Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
The new NDICI- Global Europe instrument merges several former EU external financing instruments. It aims to support countries most in need to overcome long-term developmental challenges and will contribute to achieving the international commitments and objectives that the Union has agreed to, in particular the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
The overall objective of this action is to increase skills and qualifications across the African continent.
The specific objectives of this action are to:
- Promote inclusive learning mobility opportunities with a focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation in curricula and research programmes.
- Increase the employability of higher education students and trainees, specifically in green jobs, and their entrepreneurship skills.
- Improve the quality, relevance, internationalisation and climate change focus of higher education in Africa.
Detailed Call Description
This call is open to themes/subject areas aligning with Global Gateway priorities at country level (flagship projects).
The Global Gateway flagship projects cover primarily the following sectors:
- Climate and Energy (e.g., mitigation, climate resilience, clean energy)
- Digital
- Education and Research
- Transport
- Health (e.g., pharmaceutical supply chains and local manufacturing)
The action prioritises measures aiming to support gender equality, youth and women participation and empowerment.
The projects should also strive to increase the participation of younger students, trainees and staff and participants with special needs or vulnerable status (e.g. coming from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, fragile and least developed countries/regions, with a refugee status).
Activities that can be funded
- The selected projects will entail the organisation and implementation of international mobility for students, trainees and staff as well as the implementation of related institutional activities.
- All activities must take place within the eligibility period as defined in the Grant Agreement.
The consortium of HEIs that agreed to cooperate in the mobility project is expected to also involve countries and HEIs with limited or no previous experience in the IntraAfrica programme and to carry out activities to strengthen their internationalisation and modernisation as well as their links with the business sector.
The consortium of HEIs that agreed to cooperate in the mobility project is expected to also involve countries and HEIs with limited or no previous experience in the IntraAfrica programme and to carry out activities to strengthen their internationalisation and modernisation as well as their links with the business sector.
Setting up a mobility scheme
The consortium is expected to create optimal conditions, through quality support measures, for students, trainees and staff to undertake mobility periods (of work/ study/teaching/research/training) at the host organisation.
In order to achieve this during project implementation, the consortium should:
- Develop a clear promotion and visibility strategy for the consortium including a dedicated project website referring explicitly to the “Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme” and providing comprehensive information about the project from the academic, financial and administrative points of view. This must include a solid joint promotion strategy of scholarship opportunities for reaching as many potential scholarship candidates/applicants as possible on the African continent, with special attention to female candidates and to candidates with special needs or vulnerable status (e.g., coming from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, fragile and least developed countries/regions, with a refugee status).
- Develop a clear plan for the contribution of the staff mobility to the overall aims of the project and its implementation. (further details in p. 10 of the call document)
Mobility activities
Each individual mobility has to be hosted in an African country, different from the country of nationality and of residence of the scholarship holders at the time they apply for the scholarship.
The following types of mobility are eligible:
- Mobility of students: The mobility of students must take place in the framework of accredited master level courses and doctoral programmes offered by the African HEIs involved in the project as applicants (beneficiaries) and linked to the chosen priority area(s) of the project. A proof of accreditation may be asked by the Agency for all the programmes indicated in the application during project implementation.
At the time they apply for a scholarship, candidates must be national of and resident in an African country.
Two categories of students will be supported:- Target group 1: students registered/admitted in or having obtained a degree from one of the African applicant HEIs (beneficiaries) involved in the consortium
- Target Group 2: students registered/admitted in or having obtained a degree from another HEI which is not participating as applicant (beneficiary) but is established in Africa.
- Staff mobility: At the time they apply for a scholarship, candidates must be staff members working for one of the applicant HEIs (beneficiaries) involved in the consortium (including the EU Technical Partner).
Staff mobility can involve academic, administrative, and technical staff.
(Further details in p.12-13 of the call document.)
Each project is recommended to respect the following indicative targets:
- Minimum percentage of scholarship holders per type of mobility:
- Type of mobility Percentage
- Master students 45%
- Doctoral candidates 10%
- Trainees 20%
- Staff members 10%
- Minimum 25% of the number of student scholarship holders (Master students and Doctoral candidates) are credit-seeking.
- Balanced distribution of the number of mobility flows among the applicant (beneficiaries) HEIs from Africa (taking into account the operational capacity to manage mobility and the capacity to host and send scholarship holders).
- Minimum 25% of the total number of scholarship holders are women.
- Minimum 10% of the total number of scholarship holders are with special needs or vulnerable status (e.g., coming from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, fragile and least developed countries/regions, with a refugee status).
- Maximum 20% of the total number of scholarship holders are of the same nationality.
Dissemination activities
Each project is expected to contribute to increasing the quality, relevance and internationalisation of higher education in Africa.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
Project budget (maximum grant amount): €1.450.000 per project
The grant awarded may be lower than the amount requested.
The budget of the selected projects will be funded from 3 different regional budget envelopes, proportionally to the available amounts for each region.
The grant will be a unit grant. This means that it will reimburse a fixed amount per unit, based on unit costs, unit contributions or financing not linked to costs.
Thematic Categories
- Education and training
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Youth
Eligibility for Participation
- Educational Institutions
- Legal Entities
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- State-owned Enterprises
- Training Centres
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States and overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
- African countries:
- East and Central Africa: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda.
- Southern Africa and Indian Ocean: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
- Western Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo.
- be a higher education institution (HEI) accredited by the competent national authorities and providing courses at postgraduate level (master’s level and/or doctoral degree) which lead to a qualification recognised by the competent authorities of their country (independently of their name, ‘university’ ‘polytechnic’, ‘college’, ‘institute’ or other).
Consortium composition
Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 5 and maximum 7 applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities), which complies with the following conditions:
- Minimum 4 and maximum 6 HEIs from the eligible countries in the following African regions: East and Central Africa, Southern Africa and Indian Ocean, West Africa.
- One HEI from one of the EU Member States (EU technical partner).
- Maximum 2 HEIs from the same eligible country in Africa.
- Minimum three (3) different eligible countries in Africa representing at least two (2) of the three (3) eligible African regions, i.e. East and Central Africa; Southern Africa and Indian Ocean; West Africa.
The applicant acting as coordinator must be a Higher Education Institution established in Africa and can only act as coordinator in one awarded proposal under this call for proposals.
Other entities which participate in the consortium as associated partners must be established in Africa. This includes North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia).
Projects must comply with EU policy interests and priorities (such as EU-Africa policies, etc).
Geographic location (target countries): Proposals must relate to activities taking place in the eligible countries (see above). Students and trainees must be national of and resident in an African country. This includes North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia).
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
EU Contact Point
For help related to this call, please contact: EACEA-IntraAfrica-IntraACP@ec.europa.eu