Bio fuels business development in Zambia The northern biofuel association (NBFA) was formed in October 2008. NBFA's vision is to support biofuel producers and processors in the province. The association begun with a membership of 1.500 which currently stands at 4,000. NBFA porvides a number of services to its members (business development, market linkages, lobbying, extension, sharing on health issues)
The project aims at supporting NBFA to strengthen it capacity (recruitment of staff; establishment of office, extension training) and to access the necessary funding to start jatropha marketing and processing. Business operations will decrease the dependence on project subsidy from  the 2nd year onwards.

The project aims at supporting NBFA to implement a market driven development programme which will result in improving the capacity of the organization to provide better services to its members as well as increasing income, production and employment among the target group. The project is divided into two parts namely; the capacity development and business components. The capacity development component seeks a grant for the association to improve its board and management capacity in terms of equipping it’s six district bio-fuel association affiliate members to provide extension and market services, improved capacity for lobbying and advocating for improved service provision such as market infrastructure, roads, land, extension services, access to finance. In addition, the association intends to hire and recruit an Agribusiness Manager, Bookkeeper and Production Assistants. The Business component is aimed at the association being engaged in the buying of bio oil, jatropha cake and processing them into soap and organic fertilizer for urban markets. This is aimed at increasing member’s income, productivity and creates employment of about 4,000 small-scale farmers who will be involved in the value chain.

Activities:
•	 Hiring and recruitment of an Agri - Business Manager who will support extension and marketing services of the association.
•	 Hiring and recruitment of a Book keeper 
•	 Procurement of a motor vehicle
•	 Procurement of bicycles to be used by extension providers at the district level
•	Training of 5 District Biofuels Association members as TOT to provide extension services
•	 Construction of zonal collection centres  [ZCC] as bulking centres
•	 Procurement of processing equipment for rural enterprises.
•	Construction of central processing/storage plant in Kasama.
•	 Hiring and recruitment of an Agri - Business Manager who will support extension and marketing services of the association.
•	 Hiring and recruitment of a Book keeper 
•	 Procurement of a motor vehicle
•	 Procurement of bicycles to be used by extension providers at the district level
•	Training of 5 District Biofuels Association members as TOT to provide extension services
•	 Construction of zonal collection centres  [ZCC] as bulking centres
•	 Procurement of processing equipment for rural enterprises.
•	Construction of central processing/storage plant in Kasama.

Overall result
1.	To support the association with value chain financing to establish an association driven extension system to support 4000 producers.
2.	To support the association with domestic accountability issues such as lobbying and advocating with local authorities, members of parliament and provincial administration on accessing constituency development funds for bio fuels development and Ministry of Energy on implementation  of bio fuels policy.
3.	To facilitate the establishment of district marketing structures. 
4.	Train the association in product development and marketing.
5.	Coach and mentor the association on enterprise management.
6.	To support the association with market linkages.
7.	Support the association to roll out TOT training on jatropha production so as to train 600 small-scale producers as lead farmers.
8.	To support the association to increase jatropha production from 5,600,000 to 8,000,000 tress as well as membership from 3500 to 5000 producers

General objective: 
1. To transform farmer groups into entrepreneurial entities through capacity building and engagement with actors in priority value chains for improved rural livelihoods

Specific objectives:
1. To enable KENFAP to sensitize and select Common Interest Groups (CIPs) to cluster into and form  Producers Business Groups (PBGs) in Priority Agricultural Product Value Chains:  3 months;
2. To allow these PBGs to develop a bankable business plan: 3 months;
3. To identify and finance designated business development services needed by the PBGs in the first year of the operation: starting September 1st, 2011.