About Us
OVERVIEW
The Green Recycling Enterprises Engaging in New Technology for a Circular Economy in Zambia (GREEN Tech4CE) project is dedicated to fostering sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Zambia. The project aims to promote sustainable practices by supporting the development of start-ups and MSMEs within the green, circular economy and digital sectors and that want to green or make circular their business models. Through comprehensive technical and financial support, GREEN Tech4CE will drive innovation, create employment opportunities, and facilitate economic diversification. This project operates under the broader Green Economy Promotion and Diversification (GEPD) Programme, which seeks to address Zambia’s economic vulnerabilities and environmental challenges. Together, these initiatives strive to build a resilient and sustainable future for Zambia.
The project supports the implementation Zambia’s Green Growth Strategy launched in March 2024 to generate economic growth that is also socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable.
PROJECT OBJECTIVE
The GREEN Tech4CE project is based on a market systems approach aimed at overcoming the challenges MSMEs face to develop a sustainable green, circular, and digital (GCD) economy. The project intends to enhance MSMEs' capacities through technical assistance and financial support, linking value chains associated with critical raw materials and increasing market awareness and access for GCD products. By improving the availability and diversity of financial products for MSMEs and fostering public-private learning and policy advocacy, the project seeks to attract more investments and facilitate MSME growth in Zambia's GCD economy.
The project aims to enhance technical, economic, social, and political impacts through:
- Providing technical assistance and financial support to 800 MSMEs in different stages of their development;
- Facilitating the development of sustainable GCD companies, including in Critical Raw Material;
- Facilitating access to finance through linking with impact and venture investors and through connection with EU and Zambian financial sector;
- Encouraging the inclusion of women and youth entrepreneurs in GCD sectors;
- Improving the management capacities of MSMEs;
- Strengthening value chains and market linkages and ensuring follow-up to EU-organised Business Fora;
- Promoting innovation through support to start-ups and setting up of 2 “FabLabs” to test new products;
- Collaborating with government bodies and the private sector to create enabling policies for the GCD economy.
The project supports the implementation Zambia’s Green Growth Strategy launched in March 2024 to generate economic growth that is also socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable.
KEY APPROACHES
The key approach of the GREEN Tech4CE project is to support the growth and success of small and medium businesses by providing expert advice and funding. Financial support to Zambian companies via matching grants will total EUR 15.7m.
The approaches will include:
SO1: To attract more investment and facilitate growth of MSMEs in the green, circular and digital economy in Zambia;
- OP1.1 &OP1.2: Increase skills and capacity in the GCD economy.
- OP1.3: Increase in number of financial products available to GCD MSMEs.
- OP1.4: Private public engagement to influence standards and practice.
SO2: To increase skills and capacity in MSMEs in the green, circular and digital economy in Zambia;
- OP2.1: To attract more investment and facilitate growth of MSMEs in the green, circular and digital economy in Zambia.
- OP2.2: To improve formalisation, consolidation and management capacities MSMEs, particularly youth and women led promoting expansion in GCD.