Estonian Development Cooperation Call: Innovation, Education, E‑Governance and Women’s Empowerment in Africa (Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda)

The Estonian Centre for International Development Cooperation (ESTDEV) has launched an application round to fund development cooperation projects in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda, with a total indicative budget of €600,000. The call supports projects that advance innovation for the green and digital “twin transitions”, drive systemic education reform and future skills development, strengthen people‑centred e‑governance and cyber resilience, and promote the inclusion and empowerment of women and girls in target countries.​

Activities must align with the partner countries’ priorities and development plans, Estonia’s Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Strategy 2024–2030, and contribute to cross‑cutting goals such as environmental sustainability, gender equality, e‑governance and cybersecurity, while supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Regional projects involving two or more of the six countries are also eligible, provided they clearly demonstrate added value through cross‑border cooperation and realistic implementation with local partners. All project activities must meet OECD ODA eligibility criteria and comply with the Estonian Foreign Minister’s Regulation No. 11 (3 October 2025) and ESTDEV’s funding principles and procedures.​

The call supports four thematic areas:​

• Innovation ecosystem (Zambia, Uganda):
  • Strengthening sustainable business models and capacity of innovation and entrepreneurship support organisations (e.g. start‑up umbrellas, regional innovation hubs, university innovation centres), including green‑specialised services.
  • Supporting local entrepreneurs to develop innovative digital solutions for the green transition (accelerators, incubation, evidence‑based solutions in partnership with universities, private sector and public sector).
  • Building an enabling environment for innovation and cross‑border entrepreneurship (policy‑maker capacity, cooperation between start‑ups, public bodies and investors, network strengthening).
• Future skills and education systems:
  • Supporting implementation of education reforms and modernising education systems to develop skills for the labour market and digital economy, while ensuring inclusion and equal opportunities.
  • Improving the quality of teaching and leadership (professional development for teachers and education leaders, digitally enabled and learning‑friendly solutions, inclusive school culture and strong quality/leadership systems).
  • Updating curricula and teaching methods (competency‑based, learner‑centred learning, digital pedagogy, creativity and problem‑solving, promotion of STEM/STEAM).
  • Linking education and the labour market (school–business–community partnerships, entrepreneurial learning, digital skills, financial literacy to support youth employment and societal contribution).
• People‑centred e‑governance and cyber resilience:
  • Developing digital capabilities of public‑sector leadership to implement inclusive, human‑centred digital transformation (change management, service digitalisation, data‑driven decision‑making).
  • Building cyber capacity required for secure e‑government services (frameworks, skills development, public awareness).
  • Strengthening public–private cooperation and empowering private‑sector umbrella organisations to support sustainable IT sector development, e‑solutions and AI uptake, and greater cyber resilience in the public sector.
• Increasing the inclusion and participation of women and girls (Kenya, Uganda):
  • Developing leadership and digital competences of women leaders, and supporting their role in shaping digital policies that promote gender equality and innovation.
  • Expanding women’s awareness, interest and capability to work in natural and exact sciences by creating opportunities to build relevant skills and support careers in STEM fields.
  • Developing girls’ digital skills and implementing in‑school and out‑of‑school activities that foster their interest and career choices in STEM/technology fields.​

Within the call, applicants may also budget scholarship activities to support knowledge transfer, skills development and capacity strengthening in target countries, with up to €50,000 additional funding on top of the project’s total volume for these activities. Eligible scholarship formats include:​

• Continuing education programmes or short‑term training in Estonia, in the partner country or via e‑learning.
• Study or internship formats at higher education institutions, research institutes or vocational education institutions.
• Learning modules, job‑shadowing or internship programmes that support mentoring or knowledge transfer.

Scholarship‑eligible costs include tuition/training fees (per institutional price list), participants’ travel and living costs, visa and insurance, and organisational/mentoring costs (up to 5% of the scholarship budget), provided they directly support project objectives and respond to partner country needs.​

Financially, the call has an estimated total budget of €600,000, divided equally across the four themes: €150,000 for the innovation ecosystem, €150,000 for future skills and education, €150,000 for people‑centred e‑governance and cyber resilience, and €150,000 for women and girls’ empowerment. The minimum grant per project is €50,000 and the maximum is €100,000 (including up to 7% indirect costs), or €150,000 if scholarship activities are included, with a maximum grant rate of 95% and a minimum 5% co‑funding from applicants. The eligibility period for funded projects runs from 1 January 2026 to 31 October 2027, with projects required to start no later than 1 March 2026.​

Applications are submitted via the Estonian grants e‑environment at https://toetused.kul.ee/public/applications, by an authorised representative of the applicant organisation, and must meet all requirements in the Regulation and ESTDEV’s “Funding Principles and Procedures”. Proposals are assessed on relevance to the call’s objectives, feasibility, budget soundness and cost‑effectiveness, monitoring and evaluation, applicant capacity and track record in the target countries, sustainability and risk management, with each criterion scored and weighted to form a composite ranking for funding decisions.​

Countries eligible to apply / target countries

• Target countries where project activities must take place:
  • Botswana
  • Kenya
  • Namibia
  • Zambia
  • Tanzania
  • Uganda​
• Thematic targeting within the six countries:
  • Innovation ecosystem: Zambia and Uganda.
  • Women and girls’ inclusion and participation: Kenya and Uganda.​

The call is framed as Estonian development cooperation, so applicants must satisfy the institutional and eligibility requirements set out in Regulation No. 11 of 3 October 2025 (e.g. eligible Estonian or other permitted entities) and ODA criteria; the six African countries above are the beneficiary/partner countries for project implementation rather than the applicant’s domicile.​

Key dates and contact details

• Estimated total call budget: €600,000.​
• Grant size per project: Minimum €50,000; maximum €100,000 (or €150,000 with scholarships).​
• Project implementation period: 01.01.2026 – 31.10.2027 (projects must start by 01.03.2026).​
• Application deadline: 30 January 2026.​

Application portal:

• https://toetused.kul.ee/public/applications (login required to access full call and submit applications).​

Primary contact:

• Name: Annika Leek, Project Manager.

• Email: annika.leek@estdev.ee

  Click HERE to visit the official website​