In January 2025, the Facility Investing for Employment will launch a new competition round in Rwanda. Companies as well as public and non-profit organisations can apply for co-financing grants.
To qualify for a grant, investment projects must create jobs in the private sector. In addition to the grant, applicants can apply for a contribution to employer-(co)financed social protection schemes. The Facility awards grants ranging from EUR 650,000 to EUR 10 million per project for the job creation component. Preference will be given to projects that combine job creation with social protection measures, such as:
• Projects that give employees and their families access to social protection benefits beyond mandatory minimum requirements (e.g., additional health or accident insurance, pension schemes or other social protection measures offered by the employer);
• Projects that formalise the employment status of workers who are in informal employment;
• Projects that contribute to the promotion of women’s employment or to the socially just transition to a climate-friendly economy.
The Facility only co-finances mature projects that have not yet started and that offer reasonable chances for being operationally and financially sustainable.
In addition to the application for a grant, investors will have the option to apply for temporary cofinancing by IFE of additional social protection schemes that are provided to employees and their families. Social protection benefits provided to workers in informal jobs are also eligible for co-financing. These social protection schemes must go beyond the minimum standards required by law. This could cover:
• Enhanced social security (e.g., additional health or unemployment insurance) or
• Investment in social measures (e.g., kindergartens, healthcare centers, conversion of workplaces with the aim of making them more accessible for persons with disabilities);
• Combinations are possible.
This is how the application process works: The online application period will start in January 2025. In a first step, the Facility will make a pre-selection from the submitted concept notes. In a second phase, the selected applicants will be invited to submit fully elaborated project proposals, which will then be evaluated in detail.
Successful applicants will be offered a grant contract. IFE will make the competition criteria available on its website: www. invest-for-jobs.com/en/ife-download-center
IFE will provide a Helpdesk for questions related to the application process and to the financing of social protection schemes. General information on the Facility Investing for Employment is available on: www.invest-for-jobs.com/ife If you have questions about this Call for Proposals, please write to: cfp-ife.2025@invest-for-jobs.com.
The Facility Investing for Employment is an investment mechanism created by KfW Development Bank on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) as an integral part of the Special Initiative “Decent Work for a Just Transition”.
The Special Initiative operates under the brand Invest for Jobs. The development objective is to work together with companies to create up to 100,000 good jobs and to improve working conditions and social protection in its eight African partner countries. General information and further support services offered by the Special Initiative: www. invest-for-jobs.com/en
