As of January 2024, the AWF has mobilized €215 million from development partners and African governments. The resources have been used to finance 138 projects in 52 countries, two thirds of which have been completed, with the remainder ongoing. 27 completed projects successfully secure downstream investment funding to the tune of Euro 1.9 billion. The Facility has achieved a remarkable cumulative leverage factor of 1:29 so that every euro committed to the preparation of bankable projects has mobilized 29 euros in downstream investment.

Only in very special cases from earmarked funds, immediate interventions may be integrated to address immediate needs/risk reduction and humanitarian measures, in largely development and early recovery contexts.

AWF supports the preparation of climate-resilient focused water supply projects that include and integrate sanitation improvements, hygiene promotion, solid waste management and institutional strengthening of operation and management of water and sanitation systems at local level, with inclusion of private sector, where enabling environment prevails.

AWF mainly supports studies for project preparation (pre or full feasibility, ESIA and RAP studies, scheme design and tender documents, PPP transaction advisory services), construction pilots for transformative and catalytic projects, investment and institutional water governance projects.

The AWF defines a catalytic project as a pilot innovative project that provides solutions to a complex water and sanitation challenge, whose results, technology/innovation, lessons leant/experience is transformative, scalable, replicable to other regions and different contexts.

No. The AWF does not provide funding to individuals, nor for academic studies and participation in international conferences.

Yes, AWF strongly encourages co-financing of projects with other donors and financiers with the scope to be financed clearly defined and project outcomes to be attributed to AWF funding clearly identified.

There is no defined maximum grant, but in the nearly 20 years of its existence, the AWF has given a grant exceeding EUR 5 million only once.

AWF grants typically lie in the range of EUR 200,000 to EUR 2,000,000, with a mean of about EUR 1,000,000.

AWF provides grant funding to projects in the budget range of 50,000 Euro to 5.0 million Euro. However, the amount of funding provided to selected projects is dependent on the resources available in the fund for new commitments and the number of prioritized projects within the annual work plan.