Home FinnfundGlobal Gateway and Finnfund Global Gateway and FinnfundFinnfund is one of the partners of Global Gateway. Finnfund is one of the partners of Global Gateway, a European strategy to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world. The Global Gateway is the EU’s contribution to narrowing the global investment gap worldwide. It is also fully aligned with the UN’s Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Paris Agreement. The Global Gateway will be delivered through a Team Europe approach, which brings together the EU and EU Member States with their financial and development institutions. It also seeks to mobilise the private sector in order to leverage investments for a transformational impact. Africa Connected Programme Africa Connected Programme is an initiative aimed at mobilizing funding for sustainable investments for digital infrastructure and digital service platforms in Sub-Saharan Africa. The agreement was signed between Finnfund and the European Commission in October 2023, making Finnfund a first-time implementing partner of the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus Guarantees (EFSD+). EFSD+ is one of the financing tools of Global Gateway, promoting sustainable investments in the EU’s partner countries. Under the Africa Connected Programme, Finnfund utilises EFSD+ guarantees in its investments into rural connectivity solutions, access to data, and digital solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. This strategic partnership reflects a collective effort to address the pressing needs of the region and promote private investments in commercially viable projects in the least developed and fragile countries. Current investments under the Africa Connected Programme: Cassava Technologies Beacon Power Services (BPS) Communication and Renewable Energy Infrastructure (CREI) You may find links to the news below. Key Details of the Africa Connected Programme Guarantees: Financing: A guarantee capacity of up to EUR 100 million for Finnfund’s debt and equity operations. Geographical Focus: Sub-Saharan Africa with a particular emphasis on Least Developed Countries, fragile states, and jointly agreed priority countries. Sectoral Focus: The program targets digital infrastructure providers, including mobile network operators, as well as digital platform businesses. Gender Equality: Investments under the guarantee promote gender equality. Carbon Sinks, MSME+ and other joint EFSD+ programmes In addition to Africa Connected, Finnfund is participating, together with several other European development finance institutions, in four EU guarantee programmes. These programmes, managed by the EDFI Management Company, will provide more than one billion of guarantee coverage for investments in the financial, agro-forestry, and renewable energy sectors, as well as cross-sectoral value chains. Finnfund can utilise these guarantees for its investments. Two programmes are already in use: Carbon Sinks supports investments in greenhouse gas reducing projects, in e.g. forestry and agriculture; MSME+ supports investments into financial intermediaries that then finance micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in high-risk, least developed, low income, and fragile countries. Finnpartnership’s Global Gateway campaign Finnfund manages the Finnpartnership business partnership programme, which provides financial grants for Finnish companies’ projects in developing markets, and a matchmaking service for companies from developing markets to find business partners from Finland. Finnpartnership also runs a Global Gateway campaign that aims to enable an increasing number of Finnish companies to take advantage and get involved in EU procurements and investments in developing markets. Through the campaign, companies are built a tailored path towards new business opportunities in their target countries. Read more Global Gateway Finnpartnership EDFI Management Company Thematic news News 16 December 2024 Cassava Technologies receives USD 90 million equity investment for expanding digital infrastructure across Africa The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation Ltd (Finnfund),… News 11 November 2024 Finnfund invests in an energy tech company that helps Africa’s power sector distribute electricity more efficiently Africa’s power grids face significant challenges, with utilities struggling to provide consistent service due… News 28 June 2024 Finnfund invests in CREI to improve mobile connections in South Sudan South Sudan has one of the lowest rates of mobile access and connectivity in… News 26 October 2023 EU and Finnfund launch the Africa Connected Programme to mobilise more than €1 billion for Sub-Saharan Africa’s digital infrastructure At the Global Gateway Forum, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, and Finnfund… Scroll left Scroll right