The European Union and FAO have signed an agreement for the implementation of a five-year project: “Developing capacities in agricultural innovation systems: scaling up the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP) Framework”, in short "TAP-AIS", with a budget of EUR 5 million. The signing ceremony took place on 21 June 2019 during the Third African Union – European Union (AU - EU) Agriculture Ministerial Conference held at FAO Headquarters in Rome.

The project is a component of the EU initiative “Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture” (DeSIRA). It will support the implementation of the TAP action plan, through the delivery of four outputs:

• TAP governance is strengthened and support is given to the TAP Secretariat.

• Countries’ agricultural innovation systems (AIS) are assessed, capacity development needs are identified and AIS is strengthened.

• TAP tools and approaches are integrated into African “CAADP ex-Pillar IV” organizations, as well as in regional research and extension organizations in Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.

• Awareness and knowledge are increased on using the TAP Common Framework on Capacity Development for Agricultural Innovation Systems, through information and communication platforms.

Drawing on lessons learned from the CDAIS project, the new TAP-AIS project will improve, update, and expand the use of the TAP Common Framework. A strong communications component centered on TAPipedia will promote TAP tools and approaches at national, regional/sub-regional and global levels.