Deadline: 24 May 2018
The Jobs Fund is inviting proposals from organisations that can clearly demonstrate the ability to use public funding to stimulate demand for sustainable employment. This is in line with the Jobs Fund’s core principle of utilising public funds to reduce risks to firms in pursuit of expanded employment opportunities.
The National Development Plan identifies the need to support sectors with high potential for job creation and benefits for the rest of the economy. Expanded partnerships with business, labour and civil society to realise the objectives of the National Development Plan will be a key feature of government activity over the medium term.
While South Africa faces difficult economic conditions, low economic growth as well as high unemployment, National Treasury is focused on narrowing the fiscal deficit and stabilising the growth of public debt, while protecting core social and economic programmes. Fiscal measures are not enough and thus to create jobs in a sustainable manner, South Africa needs much faster and more cost-efficient rates of inclusive economic growth.
Funding Windows
Applications can be submitted through the Enterprise Development, Support for Work Seekers or Infrastructure Investment funding windows:
- Enterprise Development: Targets initiatives that develop innovative commercial approaches to long-term job creation in ways that combine profitability with high social impact. These projects should reduce risk, remove barriers to market access or improve or broaden supply chains.
- Support for Work-seekers: Seeks to link active work-seekers, especially youth and women, to formal sector opportunities and job placement. This window targets initiatives aimed at facilitating rapid access to employment and work-related training for unemployed people, particularly youth and women.
- Infrastructure Investment: Looks to co-finance light infrastructure investment projects that are necessary to unlock job creation potential in a particular economic sector or geographical area.
Eligibility Criteria
- At a minimum, applicants and applications must meet all of the following criteria:
- The minimum funding request is R10 million;
- Applicants must demonstrate the ability to secure matched funding at a minimum matched funding ratio of 1:1. Projects that offer a higher matched funding ratio will receive preference.
- Projects will be given a maximum of three years (36 months) to implement and deliver the direct jobs promised;
- Applicants must be in full compliance with administrative requirements (including a valid tax clearance certificate or if expired expiry must not be older than 6 months);
- Applicants (contracting party) must be solvent, have been operating for more than two years, and have complete annual financial statements for the previous two financial years (these criteria apply specifically to the lead applicant);
- Implementers must have a verifiable track record of at least three years technical experience in the area of interest;
- Thereafter projects will be competitively assessed against the following impact criteria: sustainability; value for money; potential for job creation; systemic change and specific opportunities for women and youth.
How to Apply
Applicants can apply via given website.
For more information, please visit The Jobs Fund.