Focus on Job Creation and Skills Development
The Call for Proposals by Investing for Employment is open until 1 June 2026 in Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia. Focus is on job creation. Extra grants are available for projects to enhance training for the local labour market, with a potential perspective for employment opportunities in Germany.
The Facility Investing for Employment (IFE) has launched a competition round in Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia. Companies as well as public and non-profit organisations can apply for co-financing grants. To be eligible, investment projects must create jobs in the private sector. Applications can be submitted until 1 June 2026. This Call for Proposals focuses on job creation for the national labour market (job creation component) and offers optional additional grants for training measures aimed at improving the quality of training for the local labour market, with a potential perspective for employment opportunities in Germany.
Four categories of investment projects are eligible:
- Not-for-profit projects (no revenue generation):
IFE covers up to 90% of the investment costs. - Not-for-profit projects (with revenue generation):
IFE covers up to 75% of the investment costs. - For-profit projects (majority of jobs created at independent 3rd party entities):
IFE covers up to 35% of the investment costs. - For-profit projects (majority of jobs created at the applicant’s entity/ies):
IFE covers up to 25% of the investment costs.
The Facility awards grants ranging from EUR 800,000 to EUR 10 million per project for the job creation component. The Facility only co-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.
New in 2026: In addition to the job creation grant, applicants can apply for co-financing of training measures aimed at improving the quality of training for skilled workers, primarily targeting the national labour market, with an additional perspective for potential employment opportunities in Germany. While the job creation component is open to all sectors, this subcomponent is envisaged to focus on the following sectors: main and ancillary construction industry, metal and electrical industry, education and social services, food processing, transport and logistics, IT, as well as the hotel and hospitality industry. Eligible activities include, for example, the construction, refurbishment and equipment of buildings, classrooms or workshops suitable for training, as well as language training or technical upskilling aligned with relevant labour market needs. Concept notes including this component will be treated with preference during the evaluation process.
Two-stage application procedure
Applications for projects in Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia can be submitted from 20 March to 1 June 2026. In a first step, the Facility will make a pre-selection from the submitted concept notes. In a second phase, the selected applicants will be invited to submit fully elaborated project proposals, which will then be evaluated in detail. Successful applicants will be offered a grant contract.
The competition criteria are available in the Download Center
IFE provides a Helpdesk for questions related to the application process and the grant components. This helpdesk can be contacted via email under the following address: helpdesk-ife@invest-for-jobs.com
In addition, enquiries can be sent to cfp-ife.2026@invest-for-jobs.com
Further Information and Webinars
Four English language webinars will be organised while the Call for Proposals is open. Interested parties will get in-depth information on the objectives of this grant facility, the application criteria, and the application process and platform. The webinars will take place on 2 April, 23 April, 7 May, and 21 May 2026. To receive the link, please write to: cfp-ife.2026@invest-for-jobs.com or visit our Website.
This is also where you can find the access link to the application platform.
Please note: From 15 April 2026 until 30 June 2026, the Facility will open the application platform for projects in Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, and Morocco.
More information about the Facility Investing for Employment is available here.
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 companies to create good jobs and to improve working conditions and social protection in its eight African partner countries.
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