African Water Facility Opens 2026 Call for Proposals to Boost Africa’s Water and Sanitation Investment Pipeline ·Unknown

Grant Funding of Up to EUR 1 Million Available for Investment-Ready Water and Sanitation Projects Across Africa

The African Water Facility (AWF), an initiative of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and administered by the African Development Bank (AfDB), has officially launched its 2026 Call for Proposals (CfP) under the AWF 2026–2030 Strategy. The initiative seeks to identify and support high-impact, investment-oriented projects capable of transforming Africa’s water and sanitation sectors through improved financing, climate resilience, and sustainable service delivery.

The call is aimed at strengthening the pipeline of bankable water and sanitation projects across the continent while enabling eligible institutions to prepare investment-ready operations that can attract substantial downstream financing. Through grant funding of up to EUR 1 million per project, AWF intends to help African countries accelerate progress toward universal access to safe water, sanitation, and climate-resilient infrastructure.

Eligible organisations have until 10 September 2026 to submit concept notes for consideration.

About the 2026 Call for Proposals

The African Water Facility has designed this funding opportunity to support projects that address critical challenges in Africa’s water and sanitation sectors while improving investment readiness and long-term sustainability.

The programme aligns with the AWF 2026–2030 Strategy, which prioritises innovative financing mechanisms, stronger governance, improved infrastructure planning, and inclusive service delivery. By supporting the early preparation of high-quality projects, AWF aims to bridge the financing gap that often limits large-scale infrastructure investments across the continent.

Selected projects will receive grant financing to strengthen project preparation activities, enabling them to become attractive for future public and private sector investment.

Priority Investment Areas

The 2026 Call for Proposals focuses on initiatives capable of delivering measurable development outcomes while attracting future investment.

Priority areas include:

• Project preparation and investment readiness

• Climate-resilient water and sanitation systems

• Innovative financing and catalytic investments

• Governance and institutional strengthening

• Inclusive and sustainable water and sanitation service delivery

• Sanitation sector transformation

Projects addressing these priorities should demonstrate strong development impact, financial viability, and the potential to mobilise additional investment for implementation.

Funding Available

Successful applicants may receive:

• Grant funding of up to EUR 1 million per project

The funding is intended to support project preparation and related technical activities that improve investment readiness rather than full-scale infrastructure implementation.

Eligible Applicants

The Call for Proposals is open to eligible organisations operating within Africa’s water and sanitation sectors.

Eligible applicants include:

• Regional Member Countries (RMCs)

• Public institutions

• Water and sanitation utilities

• River basin organisations

• Other eligible public-sector entities involved in water and sanitation development

Applicants should have projects capable of progressing toward investment-ready status and generating sustainable development outcomes.

Expected Project Outcomes

Through this funding initiative, AWF seeks to strengthen Africa’s water security while increasing the availability of quality infrastructure projects that can attract long-term financing.

Supported projects are expected to contribute to:

• Improved access to safe water and sanitation services

• Increased climate resilience within water infrastructure

• Enhanced institutional capacity and governance

• Greater mobilisation of domestic and international investment

• Sustainable and inclusive water and sanitation service delivery

• Improved sanitation infrastructure and sector transformation

The programme is expected to contribute significantly to achieving regional development priorities while supporting economic growth and public health across Africa.

Application Process

Interested organisations are required to prepare and submit a concept note in accordance with the official Call for Proposals guidelines.

Applicants should:

• Review the complete Call for Proposals documentation

• Prepare their project concept using the prescribed Concept Note Template

• Ensure the proposed project aligns with one or more priority investment areas

• Submit all required documents before the application deadline

Concept notes and enquiries relating to the Call for Proposals should be submitted to the African Water Facility through the official application channels outlined in the programme documentation.

Important Dates

Applicants should note the following timeline:

• Call for Proposals launched: 15 July 2026

• Submission deadline: 10 September 2026

Early preparation is encouraged to ensure that concept notes meet all eligibility and technical requirements.

Opportunity Summary

• Funding Programme: African Water Facility 2026 Call for Proposals

• Administered By: African Water Facility (AWF), African Development Bank

• Strategic Framework: AWF 2026–2030 Strategy

• Funding Type: Grant Financing

• Maximum Grant: EUR 1 million per project

• Geographic Eligibility: Africa

• Eligible Applicants: Regional Member Countries, public institutions, utilities, basin organisations, and other eligible entities

• Priority Sectors: Water, sanitation, climate resilience, governance, infrastructure, investment readiness

• Application Deadline: 10 September 2026

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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the  organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the official  organization directly. Please do not send your applications & CVs 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.