GIZ Invest for Jobs - From Waste to Value

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

GIZ Special Initiative on Training and Job Creation project converting waste to value through employment creation in waste management and recycling sectors in developing countries.

Source: https://invest-for-jobs.com/en/projects/from-waste-to-value

Funding Details

Funder

GIZ / BMZ – Invest for Jobs Special Initiative

Funding Goal

Support private companies (SMEs, startups) in African partner countries to adopt circular economy models that create decent green jobs, reduce waste, and improve resource efficiency — with a focus on plastic waste recycling, agricultural by-product valorisation, and green innovation.

Funding Amount

Not specified. Support includes advisory services, technical assistance, business connections, and co-financing of specific activities; no fixed grant amounts are published.

How to Apply

Submit a detailed inquiry via the contact form on the Invest for Jobs website. The form requires company information, target country/sector, project description, financial volume, job creation details, and optional PDF upload of company/project information. GIZ, KfW, and IFB GmbH process inquiries and may forward details to partner implementing organisations (sequa gGmbH, DAAD, Engagement Global, PTB).

Target Region

Africa (Ethiopia focus for this project; broader program covers Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Tunisia)

Contact

Contact via online form at https://invest-for-jobs.com/en/contact. Implemented by GIZ GmbH, co-implemented by KfW. Social media: LinkedIn and YouTube (links on page). No direct email or phone listed.

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:24

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a company, NGO, university, chamber, or association with investment or project activities in one of the eight African partner countries
• Project must demonstrably create jobs in the target African country (number of jobs to be created must be specified in application)

Project Scope

• Project should align with circular economy, green jobs, or sustainable industrialisation objectives
• Activities must be in one of the eight partner countries: Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, or Tunisia

Required Documents

• Inquiry form must include project/activity description (min. 600 characters), financial volume, job creation details, and project timeline
• Optional: upload a PDF with company or investment project information

Constraints

• Consent to data processing and sharing with implementing partners (sequa, DAAD, Engagement Global, PTB) required upon submission
• Inquiries that do not provide all required information cannot be processed

Summary

The "From Waste to Value" project is part of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition," implemented by GIZ under the Invest for Jobs brand. The initiative supports private companies — primarily German, European, and African businesses — in adopting circular economy models in eight African partner countries (Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Tunisia), with this specific project focused on Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, the project partners with several SMEs and startups working across circular value chains: converting agricultural by-products (banana waste into paper, avocado waste into animal feed), substituting virgin plastics with recycled materials, building app-based waste collection logistics, and advancing electric mobility. Support includes technical assistance, business plan development, machinery procurement, laboratory partnerships, and linkages to industrial park development corporations. The program is primarily designed to remove investment barriers for companies, not to fund NGOs directly. Support is provided in the form of advisory services, connections to local partners, and co-financing of specific activities. Job creation is a central metric — the Ethiopia circular economy component alone has created over 400 jobs so far, with targets of up to 100,000 jobs across all partner countries. NGOs and non-profits are mentioned as eligible to engage with the initiative (alongside companies, universities, chambers, and associations), but the program's primary orientation is toward private sector investment facilitation rather than civil society grant-making. Organisations interested in partnering must submit a detailed inquiry via the contact form describing their investment plans, financial volumes, and expected job creation.

Historical Context

The Special Initiative was established by BMZ and is currently in its implementation phase. The Ethiopia "From Waste to Value" project page was published on 4 March 2026. No information about specific prior funding rounds or annual grant cycles is provided; the initiative appears to be continuously open for partner inquiries.

Why it was added

GIZ/bilateral waste capacity building

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