Development Partnerships with the Private Sector – develoPPP Classic

The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) supports private, profit-oriented companies based in the EU, an EFTA country, or in developing and emerging countries with development policy-relevant investments. Projects are funded that, in addition to a long-term business objective, create sustainable benefits for the local population. The focus is on areas such as foreign trade, promotion of women, as well as labor & social affairs. The financial contribution amounts to €100,000 to €2,000,000, with public funds covering up to 50% of the total expenditure. Additionally, project managers receive professional support and access to local networks in over 60 countries. Measures required by law, ongoing projects, purely commercial ventures, or exclusively charitable activities are not funded to ensure the cooperation generates genuine added value.

Eligible applicants are small and medium-sized enterprises with at least eight employees, an annual turnover of €800,000, and two completed financial years. A prerequisite is a socially and ecologically compatible project impact as well as co-financing of at least 50% of the total project costs by the company. Applications are submitted via the central application platform, and selection is made through an idea competition held four times a year: 15.02.–31.03, 15.05.–30.06, 15.08.–30.09, and 15.11.–31.12. Implementation partners are DEG Impulse gGmbH or the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). This funding measure opens up opportunities to deepen local market knowledge, influence regional decision-making processes, and sustainably expand business activities in the partner country.