IFE 20230601 Hero small MC-CfP KfW6131

The Facility Investing for Employment has launched
Calls for Proposals in Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia,
Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tunisia

 © KfW-Bildarchiv / Rendel Freude

This call is closed

Questions and answers

IFE’s responses to your questions during the webinars can be found in the Q&A-documents in the Download-Center.

Investing for Employment provides co-financing grants for investment projects with a high job creation impact. The Facility aims for an optimal allocation of available funding to projects with the highest plausibility of success and expected return in terms of the number and quality of new jobs created. The selection of projects is based on a competitive application process and gives priority to high-quality proposals that are mature and ready for execution. The Facility will only co-finance those projects that are rated best in terms of operational viability, financial sustainability, and job creation.

The ongoing Calls for Proposals were launched on 1 June 2023. They seek applications for projects in Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tunisia. The Calls are open to all sectors of the economy. In Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal and Tunisia, there is a special application category "Climate" in addition to the thematically open competition.

What does the Facility Investing for Employment fund?

The Calls for Proposals are seeking applications for four types of investment projects:

four types of investment projects


IFE grants range from 1 million to 10 million euros per project. An applicant (individual entity or consortium) must provide own financial contributions towards the overall project expenditure in the required proportion. The percentage of own contribution required is defined based on the project category. All jobs created as part of the projects must be in the private sector.

The grants are disbursed during the investment phase of the project and in accordance with achieved milestones.

Who is eligible?

  • Individual applicants (legal entities registered in the country of the proposed project: either Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal, or Tunisia that have been in operation for at least three years)
  • Consortia (two or more legal entities, with at least one entity registered in the country of the proposed project: either Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal, or Tunisia that have been in operation for at least three years)

More information can be found in our Download Center.

Special Application Category “Climate”

Applicants from Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, and Tunisia can choose to submit their project proposals in the special application category “Climate”. Projects in this category must belong to one of the following thematic areas:

  1. Installations to produce renewable energy for the benefit of the applicant or third parties
  2. Manufacture of products and materials to improve energy efficiency or generate renewable energy
  3. Installation of equipment to produce renewable energy or to improve energy efficiency as part of an investment project
  4. Training programmes in the fields of renewable energy or energy efficiency
  5. Organic agriculture
  6. Circular economy
  7. Sustainable mobility

Application under this application category will get certain special conditions like:

  • For category 4 applications: increase of the grant rate to 30% (from the usual 25%)
  • For category 3 applications: increase of the grant rate to 50% (from the usual 35%)

More information regarding this special application category can be found in our Download Center.

How does the application process work?

Submit a concept note online in SmartME (link to system below) by 7 July 2023 at 17:00 CEST at the latest.

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 shortlisted based on both qualitative evaluation criteria and key performance indicators.

Stage two: The shortlisted applicants are informed to submit a detailed Full Project Proposal. The received Full Project Proposals are subject to a due diligence analysis, which may also involve an onsite visit. If IFE approves a project, it offers the applicant (individual entity or consortium) an agreement for a grant amount within the limits stated above.

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 to secure the full finance need. Notably, an IFE grant does not replace but only supplements other options of funding available to the applicant.

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

Need for more information?

Important documents, such as the Guidelines for Applicants and information on the application process, can be found in our Download Center.

In case of questions, please visit our FAQ-section. If you cannot find the information you need, please send an email to cfp-ife.june2023@invest-for-jobs.com until 30 June 2023 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 steps and modalities of participation. The webinars will take place on the following days: 6, 13 and 20 June at 11:00 CEST (in English), and 8, 15 and 22 June at 12:00 CEST (in French).

To receive the link to the webinars, please send an email to: cfp-ife.june2023@invest-for-jobs.com or refer to the Key Information Sheet in our Download Center.

IFE’s responses to your questions during the webinars can be found in the Q&A-documents in the Download-Center.

A helpdesk was established that offers potential applicants from Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Rwanda, and Senegal support for questions related to the application requirements and process. This helpdesk can be contacted via email under the following address: helpdesk-ife@invest-for-jobs.com (for Ethiopia, Ghana, and Rwanda) or assistance-ife@invest-for-jobs.com (for Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal).

Technician at the photovoltaic power plant
KfW-Bildarchiv / Darin Meckel/OSTKTEUZ


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, which also operates under the brand Invest for Jobs, aims to team up with companies to create good jobs in the eight African partner countries, and to improve local working conditions.

General Introduction and Overview of the Application Process

Current calls

Call for Proposals in Rwanda
Deadline: 29.11.24

Call for Proposals in Rwanda

Adopting gender equality boosts employee productivity and company profits. Is your medium-sized enterprise in Rwanda ready to promote gender equality? Can you dedicate staff time to work with GES coaches for 6 months? Submit your expression of interest by November 29th for a chance to become GES-certified!

Apply now

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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