African Water Facility (AWF) Call for Proposals: Africa’s Water and Sanitation Investment Pipeline Projects (Up to €1 Million per Project)

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Applications are now open for the African Water Facility (AWF) 2026 Call for Proposals, an initiative designed to strengthen Africa’s water and sanitation investment pipeline by supporting the preparation of high-impact, investment-ready projects.

The African Water Facility (AWF), an initiative of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), and administered by the African Development Bank, has launched its 2026 Call for Proposals (CfP) under the AWF 2026–2030 Strategy.

The Call invites high-impact, investment-oriented projects in Africa’s water and sanitation sectors that can accelerate access to finance, strengthen climate resilience, improve service delivery, and catalyse inclusive and sustainable development.

Through this initiative, AWF seeks to strengthen its pipeline of bankable projects and support Regional Member Countries (RMCs), public institutions, utilities, basin organisations, and other eligible entities in advancing investment-ready operations capable of mobilising downstream financing.

African Water Facility (AWF) CFP Priority Areas

Priority areas under the Call include:

Project preparation and investment readiness;
Climate-resilient water and sanitation systems;
Innovative financing and catalytic investments;
Governance and institutional strengthening;
Inclusive and sustainable service delivery; and
Sanitation sector transformation.

Objectives

The objective of the 2026 CfP is to identify high-impact projects fully aligned with the AWF 2026– 2030 Strategy and capable of catalysing downstream investments and strengthening the enabling environment for sustainable water and sanitation financing.

Specifically, the Call seeks to:

Strengthen AWF’s pipeline of bankable and investment-ready projects;
Catalyse downstream investments from public and private financing institutions;
Accelerate project preparation through targeted technical and financial support;
Strengthen governance, institutional capacity, and sector coordination;
Promote innovative and scalable approaches to water and sanitation service delivery; and
Advance cross-cutting priorities including climate resilience, gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), and private sector participation.

African Water Facility (AWF) CRP Funding Details

AWF will provide grant financing not exceeding EUR 1 million per selected project.
This ceiling applies exclusively to the AWF contribution and does not limit the total project cost.
Projects with larger financing requirements may be considered, provided they demonstrate credible co-financing arrangements or investment potential.

Priority will be given to projects that:

Already benefit from partial preparation support or financing from other sources;
Clearly identify preparation gaps requiring AWF intervention;
Demonstrate co-financing commitments or investor interest;
Are at advanced stages of preparation and close to investment readiness

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants include:

National and local government institutions
Water and sanitation utilities
River basin organisations
Public agencies responsible for water and sanitation infrastructure
Other eligible institutions involved in water and sanitation project development in Africa.

How To Apply for African Water Facility (AWF) CRP

Eligible applicants are invited to submit a complete Project Funding Application using the official AWF Application Template.

The application package shall include:

Completed AWF Project Funding Application Form;
Project Budget and Financing Plan;
Implementation Schedule;
Project Location Map;
National Endorsement Letter; and
Any supporting technical documentation available, such as pre-feasibility studies, feasibility studies, master plans, environmental assessments, or other relevant reports.

Click Here to Apply and for more details

Application Deadline: 10 September 2026