The Department of Employment and Labour in partnership with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) are excited to announce the launch of the second round of the National Pathway Management Network's (NPMN) Innovation Fund, an initiative of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI).

The focus of the Fund is on supporting interventions that stimulate demand for labour, reduce barriers that hinder labour market entry and facilitate links to appropriate opportunities.

We are calling on suitably qualified organisations to pilot novel approaches and/or scale existing viable concepts that will unlock earning opportunities for young people.

The deadline for the submission of applications is 8 July 2024.

The PYEI, is one of South Africa's most comprehensive effort yet to address unemployment crisis. It seeks to successfully transition young people from learning to earning. The intervention brings together the strengths of numerous government institutions and social partners to deliver more opportunities for young people.

The PYEI also integrates with other interventions coordinated by the Project Management Office in the Presidency to drive structural reforms and enable job creation.

The Department of Employment and Labour is responsible for the National Pathway Management Network and the Industrial Development Corporation is the Fund Manager for the Innovation Fund. 

The National Pathway Management Network is a “network of networks" aimed at facilitating the successful transition of young people into and through the labour market. The NPMN provides active support to the entry and retention of young people into the labour market while providing greater alignment between the various networks and systems that exist to ensure access to a shared set of opportunities and services. 

 The NPMN has three key objectives: stimulating and aggregating demand, driving systems change to address barriers and linking young people to opportunities.

The minimum funding criteria will be R5-million and the maximum grant will be R25-million per applicant.

This funding round is open to Government, Non-Government, and Private Sector organisations who meet the eligibility criteria. Project partners must demonstrate an understanding of the objectives of the NPMN, and demonstrate the capacity to plan, implement and manage a project of the size and nature proposed.

Successful applicants will sign a two-year and six-month agreement with the IDC and in that time implement, evaluate, and close the project.

More information regarding submission of applications may be obtained from: www.idc.co.za/innovationfund/.All applications must be submitted to the following email address InnovationFund@idc.co.za .

For media inquiries, kindly contact:

Teboho Thejane

Departmental Spokesperson

082 697 0694 / teboho.thejane@labour.gov.za

-ENDS-

Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour​

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