Status: Published
Classification: Window 2
Category: Window 2: Training Grant (Scholarships and Stipend)
NOTICE NO. SIEF_W2_01/2026 (ROUND 3)
SKILLS, INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (SIE) FUND
CALL FOR PROJECTS PROPOSAL FOR TVET TRAINING PROVIDERS
Project Background:
The Gambia, with its vibrant youth population and commitment to development, is poised for a promising future, yet faces several challenges. In the realm of basic education, the focus is on improving learning outcomes, particularly in the early grades, to ensure every child acquires the necessary foundational skills. The Government of The Gambia recognized and prioritized the challenge of having a higher quality and relevance in youth, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to meet labour market demands. For the large population living in poverty, the goal is to provide a second chance through access to social protection measures, skills training, and income-generating opportunities. These challenges, while significant, are being addressed with determination and a vision for a resilient, inclusive, skilled, and equitable Gambia.
To address these challenges, The Gambia Resilience, Inclusion, Skills, and Equity Project (The Gambia RISE Project – P197233) is a multi-sectoral, five-year initiative of The Government of The Gambia, funded by the World Bank. The project aims to increase the foundational skills of students in early grades (Component 1), provide job-relevant training to youth (Component 2), and boost income-generating opportunities, including for the poor and vulnerable (Component 3), in The Gambia. The Gambia’s National Development Plan (2023-2027) prioritizes Human Capital Development (Pillar IV) and Empowerment, Social Inclusion and Leaving No One Behind (Pillar VI). The RISE project is aligned with the Government’s Education Sector Strategic Plan 2016-2030 and The Gambia National Social Protection Policy 2015-2025.
The project is being implemented by multiple Implementing Entities (IEs): the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST), and the National Nutrition Agency/National Social Protection Secretariat (NaNA/NSPS). Each of these IEs lead technical activities within their respective domains. The RISE Project is coordinated and managed by a Central Project Coordination Unit (CPCU) within the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs.
The Gambia's aspirations for a diversified and sustainable economy hinge on a skilled and adaptable workforce. However, current Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems face challenges in equipping youth with the relevant skills and fostering a culture of innovation. The Skill Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fund (SIE Fund), established by MoHERST as a key component of the World Bank-funded RISE project, emerges as a critical intervention, designed to bridge this gap and empower a generation of skilled and entrepreneurial young Gambians.
The SIE Fund has three-pronged interventions referred to as windows:
· Window 1; Enhancing TVET Capacity: Strengthening institutions through improved programmes, qualified trainers, and modern facilities, as well as creating Hubs for innovation and excellence in training.
· Window 2; Promoting Relevant Skills Development: Equipping youth and graduates with relevant skills and fostering a culture of innovation and attention to market needs within TVET institutions.
· Window 3; Supporting Youth Entrepreneurship: Enabling young people to translate their skills into successful businesses through startup support and mentorship.
The SIE Fund Secretariat, situated in MoHERST, is responsible for the management, coordination, and administrative processes of the Fund.
Objectives of Window 2 of the SIE Fund
As part of Component 2 of the RISE Project, the SIE Fund has launched a funding programme that promotes the development of skills in technical and vocational training in programmes relevant to the needs of The Gambia economy, taking into account the country's strategic priorities and helping to adopt a demand-driven approach, involving a stronger partnership with the productive sector.
The purpose of this notice is to lay down the basis for the process of submitting applications and selecting proposals for the funding of projects linked to vocational training in accordance with the procedures stipulated in the SIE Fund Manual.
This window will provide training grants, offering competitive funding for TVET institutions to enrol youths and secondary school graduates in quality training programs in The Gambia. The window also allows for TVET institutions to enrol women & youth admitted into a three-month short-term training
Expected results of Window 2
Institutions are expected to align their proposed training programs with level 4 (TVET Certificate), level 5 (TVET Diploma / TVET National Diploma), and level 6 (TVET Higher National Diploma / TVET Higher National Diploma) of the Gambia National Qualifications Framework (GNQF). The identified programmes as part of the submission are expected to:
• Increase enrolments in TVET programmes.
• Target vulnerable social groups, including women and the physically challenged.
• Produce a graduate rate of at least 80 per cent amongst the trainees.
• Ensure that the drop-out rate per training course does not exceed 20 per cent of trainees.
• Create an employability rate of at least 70 per cent, six (6) months after completion of the training.
*Note: Achievement of the targets in the indicators highlighted is binding for receiving the last tranche of funding as per the payment plan for Window 2.
Challenges and Support:
The SIE Fund acknowledges that navigating the application process can be challenging. To assist TVET institutions, the Fund will offer a range of support mechanisms, including:
· Pre-application workshops: These workshops will provide an overview of the Windows, the eligibility criteria, the application process, and the application opening and closing dates.
· Online resources: The SIE Fund portal will host a dedicated section with downloadable application forms, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and other helpful resources.
· Technical assistance: Technical assistance may be offered to eligible institutions on a case-by-case basis, focusing on proposal development, budget preparation, and implementation processes.
By providing these support mechanisms, the SIE Fund aims to ensure a fair and transparent application process that encourages high-quality proposals from a diverse range of TVET institutions and start-up grantees.
Review and Evaluation Committees:
Allocation of funds to be granted in the competition:
The amount of support to be granted under this call for proposals will be determined by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will oversee pre-evaluation, constitute the team for verification visits, and conduct technical evaluation. An independent external observer will also attend the process. Subsequent to the technical evaluation, the TAC will submit its recommendation to the Project Steering Committee (PSC) for approval and final endorsement. The submission’s potential to engender innovation and employability is taken into consideration.
The PSC will allocate scholarship grants base on the respective priority sectors.
Pre-Evaluation and Verification Visits
There will be a pre-evaluation of the submissions, followed by an assessment and verification visit to institutions to confirm the information provided in the submissions and verify technical capabilities in line with the objectives of the Window. The scoring for this Window will be based on the evaluation of the submitted proposal, assessment, and verification report in line with the parameters of the evaluation criteria. Thus,
The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will constitute the team for verification visits. The SIE Fund secretariat will provide administrative support in the conduct of the verification visits. The report of the verification visit will be used during the technical evaluation and scoring. The evaluation proposal will be developed based on the call for proposal template and a list of supporting documents to be tick.
Eligibility of Institutions - Beneficiaries
The following institutions are eligible to participate in the competition as main beneficiaries:
• Public or private training providers registered and accredited by the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA).
Beneficiaries (training providers) must comply with the following requirements:
• Not be in default in relation to a financial support granted by a similar fund;
• No case of liability with a financial institution;
• Must have a proper financial management system; and,
• Should have their tax and social security situation regularised.
The eligibility analysis will be carried out in the process of review the applications and in releasing the disbursements.
Proposal Eligibility
The proposal submitted must cover all the pre-requisites set out in this section, and failure to fulfil any of the proposal requirements will render the submission ineligible for evaluation. A beneficiary institution can submit only one proposal, which may contain more than one programme as per this call for proposals. If more than one proposal is submitted by the same institution, only the most responsive one will be considered.
Proposals that involve subcontracting to third-party training providers for the execution of training actions will be considered ineligible.
Proposal requirements
The proposal must be structured in accordance with the Proposal Model provided annexed to this call for proposal document. The details of the proposals must include the following information:
• Provide the learning outcomes of the programmes applied for;
• Provide trainers’ profiles including their competences (management team, technical and pedagogical coordination of the training courses, list of trainers, and documents proving their professional skills);
• The technical capacities and resources (theoretical and practical training rooms, laboratories, workshops, and equipment, internship opportunities) related to the training programmes;
• Description of the target beneficiaries for the training programme and how to mobilise them;
• Indicate the partners to be involved in the delivery of the training programme (internship, industrial placements, externship, field visits, etc.), and their respective responsibilities and contributions during the process;
• Summary of budget items for each training programme;
• Submit a timetable for each training programme, highlighting the main stages (start date, end date, and the period of internship);
• Indicate the strategies in place for the integration of the training beneficiaries into the labour market.
Proposals submitted outside the requested proposal structure requirement will be disqualified.
Proposal Alignment
The proposal must present one or more specific demands, identified with the productive sectors and aligned with the national priority areas (Agriculture, Engineering, Tourism, ICT, Business, and Creative and Performing Arts). The proposal should align with The Gambia’s strategic development goals, as per the new Recovery-Focused National Development Plan (RF-NDP), as well as other key national policies aimed at addressing the country’s critical employment needs. This alignment ensures that the funded training programs contribute meaningfully to national and local economic and social objectives of the nation.
Proposals are also encouraged for programs developed or expanded at accredited TVET institutions that include content on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Programs refer to certificates and diplomas that include climate-related courses or topics, including, for example, re-greening degraded landscapes, reducing energy transmission and distribution loss, solar energy, enhanced battery storage systems, and generation of biogas from waste management, among others.
There must be a balance between the value of the investment, the number of training programmes proposed, and the number of intended beneficiaries.
3.3. Alignment to Industry
In addition to the alignment with the RF-NDP, it is important that the proposals indicate how the training is linked to the respective sector industries. Specifically, it should indicate how:
• Agriculture related programmes would help boost agricultural productivity and agribusiness. The programme should demonstrate how the institution will work with employers or representatives that offer internship support and ensure graduates get gainful employment or self-employment after graduation.
• Engineering related programmes would be implemented to enhance productivity on TVET related industries and sectors. The programmes should provide pathways for internships and how industry actors interrelate in the effective delivery of the programme towards employability.
• Tourism related programmes would align with local tourism operators and hospitality agencies towards ensuring the demand for specific skills in hospitality is met. Submissions under this trade area should prioritize establishing linkages with tourism operators towards creating businesses and providing employment for the hospitality industry.
• ICT related programmes would focus on promoting digitalization and include partnerships with local businesses needing digital skilled workers. These programmes should highlight their collaboration with ICT related industries and their support to the development of digital competencies towards employability.
• Business related programmes would focus on enhancing enterprise development towards ensuring business development and economic empowerment. The link between business training and business development should be clearly articulated in the submissions.
• Creative and Performing Arts programmes to focus on creativity for business development. The training should provide pathways to support creative and performing industries and put in place measures to ensure trainees get employed upon graduation.
Long-term programs, including diploma and other credentials requiring at least one year of study, are also encouraged.
Proposal Structure
Factoring in the proposal requirements identified in 4.1, all proposals must be presented as per the format below:
• Description of the training programme and the areas covered by the training.
• Pedagogical description of the training programme.
• Description of training programme implementation procedures.
• Summary of the budget for implementing the training programme(s) indicated in the proposal.
• Indicate the programme credit hours
Priority targeted beneficiary for the training
In the context of this window opening, priority groups are:
• Young people of Gambian nationality or legal residents in the Gambia, aged between 15 and 35;
• Women and women’s groups.
• People with disabilities and the physically challenged.
The above conditions must be proven by the start date of the training programme, entering the data of the selected trainees on the SIE Fund application platform.
Financial resources to be granted
The selection of proposals and disbursements will depend on the availability of resources from the SIE Fund, respecting the limit of the amount approved for each proposal and the ranking order defined in the Merit of Evaluation. For more details, please see the SIE Fund Manual. Unsuccessful proposal(s), feedback will be shared with the affected institution(s) by the SIE Secretariat for improvement and possibly resubmission in a subsequent round.
Under this window, there will be 1924 awards amounting to 961, 900.00 USD training grants for TVET institutions to enrol youths and secondary school graduates in quality programs. The unit price for 400 USD has been increased to 500 USD base on the lesson learnt from the previous call.
Also, under this window, there will be 300 student training grants for a three-month short-term training program, amounting to 60,000 USD.
Criteria for Selection
To qualify for Institutional Improvement Window funding, TVET institutions must meet the following criteria:
· Registration and Accreditation: The institution must be officially registered and accredited by the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA).
· Governance and Management Structure: The institution must possess a clear governance structure and a demonstrated commitment to sound financial management practices.
· Strategic Plan: The institution must have a well-defined strategic plan outlining its goals for improvement and alignment with national TVET priorities.
· Needs Analysis: The application must be based on a comprehensive needs assessment that identifies specific areas for capacity building within the institution. It will also focus on the ability, capacity, and credibility of the institution to implement the objective of the Window.
· Marginalized Group: The window targets institutional support for proposals supporting enhancements that caters for training of marginalized groups such as girls, physically challenged, youth and women from financially challenged backgrounds.
Specific evaluation and assessment details for each criterion, including weighting and scoring mechanisms, will be outlined in a dedicated Call for Proposal. The SIE Fund reserves the right to periodically review and update eligibility criteria to ensure alignment with evolving programme objectives.
Independent external observer/ reviewer
To enhance transparency and strengthen governance in the evaluation and granting process for Window 1, the role of an independent external observer will be explicitly included, as outlined in the SIEF Manual. An independent external observer will be appointed. This individual, who has previously served on the technical advisory committee in a non-voting capacity, will observe all evaluation processes. The observer will provide an independent evaluation report.
Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM)
Beneficiaries and those affected by Fund projects have the right to complain openly, transparently and without reprisals. To do so, you can use the following means of communication:
• By telephone on the lines: 1229
• Complaints book available in the SIE Fund Secretariat
• E-mail: Mjawo@nsps.gm
• Letter: To be addressed to NSPA Centralised Redress Mechanism, for all grievances on RISE project
Deadlines
The deadlines for submission of proposals are on the 2nd October 2026 and should be sent electronically.
Sending a proposal
The proposal must be sent online via SIE Fund portal https://sief.moherst.gov.gm/grants
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