Call for Solutions – The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment in Kenya

CFYE is seeking innovative solutions from private sector employers (e.g., manufacturing, service industries) that will address the youth employment challenge by creating, matching, and improving jobs for youth, with a particular focus on counties outside of Nairobi.

The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment in Kenya seeks to implement sustainable economic development that has the potential to transform the lives of Kenyan households, there is a need for higher productivity jobs with higher levels of value addition – therefore resulting in higher GDP per capita.

In particular, we are seeking: 

  • Partnership/Consortium building between private sector employers and other actors, who will collaborate on solutions to impact youth employment  
  • County-based approaches: Priority will be given to projects impacting jobs outside Nairobi County. Projects in Nairobi are also eligible to apply. 
  • Systemic solutions: Priority will be given to innovative models that aim to address systemic bottlenecks, positively impacting the ecosystem as a whole.  

Round 2 will build on the priority sectors identified in the previous round and add the booming Creative sector.

Eligibility Criteria

The following eligibility criteria will apply: 

  1. Principles: Should be able to adhere to CFYE’s guiding principles & priorities. 
  2. Exclusion Criteria: The project and organizations involved in delivering the project must pass the FMO exclusion criteria. 
  3. Private-Sector Driven: We are seeking applications from private sector employers. NGOs and business associations are welcome to apply, but they must partner with at least one private sector employer who will create, match, and/or improve jobs for youth. We especially welcome applications from consortiums.
  4. Local Presence: The lead organization or at least one consortium partner must have local operating presence in the country. 
  5. Sector Focus: Priority will be given to agri-business, manufacturing companies, the creative sector, and digitally-enabled businesses. Other sectors are also eligible to apply. 
  6. Regional Focus: While priority will be given to projects impacting jobs outside Nairobi county, projects in Nairobi are also eligible to apply.
  7. Total Targets: Proposed project must create, match or improve at least 500 jobs for young men and women. 
  8. Gender Targets:  Of the total youth employment created, matched, or improved, at least 50% of jobs should be for women.​ 
  9. Employment Type: Jobs must be decent. Full-time, permanent jobs preferred. Part-time jobs will be considered.
  10. Leverage & CFYE Contribution: The applicant’s co-investment must be at least equal to the contribution requested by CFYE. The minimum CFYE co-investment is € 200.000. Sources of co-funding have to be approved based on the guidance provided​​.
  11. Youth: The jobs created, matched, or improved would be for youth aged 18-35 years. 
  12. Project Duration: The project duration must be a maximum of two years.

Note: The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment will apply a competitive process to select the projects that will receive a grant. That means that only those projects that present a clear and convincing pathway to employment, lead to significant and sustainable results in terms of decent employment for youth, with a focus on young women, and can demonstrate high leverage will be selected.  

For more information: https://fundforyouthemployment.nl/call-for-solutions-kenya/

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