In a decisive step toward deeper scientific cooperation and climate resilience, the European Union has launched the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, unveiling the “Africa Initiative III”—a funding envelope of €500.5 million dedicated to Africa-focused research and innovation. This third wave of targeted support not only doubles previous allocations under the Horizon Europe umbrella but signals a robust, long-term political commitment between the African Union (AU) and the EU to co-develop solutions to shared sustainability challenges.
Africa Initiative III was officially launched in early June 2025 as part of Horizon Europe’s broader international cooperation dimension. It builds on the successes and learnings of Africa Initiatives I and II and comes at a critical time when the AU has just declared the Decade of Education Transformation, Youth Skills Development and Innovation (2025–2034).
From food systems to health, energy to mobility, the Africa Initiative III touches nearly every facet of Africa’s development and climate transformation agenda. It arrives at a time when the continent is experiencing increasing climate volatility, youth unemployment, digital divides, and fragile infrastructure, while also being home to one of the world’s most dynamic innovation landscapes.
“This is not just funding—it is an investment in Africa’s capacity to lead its own sustainable future,” said a European Commission spokesperson at the announcement event in Brussels. The funding will be allocated across 24 calls for proposals, spanning health, climate adaptation, food security, clean energy, digital technology, and biodiversity restoration.
The Horizon Europe program, with a broader budget of €93.5 billion for 2021–2027, is Europe’s flagship research and innovation framework. With Africa Initiative III, it integrates African research institutions, governments, startups, and universities into consortia that will address the most urgent global challenges—starting with the green transition.
The Green Transition cluster alone accounts for €241 million of the total allocation. These funds aim to drive climate-smart agriculture, urban resilience, and renewable energy partnerships, all while supporting the implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the AU-EU Innovation Agenda.
Significantly, the initiative also supports the AU’s Decade of Education Transformation, Youth Skills Development, and Innovation (2025–2034), positioning Africa’s next generation at the heart of the continent’s sustainability narrative.
Adding to the momentum, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) announced a new round of funding worth $261 million on June 9. The grants, aimed at Indigenous-led restoration, land rehabilitation, and biodiversity conservation, directly complement Horizon Europe’s emphasis on community-grounded impact. In the Central African Republic and the DRC, an additional $8.7 million has been allocated to build water resilience in the Ubangi River Basin, an ecologically vital but climate-vulnerable area.
These moves represent a shift away from top-down project models toward inclusive, grassroots climate finance. Horizon-funded partnerships are expected to interface with such community-led efforts, bringing scientific rigor to traditional knowledge.
In the private sector, innovations in sustainability reporting and carbon markets are also converging with the goals of Horizon Europe. The Unity group, a pan-African conglomerate, recently introduced an “ESG Light” carbon credit platform to enable African SMEs to access voluntary carbon markets. This tool, which simplifies certification and aligns with global reporting frameworks, addresses one of the major obstacles for small businesses: the cost and complexity of ESG compliance.
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By aligning private innovations with research-driven frameworks like Horizon Europe, Africa is building a blended ecosystem where climate science, enterprise, and governance reinforce each other.
Africa Initiative III represents more than a funding window. It is a statement of shared purpose. It is also a wake-up call to African institutions—academic, governmental, and private—to organize, collaborate, and lead. With proposal deadlines approaching in September 2025, the opportunity now lies in forming strong, interdisciplinary consortia that place African innovation at the core.
As the African Space Agency takes to the skies, as local communities lead resilience projects with GEF support, and as ESG tools empower businesses on the ground, the narrative of African sustainability is no longer one of dependency. It is one of leadership.
The challenge now is to ensure that this momentum is not lost. If aligned strategically, Horizon Europe’s Africa Initiative III could become the cornerstone of a continental innovation renaissance—one rooted in climate justice, equity, and homegrown solutions.
Let us not watch this moment pass. Let us build the Africa we want, together.
