Project-related technical assistance contributes to improving the quality of lending operations throughout the project cycle and enhancing their development impact.

In accordance with the strategic thrust of the Investment Facility, technical assistance operations mainly focus on:

• financial sector operations, notably microfinance support and SME lending;
• infrastructure undertakings, notably in the water and wastewater sectors, ICT, transport and energy sectors.

The Republic of South Africa is not eligible. Funds can be provided as interest rate subsidies, one-off grants or insurance premiums.

Technical assistance for regional infrastructure projects in Sub-Saharan Africa is available through the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund.

Technical assistance for micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa is available through the following initiatives:

• Technical Assistance Programme in East Africa to support the development of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.
• In the Southern African region and more specifically in Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana and Namibia, the EIB has put in place a number of facilities to cover the financial needs of micro, small and medium sized enterprises. For more information see the Southern Africa Microfinance / Small Medium Enterprise Funds.