This part of the EU External Investment Plan is formally known as technical assistance, or TA.
The Plan funds two types of technical assistance. These focus on:
- projects – enabling development banks and investors to develop high-quality projects which the Plan can help to finance
- investment climate support – enabling governments enact reforms to make their countries more attractive to investors.
This assistance supports the other two parts of the Plan – finance and investment climate support.
Type 1: projects
Help to develop high-quality investment projects
We want the Plan to help deliver the highest quality development projects - as is the case with other kinds of EU development assistance.
So we help to fund technical assistance from experts in different areas – from accountancy to engineering
They come in at different stages of a project:
-
before it's started
to see if it's feasible
for example: if a power plant is suitable for a particular location
-
while it's being planned
to ensure it's likely to succeed and make money (what's known as 'bankable'), so investors will finance it
for example: to ensure a power plant will sell enough energy to repay the loans needed to build it
-
after it's started
to ensure it runs smoothly and any problems are resolved
for example: to train local staff on how to operate and maintain the power plant
Type 2: investment climate support
Help to enable countries to attract more investment
Governments in countries neighbouring the EU and in Africa are working to make their countries more attractive places to invest and do business in. In other words, they’re improving the investment climate.
By funding this second type of expertise, we’re supporting their efforts.
And we're helping businesses compete, innovate and grasp opportunities more effectively.