The Estonian Centre for International Development Cooperation (ESTDEV) has launched a new funding call to support development cooperation projects across six African partner countries: Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda. The call aims to promote inclusive, sustainable, and innovation-driven development aligned with national priorities, regional cooperation objectives, and Estonia’s Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Strategy 2024–2030. The call has a total indicative budget of €600,000 and supports initiatives that advance the green and digital “twin transitions”, strengthen education systems and future skills, enhance people-centred e-governance and cyber resilience, and promote the inclusion and empowerment of women and girls. Strategic Alignment and Eligibility All funded projects must: Align with partner countries’ national development plans and priorities Contribute to cross-cutting objectives such as: Environmental sustainability Gender equality E-governance and cybersecurity UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Meet OECD Official Development Assistance (ODA) eligibility criteria Comply with: Estonian Foreign Minister’s Regulation No. 11 (3 October 2025) ESTDEV’s Funding Principles and Procedures Regional projects involving two or more of the six countries are eligible, provided they demonstrate: Clear added value through cross-border cooperation Realistic implementation plans Strong engagement with local partners Thematic Priority Areas The call supports projects under four thematic areas, each allocated an indicative budget of €150,000. 1. Innovation Ecosystem (Zambia, Uganda) Projects may focus on: Strengthening innovation and entrepreneurship support organisations, including: Start-up umbrella organisations Regional innovation hubs University innovation centres Green-specialised support services Supporting local entrepreneurs to develop innovative digital solutions for the green transition through: Accelerators and incubation programmes Evidence-based solutions in partnership with universities, private sector and public institutions Building enabling environments for innovation and cross-border entrepreneurship by: Enhancing policy-maker capacity Strengthening cooperation between start-ups, public bodies and investors Developing regional innovation networks 2. Future Skills and Education Systems Eligible activities include: Supporting education reforms and modernisation of education systems Developing labour-market-relevant and digital skills while ensuring inclusion and equal opportunities Improving teaching quality and leadership through: Professional development for teachers and education leaders Digitally enabled and learner-friendly teaching solutions Inclusive school culture and quality assurance systems Updating curricula and teaching methods to promote: Competency-based and learner-centred education Digital pedagogy, creativity and problem-solving STEM and STEAM education Strengthening links between education and the labour market through: School–business–community partnerships Entrepreneurial learning Digital skills and financial literacy for youth employment 3. People-Centred E-Governance and Cyber Resilience Supported interventions may include: Strengthening digital leadership in the public sector to enable inclusive digital transformation Developing capacities for: Service digitalisation Data-driven decision-making Change management Building cyber resilience through: Cybersecurity frameworks and skills development Public awareness initiatives Strengthening public–private cooperation to: Support sustainable IT sector development Promote e-solutions and AI adoption Enhance cybersecurity in public institutions 4. Inclusion and Empowerment of Women and Girls (Kenya, Uganda) Projects may focus on: Developing leadership and digital competencies of women leaders Supporting women’s participation in shaping digital and innovation-focused policies Increasing women’s engagement in natural and exact sciences Expanding girls’ digital skills through: In-school and out-of-school STEM activities Career guidance and mentorship in technology-related fields Scholarship Activities (Optional) Applicants may include scholarship activities to support capacity building and knowledge transfer, with up to €50,000 additional funding beyond the project grant. Eligible scholarship formats include: Continuing education or short-term training Study visits or internships at higher education, research or vocational institutions Learning modules, job-shadowing and mentoring programmes Eligible costs may cover: Tuition and training fees Travel, accommodation and living expenses Visa and insurance costs Organisational and mentoring costs (up to 5% of the scholarship budget) Financial Framework Total call budget: €600,000 Grant size per project: Minimum: €50,000 Maximum: €100,000 Maximum with scholarships: €150,000 Maximum grant rate: 95% Minimum applicant co-funding: 5% Indirect costs: up to 7% Timeline and Application Process Project implementation period: 1 January 2026 – 31 October 2027 Projects must start no later than: 1 March 2026 Application deadline: 30 January 2026 Applications must be submitted electronically via the Estonian grants e-environment by an authorised representative of the applicant organisation. Proposals are evaluated based on relevance, feasibility, budget soundness, monitoring and evaluation, applicant capacity, sustainability and risk management. Contact Information Primary contact: Annika Leek, Project Manager Email: annika.leek@estdev.ee VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO APPLY For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram , WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and Telegram Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the hiring organization. For any inquiries, please contact the responsible organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.