What INADES-Formation does

INADES-Formation (Institut Africain pour le Développement Économique et Social – Formation) is a pan-African non-governmental organization headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, and recognized as a public utility under Ivorian law. Founded in 1975 by Jesuit fathers and tracing its origins to INADES established in 1962, the organization operates as a federation of ten autonomous national associations serving rural communities in Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Chad, and Togo. Its mission is the economic and social development of African rural populations, delivered through training, organizational accompaniment of farmer organizations, agroecology pilots, climate-adaptation programming, and policy advocacy.

The organization's core delivery model is field-based capacity building rather than a commercial product. Programmes include the SAADEV organizational-strengthening methodology, the CACAO-ECO agroecology initiative for the Ivorian cocoa sector, the ACF-AO feminist climate-action programme funded by Global Affairs Canada, and a multi-country MISEREOR programme covering 2026-2028 that targets more than three million beneficiaries across eight countries. National-association operating metrics indicate substantial scale — for example, 3,742,784 beneficiaries and 1,356 partner organizations in Chad, 663 organizations in Togo, and 134 in Tanzania.

INADES-Formation is funded by institutional grants and project-based contributions from donors including MISEREOR, Global Affairs Canada, ABCD, the European Union, GIZ, the World Bank, and IFAD. Services to beneficiaries are provided free of charge; there is no commercial pricing model. The 1997 establishment of FondAfrica represents an internal self-financing mechanism intended to diversify revenue beyond grants. The organization's go-to-market is therefore donor-funded programme implementation rather than market sales, and its customer base in the funder sense is concentrated among a small number of bilateral and multilateral institutional donors.

Name

INADES-Formation

Legal name

INADES-Formation (Institut Africain pour le Développement Économique et Social – Formation)

Website

https://www.inadesformation.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Short description

INADES-Formation is a pan-African NGO federation headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, delivering rural development, agroecology, and climate-adaptation programming through ten national associations serving farming communities across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH), Regenerative Agriculture & Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) (EUABABAE), Agroforestry & Perennial Cropping Systems (EUABABAD)

Keywords

• Rural development programs
• Agricultural training services
• Community microfinance
• Food sovereignty initiatives
• Climate change adaptation

Headquarters

HQ city

Abidjan

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Project Funding: INADES-Formation generates revenue primarily through grants and funding from institutional donors, development agencies, and international organizations. Major funders include MISEREOR, Global Affairs Canada, the Agence Basque de Coopération au Développement (ABCD), and other international development partners who finance specific multi-year projects in areas such as food systems, climate resilience, agroecology, microfinance, and governance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

INADES-Formation is a pan-African NGO network that delivers development programs and capacity-building services to disadvantaged rural populations across 10 African countries. Its core services span four fields of action: food systems based on family farming, community microfinance, inclusive governance, and climate change adaptation. Programs are implemented through a federation of 10 national associations coordinated by the General Secretariat in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, using the proprietary SAADEV (Stimulation and Accompaniment of Development Alternatives at the service of the common good) methodology.

Product overview

INADES-Formation is a pan-African NGO network dedicated to rural development, providing social and economic promotion services to disadvantaged populations, particularly rural communities. The organization does not offer a commercial product or software platform; instead, it delivers development programs and projects focused on agricultural training, community microfinance, inclusive governance, and climate change resilience. Its portfolio includes regional initiatives such as the ACF-AO (Feminist Climate Action Project in West Africa), ABCD2 (Community Experiences Scaling project), and CACAO-ECO (Cocoa Agroecology project), implemented through national associations in 10 African countries. The organization also operates advocacy platforms including PANAFCI (National Platform for Family Farming in Côte d'Ivoire), ALERTE-Foncier, and COPAGEN (Coalition for the Protection of African Genetic Heritage), and maintains community microfinance models such as FONSDEV and GEC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FondAfrica: The African Rural Development Fund (FondAfrica) established on July 23, 1997 in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania - a public fundraising instrument for INADES-Formation's self-financing strategy.
• PANAFCI
• ALERTE-Foncier
• COPAGEN

Products and services

• ACF-AO Project (Feminist Climate Action – West Africa) A multi-country project implemented in Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and Togo that builds climate resilience for coastal and island communities with emphasis on rural women and youth. Funded by Global Affairs Canada and managed in partnership with SUCO.
• ABCD2 Project (Capitalizing and Scaling Community Experiences) A regional project that capitalizes and scales up community experiences on climate change adaptation and citizen monitoring of public policies in sub-Saharan African countries. Funded by the Agence Basque de Coopération au Développement (ABCD).
• CACAO-ECO Project A Côte d'Ivoire project supporting agroecological evaluation, agroforestry, and access to agricultural finance for cocoa cooperatives, with technical support from GRET, AVSF, and INP-HB.
• Programme MISEREOR (2026–2028)

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 3 million beneficiaries targeted across 8 countries under the MISEREOR programme (2026–2028)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GRETcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides technical support for the CACAOECO project in Côte d'Ivoire, specifically for evaluation of agroecological practices and agroforestry, as well as access to agricultural finance for cooperatives.
• AVSF (Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides technical support for the CACAOECO project, contributing expertise in agroecological evaluation and access to finance for cocoa cooperatives in Côte d'Ivoire.
• INP-HB (Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and development partner for the CACAOECO project in Côte d'Ivoire, providing academic and research support for agroecological practices in cocoa cultivation.
• SUCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject manager of the ACF-AO (Feminist Climate Action West Africa) project in Côte d'Ivoire in partnership with INADES-Formation Secrétariat Général.
• World Food Programme (WFP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization providing support to INADES-Formation activities.
• FAOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization collaborating with INADES-Formation.
• CBMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization of INADES-Formation.
• OxfamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization of INADES-Formation.
• UN WomenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization supporting gender and women's empowerment initiatives.
• RikoltominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization in the development ecosystem.
• VI AgroforestryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization.
• The BrookeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization.
• RUFORUM (Rural Forum)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization.
• Inter-RéseauxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner development network.
• Acting for LifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization.
• CRS (Catholic Relief Services)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization.
• UNITAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization.
• Family Farming CampaignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner campaign/network.
• CSR Erber FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the RARSEF project (women's empowerment in Lake Chad basin) and the RSCIOSC project in Chad.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Relief Services (CRS): Large US Catholic NGO with extensive agriculture, food security and resilience programs across Africa. Broader in scope and budget, but overlaps with INADES-Formation's faith-rooted institutional model and rural farmer focus.
• Oxfam: Global confederation working on food justice, climate adaptation and governance in Africa. Overlaps with INADES-Formation's advocacy platforms (PANAFCI, ALERTE-Foncier, COPAGEN) and smallholder farmer agenda.
• TechnoServe: International nonprofit applying business solutions to poverty, with deep work on coffee/cocoa value chains and farmer cooperatives in Africa. Comparable in agroecology/cocoa support overlap with INADES-Formation's CACAO-ECO project.
• Heifer International: Global nonprofit focused on ending hunger and poverty through sustainable agriculture and livestock, with major sub-Saharan Africa operations. Comparable on rural community accompaniment and cooperative-based delivery.
• SNV (Netherlands Development Organisation): Dutch development organization with significant agriculture, climate and governance programming across Africa. Comparable multi-country African footprint, donor mix and inclusive-governance focus.

Direct peers

• Self Help Africa: Ireland-headquartered NGO delivering agricultural development, enterprise and climate adaptation programs across sub-Saharan Africa. Highly comparable in scale, rural-development focus and multi-country African delivery footprint.
• Farm Africa: UK-based NGO focused on sustainable agriculture, climate resilience and market access for smallholder farmers in eastern Africa. Closely comparable in mission, beneficiary profile (rural farmers) and donor-funded delivery model.
• GRET: French development NGO active in food systems, microfinance and rural livelihoods across Africa and Asia. Directly comparable given its joint delivery with INADES-Formation on agroecology, agroforestry and cooperative finance projects.
• AVSF (Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières): French NGO specializing in agricultural development, agroecology and livestock support in developing countries, including West and Central Africa. Directly comparable as a peer NGO implementing agroecology and cooperative-finance projects alongside INADES-Formation on CACAO-ECO.

Others

• AFDI (Agriculteurs Français et Développement International): French agricultural development network linking French farmer organizations with African peers. Connected to INADES-Formation as a longstanding institutional partner with a shared farmer-to-farmer accompaniment model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xmobile.twitter.com/InadesFormation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/InadesFormation
• Facebookfacebook.com/inadesformation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about INADES-Formation