Grants for Young Entrepreneurship and Economic Development in Africa

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Grants for Youth Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth; The Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi Donor Trust Fund (YEI MDTF) is a significant grantmaking mechanism.

For the purpose of offering business development services to youth-led MSMEs and start-ups on the African continent, the YEI MDTF is looking for project proposals from qualified grant winners.

The YEI MDTF's goals are in line with the AfDB Ten-Year Strategy, which encourages inclusive economic growth, among other things, by investing more quickly in Africa's young.

Strategies

Integration, Innovation, and Investment are the three strategic intervention areas that JfYA focuses on.

By 2025, it aims to generate 25 million jobs and give 50 million young people employable skills. To further the execution of the JfYA plan, the YEI MDTF aims to:

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Grants for Youth Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth; The Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi Donor Trust Fund (YEI MDTF) is a significant grantmaking mechanism.

For the purpose of offering business development services to youth-led MSMEs and start-ups on the African continent, the YEI MDTF is looking for project proposals from qualified grant winners.

The YEI MDTF's goals are in line with the AfDB Ten-Year Strategy, which encourages inclusive economic growth, among other things, by investing more quickly in Africa's young.

Strategies

Integration, Innovation, and Investment are the three strategic intervention areas that JfYA focuses on.

By 2025, it aims to generate 25 million jobs and give 50 million young people employable skills. To further the execution of the JfYA plan, the YEI MDTF aims to:

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Grants for Youth Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth; The Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi Donor Trust Fund (YEI MDTF) is a significant grantmaking mechanism.

For the purpose of offering business development services to youth-led MSMEs and start-ups on the African continent, the YEI MDTF is looking for project proposals from qualified grant winners.

The YEI MDTF's goals are in line with the AfDB Ten-Year Strategy, which encourages inclusive economic growth, among other things, by investing more quickly in Africa's young.

Strategies

Integration, Innovation, and Investment are the three strategic intervention areas that JfYA focuses on.

By 2025, it aims to generate 25 million jobs and give 50 million young people employable skills. To further the execution of the JfYA plan, the YEI MDTF aims to:

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Grants for Youth Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth; The Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi Donor Trust Fund (YEI MDTF) is a significant grantmaking mechanism.

For the purpose of offering business development services to youth-led MSMEs and start-ups on the African continent, the YEI MDTF is looking for project proposals from qualified grant winners.

The YEI MDTF's goals are in line with the AfDB Ten-Year Strategy, which encourages inclusive economic growth, among other things, by investing more quickly in Africa's young.

Strategies

Integration, Innovation, and Investment are the three strategic intervention areas that JfYA focuses on.

By 2025, it aims to generate 25 million jobs and give 50 million young people employable skills. To further the execution of the JfYA plan, the YEI MDTF aims to:

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Grants for Youth Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth; The Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi Donor Trust Fund (YEI MDTF) is a significant grantmaking mechanism.

For the purpose of offering business development services to youth-led MSMEs and start-ups on the African continent, the YEI MDTF is looking for project proposals from qualified grant winners.

The YEI MDTF's goals are in line with the AfDB Ten-Year Strategy, which encourages inclusive economic growth, among other things, by investing more quickly in Africa's young.

Strategies

Integration, Innovation, and Investment are the three strategic intervention areas that JfYA focuses on.

By 2025, it aims to generate 25 million jobs and give 50 million young people employable skills. To further the execution of the JfYA plan, the YEI MDTF aims to:

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Grants for Youth Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth; The Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi Donor Trust Fund (YEI MDTF) is a significant grantmaking mechanism.

For the purpose of offering business development services to youth-led MSMEs and start-ups on the African continent, the YEI MDTF is looking for project proposals from qualified grant winners.

The YEI MDTF's goals are in line with the AfDB Ten-Year Strategy, which encourages inclusive economic growth, among other things, by investing more quickly in Africa's young.

Strategies

Integration, Innovation, and Investment are the three strategic intervention areas that JfYA focuses on.

By 2025, it aims to generate 25 million jobs and give 50 million young people employable skills. To further the execution of the JfYA plan, the YEI MDTF aims to:

• increase youth economic possibilities;

• Develop abilities for boosting human capital and creating jobs;

• Boost inclusive entrepreneurship and employment; and

• African labor markets should be strengthened.

Focus Areas

Recognizing that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are important levers for economic transformation and job creation for youth in Africa, the YEI MDTF supports the African entrepreneurship ecosystem through three operational focus areas:

• BDSs (business development services) for MSMEs and start-ups run by young people;

• studies in the field of entrepreneurship; and

• Governmental policy and regulatory reform to foster the expansion of start-ups and MSMEs led by young people.

Grant Information

The total funding envelope available for this call for proposals is USD 5 million. YEI MDTF is seeking project proposals for activities and programs with a minimum total budget of USD 500,000.

Eligible Grant Beneficiaries

ESOs shall be eligible to apply to YEI MDTF grant resources in support of youth-led MSMEs and start-ups accessible in their network.

Targeted youth-led MSMEs and start-ups are defined as:

At least 51% owned by individuals aged between 15 and 35, in line with the JfYA Strategy and the African Youth Charter, or entire leadership of the business within the abovementioned age range.

Start-ups at ideation stage with proof of concept or minimum viable product (MVP) and business model that is promising in terms of social impact, inclusive job creation and national, social and economic development and transformation.

Lacking sufficient capacity and/or requisite collateral for accessing debt or equity financing from traditional commercial financial institutions.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Grant Recipient

Eligible grant recipients (ESOs) are those organizations or entities that align with the following criteria:

Registered in an African country as a business development services provider, financial intermediary, philanthropic foundation, non-governmental organization (NGO), African government institution, or research or academic institution.

Minimum 3-year track record of providing business development services to youth-led MSMEs and start-ups on the African continent, including through training, coaching and mentoring services that reduce the risk of investing in them.

Minimum previous 3-years of audited organizational financial statements.

Demonstrably strong monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems in place.

Fiscal accountability and transparency in operations; having a Board of Directors, a full time finance manager and experience managing donor funded projects/programs.

Immediate access to large number of youth-led MSMEs and start-ups with at least 50% of these being led by women and at least 30% domiciled in countries of fragility and/or considered economic migration hotspot countries of origin.

Eligible Project Proposals

Applicants to this call for proposal may submit project proposals in accordance with the following:

Types of activities: (a) Business training; (b) Mentorship services; (c) Investment and Business Plan Development; (d) Legal Advisory Services; (e) Financial structuring; (f) Product Development; (g) Environmental and Social Impact Assessments; (h) Technical Support Services (e.g. standardisation, testing of goods, certification of products, quality management systems, environmental management systems, or information technology development), and (h) Access to Finance (i.e. including the onward provision of technical assistance grants to the end beneficiary(ies)).

Duration: Eligible projects or proposals must launch within 3 months of grant award signature and be fully implemented within 12 months thereafter.

Location: Eligible projects or proposals must be implemented in more than one (1) country over the implementation period and preferably cover at least two (2) regions in Africa.

How to Apply

Interested applicants can apply here.

Apply by 25th October.