GIZ - IREME INVEST Circular Economy Programme (East Africa)

Enriched International · Found: 2026-03-11 10:51

Program enabling market expansion, job creation, and product innovation for circular economy companies in East Africa. Supports businesses focused on circular economy solutions with funding and technical assistance.

Source: https://giz.de/sites/default/files/media/pkb-document/2025-10/en-ireme-invest-circular-economy-programme_0.pdf

Funding Details

Funder

GIZ / Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA) – IREME INVEST

Funding Goal

Accelerate growth of private-sector circular economy companies in Rwanda and East Africa through blended finance (grants, equity, credit guarantees, concessional loans) and technical assistance, advancing Rwanda's green economy and climate resilience goals.

Funding Amount

Variable — grants, recoverable grants, and equity via FONERWA component; credit guarantees and concessional loans via BRD component. Individual cohort companies received funding ranging from approximately $50,000 to several hundred thousand USD. (50.000 € – 500.000 €)

How to Apply

Applications submitted through calls for applications published by Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA). Shortlisted companies enter a four-month incubation/acceleration programme with technical coaching, culminating in an investor showcase (Deal Book event) in Kigali. Concessional finance component managed separately through BRD. See www.iremeinvest.rw for current calls.

Target Region

East Africa (primarily Rwanda)

Contact

Website: www.iremeinvest.rw | Phone: +250 798 284 113 | Email: info@greenfund.rw (Rwanda Green Fund / FONERWA)

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:21

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a registered private-sector company or social enterprise (not an NGO or non-profit)
• Business must be based in Rwanda or operating in the East African region
• Company must be at a stage where it can demonstrate a plausible pathway from feasibility to bankability (investment readiness)

Project Scope

• Operations must fall within a priority sector: circular economy/waste management, climate-smart agriculture, clean energy, smart mobility, or sustainable cities
• Demonstrate measurable social and/or environmental impact (jobs created, waste diverted, emissions reduced, etc.)

Required Documents

• Prepare a pitch deck, financial projections, and company profile aligned with investor-facing Deal Book format
• Credit guarantee and concessional loan component (BRD) requires additional bankability documentation and financial track record

Constraints

• Applicants must commit to participating in the full four-month intensive incubation/acceleration cohort in Kigali

Summary

IREME INVEST is a blended finance investment facility launched during COP26 under the Rwandan-German Climate and Development Partnership. It is co-implemented by the Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA) and GIZ GmbH, with the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) managing a concessional finance component. The programme operates through two pillars: (1) the FONERWA-hosted Incubator and Accelerator Programmes, offering grants, recoverable grants, and equity to help companies move from feasibility to bankability; and (2) a BRD-managed facility providing credit guarantees and concessional loans to scale bankable businesses. Priority sectors include waste management and the circular economy, climate-smart agriculture, clean energy, smart mobility, and sustainable cities. The 2024 Deal Book showcases seven Rwandan ventures that completed the Circular Economy track — ranging from textile upcycling and bio-waste composting to EV battery repurposing and wood-waste educational materials — collectively demonstrating several million USD raised in grants and long-term loans. The programme targets for-profit businesses and social enterprises, not non-profit organisations. Support includes cohort-based acceleration (four-month intensive), tailored technical and coaching support, and investment readiness preparation, culminating in investor showcase events in Kigali. The programme aims to create green jobs, strengthen Rwanda's circular economy ecosystem, and attract follow-on private investment. Contact and further application information is available at www.iremeinvest.rw, hosted by the Rwanda Green Fund.

Historical Context

The programme was launched during COP26. The 2024 Deal Book (published December 2024, document released October 2025) represents at least the third cohort call for applications — the document references two additional "calls for application" planned following the first pioneering cohort. Seven companies were featured in the 2024 circular economy cohort.

Why it was added

Africa waste/plastic development funding

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