Applying to an ONTA call in Algeria: who is eligible, who goes first, and how files are judged

1. 1. Is all ONTA land governed by the same text?

No, and this is the first thing to check. ONTA, the National Agricultural Land Office, manages two portfolios with different rules.

The first holds existing State farms governed by Law no. 10-03 of 15 August 2010: former collective farms (EAC), individual farms (EAI) and so-called surplus land. When a share falls vacant, ONTA puts it back on offer through a call for applications (Article 17 of the law; Article 25 of Executive Decree no. 10-326).

The second covers land to be developed through water mobilisation, irrigation, planting or soil conservation work. It is governed by Executive Decree no. 21-432 of 4 November 2021. ONTA allocates this land in the north. In the Sahara, the Office for the Development of Industrial Agriculture on Saharan Land (ODAS) does so (Articles 5 and 8 of the decree).

The platform shows each call's legal framework. The calls recorded on 22 October 2026 carry the label "Arrêté N°1344", sometimes followed by "CIM 02". Our list of open ONTA calls shows this label for every plot.

2. 2. Who is allowed to apply?

For Law 10-03 farms, the answer fits in one line. Article 4 defines the concession as a right granted to a natural person of Algerian nationality. The order of 11 November 2012, which governs the calls, repeats it in Article 2.

Three practical consequences follow:

• a company cannot apply for an EAC, EAI or surplus-land plot, even if it is wholly owned by Algerians;
• on our reading, an Algerian living abroad may apply, since the text refers to nationality rather than residence;
• the concession stays personal, because Article 22 requires "direct and personal" farming, repeated in the cahier des charges.

Article 19 adds one exclusion. A person whose conduct during the national liberation war was unworthy cannot acquire a concession right.

Land to develop is more open. Article 4 of Decree 21-432 covers Algerian natural persons and legal persons governed by Algerian law. An SARL or SPA incorporated in Algeria can therefore apply for these perimeters, with its statutes in the file (Article 14).

3. 3. Who goes first when several applicants want the same plot?

Article 17 of Law 10-03 sets an order. The committee cannot depart from it while an applicant from a higher rank is in the running.

The third rank is developed in the order of 11 November 2012. Its Article 6 requires these applicants to attach a project for consolidating and modernising the farm. Without that document, technical credentials count for nothing.

Before applying, ask who else could target the same plot. An EAC share surrounded by active holders is usually settled among them. An isolated piece of surplus land leaves more room for an outsider.

According to press reports, an order of 6 May 2025 now allows a single application for several adjoining plots to form one farm. We have not been able to read that text in the Official Gazette, so check whether the call provides for it.

4. 4. Where is the call published, and what must it contain?

The 2012 order provided for traditional publicity. The call had to appear at least once in two national dailies, in Arabic and French, and be posted at the wilaya and daïra offices, in the communes concerned and at the agricultural services (Article 3). Article 4 requires four items: the location and extent of the rights on offer, the file required, the filing place and the deadline.

Today calls appear on ONTA's online platform. It shows the wilaya and commune, each plot's code, its total and available area, the main crop, and the opening and closing dates. Decree 21-432 also provides for electronic calls for land to develop (Article 13).

On 22 October 2026 the platform showed three open calls.

Cereals dominate, with 191 of the 223 plots. Orchards follow (24), then livestock (4) and vegetables (2).

One point is often misread. The closing date belongs to the whole call. After that day no file is accepted for any plot in the wilaya, even one that has only just appeared. Our ONTA call tracker counts the days left for each plot.

5. 5. Which documents does the platform ask for?

Applications are filed online only. On 22 October 2026 the platform asked for:

• a technical and economic feasibility study of the project;
• proof of financial capacity;
• the biometric national identity card;
• a letter of commitment;
• proof of qualifications and skills;
• the payment receipt and its reference;
• the farm record, for an EAC member or a neighbouring farmer;
• any supporting document.

For land to develop, Article 14 of Decree 21-432 names three basic items: a business plan, proof of financial capacity and, for a company, its statutes. An electronic acknowledgment is issued on filing.

Two documents carry most of the decision. The feasibility study answers most of the selection criteria, and the proof of financial capacity has to match the financing plan inside it. We give them a full article: the feasibility study for an ONTA application, criterion by criterion.

The farm record proves a priority rank. A neighbour who forgets to attach it competes as an ordinary applicant.

6. 6. Who reviews the files, and on which criteria?

For Law 10-03 farms, applications go before an ad hoc committee. Since the order of 11 November 2015 it is chaired by the wali or his representative. Its members are the director of agricultural services, the director of State lands, the wilaya director of ONTA and the president of the commune's people's assembly. ONTA acts as secretariat.

When several applicants compete, Article 6 of the 2012 order lists the evaluation criteria.

The call may add further criteria. Read it in full before drafting anything.

On land to develop, the wilaya technical committee for agricultural investment reviews business plans, chaired by ONTA's director general (Articles 15 to 17 of Decree 21-432). In the Sahara, ODAS gives this work to its expert and technical evaluation committee, which must decide within thirty days (order of 21 March 2021, Article 10).

7. 7. What happens once an applicant is selected?

The committee records its work in minutes. It sends the list of selected applicants to the wali, following the procedure of Article 25 of Decree 10-326 (2012 order, Article 7).

Then comes signature. ONTA's wilaya director signs the cahier des charges with the selected applicant and forwards the file to the director of State lands, who drafts the concession deed (Article 8). The deed takes effect when it is published at the land registry.

The cahier des charges binds you for up to forty years. Direct farming, agricultural use, the annual fee and the ban on subletting can each lead to cancellation. We set them out in the concession holder's obligations and cancellation.

If you are refused, two regimes apply. On land to develop, the technical committee also hears appeals (Article 16 of Decree 21-432). At ODAS, a refusal must give reasons and the applicant has fifteen days to appeal online (order of 21 March 2021, Articles 11 and 12). For Law 10-03 farms, the press reports that the May 2025 order requires electronic notification and reasoned refusals, with a right of appeal. As we have not read that text, rely on the decision you receive, which should state the route of appeal.

8. 8. Which mistakes lose a call before the file is even reviewed?

The texts are enough to spot the most common traps. None of them has to do with the quality of the project.

• Targeting the wrong regime. A company applying for an EAI plot wastes its time. It should look for land-development perimeters.
• Ignoring the priority order. On an EAC share, an outsider comes after the co-holders and the neighbours.
• Building the study on a different crop. The main crop is stated in the call. A study that ignores it contradicts itself on page one.
• Announcing financing without proof. The proof of financial capacity must cover the contribution shown in the financing plan.
• Confusing total area and available area. In an EAC, only a share is on offer. We explain the difference in EAC, EAI or surplus land: which plot to target.
• Filing on the last day. The closing date covers the whole call, and a congested platform does not extend it.

Some calls carry the label "CIM 02". It refers to joint ministerial circular no. 02 of 1 June 2025, which is not published in the Official Gazette. Its conditions may differ from other calls. Read them on ONTA's platform before paying anything.

FAQ — Frequently asked questions

BENSAID Farouk

Financial & Economic Research Consultant — ProfitPilot NextGen Consulting

Certified sole trader and expert in financial studies, risk analysis and market research for SMEs, startups and investors in Algeria. View full profile