The Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) is financing nine new projects in Africa this year, totalling 841,500 euros.
These projects will be implemented by Estonian non-profit organisations and private and public sector companies in all four of Estonia’s priority countries — Kenya, Uganda, Namibia and Botswana.
This application round aimed to find projects focusing on digital and green innovation, systemic changes in education, digital skills development and bringing together the public and private sectors to create a sustainable, systematic digital transition.
“It was a great pleasure to see that so many applications were received this time. Many of the projects that received funding build on the success and results of previous projects. This is crucial for the sustainability of activities and the lasting impact of development cooperation and the changes that are created,” said Katrin Winter, ESTDEV’s regional head for Africa.
The projects funded in the round are part of a larger programme of Estonian development cooperation with Africa, implemented in partnership with EU Member States, the European Commission and other international donors.
Funded projects
Tallinn University
- Modernisation of the teacher education system and the transition to competency-based curricula in Kenya: This project supports Kenya’s education reform.
Grant amount: €94,687.51
- The digital transition in Uganda’s vocational education system: This project supports the implementation of Uganda’s digital agenda.
Grant amount: €92,680
Garage48 OÜ
“Creating agritech solutions in cooperation with Uganda’s public and private sectors”: This project aims to increase dynamic cooperation between the public and private sectors in order to solve agricultural problems with a view to sustainable agricultural development. Grant amount: €96,629.50
NGO Mondo
Continued support for Uganda and Kenya’s public schools: This project aims to support the development of digital learning, focusing on strengthening teacher education and improving teachers’ digital competencies and skills. Grant amount: €99,935
Latitude59
Satellite conference in Kenya: This year, Latitude59 will again organise a conference to connect the Kenyan and Estonian startup and entrepreneurship ecosystems. Grant amount: €100,000
Cybernetica AS
Continued development of digital services in Namibia: This project aims to continue work on the Nam-X platform, the interoperability framework created for the country in cooperation with the Namibian Prime Minister’s Office. Grant amount: €93,189.65
NGO Loov Eesti
Development of digital skills and entrepreneurial competencies based on cultural heritage: This project aims to create a training programme to share the Estonian experience and update the curricula of Namibian higher education institutions. Grant amount: €89,530
NGO Cleantech ForEst
“Green Bridges: Fostering Estonian-Kenyan Digital Cleantech Collaboration 2024”: This project promotes cooperation between Estonian and Kenyan green technology startup ecosystems in order to deal with environmental problems and encourage innovation. Grant amount: €79,968
AS BCS Koolitus
Practical business digitalisation training and accelerator programme: This project aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises at the University of Botswana’s Innovation Centre. Grant amount: €94,881.25
ESTDEV’s Africa programme was designed according to Estonia’s Foreign Policy Development Plan 2030Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Strategy 2024–2030, and Estonia’s African regional strategy. When mapping cooperation opportunities, ESTDEV considers the development needs of priority partner countries in Africa, focusing on areas where Estonia can offer strong added value, especially in the areas of educational innovation, the digital and green transition and entrepreneurship.
Source: ESTDEV. More information about ongoing and completed application rounds can be found here.