Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia – President Adama Barrow will preside over the Skills, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (SIE) Fund Award Ceremony on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, when he is expected to award scholarships to over a thousand technical and vocational students and grants to dozens of training institutions across the country.
At the ceremony, President Barrow will personally award scholarships and stipends to 1,318 students set to enroll in 18 public and private Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions nationwide. The awards fall under Window 2 of the SIE Fund, which is dedicated to skills development through training grants.
25 Institutions to Receive Capacity Grants
Alongside the student scholarships, 25 TVET institutions will receive Institutional Improvement Grants under Window 1 of the Fund. The grants are intended to strengthen institutional capacity, upgrade training facilities, and improve the overall quality of technical and vocational education delivery in The Gambia.
In total, the two funding windows will disburse GMD 83,814,708.24 to beneficiaries, broken down as follows:
Window 1: GMD 33,858,708.24 – for TVET institutional capacity strengthening.
Window 2: GMD 49,956,000.00 – for scholarships, stipends, and skills training grants.
About the SIE Fund
The SIE Fund is implemented under the World Bank-financed Resilience, Inclusion, Skills, and Equity (RISE) Project. It was established to close skills gaps and empower Gambian youth through education, innovation, and entrepreneurship, operating across three financing windows: institutional capacity strengthening (Window 1), skills development and training (Window 2), and youth entrepreneurship (Window 3).
The initiative is designed to equip young Gambians with technical and entrepreneurial skills to support economic diversification and is aligned with the Recovery-Focused National Development Plan (2023–2027).
New Funding Calls Expected in August
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology (MoHERST) has announced that new calls for proposals will open in August 2026 for all three SIE Fund windows, including the long-awaited activation of Window 3, which will provide startup support for young entrepreneurs.
Under Window 3, Gambians aged 18 to 35 with high-potential business ideas will be eligible to apply for grants, mentorship, and incubation support. Priority will be given to proposals in agriculture, engineering, tourism, information and communication technology (ICT), business, and the creative and performing arts.
The new funding calls will be open to TVET institutions, training providers, and individual entrepreneurs across the country. MoHERST says detailed application guidelines, eligibility criteria, and timelines will be published through the SIE Fund portal and the ministry’s official communication channels.
Wide Participation Expected
The July 28 ceremony is expected to draw government officials, development partners, representatives of TVET institutions, and student and institutional beneficiaries. Organizers say the event reflects the government’s continued commitment to skills development, innovation, youth empowerment, and job creation as central pillars of national growth.
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