AGYI Innovation Fund: Call for applications

The new African-German Youth Initiative (AGYI) Innovation Fund aims to directly support creative and innovative ideas, approaches and projects fostering African-German youth exchange. Under the realm of AGYI, a joint initiative of the German Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ) and the Commission of the African Union (AUC), it targets to create opportunities for young alumni and exchange practitioners to receive support for their engagement. By this, new and innovative approaches shall be tested and analysed in the three African pilot countries of AGYI during the pilot phase 2017-2020, namely Benin, South Africa and Tanzania. The Innovation Fund which is an integral part of the GIZ technical support project "Strengthening of a partner structure in the context of the AGYI" thereby creates a source of knowledge, experience and inspiration for the Initiative as a whole.

The present call is a call for the pilot phase 2018. Further calls will follow in early 2019 and 2020.

Alumni and African host and sending partners of African-German youth exchange and voluntary service programmes based in South Africa, Benin and Tanzania can submit proposals as an organisation or in groups. Alumni of other programmes are not excluded as long as at least two individuals of their group represent the African-German programmes.

During the pilot of the Innovation Fund in 2018 the selection process will focus on two different topics to support innovative projects of engaged young people to enable African alumni to be further engaged in their societies based on the experience of their exchange.

Funding line 1: Support of Alumni Structures and Networks

This funding line aims to enable African alumni to act as multipliers for youth exchange and voluntary service. It shall give the opportunity to build alumni structures that develop and implement innovative approaches for post-exchange engagement.

Funding line 2: Community based change projects on youth exchange and volunteering

This funding line supports innovative community-based change projects within the context of African-German youth exchange and voluntary services. It focusses thereby on youth/alumni "localizing" their exchange experiences. In doing so, the funding line strengthens innovative approaches of alumni which aim to share their experiences and knowledge in their communities.

In 2018, the AGYI Innovation Fund will financially support a maximum of five pilot projects with a financial contribution between 2.000 and 5.000 Euros. Besides, projects will benefit from technical advice as well as capacity building measures before, during and after the competition.

As focal point, the AGYI implementation structures present in Benin, South Africa and Tanzania, namely the implementing organisations TYC and WESSA as well as an implementation network in Benin, will support the applicants during the application and implementation phase to ensure a strengthening of the links with the target groups by providing advisory support as well as knowledge management.

The jury deciding about funding is comprised by the AGYI Steering Committee which includes the Youth Division of the African Union Commission, the implementing organisations WESSA and TYC, Engagement Global and GIZ. The final selection will be based on a quota per country to ensure an equal distribution of the fund.

The project directly or indirectly contributes towards strengthening African-German youth exchange as well as volunteer services. It bears potential to be able to be implemented beyond the local context of its origin.

The project is innovative, that is to say it works on new topics; uses creative methods by the involvement of new target groups and by their direct involvement in the project or the use of innovative instruments and technology. It can also be based on an existing project that has proved its success, adapting it to the specific context of the proposed project.

It is recommended that the project proposals will present potential partnerships. Such partnerships will include suggestions of cooperation that bring an added value to the project. The project needs to generate people’s participation in planning, implementation and monitoring. It also fosters mutual learning between the different actors such as youth, target groups or communities.

It is recommended that the project proposals will present potential partnerships. Such partnerships will include suggestions of cooperation that bring an added value to the project. The project needs to generate people’s participation in planning, implementation and monitoring. It also fosters mutual learning between the different actors such as youth, target groups or communities.

Within the project, an integrated approach will be pursued, which means that applicants need to specify on the one hand why the projects will contribute to the achievement of the AU Agenda 2063, Agenda 2030 or National Development Programmes. On the other hand, the project proposal should include an action plan that clarifies how the project activities will be in line with the above-mentioned policies. It takes into account those who belong to a marginalized group, as possible. The content of the project is relevant to the country, region or sector and is addressed through a gender-sensitive approach.

For questions and assistance with the drafting of your proposal please get in contact with:
South Africa: youth@wessa.co.za
Tanzania: youth@africa-union.org
Benin: ibrahim.ouedraogo1@giz.de

For general inquiries, please contact:
Please contact us via: youth@africa-union.org
Seeking support in the application process through the support structures in the three countries referenced above is highly encouraged.