2023 EU SIFA Innovation Funding Window III
The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) hereby, under the Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA) Financial Cooperation (FC), funded by the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union, is looking to support Innovative solutions in the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training that will contribute to higher productivity, employability, and job promotion for African youth. Emphasis is on supporting products, services, and processes that will contribute to employment-oriented skills development for young people in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Togo, and Tunisia. Grant funding is provided up to 400 000 EUR per project with a matching counterpart contribution required of 10%.
Interested applicants are invited to respond to the SIFA FW3 open Call for Proposals 1/2022 by submitting a proposal for funding under one of the following themes:
Theme 1: Digital Tools and Skills – Supporting enhanced delivery of TVET via digital technologies and applications to enhance employability in the post COVID-19 era.
Theme 2: Female Entrepreneurship and Employability – Supporting enhanced employability and enterprise creation amongst women, youth, and vulnerable groups in TVET.
Theme 3: Training Innovation in Informal Sectors – Supporting innovative TVET to deliver training and skills in informal sectors and vulnerable groups.
More specifically, SIFA FW3 is looking to fund projects1 with products, services or processes existing at the prototype and/or concept stage but requiring testing in a real-life environment with users. The SIFA FW3-funded project will help the project owners to seek clarity on technical features and business models before the final market roll-out. Alternatively, the project can be based on an already existing product, service or process that is proposed to be transferred into a new geographical location or for the benefit of new users’ group. The projects receiving funding could be:
• Products & Services A: provision of new or improved TVET services, courses for skills competencies, and qualifications in demand by the labour market but not yet offered by existing TVET providers.
• Product & Services B: provision of new or improved TVET services and courses to actors, such as students, content developers, companies, and governments, who previously had no access to such courses and services.
• Teaching and Learning Processes: implementation of new or improved teaching and learning approaches and methodologies, including devices and tools.
• Organisational Practices: activities that support TVET organisations to develop and strengthen partnerships and stakeholder engagement, particularly with labour market partners, to promote new approaches and collaboration in training provision and financing.
Potential Applicants
Potential applicants for a FW3 project are partnerships2 such as TVET organisations joining resources with role-players such as innovation hubs and labs, research/academia, private sector, public entities, and NGOs hosting and supporting youth entrepreneurship and start-ups. Partnerships with the private sector are encouraged to apply
Call for Proposals Submission & Indicative Timeline
Applicants must submit a detailed application in time for the deadline for submission. SIFA uses the SmartME electronic platform for the preparation and submission of proposals. This tool is available to applicants on the SIFA website: www.skillsafrica.org.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants are only eligible for this assignment if they fulfil the following eligibility criteria:
a. Have no conflict of interest in relationship to performance of this assignment.
b. Are not subject to, and not controlled by any entity or individual that is subject to, a temporary suspension or a debarment imposed by the African Union Commission, World Bank or any other multilateral development bank and being listed on the website, www.worldbank.org/debarr, or respectively on the relevant list of any other multilateral development bank. Further, are not ineligible pursuant to a decision of the United Nations Security Council.
c. Have not been convicted by a final judgement or a final administrative decision or subject to financial sanctions by the United Nations or Country for involvement in a criminal organisation, money laundering, terrorist-related offences, child labour or trafficking in human beings; this criterion of exclusion is also applicable to legal Persons, whose majority of shares are held or factually controlled by natural or legal Persons which themselves are subject to such convictions or sanctions.
d. Are not being bankrupt, wound up or ceasing our activities, having our activities administered by courts, having entered receivership, reorganisation or being in any analogous situation.
e. Are not involved in corruption: offering, giving, receiving or soliciting, directly or indirectly, anything of value to influence improperly the actions of another party.
f. They have not been the subject of a judgment which has the force of res judicata for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organization or any other illegal activity detrimental to the AUDA-NEPAD financial interests.
g. They have not been declared guilty of gross professional misconduct proven by any means which AUDA-NEPAD can justify.
h. Comply with their national tax and social security laws.
