EU Funding Access for African Projects

Global Gateway, the Critical Raw Materials Act, EIB lending, and EFSD+ guarantees are all decided or shaped in Brussels. Project sponsors in the DRC, Zambia, and across Africa can compete for this capital, but only with a project packaged the way EU institutions assess it.

FG Capital Advisors prepares African mining, processing, energy, and infrastructure projects for EU financing windows and works from Brussels with the institutions that run them.

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Large open pit mine seen from above

The Windows We Work On

Critical Raw Materials Act Strategic Projects

Strategic project status brings coordinated support from the Commission, member states, and financial institutions, plus introductions to European offtakers. In June 2025 the Commission selected 13 projects outside the EU, including projects in Zambia, Malawi, Madagascar, and South Africa ( IOM3, 2025).

Global Gateway

The EU's investment strategy for infrastructure, energy, digital, and raw material value chains in partner countries, including the Lobito Corridor linking the DRC and Zambia to the Atlantic.

EFSD+ Guarantees

The European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus backs guarantees and blended finance through European DFIs, which lowers lender risk on projects commercial banks would otherwise decline.

EIB and European DFIs

Direct loans, equity, and technical assistance from the European Investment Bank and bilateral lenders such as KfW, Proparco, and FMO, often alongside Global Gateway programmes.

Excavators working at a mining site
EU windows favour projects at feasibility stage or later, with a clear ESG baseline.
Aerial view of dump trucks at a mine
Strategic project status can open doors to European offtakers as well as lenders.
Haul truck driving on a dusty mine road
Power, rail, and port links matter as much as the deposit itself.

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What We Do

  1. Eligibility screen. We test your project against each window's criteria, including the mineral, processing stage, ESG standards, offtake, and host-country partnership, and tell you which ones are realistic.
  2. Project packaging. We build the information memorandum, financial model, ESG and community documentation, and the case for EU strategic value, written for Commission and DFI reviewers.
  3. Applications. We prepare strategic project applications under the Critical Raw Materials Act and funding submissions to the EIB, EFSD+ partner institutions, and bilateral DFIs.
  4. Meetings in Brussels. We arrange and prepare meetings with the relevant Commission directorates, DFI investment officers, and European offtakers.
  5. Financing structure. We combine EU-backed instruments with commercial debt, streaming, or offtake prepayment so the full capital requirement is covered.
European Union flag flying near a building in Brussels

Projects We Take On

Copper, cobalt, lithium, graphite, manganese, and rare earth projects at feasibility stage or later, along with the processing, power, and logistics assets they depend on. Sponsors need clear title, a credible ESG baseline, and enough equity to show commitment. Exploration-stage projects are usually too early for these windows.

The work draws on our structured trade and commodity finance practice and our experience with mining finance in Central and Southern Africa.

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EU institutions and DFIs make their own selection and credit decisions. Strategic project status, guarantees, and funding are not guaranteed.

Photos via Unsplash by Matthew de Livera, Dominik Vanyi, Shane McLendon, omid roshan and Christian Lue.