Job-creating projects to receive €650,000-€10 million grants
A new round of funding opportunities has been announced by the Facility Investing for Employment (IFE) in Ghana.
Launched in Accra, the programme offers substantial co-financing grants between €650,000 and €10 million for job-creating investment projects.
The initiative, managed by KfW Development Bank under Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), aims to foster both employment and social protection in the private sector.
This latest Call for Proposals (CfP) welcomes applications from individuals, companies and organisations until April 15, 2025.
Karim Gad, IFE's Country Manager for Ghana, outlined four funding categories with varying co-financing ratios: Non-profit projects without revenue can receive up to 90% funding; Revenue-generating non-profit projects qualify for up to 75% funding; for-profit projects creating jobs at third parties can access up to 35% funding and for-profit projects generating internal employment can receive up to 25% funding
The programme extends beyond Ghana to include Morocco, Rwanda and Senegal. Eligible applicants must be legally registered entities with at least three years of operational history. They can apply either individually or as part of a consortium.
Social protection
Social protection forms a crucial component of the initiative.
IFE's Head of Social Protection, Roland Steinmann, said proposals that combine job creation with social protection measures have higher chances of success.
The program offers additional funding for initiatives that exceed mandatory social protection requirements, such as health insurance contributions; unemployment benefits; accident insurance; infrastructure development (kindergartens, healthcare facility and improved workplace accessibility for disabled persons.
Ghana's IFE Country Focal Point, Adwoa Kwarteng Larbi, emphasised the importance of thoroughly reviewing application guidelines.
She highlighted that successful projects would demonstrate a balance between employment creation and worker welfare enhancement.
The two-stage application process begins with an online concept note submission through SmartME, due by April 15, 2025 (17:00 CEST). Early submissions by February 28, 2025, will receive priority assessment.
Selected applicants will then be invited to submit detailed project proposals, which may include site visits during the due diligence process.
Projects must meet two key criteria for consideration: demonstrable job-creation potential and clear justification for the IFE grant's necessity in project implementation.