Funding Criteria

ICF's funding criteria are clearly outlined on the project application form. Please click here to download a project application form.

All projects funded by ICF must be for the benefit of the business community as a whole, broad sectors of the business (e.g. the ICT sector) or parts of the business community (e.g. SMEs). ICF does not fund any projects that are to the benefit of one particular company or small group of companies.

Any government receiving ICF support and funding must have submitted to or be supportive of NEPAD's Peer Review Mechanism - something we believe to be an important demonstrator of a country's commitment to improving governance.

We welcome applications from both Anglophone and Francophone countries, as well as from regional economic communities.

ICF has deliberately set out to achieve its goals within a limited lifespan, recognising that improvement is a priority for Africa's economic development and that intervention must be fast and self-sustaining. We will respond quickly to any project application we receive. The Board of Trustees meets every three months to consider project applications, while the ICF's Investment Sub-Committee meets every six weeks. This means the maximum time for a project approval is three months.