Joint Innovation Facility (JIF) - Accelerating Digital Innovation for a Climate-Positive Future through Europe–Africa Partnerships

About

The Joint Innovation Facility (JIF) invites climate innovators from Africa and Europe to apply for funding of up to EUR 250,000 to develop and scale digital solutions that address climate challenges, fostering cross-border collaboration and providing access to mentorship, resources, and strategic visibility to ensure impactful ventures.

Benefits

• Non-dilutive funding ranging from EUR 5,000 to EUR 250,000, disbursed through a milestone-based grant structure, ensuring flexibility and accountability
• Access to the JIF Project Studio, which includes mentorship from experienced experts, toolkits and investment readiness support, technical advisory services, networking and peer-learning opportunities, and strategic visibility for selected innovations.

Eligibility Criteria

• Must include at least two partner organizations collaborating across borders (Africa–EU partnerships or partnerships between different Sub-Saharan African countries)
• Must be led by an African entity from one of the 14 designated priority countries (Benin, DRC, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, or Zambia)
• Proposals must focus on digitally enabled innovations, particularly those leveraging frontier technologies in areas of climate mitigation, adaptation, or resilience
• Innovations must be tested, with either a track record of implementation or high potential for replication and scale-up
• Teams should be technically competent, mission-driven, and capable of managing complex, growth-oriented projects
• Projects must be locally grounded yet commercially viable and capable of broader impact
• Gender responsiveness is strongly encouraged.