The African Development Bank (AfDB) is a multilateral development bank whose shareholders include 54 African member countries and 27 member countries from the rest of the world. The AfDB joins with the African Development Fund and the Nigeria Trust Fund to form the AfDB Group.
The objective of the AfDB is to promote sustainable economic growth in order to reduce poverty in Africa. Among other program areas, the AfDB funds programs in agriculture and food security, biodiversity conservation, land and water management, sustainable energy, and activities to combat climate change.
Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources
1 — African Water Facility (AWF). The AWF provides financing in integrated water resources management in Africa. Projects focus on water law and policy, capacity building, public-private partnerships, and other interventions. Applicants for AWF can be central, local, and municipal African governments; NGOs, community-based organizations; and sectoral, regional, and sub-regional organizations (e.g., for river basins, regional economic bodies, and others).
Grants range from €50 thousand to €5 million.
APPLICATION: The AWF describes the program, procedures, and qualifications to apply for AWF. The site discusses eligibility for grants, and what to include in project proposals. Completed application forms are sent by email to AfDB. There is no application deadline.
2 — Congo Basin Forest Fund (CBFF). Grants are made in several defined themes for activities to avoid deforestation and contribute to poverty alleviation in the forested regions of the Congo Basin: Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Congo, Dem Rep Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, and São Tome and Principe.
Eligibility for grants extends to governments, NGOs and other civil society organizations, and the private sector.
APPLICATION: Calls for concept notes are announced on CBFF’s website. The concept notes are screened, and a selected group of applicants are invited to submit full proposals using a standard application form. The CBFF’s website describes the application process, as well as the criteria and review process it uses to evaluate proposals.
(Note: The Fund has not made a call since 2010.)
3 — Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA). SEFA promotes the establishment and growth of small and medium projects for clean energy and energy efficiency in Africa. SEFA funds project preparation, equity investments, and support for an enabling environment.
APPLICATION: Potential applicants review SEFA’s application guidelines and fill out a request (questionnaire) for funding. There is no calendar deadline.
The Secretariat reviews the requests and identifies appropriate AfDB staff to take successful requests forward for further review by a Technical Committee.
About the program, and how to apply
4 — Africa Climate Change Fund (ACCF). The ACCF supports African countries in their transition to a low-carbon path of development.
The scope of funding is broad to support preparation for accessing climate funding; integration of climate change and green growth into strategic documents and projects; preparation and funding of adaptation and mitigation projects; knowledge management and information sharing related to climate change; preparation of strategies and policies on climate change and low-carbon development; analysis of green growth; and advocacy, awareness raising, and capacity building on climate and development.
APPLICATION: Interested eligible beneficiaries are invited to get in touch with the AfDB field office in their country or with the ACCF Secretariat for information.
(Note: At the time of this update, the AWF is not accepting applications.)
Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries
Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
Sub-Saharan Africa: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Dem Rep of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
AfDB’s website is available in English and French.
Grant seekers can explore Topics and Sectors on AfDB’s website to find information about programs that include agriculture, water supply, energy, climate change, and other environmental themes.
AfDB’s news items for Loans and Grants are searchable by countries, topics and sectors, and dates. This can be a helpful way to track funding commitments.
Contact Us offers departmental contacts for its main office in Abidjan, as well as contact information for its country representatives (i.e., field offices).
February 2021