Deadline Date: April 30, 2026
The Joint Innovation Facility (JIF), implemented under the Africa-Europe Digital Innovation Bridge (AEDIB), provides a unique opportunity for African and European innovators to collaborate on scaling commercially viable, digitally enabled solutions that generate measurable climate-positive impacts.
The focus areas of the JIF include promoting digital innovation where technologies such as advanced data solutions or artificial intelligence are central to the solution’s functionality, scalability, and impact; enabling cross-border scaling and market expansion between Africa and Europe; supporting high-quality, applied AI solutions that go beyond generic or experimental use; ensuring climate-positive outcomes through mitigation, adaptation, or resilience; providing non-dilutive funding of EUR 100,000 or EUR 200,000 through a milestone-based grant structure; offering tailored support via the JIF Venture Studio, including expert mentorship, technical advisory, investment readiness support, and peer learning; and increasing visibility and strategic positioning within the Africa–Europe digital transformation transition agenda.
JIF is co-developed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and the European Union (EU), and jointly implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Finnish Institute of Public Management (HAUS), leveraging extensive experience in international cooperation and innovation ecosystem strengthening. Eligible African lead partners must be based in Benin, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, or Zambia, while European partners must be based in one of the 27 EU Member States.
The 2026 JIF call emphasizes cross-border cooperation projects between African and European actors that scale existing revenue-generating solutions, further develop their digital components, and enable cross-border market expansion. Eligible consortia should consist of at least two partners collaborating across Africa and Europe, led by an African partner, and may include for-profit companies, Entrepreneurship Support Organisations (ESOs), Innovation Support Organisations (ISOs), applied research organisations, and relevant non-profit organisations. Projects must demonstrate commercial viability, strong local grounding, and measurable climate-positive impacts while promoting gender representation in leadership and implementation teams.
JIF supports innovations that are ready to scale across borders and ensures that funding accelerates the next phase of growth through non-dilutive grants and expert advisory support. By fostering strong cross-border partnerships, the facility strengthens Africa–Europe digital innovation ecosystems and contributes to sustainable and climate-positive market solutions.
For more information, visit AEDIB.
