UfM dialogue showcases grant schemes’ outreach across 11 UfM countries
Barcelona, 11 April 2025 — Over 80 project promoters, partners, beneficiaries, entrepreneurs, and donors from 11 UfM countries gathered today in Barcelona to review the state-of-play and the progress of the UfM Grant Schemes, which have provided over €3 million in funding to support employment, green jobs, and entrepreneurship among youth and women in the region.
Organised by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in partnership with the German Development Cooperation, and supported by the European Commission (DG EMP), the UfM Grant Schemes’ Stakeholders Dialogue showcased success stories, best practices and explored future opportunities for scaling up regional cooperation through targeted, inclusive funding.
“It is both our hope and our intention to roll out more targeted grant schemes in the future, tackling priority areas where we can deliver real value for our Member States — especially for young people and women,” stated Joan Borrell, UfM Deputy Secretary General.
The Dialogue followed the 2nd UfM Development Cooperation Actors’ Meeting, ensuring strategic alignment between donors, national partners, and project implementers. It also comes ahead of the announcement of the selected projects under the UfM’s third Grant Scheme in June 2025, focused on inclusive digital trade.
About the UfM Grant Scheme
The UfM Grant Schemes support employment, entrepreneurship, and inclusive growth across the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, with a particular focus on youth, women, and vulnerable groups. Since their launch in 2020, the schemes have addressed pressing challenges in green jobs, post-COVID recovery, and digital trade. Initially funded by the German Development Cooperation and later joined by the Spanish counterpart (AICED), the Grant Schemes reflect the UfM’s commitment to turning regional strategies into tangible, local impact.
Key Numbers and Results
To date, the UfM Grant Schemes have funded 10 projects across 11 UfM countries — reaching over 18,000 people in the first cycle (2020–2022) and supporting more than 1,300 beneficiaries in the ongoing green economy-focused cycle (2023–2025). Projects span green entrepreneurship, circular economy initiatives, women’s empowerment, and youth-led innovation, among other priority thematics. The awardees of the third cycle, focused on inclusive digital trade, will be announced in June 2025.
