: Project Preparation Grants (PPG) providing up to US$50,000 for project design, and Project Grants (PG) offering up to US$1,000,000 for implementation. The STDF also provides methodological tools including P-IMA for investment prioritization, electronic SPS certification solutions (including the ePhyto Solution adopted by 96 countries), capacity evaluation tools, and good regulatory practice frameworks. Knowledge products include annual reports, good practice articles, and publications documenting 20 years of safe trade results.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Project Preparation Grants (PPG) Grants of up to US$50,000 for preparing technically sound and sustainable SPS projects, including application of capacity evaluation tools, feasibility studies, and project proposal formulation. Available to organizations in OECD DAC-listed developing countries.
- Project Grants (PG) Grants of up to US$1,000,000 (multi-year) for projects that improve food safety, animal and plant health capacity to comply with international SPS requirements. Requires beneficiary co-financing contribution from own resources.
- ePhyto Solution Electronic SPS certification system for paperless phytosanitary trade documentation, adopted by 96 countries to enable digital exchange of phytosanitary certificates.
Companies that use Standards and Trade Development Facility
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Standards and Trade Development Facility technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Standards and Trade Development Facility partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)coreFounding partner of STDF. Provides technical expertise in food safety, agriculture, and food standards. FAO co-hosts Codex Alimentarius Commission Secretariat with WHO.
- World Bank GroupcoreFounding partner of STDF. Provides financing expertise and connections to development finance.
- World Health Organization (WHO)coreFounding partner of STDF. Co-hosts Codex Alimentarius Commission Secretariat with FAO for international food standards.
- World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)coreFounding partner of STDF. Provides expertise in animal health standards and Terrestrial Animal Health Code.
- World Trade Organization (WTO)coreFounding partner and host of STDF Secretariat. Provides platform for SPS Committee discussions and trade policy expertise.
- COLEAD (Committee Linking Entrepreneurship-Agriculture-Development)majorImplemented Togo SPS project (PG-375). European-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee focused on agricultural trade and development.
- CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International)majorImplemented Safer Spices project (PG-619) in Viet Nam, Lao PDR, and Cambodia for peppercorn food safety compliance.
- Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI)majorLed regional biopesticide project (PG-634) across eight Asia-Pacific countries reducing pesticide residues by 50%.
- Secretaría General de la Comunidad Andina (SGCAN)majorImplementing entity for Regional Center for Phytosanitary Intelligence (CRIFCAN) project across Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
- Enhanced Integrated Framework National Implementation Unit (Burkina Faso)majorImplemented aflatoxin reduction project in Burkina Faso maize sector with Farmer's Confederation of Burkina Faso.
- Spices Board, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, IndiamajorImplemented India spice value chain project using traditional street plays to promote food safety practices.
- Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)majorLed regional cocoa cadmium projects (PG-577) in Latin America and Caribbean in collaboration with KU Leuven.
- Codex Alimentarius Commission (CODEX)majorInternational food standards body whose secretariat is hosted by FAO and WHO. STDF supports countries to implement Codex standards.
- International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)majorInternational phytosanitary standards body. STDF supports countries to implement IPPC standards including ePhyto certification.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Standards and Trade Development Facility competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA): IICA is an STDF strategic partner implementing regional SPS projects such as the cocoa cadmium program. Comparable as a hemispheric inter-governmental organization funding and executing agricultural health and food safety capacity building across Latin America and the Caribbean.
- CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International): CABI is an STDF implementing partner that delivers agricultural and bioscience capacity-building projects in developing countries (e.g., the Safer Spices project). It operates similar donor-funded, science-based, multi-country SPS and plant health interventions in Africa and Asia.
- Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI): APAARI is an STDF implementing partner that led the eight-country Asia-Pacific biopesticide project. Comparable as a regional platform delivering donor-funded agricultural research and SPS projects across multiple developing countries.
- Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF): EIF is a multi-donor facility supporting LDCs on trade-related capacity building, including SPS. It overlaps with STDF in beneficiary countries, donor base (WTO/World Bank lineage) and grant-funded project delivery for trade compliance.
- COLEAD (Committee Linking Entrepreneurship-Agriculture-Development): COLEAD implements STDF projects (e.g., Togo PG-375) and runs its own EU-funded programs to build SPS and trade capacity in ACP countries. Same beneficiary base (developing-country producers/exporters), same project-funding-and-implementation model.
Broad incumbents
- Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN): GAIN is a large Geneva-based foundation that funds market-based nutrition and food safety interventions in developing countries. Comparable to STDF in donor-funded, multi-country, food-system capacity-building model, though its mandate is broader (nutrition rather than SPS).
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): FAO is a founding partner of STDF and operates parallel SPS capacity-building programs (food safety, plant health, Codex support). Comparable mandate at vastly greater scale and budget, often as the implementing agency for STDF grants.
- Codex Alimentarius Commission: Codex sets international food safety standards that STDF helps countries implement. Comparable in domain authority and global reach, though it operates as an intergovernmental standard-setter rather than a grantmaking facility.
Emerging players
- CropLife International: CropLife collaborates with STDF on pesticide management and MRL compliance in developing countries (joint events, biopesticide work). Comparable in that it engages in SPS-adjacent capacity building, but from a private-sector industry-association perspective.
- Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI): GFSI is a private-sector food safety standards convergence effort involving major retailers and manufacturers. Comparable in food-safety capacity-building relevance, though it focuses on private GFSI-recognized certification rather than public-sector SPS compliance.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Standards and Trade Development Facility social profiles
Digital presenceStandards and Trade Development Facility financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Standards and Trade Development Facility leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Standards and Trade Development Facility funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Standards and Trade Development Facility M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Standards and Trade Development Facility
What does Standards and Trade Development Facility do?
STDF is a global partnership facility that finances sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacity building in developing countries through two grant mechanisms: Project Preparation Grants (PPG) of up to US$50,000 for project design, feasibility studies and capacity evaluations, and Project Grants (PG) of up to US$1,000,000 for implementation of projects that improve food safety, animal and plant health compliance with international SPS standards. Alongside funding, STDF develops and disseminates knowledge products and frameworks — including P-IMA, ePhyto electronic certification, Good Regulatory Practice, and Capacity Evaluation Tools — to help small-scale farmers, processors, traders and national agencies in developing countries access safe trade markets.
Is Standards and Trade Development Facility a public or private company?
Standards and Trade Development Facility is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Standards and Trade Development Facility founded?
Standards and Trade Development Facility was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Standards and Trade Development Facility based?
Standards and Trade Development Facility is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Standards and Trade Development Facility make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Project Preparation Grants (PPG) is the primary driver. The others are project Grants (PG).
Who are Standards and Trade Development Facility's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International), Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI), Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) and COLEAD (Committee Linking Entrepreneurship-Agriculture-Development). Broad incumbents are Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Codex Alimentarius Commission. Emerging players are CropLife International and Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).
Does Standards and Trade Development Facility have an API?
No public API is recorded for Standards and Trade Development Facility.
What industry is Standards and Trade Development Facility in?
Standards and Trade Development Facility's product category is International Development Grants / SPS Capacity Building. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADANAF, Sanitary & Phytosanitary (SPS) & Food Safety Regulatory Cooperation, with a secondary code of BPADAOAF, Results-Based Financing (RBF) & Performance-Based Grants. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8731.