On December 11, 2024, the African Development Bank (AfDB) announced the approval of a $108 million loan aimed at enhancing economic governance in Zambia. This funding is pivotal for the country as it seeks to improve its fiscal management and overall economic stability.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced a significant partnership with Eurobank Bulgaria AD (operating as Postbank) to provide a total of €135 million in guarantees under the European Union’s InvestEU programme.

The European Commission has amended the regulation governing minor state aid for the agricultural sector. From increasing the cap for individual aid to extending the deadline to 2032, here is how the de minimis agriculture changes.

The future CAP must ensure stability for agricultural incomes, food security, reasonable prices for consumers, and incentives for the green transition. These are the priorities for the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy indicated by the ministers of the Member States gathered in the Agriculture Council in anticipation of the European Commission's legislative proposals, expected next year.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has taken a significant step to bolster infrastructure development in Bangladesh by approving $100 million in additional financing for the Strengthening Bangladesh Infrastructure Finance Fund Limited (BIFFL) Project.

The European Commission has announced the first 130 projects awarded the Sovereignty Seal, as part of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP). This initiative aims to enhance visibility for promising projects in key technology sectors crucial for the EU's green and digital transitions and strategic sovereignty.

In line with the recommendations from the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture, the European Commission has established the European Board on Agriculture and Food (EBAF), a council whose members will be selected through a call open until January 8, 2025.

In the same week the Council approved the 2025 flagship projects of the Global Gateway, at the Africa Investment Forum 2024, the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced new commitments to promote sustainable development and economic inclusion across the African continent.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has embarked on a significant ecological restoration project aimed at revitalizing Dongting Lake in Hunan Province, China. This initiative, supported by a $150 million loan, is part of ADB's broader Regional Flyway Initiative (RFI), which seeks to preserve critical wetland ecosystems across Asia and the Pacific.

December 5 marks the opening of a new round of calls to support the audiovisual sector in Europe comprehensively, promoting film distribution and festival organization in the sector. This enriches the list of 2025 calls under the Creative Europe 2021-2027 programme. 2025 Creative Europe Work Programme: over 338 million for culture and audiovisual

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has taken a significant step in supporting Senegal's agricultural sector by approving a loan of €55.33 million. This funding is earmarked for the second phase of the Water Valorisation for Value Chains Development Project, a transformative initiative aimed at boosting agricultural production, employment, and incomes across nine regions in Senegal.

The European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have launched a new partnership to promote investments in the battery production sector within the EU. Supported by the Innovation Fund, through a €200 million loan guarantee under the InvestEU Program, the partnership will enable the financing of innovative projects along the entire European battery production value chain. Innovation Fund 2024: New Calls for Net Zero Technologies and Electric Vehicle Battery Cells

The World Bank has announced its commitment to support the Government of Maharashtra in a significant initiative aimed at enhancing economic growth across various districts in the state. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to foster sustainable development and improve the living standards of the population through targeted investments and policy reforms.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced the approval of two significant projects totalling $173 million in loans and grants aimed at accelerating climate-adaptive water resources management in Cambodia.

A new round of European calls to support the sports sector will open next week, with a total budget exceeding €64 million. Here is an overview of the 2025 Erasmus+ program calls dedicated to the sports world in all its facets. Erasmus+ Work Programme 2025: Funding for Education, Youth and Sport

Today, December 3rd, two new calls from the Innovation Fund open: one dedicated to net zero technologies, encompassing 5 topics, and another aimed at supporting the production of battery cells for electric vehicles. The budget is €3.4 billion, with an additional €1.2 billion from the second EU hydrogen auction also opening today.

As the European Union initiates formal negotiations for Japan's association with the Horizon Europe program, a new call is already available to strengthen cooperation in research and innovation in quantum computing between Europe and the Land of the Rising Sun. Here are the rules for accessing the new opportunity promoted under the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking.

There is time until mid-December to participate in the Deep Tech Venture Builder Programme Call 2025, the first edition of the call promoted by EIT Health to transform academic research projects in deep-tech into businesses. The call aims to support up to 20 projects in the first phase and up to 10 in the second, offering a support ecosystem that includes mentoring, a health innovation network, and structured funding.

A new call for nearly €3 million opens today, November 28, launched by Brussels to support the creation of Renewable Energy Communities (REC) by groups of SMEs in the agrifood and retail sectors, aiming to reduce their exposure to energy costs. The resources of the call are specifically intended for consortia that will later publish tenders directly aimed at businesses.

The World Bank's Board of Directors has officially approved a substantial financing package of $250 million aimed at enhancing Morocco's municipal solid waste management system. This initiative is part of the broader efforts to improve urban liveability and environmental sustainability in Moroccan cities, which are home to over 60% of the country's population.

Less than a month after the launch of the EIC 2025 work program, the European Innovation Council (EIC) has opened applications for the EIC STEP Scale Up: a new incentive scheme focused on the STEP Platform and aimed at deep-tech companies operating at the forefront of innovation and seeking significant funding rounds.

Among the challenges that the second European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen will face, transforming its regulatory ambition into global technological leadership is crucial. The goal is twofold: to implement the vast digital legislative framework adopted in recent years and to build digital infrastructures that allow Brussels to compete with other global powers, as explained in the Draghi Report. From AI to semiconductors, the role of digitalization in the Draghi Report

The African Development Bank (AfDB) recently highlighted the critical need for robust infrastructure development to harness the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) across the continent. As AI technologies continue to advance globally, Africa stands at a pivotal juncture where strategic investments in digital infrastructure could catalyze significant economic growth and innovation.

On December 12, two new European calls will open to promote judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters and to support transnational training projects for justice professionals. This expands the list of invitations launched by the European Commission under the "Justice" programme 2021-2027.

Applications are open until early January for the new €6 million EIT Health call supporting startups and SMEs with projects based on technology and data, capable of providing more personalized and effective healthcare. Project proposals should align with the Healthcare Innovation Cycle, a roadmap developed by EIT Health that maps the stages of innovation in life sciences, adapting the TRL scale to this sector.

Until January 15, 2025, it's possible to participate in the 2024 call of the Horizon Europe FutureFoodS partnership for funding research and development projects on the theme “Transforming Food Systems - reshaping food system interactions, fostering food innovations and empowering sustainable food choices.”

The Government of Nepal, in collaboration with the World Bank, yesterday has officially launched the Provincial and Local Roads Improvement Program (PLRIP)-Phase 1, a significant initiative aimed at enhancing the country's road infrastructure with an investment of $128 million (approximately NRs. 17.15 billion).

On November 2024, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced the approval of a significant policy-based loan amounting to $100 million aimed at enhancing climate action in Mongolia. This initiative is part of the broader Accelerating Climate Investment Program, designed to integrate climate considerations into national planning and budgeting processes.

As political leaders from many countries around the world (albeit with the absence of key players like the US President or von der Leyen) strive to reach the usual agreement at the climate summit, the draft agreement for COP29 has meanwhile been leaked. The provisional agreement seems to aim at pleasing everyone, as difficult as that may be.

From CEF Energy to Horizon Europe's Cluster 5 to EU renewable hydrogen auctions. To mark the European Hydrogen Week, we take stock of partnerships, initiatives and funding for green hydrogen development. Energy and Green Mobility: More Research and Innovation Needed to Protect EU Competitiveness

In a significant move to enhance public services for its most vulnerable citizens, the World Bank Board of Directors has approved two new projects for Argentina, totalling $1 billion in new lending. These initiatives aim to improve public transport and electricity access for millions of residents in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area and beyond.

Facing ongoing macroeconomic changes and epochal challenges, a new independent report identifies the path Europe should take in the fields of energy and mobility to remain competitive. This intriguing analysis delves into specific technologies, suggesting which ones to focus on, and proposes a series of reforms to enhance European policy on investment support in R&I (research and innovation) to make it more suitable for our times. The Draghi Competitiveness Report: Supporting Innovation and Reforms

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has recently approved a substantial loan of $250 million aimed at bolstering Uzbekistan's efforts toward achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

There is time until February 20, 2025, to participate in the new call published by the European Climate, Environment and Infrastructure Executive Agency (CINEA) under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027. A total of €2.6 million is available to fund up to seven projects across the EU.

The EU institutions have reached a compromise that foresees commitments for 192.7 billion and payments for 149.6 billion for the 2025 European budget. Including allocations for special instruments outside the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the total budget for the next year amounts to 199.4 billion euros in commitments and 155.2 billion in payments.

The new call to co-finance doctoral and post-doc fellowship programs, aimed at spreading best practices in the research world, will open on January 23. Here is who can participate in the call related to the European Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) program.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has initiated a comprehensive program aimed at addressing the urgent challenges posed by the rapid melting of glaciers in Asia. This initiative is crucial as glaciers serve as vital freshwater sources for billions and play a significant role in regional ecosystems and economies.

The representatives of the Member States, gathered in the Special Committee on Agriculture, have approved the European Commission's proposal to mobilize the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) to provide support to farmers, foresters, and companies involved in the processing and marketing of agricultural products affected by natural disasters during 2024.

The Listing Act, now published in the Official Journal of the European Union, is a legislative package aimed at making EU capital markets more attractive for European businesses and facilitating the listing of companies of all sizes, including SMEs, on the Union's stock exchanges.

Encouraging European business investments in Ukraine across critical sectors for its reconstruction and the development of both the country and Europe. This is the goal of the call for expressions of interest launched by Brussels during the first EU-Ukraine Investment Conference, currently taking place in Warsaw.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has recently approved a substantial financing package of $21.95 million aimed at bolstering the Maldives' capacity to address the challenges posed by climate change and enhance food security.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has recently announced the launch of a significant initiative aimed at empowering vulnerable youth and women in The Gambia. This project, known as the Vulnerable Youth and Women Support Project (VYWOSP), is set to mobilize $14.7 million to enhance vocational training programs and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for marginalized groups.

On November 12, 2024, during the COP29 conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, multilateral development banks (MDBs) unveiled a joint statement outlining their commitment to significantly enhance climate finance.

As the calls for individual projects come to a close, the new Interreg Alcotra call for microprojects is expected to be published in December. Here are the first previews.

In anticipation of the call expected in January, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has published the evaluation criteria for selecting the consortium tasked with implementing the KIC Water, the new Knowledge and Innovation Community of the EIT dedicated to the theme of "water".

In the European business world, the proposal from the Heitor Report to establish a European Council for Technology and Industrial Competitiveness (ETIC2) to guide collaborative research within the next Framework Programme (FP10) has been positively received. In this context, it is increasingly likely that the successor to Horizon Europe may have a stronger industry focus compared to today.

The World Bank has announced a significant initiative aimed at transforming Brazil's agrifood system through the Transforming Brazil’s Agrifood System program. This ambitious plan, with a budget of $1.602 billion, is designed to bolster the livelihoods of family farmers across the nation, enhance food security, and promote sustainable agricultural practices

In the recently released Budapest Declaration by the 27 EU leaders, many of the goals and guidelines from the Draghi and Letta Reports are essentially reaffirmed. The call is for unity, now more necessary than ever, and for the commitment to leverage all possible public and private funding sources, building on what already exists and exploring new tools.

The forthcoming call under the Horizon Europe programme, "Teaming for Excellence", aims to bridge the gap in research and innovation (R&I) performance across Europe by establishing or modernizing centres of excellence in low R&I performing countries.

The World Bank has recently approved a significant funding package of €635.5 million (approximately $680 million) aimed at bolstering economic growth and enhancing climate and social resilience in Benin.