Joint Innovation Facility (JIF) 2025
Applications for the Joint Innovation Facility (JIF) 2025 are now open! This Africa-Europe initiative is designed to accelerate innovation and foster meaningful collaboration across ecosystems on the African continent and between Africa and Europe. The goal is to scale up transformative solutions that address shared challenges, particularly those related to digital transformation and the green transition.
📝 About Joint Innovation Facility
Launched under the Africa-Europe Digital Innovation Bridge (AEDIB 2.0), JIF is part of the EU's Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package. It is co-developed by:
- German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
- Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
- European Union (EU)
The initiative is jointly implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Finnish Public Management Institute (HAUS), leveraging their combined expertise in international cooperation, innovation support, and strengthening innovation ecosystems.
🌱 Focus Areas
The proposed solutions must demonstrate measurable positive impact in at least one of the following areas:
- Climate Mitigation
- Climate Adaptation and Resilience
🎁 Benefits of Joint Innovation Facility
Selected projects will benefit from:
- Non-dilutive funding of 100,000 - 250,000 EUR through a milestone-based grant structure.
- Tailored support through the JIF Project Studio, including:
- Mentorship from seasoned experts and investors.
- Access to toolkits, investment readiness support, and technical advisory.
- Networking and peer learning opportunities across Africa and Europe.
- Strategic visibility, capacity strengthening, and alignment with the EU-Africa partnership goals and Agenda 2063.
✅ Eligibility Criteria
Joint project proposals are invited from innovation consortia that:
- Consist of at least two partners forming a consortium collaborating across borders (Africa-EU or different countries from Sub-Saharan Africa), led by an African entity.
- Are eager to advance digitally enabled innovations, with a preference for frontier technologies (e.g., AI-based, IoT) in climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience.
- Present tested solutions with proven or high potential for scaling and replication.
- Are grounded in local context, commercially viable, and regionally embedded.
- Are led by committed and capable teams, with a track record and technical skills required to scale the innovation.
- Prioritize gender responsiveness.
- Require strategic funding to accelerate their next phase of growth.
Priority Countries
The African partner must be from one of the 14 Africa project priority countries:
Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
📅 Application Date and Process
Stage 1: Expression of Interest (EOI)
- Submit an EOI outlining your project idea and demonstrating that you meet all eligibility criteria.
- Only applicants who fulfill the mandatory requirements will proceed to the next stage.
- Selected applicants will undergo a due diligence phase to assess operational, financial, governance, and compliance capacity.
Stage 2: Grant Proposal Submission
- Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a full grant proposal.
- Proposal requirements will align with the eligibility criteria shared in the call documentation to ensure consistency and transparency.
Final Selection and Award
The final selection will assess:
- Alignment with the objectives of the Joint Innovation Facility.
- Compliance with the selection criteria.
- Incorporation of feedback from the due diligence process.
Submission Requirements
Applicants must submit:
- Completed electronic application form.
- All supporting documents as per the eligibility and selection criteria.
📅 Key Dates
- Application Opens: July 17, 2025
- Application Deadline: September 15, 2025
📧 Contact Information
For inquiries and submission of required documents, email: jif@giz.de
🌟 Apply Now
Visit the official application portal to learn more and apply:
Make sure to submit your application before September 15, 2025!
- Non-dilutive funding of 100,000 - 250,000 EUR through a milestone-based grant structure.
- Tailored support through the JIF Project Studio, including:
- Mentorship from seasoned experts and investors.
- Access to toolkits, investment readiness support, and technical advisory.
- Networking and peer learning opportunities across Africa and Europe.
- Strategic visibility, capacity strengthening, and alignment with the EU-Africa partnership goals and Agenda 2063.
