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Focus on Job Creation and Access to Social Protection

The Facility Investing for Employment launches Calls for Proposals in Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, and Senegal

Deadline: 15.04.25

The Calls for Proposals were launched on 27 January 2025 and are open until 15 April 2025. The Calls seek applications for projects in Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda and Senegal. They are open to all sectors of the economy.

Applications submitted by 28 February 2025 will participate in an early evaluation round.

IFE HELPDESK

Applicants can contact the IFE Helpdesk for questions related to the application process and to the financing of social protection schemes:

helpdesk-ife@invest-for-jobs.com (English) and 

assistance-ife@invest-for-jobs.com (French).

Background and IFE Purpose

The Facility Investing for Employment (IFE) - an integral part of the Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition" - was created by KfW Development Bank (KfW) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The main purpose of the Facility is job creation in the private sector and by this enhancing improved social protection. Grant funding is therefore available only for projects which will create new jobs in the private sector. Preference is given to projects, which combine job creation with improvement of social protection aspects of employees, their families or third parties.

While the primary goal of the Facility is the creation of new jobs, various aspects are taken into account in the selection of projects:

  • Number of new good jobs and cost per job
  • Number of existing employees who benefit from improved working conditions, social protection or income
  • Number of people, participating in higher education or short-term job-related trainings
  • Bonus criteria for number of jobs for women and youth, contribution to feminist development and just transition, synergies with other projects of the Special Initiative;
  • Bonus criteria related to social protection measures;
  • Number of people, who benefit from additional social protection measures co-financed by IFE.

Therefore, projects which first demonstrate sufficient job-creation potential may receive additional points in the evaluation process or even additional financial support for the implementation of social protection measures.

The Job Creation Component (compulsory)

The Facility only finances mature projects that have not yet started and that offer reasonable chances for being operationally and financially sustainable. Applicants are obliged to contribute own funds to complete the project finance. They must also prove that they cannot cover their funding needs from other sources. 

The proposed investment project, which will lead to job creation, must fall within one of IFE’s four categories. 

Four types of investment

Social protection Component

In addition to the creation of new formal good jobs, IFE aims to support national efforts to improve the social protection of existing and new employees, their families, disadvantaged groups and people, who have a (semi-)formal business relationship with the applicant(s) such as independent sale agents, drivers or similar. Applicants, who will implement measures significantly above the national mandatory minimum requirements, can benefit from:

• Bonus points for the formalization of jobs or for social protection measures for new jobs above the mandatory minimum requirements, which will be implemented for new emplyoees by the applicant and its consortium partners:

• Financial support for additional new social protection measures above the mandatory minimum requirements, to boost both one-off and/or ongoing social protection expenses.

Applicants can apply for financial support in form of an additional grant for contributions to employer-(co)financed social protection schemes, including:

  • Contributions to improved social protection of existing and new employees such as additional or new health, unemployment, accident insurances, pension schemes etc.
  • Contributions to improved social protection of people not formally employed by the applicant or its consortium partners, but with a business relationship with these entities (e.g. independent sale agents, truck drivers, seasonal workers etc.).
  • Transformation of existent informal schemes (e.g. company internal social funds) into formalised social protection product with a regulated provider.
  • Investment costs for other social protection measures such as construction and equipment costs for the establishment of a Kindergarten, IT platforms for the registration and placement (with access to social protection schemes) of informal workers, health care centre, conversion of workplaces with the aim of making them more accessible for persons with disabilities.

Who is eligible?

  • Individual applicants: Legal entity that is registered in the country of the proposed project, either Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, or Senegal, and that has been in operation for at least three years)
  • Consortia (two or more legal entities): All applicants of the consortium must each be a separate legal entity registered in the concerned country, in Africa or EU/EFTA.

More information can be found in our Guidelines for Applicants that are available in our  Download Center.

How does the application process work?

Applicants must submit a concept note online in SmartME (link to system below) by 15 April 2025 at 17:00 CEST at the latest. Applications received by 28 February 2025 will qualify for an early assessment.

The Facility IFE selects projects through a competitive, objective, and transparent two-stage application process.

Stage one: The Call for Proposal invites applicants to submit Concept Notes. After an eligibility verification, Concept Notes are scored and the most promising are ranked based on both qualitative evaluation criteria and key performance indicators (KPIs) and Bonus Points. 

The Additionality Condition: The requested IFE grant needs to be essential for the implementation of the project. Therefore, the applicant must demonstrate that he has tried but failed in securing the full finance need.

Stage two: The shortlisted applicants are invited to submit a detailed Full Project Proposal. The received Full Project Proposals are subject to a detailed analysis (due diligence), which may also involve an on-site visit. If IFE approves a project, it offers the applicant (individual entity or consortium) an agreement for the grant amount determined during the due diligence.

SUBMIT YOUR CONCEPT NOTE

Please use the online submission platform SmartME to start the application process and submit your Concept Note (note: the link will direct you to a third-party web page):

SUBMIT HERE
 

These four videos will introduce you to the application platform.

Need for more information?

Important documents, such as the Guidelines for Applicants, are available in our Download Center. They contain the full list of evaluation criteria.

In case of questions, please visit our FAQ-section. If you cannot find the information you need, please send an email to cfp-ife.2025@invest-for-jobs.com until 7 April 2025 at 17:00 CEST.

A series of online meetings will be organised to present the objectives of the Facility, its conditions for submitting proposals, as well as the modalities of participation and its application platform. The webinars will take place on the following days:

Webinars in English:
4 February 2025 (10:00 CET)
18 February 2025 (10:00 CET)
18 March 2025 (10:00 CET)
1 April 2025 (10:00 CET)

To participate in the English language webinars, click on this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81278820459

Webinars in French:
5 February 2025 (11:00 CET)
19 February 2025 (11:00 CET)
19 March 2025 (13:00 CET)
2 April 2025 (13:00 CET)

To participate in the French language webinars, click on this link:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82237538185

Please send an email to: cfp-ife.2025@invest-for-jobs.com to receive the exact starting times and the Zoom link to the webinars.

IFE HELPDESK

Applicants can contact the IFE Helpdesk until 7 April 2025 for questions related to the application process and to the financing of social protection schemes:

helpdesk-ife@invest-for-jobs.com (English) and

assistance-ife@invest-for-jobs.com (French).

 

The Facility Investing for Employment is an investment mechanism created by KfW Development Bank on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) as an integral part of the Special Initiative “Decent Work for a Just Transition”. The Special Initiative operates under the brand Invest for Jobs. The development objective is to work together with entities to create up to 100,000 good jobs in the private sector and to improve working conditions and social protection in its eight African partner countries: Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tunisia.

General Introduction and Overview of the Application Process

Contact

We are looking forward to hearing from you

Under the Invest for Jobs brand, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has put together a package of measures to support German, European and African companies in investment activities that have a high impact on employment in Africa. The Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition" – the official title – offers comprehensive advice, contacts and financial support to overcome investment barriers. The development objective is to work together with companies to create up to 100,000 good jobs and to improve working conditions and social protection in its African partner countries.

Partner countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia.

Find out more about our services for companies, universities, chambers and associations: https://invest-for-jobs.com/en/offers

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