The BPF is a co-financing to encourage the creation of business partnerships in developing countries.  (Photo: LuxDev)

The BPF is a co-financing to encourage the creation of business partnerships in developing countries.  (Photo: LuxDev)

You are a company based in Luxembourg or in Europe and you want to develop sustainable and innovative business projects in partnership with an organization in a developing country? The Business Partnership Facility provides you with financial support to reach out to new markets.

The call for projects of the Business Partnership Facility (BPF) 2022 is open! The BPF is a co-financing in the form of a grant which aims to encourage partnerships between Luxembourg or European companies and partners (companies, administrations or civil society) based in developing countries. The co-financing can reach up to 50% of the total project budget with a maximum of 200,000 euros.

The BPF is initiated and financed by the of Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and implemented by , the Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation and in partnership with the .

To achieve the (SDGs) by 2030, Official Development Assistance will not be enough. Knowledge and technology transfer and sustainable capacity building also require synergies with the private sector in order to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and protect our planet. In projects carried out in partnership, the know-how of each party is mobilised for economically sustainable projects that contribute to job creation and/or efficient solutions in line with local needs. The BPF supports such projects financially.

How to apply to the BPF?

The selection of supported projects is done through a two-stage call for projects. Firstly, interested compagnies complete an . Compagnies must demonstrate that they integrate respect for human right, social and environmental standards and good governance concerns into their strategy and present their project briefly. Companies selected at the end of this first stage are invited to submit a detailed proposal with a business plan. In addition to the contribution to the achievement of the SDGs, the innovative character of the project, the partnership put in place or the added value that the BPF co-financing will bring are all taken into account in the selection of the project. Luxembourg companies that wish to do so can be assisted by in the preparation of their proposal.

An innovation-oriented initiative

Since its launch in 2016, the BPF has supported 34 projects, mostly in Africa. Initiatives supported are varied : micro-insurance system against climatic hazards using blockchain, improvement of water resource management in the Niger River, strengthening of the cold chain in Madagascan health centres… The BPF has thus enabled these companies to discover new markets, while contributing to the development of the countries in which they operate.

In 2022, the BPF will hold two editions: one in May and another in October. Companies interested in BPF co-financing can now submit their project by filling in the and submitting it to the following e-mail address: .

More information: and on LinkedIn "Business Partnership Facility Luxembourg".