Deadline: 04-Aug-2025
Do you have a digital innovation addressing climate change in the sectors of Mobility, Smart Cities, Energy, or Blue Tech? Are you looking for funding and technical support to scale across Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe? The Joint Innovation Facility (JIF) is seeking such transformative solutions.
JIF is a new initiative between Africa and Europe, created to accelerate innovation and build collaboration across innovation ecosystems. It focuses on digital transformation and the green transition. This effort is part of the upcoming Africa-Europe Digital Innovation Bridge (AEDIB 2.0) and is supported by the EU’s Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment package.
JIF is co-developed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and the European Union. It is jointly implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Finnish Public Management Institute (HAUS), combining expertise in innovation and international development.
Solutions submitted must create a measurable positive impact in climate mitigation, adaptation, or resilience. Proposals should fall within the sectors of Blue Tech, Mobility, Energy, or Smart Cities.
JIF aims to overcome limited opportunities for cross-border collaboration by empowering African-led consortia, building partnerships between Africa and Europe, and supporting solutions that address global climate challenges. Projects should be scalable, regionally rooted, and commercially viable.
Selected projects will receive non-dilutive funding ranging from €100,000 to €250,000 through milestone-based grants. Additional support includes mentorship, toolkits, technical guidance, investment readiness support, and access to a strong network across Africa and Europe. Projects will also gain strategic visibility and alignment with the EU–Africa partnership and Agenda 2063.
Applications are open to consortia led by African partners. Eligible applicants include startups, small growing businesses, research organizations, innovation hubs, civil society organizations, and public sector partners. Startups can be at Pre-Seed or Seed stages.
Eligible proposals must involve at least two partners collaborating across African or Africa–EU borders. The lead applicant must be from one of the 14 target African countries: Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, or Zambia.
Projects must present digital solutions, ideally with advanced technologies like AI or IoT, and be locally grounded, scalable, and gender responsive. Teams should demonstrate a strong track record and technical capability to grow their innovation and impact.
For more information, visit GIZ.
