Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is entering its fifth year, and despite current talks, there is no end in sight. In this newsletter issue, you will find an up-to-date overview of GFA’s wide-ranging and long-term commitment, marking this week’s international reconstruction conference, ReBuild Ukraine, in Warsaw. 

BaKIM, the open-source forest monitoring app of the City of Bamberg and GFA’s Digital Innovation Unit (DIU), won first place in the new AI category of the Open Source Business Alliance’s Open Source Competition at SCCON 2026. It turns standard drone images into tree-level data.

Ten senior officials from Benin’s Directorate General of Taxes (DGI) participated in a study visit to the Belgian Federal Public Service Finance (FPS Finance) in Brussels on 5-8 Oct, 2026. The visit was organised by Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). GFA Consulting Group supported the delegation during the visit, while a GFA expert provided technical expertise in international taxation and accompanied the exchange with Belgian tax officials.

On 12 October, the Energy & Finance (EF) Department at GFA Consulting Group had the pleasure of welcoming 15 master’s students and two faculty members from Europa-Universität Flensburg.

The Digital Innovation Unit at GFA Consulting Group has just launched its new website.

Fragility is on the rise. According to the OECD, over 122 million people worldwide are forcibly displaced today. Funding is under pressure, yet the need for reliable, accountable and context-sensitive delivery has never been greater.

A delegation of GFA’s Agriculture, Natural Resources & Environment (ANRE) department, from Hamburg visited the programme “Drought Resilience in the Karamoja Sub-Region” in Uganda. Constanze Schaaff (Department Director), Chris Biller (Portfolio Manager), and Uwe Gebauer (Senior Consultant) discussed the advance of the project implementation before the constructing phase of the two earth dams with client, and the project management unit.  

On Wednesday, 30th September, SOMO Africa, in collaboration with GFA Consulting Group and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, celebrated the graduation of 150 SMEs from Nairobi and Kiambu counties.  The businesses successfully completed the SME Loop programme, which began in January 2026.

By the end of September, the 18th annual Model United Nations of Hamburg (MUNoH) took place at Gymnasium Meiendorf. The five-day conference brought together approximately 200 high school students from around the world and Germany to discuss international issues, from human rights to security, while representing their assigned countries. GFA had the pleasure to support the event as a major sponsor.

Eva Schildbach, Director of the Health Department at GFA Consulting Group, has been appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung (DSW), which focuses on human rights-based population development. Eva Schildbach is one of four new members that the foundation is welcoming onto the board in its 35th year of existence.

From 14 to 16 September 2026, GFA Consulting Group once again participated in the Federal Congress on National Urban Development Policy. Organised by the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Construction and hosted this year by the City of Cologne, the event brought together experts from across the sector. Two GFA employees, Hendrik Jaschob and Pauline von Keitz from our Governance Department, attended the congress to represent the company and engage directly with key stakeholders.

The Ukraine-Swiss Summer School is an annual educational platform format that focuses on healthcare system resilience, medical education, trauma recovery, and the prevention of noncommunicable diseases. The July 2026 event, entitled “Resilience through collaboration” took place in Ukraine and united health experts and project stakeholders for a professional exchange.

GFA Consulting Group, in partnership with FC Africa Group PLC, recently supported a validation workshop in Addis Ababa as part of the Support for the Recovery of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Post-Conflict Areas.

As part of a GCF and BMZ-funded, GIZ-managed SU-I-GFLM project in the Lao PDR , GFA supported the design and establishment of a Matching-Grant Facility for Agribusinesses (MGFA) that has since been appro-ved and is overseen by the Department of Forestry (DoF) and Environment and Forest Protection Fund (EFF) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and GIZ. 

The new GFA Managing Director, Christian Dürr, and Constanze Schaaff, Head of the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment (ANRE) Department, visited the Programme for the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the South-West Region of Cameroon (PSMNR SWR) during its 20th anniversary year.

This summer, GFA says goodbye to another long-serving member of its leadership team, as Dr Daniel Wahby retires. Over the course of 25 years, Wahby held numerous management positions, shaping the organisation at both the departmental and technical level. 

GFA Consulting Group opened a Cameroon branch to strengthen local project support, meet legal requirements, and expand its regional presence. Senior managers visited the team and observed their work, noting the branch’s role in improving oversight, partnerships, and future growth. This is a milestone for GFA.

A high-level Senegalese delegation visited the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce to hold a roundtable discussion on economic cooperation. GFA Consulting Group joined the exchange to present its involve-ment in vocational training and its Regional Hub in Senegal. 

The high-level representatives of MINEPAT Cameroon obtained an overview of GFA’s Cameroon portfolio across different sectors. MINEPAT coordinates the implementation of many GFA projects in Cameroon. 

On 18 June, GFA B.I.S. hosted the second SunSystems User Day at its offices in Berlin. For our clients in the not-for-profit sector, the event focused primarily on sharing experiences and insights related to SunSystems.

For thirty years, Dr Heiko Weißleder has been a central figure at GFA Consulting Group and GFA Holding. During his 18 years on the management board, Weißleder played a decisive role in shaping the group. He is now taking early retirement at the end of June.

In our recent newsletter edition, our Digital Learning for Impact team presents a selection of recent projects and innovations. From promoting youth employability in Senegal to developing AI-enabled learning solutions with global partners.

We celebrate the "International Day for Biological Diversity" - for example with the GIZ project "Data analysis and training for a use case for the application of drone data in wildlife surveys" in the Comoé National Park in Côte d’Ivoire.

Promoted by ISPI, Bocconi University and OECD, NEXT is the global network of selected young talents and future leaders who share policy ideas with global policymakers, top experts and business leaders on key international challenges. At the NEXT Milan Forum on 4-5 May 2026, one of hundreds of applicants to take part in the event was a young GFA staff member.

Rwanda is taking the next step in sustainable finance: Together with RiskSphere, GFA Consulting Group is supporting the implementation of the Rwanda Green Taxonomy – in close partnership with MINECOFIN. In the first week of March, GFA kicked off the project in Kigali with key stakeholders across the financial ecosystem.

Last week, Christian Dürr, the new Managing Director of GFA Consulting Group and GFA Holding visited the GFA East Africa Hub in Nairobi, Kenya. He met the team, engaged with local partners, and visited ongoing project sites.

In February 2026, Ranka Milijenovic became Regional Manager for the newly established GFA Hub Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. As a senior professional with over 20 years of experience in development cooperation, public policy, and EU-funded programmes, Ranka has worked across national, regional, and European assignments. 

In April, Christian Dürr joined the management team of GFA Consulting Group GmbH and its parent organisation, GFA Holding AG.

By 2025, the Araket project will have improved living conditions in Kyrgyzstan’s new settlements by strengthening infrastructure, empowering communities and fostering cooperation with local authorities to promote sustainable development.

Strengthening healthcare systems requires not only investment, but also collaboration, innovation, and trust. On April 8, GFA Consulting Group joined a delegation to Ukraine led by Johann Saathoff from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

A study tour to Germany, held from 23-28 March 2026, was successfully organised for representatives of the Public Utility Company ViK , with the aim of gaining practical insights into wastewater treatment technologies relevant for the upcoming Wastewater Treatment Plant in Zenica.

In Lao PDR, the growing contribution of agricultural MSMEs to economic growth, income genera-tion, and employment is increasingly supported by initiatives from both the government and the business community. In 2025, the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry established an Agribusiness Development Office to further strengthen the sector.

The Global Programme Responsible Land Policy concluded successfully at the end of February 2026. Within this framework, GFA was commissioned by GIZ to strengthen land governance actors and networks, while enhancing knowledge exchange and capacity development, with a focus on civil society.

February 12 will remain a landmark date with the official opening of our new office in Dakar.

Kudzai Mubaiwa is the new Regional Manager for GFA’s East Africa Hub since January. Born in Zimbabwe, she holds a Masters in Development Finance and an Executive Masters in Social Business and Entrepreneurship.

Our Civic Engagement for Development (CED) Project, implemented by GFA Consulting Group and funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), is seeking to engage an experienced organisation or individual experts to provide support to 10 NGOs in the Kyrgyz Republic to strengthen the networking, alliance-building, and coalition development skills and institutional capacities of these organisations.

The Support for Improving Land Management in Senegal (SEEN-SUUF) project aims at encouraging land management reforms to create conditions conducive to investment and territorial development. The project, led by GIZ on behalf of BMZ, is based on a partnership agreement between the Government of Senegal and German Development Cooperation.

GFA Consulting Group carried out the technical assistance in partnership with Energy Handle and has supported 41 building managers in four sub-sectors: the offices, retails, hotels and healthcare sectors.

On 21 January 2026, the governments of Indonesia and Switzerland launched Phase 2 of the Renewable Energy Skills Development (RESD) programme in Jakarta. This joint commitment to strengthening human resources in the renewable energy sector supports Indonesia’s Net Zero Emission 2060 target and accelerate the national energy transition. 

In a world of compounding shocks and uncertainty, climate action cannot live in carbon targets alone. Water systems are where volatility becomes visible and costly, from drought and flooding to water quality risks. Resilience starts with keeping essential services running.

GFA will continue supporting GIZ until 2028 to strengthen the integration of renewable energy (RE) sources in Western Balkan electricity grids. The project focuses on technical solutions, regulatory frameworks, and regional exchange to enable a reliable RE-based power system.

GFA, as the implementing partner of the GIZ C4N-SUN (Capacity for Nutrition – Scaling Up Nutrition) project, supported GIZ in organising the high-level official launch of the Resource Mobilisation Strategy for Nutrition in Liberia at the Boulevard Palace Hotel in Monrovia.

In a news release on occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25 Nov 2025, the United Nations reports “Every 10 minutes, partners and family members killed a woman intentionally in 2024 and that trend is growing”.  

Taking further steps towards a greener economy, Zambia, represented by the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, has signed a Bilateral Climate Agreement for cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement with Switzerland, represented by the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications. This new agreement facilitates the two countries in implementing cooperative approaches under Article 6.

Since November 2024, GFA has been supporting the Development Bank of Rwanda in advancing the Ireme Invest initiative – programme that translates Rwanda’s climate ambition into action by strengthening green finance, building institutional capacity, and unlocking investment in low-carbon growth.

Our latest newsletter is dedicated to Ukraine’s recovery and resilience. It highlights GFA’s ongoing commitment to supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction - from strengthening public investment systems and water infrastructure to advancing health care, energy efficiency, and EU integration.

Software company TolaData GmbH is leaving GFA GROUP and becoming part of Athena Infonomics. A corresponding purchase agreement was signed on Monday in Berlin.

The Energy & Finance (EF) Department at GFA Consulting Group had the pleasure of hosting 14 master’s students and four faculty members from the University of Flensburg’s Sustainable Energy and Development programme on 16 October.

Interview with Stefan Kruse, consultant in the Health Department of GFA Consulting Group – and author of the book ‘How Ordinary People Make Aid Work’, which has just been published by Johns Hopkins University Press.

We are proud to present our new brochure showcasing the GFA Regional Hub in Dakar, which plays a key role in our decentralised approach to international cooperation in West Africa. 

Ce Hub se veut un catalyseur de talents, d’innovation locale et de collaboration régionale, reliant l’expertise africaine aux besoins du développement mondial.

The Programme to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases and Promote One Health is boosting efforts in Central Africa. Since April 2024, OCEAC (a Central African health agency), GFA Consulting Group, and IMT have been working with the support of KfW to advance the One Health approach and foster a new generation of researchers. A delegation of programme participants has now visited GFA.

Rural areas of Ukraine are increasingly home to ageing populations with a high prevalence of multiple chronic conditions. These communities rely heavily on accessible, affordable, and reliable health services. Yet, many primary health care facilities face severe financial and staffing constraints, leaving remote areas underserved and vulnerable. The Act4Health project, implemented by GFA Consulting Group, has provided thousands of people in Ukraine with access to medical services and gathered extensive health data related to non-communicable diseases.

The Climate Village Lab project, supported by GFA Consulting Group and run by German NGO “GEO schützt den Regenwald” (GEO Protects the Rainforest), has received a welcome boost in donations.

The Hasselmann Project, launched under the name Climate Village Lab, is a pioneering initiative led by the German NGO “GEO schützt den Regenwald”. Officially launched in June 2025, the five-year pilot is being implemented in three rural communities in Zambia to reduce CO₂ emissions, preserve biodiversity, and promote a sustainable development model that can be replicated and adapted worldwide.

After many years of close collaboration, we are pleased to announce that GFA has once again been appointed the general agent for the Bilateral Cooperation Programmes Agriculture and Forestry by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity for the new programme phase from July 2025 to December 2027, with an option to extend until June 2029.

The current challenges in international cooperation require strong players with a wide range of skills – players such as GFA GROUP: a globally active coalition of ten companies.

With its growing network of regional hubs, GFA Consulting Group is strengthening its presence closer to projects and partners. 

A GFA team of experts, together with consortium leader Tropical Health, completed the first multi-country evaluation as part of the ongoing Global Evaluation and Monitoring Framework Agreement (GEMFA).

The H2Global Advisory GmbH was founded in May 2021 by Hamburg-based GFA Holding AG. H2Global Advisory has been an essential enabler for the swift implementation of the H2Global mechanism. 

The Rural Water Supply Programme IV (RWSP IV) in Albania has come to a close - but its impact is just beginning to take root. After four years of targeted technical assistance, collaborative problem-solving, and institutional strengthening, the Programme’s Accompanying Measures (AM) concluded with a forward-looking workshop.

At the CHA25 conference in Berlin, the future of humanitarian aid was explored through key discussions on the politicisation of aid, the funding crisis, and the growing role of local actors. According to OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), funding for humanitarian aid has surged dramatically over the last decade but is now facing a decline of a third in available resources.

This week marked a major milestone in our shared journey toward inclusive governance: Four days of trainings, workshops and discussions of the Académie de Leadership des Femmes Élues Locales (ALFEL) successfully took place in Yaoundé.

The company, which specialises in IT solutions within GFA GROUP, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Its founding Managing Director, Andreas Hentzien, has held the position for just as long. 

The project “Support for 20 Municipalities in Developing Municipal Energy Plans (MEPs)”, carried out within the framework of the GIZ initiative “Promoting Energy Efficiency and the Implementation of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive in Ukraine”, is nearing completion.

The 2nd National Dialogue Event on Urban Environmental Management took place in Dhaka on 28 May. Moderated by GFA governance consultant Hendrik Jaschob, the event was part of GFA's GIZ project, 'Livable and Inclusive Cities for All'.

International cooperation is under pressure in the face of crises and political changes – yet at the same time it is more important than ever to mitigate the consequences of conflict, strengthen climate protection, combat poverty and inequality, and secure education and human rights. This was the tenor of the second Hamburg Sustainability Conference.

The spring conference of the working group on Development Policy and Humanitarian Aid (AK-Epol-HuHi) was dedicated to the challenges when evaluating connectedness and sustainability in this sector. The working group is part of the Evaluation Society DeGEval, with more than 700 members, including institutions such as BMZ, the German Federal Foreign Ministry (AA), KfW, GIZ, Consulting Companies, NGOs and foundations, but also many independent evaluation experts.

On 12 May, the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF) unveiled the winners of the 7th annual CREF Industry Awards. The Awards celebrate innovation, leadership, and impact in advancing the Caribbean’s clean energy transition. The LAIT UP BELIZE! Project, funded by EU and implemented by GFA has won the price as best Clean Energy Policy Programme.

The annual spring conference of the working group on Development policy and Humani-tarian aid of the Evaluation Society DeGEval takes place this week at the GFA premises in Hamburg-Volksdorf. GFA is hosting this year's conference, where around 60 participants will spend two days discussing various topics and listening to presentations by renowned representatives of the evaluation community.

Dietram Oppelt, who serves as both the Managing Director of HEAT and the Chair of the UNFCCC Technology Executive Committee, was invited to speak at Harvard Extension School's AI for Good series.

GFA established a dedicated Framework Contracts Unit in 2018 and ever since has successfully managed contracts in more than 70 countries, building an impressive track record in delivering reliable expertise on short notice. Enjoy learning about some of the Framework Contracts Unit’s success stories highlighted in our latest newsletter and get to know our agile team.

GFA GROUP is repositioning itself with a sharpened strategy and a new common brand design. The globally active coalition of nine companies under the umbrella of GFA Holding is thus addressing an international environment currently characterised by crises and uncertainties.

On 4 April, 2025, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch Phase 2 of the Act4Health project. This agreement reinforces the shared commitment to improving Ukraine’s health system with a specific focus on combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

The project “Support to Ukraine for Developing a Modern Public Health System”, which started in May 2019, has successfully concluded with a closing event in Kyiv with more than 100 participants. Despite facing unprecedented challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and a full-scale Russian invasion, the project team achieved outstanding results.

A project supporting agricultural enterprises along selected value chains in Lao PDR, was launched in January 2025. Funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) through GIZ under the Climate Protection through Avoided Deforestation (CliPAD) programme, the project is implemented by GFA together with Village Focus International (VFI).

GFA Consulting Group, in consortium with Corporate Solutions, has been awarded the JASPERS on-site consultancy for institutional strengthening in Ukraine (EU4U) project. Funded by EIB this transformative initiative will run from April 2025 to April 2028.

On March 15, 2025, a pivotal networking event titled "Access to Financing for Young Entrepreneurs" was held at the National Training College for Household Economics and Social Studies (ENFEFS) in Dakar, orchestrated by GFA Consulting Group under the German cooperation programme "Réussir au Sénégal." This gathering marked a significant milestone in the support and acceleration of entrepreneurial initiatives among the youth in the region. 

GFA GROUP is presenting itself with a new brand design. Under the new shared slogan “Your Purpose. Our Expertise.” and a dynamic visual identity, the group places stronger emphasis on its core competencies and its close relationships with clients.

Last week, Benjamin Klaus from the Regional Business Development team had the opportunity to attend the Finance in Common Summit (FiCS) 2025 in Cape Town, an event that brought together over 2,000 delegates from around the world.

GFA was responsible for the planning, design, procurement of infrastructure and equipment, and supervision of infrastructure works, including the development of maintenance plans. The schools are outstanding centres of excellence with state-of-the-art equipment.

How can young professionals in Senegal make the most of digital tools for their careers? The GIZ-funded project Réussir au Sénégal has launched two new online learning modules on DEFARU to help youth apply digital solutions effectively in their professional lives.

On 4 Feb 2025, GFA Consulting Group, in collaboration with its partners, presented the results of Ukraine’s first-ever Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) survey that was conducted by national institutions. Despite the ongoing full-scale war, Ukraine successfully joined 47 other nations in the sixth round of the COSI survey, marking a significant milestone in the country’s public health research.

For GFA, decentralisation and local roots are not just buzzwords, but a living reality: the on-site presence in markets and regions creates valuable networks and collaborations that not only have a positive impact on local people, but also improve the way GFA works. One example is the collaboration with two freelance graphic designers from Ghana: Richard Apedo Zaforyi and Victor Yaw Morgan reliably provide professional layouts.

All project examples in our recent newsletter demonstrate how nature conservation and social empowerment can successfully go hand in hand. This gives reason for optimism. Together with partners and clients, GFA is ready to counterbalance the slow international action on Biodiversity.

The Araket project, funded by the Swiss Confederation and implemented by GFA, seeks to improve living conditions and reducing vulnerabilities of residents in 11 new settlements across Bishkek and Osh in Kyrgyz Republic.

We’re excited to kick off a new project in Moldova. GFA is proud to partner with SDC on an initiative that aims to contribute to changing social norms, reducing corruption in both public and private sector, enhancing trust and promoting incentives to move out of shadow and black economy in the agri-food and construction sectors in Moldova.

GFA Consulting Group is partnering with GIZ on an initiative that supports Lesotho’s economic growth and job creation by unlocking opportunities in regional trade. GFA’s mission is to empower the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Business Development (MTIBD), as well as local businesses, to boost exports and increase their competitiveness in selected industries.

The next round for “Die Ausdenker”: the image campaign of the same name by the German Association of Consulting Engineers (VBI) is focusing on recruiting young talents with new motifs. The aim is to inspire school students in Germany to consider the exciting and diverse career opportunities in the planning and consulting industry.

By mid-November the GFA project team in DRC organized a technical platform for the provincial and national program team in Kinshasa for the second time, GFA experts from over 12 provinces across the DRC gathered to share experiences and discuss challenges that they face in their role as fiscal agents/assurance providers within the field units.

On 16 October, Kyiv hosted the Ukraine-EU Integration: Healthcare conference, a significant event aimed at aligning Ukraine’s healthcare system with EU regulations and standards. The conference brought together high-level representatives from the European Commission, the World Health Organization (WHO), and Ukraine’s Ministry of Health.

This week, a team of experts from GFA Consulting Group participated in two panel discussions at the Urban Mobility India Conference in Ahmedabad. They also shared experiences from a GIZ project on sustainable urban mobility in India.

In October, GFA Consulting Group's Digital Innovation Unit and the Africa Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) convened a workshop at the 2024 Ghana Digital Innovation Week on Data Ecosystem for AI Development in Ghana.

GFA Consulting Group has launched a major new project under the Eastern Partnership and Central Asia Program (FELICITY II). The 18-month initiative, commissioned by the GIZ, aims to improve low-carbon, climate-resilient urban infrastructure in Ukraine's water and wastewater sectors.

Together with GIZ Iraq, we were thrilled to have officially launched our project in Baghdad on October 8, in collaboration with our valued partner financial institutions. The GIZ-led initiative, "Financial Inclusion for a New Economic Start and Integration in Iraq", commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and co-funded by the European Union, is being implemented by GIZ and GFA.

Benjamin Klaus joined GFA Consulting Group's Regional Business Development team in Johannesburg as a freelance consultant at the beginning of 2023. The 47-year-old's role is to support his GFA colleagues from projects and departments working in the region as a local networker based in South Africa. For our new format “MEET THE TEAM”, we talked to him about his job and his experiences from a year and a half on the ground.

The first Hamburg Sustainability Conference took place in Hamburg on 7 and 8 October. The conference brought together representatives from politics, science, business, civil society, and international organisations to develop solutions for the challenges of our time.

For many years, the EU has supported Jamaica in its efforts to reduce poverty. In 2024, GFA completed an ex-post evaluation with the assistance of two short-term experts. The objective of the evaluation was to provide the EU, as client, and interested stakeholders with an overall independent assessment of the performance of the Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP) IV, key lessons learned, conclusions and recommendations for future interventions.

Cooperation as a guiding principle: In mid-September, GFA Consulting Group participated in the 17th National Urban Development Policy Congress in Heidelberg, which focused on community-oriented urban development in the context of local and international cooperation. Key topics included international city networks, local solutions for global challenges, climate adaptation, land efficient urban development, resource efficient urban districts and co-production as a catalyst for local democracy.

The German-African Business Association celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. Following a celebration at Hamburg's City Hall in May, a high-quality anniversary publication is now available.

Franziska Hoppermann, CDU, visited GFA headquarters in Hamburg. Hoppermann, who represents the constituency of Hamburg-Wandsbek in the German Bundestag, met with Anja Desai, GFA's Managing Director, to discuss current issues of international cooperation.

As one of Europe's leading international cooperation consultancies with offices and partners around the world, we seized the opportunity to connect with innovators, policymakers and industry experts who share our vision for a greener future.

A high-level policy dialogue organized by the 'Supporting Preadness for Article 6 Cooperation (SPAR6C)' program took place in Lusaka this week. GFA Consulting Group is in charge of the implementation of the SPAR6C program, which is lead by GGGI, in Zambia. GFA Consulting Group is also an implementing partner of the GIZ's CooPSA project in Southern African countries and GIZ representatives also participated in the event.

The August edition of our newsletter, “Embracing Agroecology for a Sustainable Future”, explores the critical role of agroecology in addressing global environmental and social challenges. GFA is at the forefront of this transformation, promoting sustainable agricultural practices through projects across Africa, Asia, and Latin America

GFA Consulting Group, in collaboration with GIZ and the ECOWAS Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREE), is proud to announce significant progress in the promotion of renewable energy in the ECOWAS region.

GFA Consulting Group, together with GFA SysCom, has donated 35 decommissioned laptops to the North German-Ukrainian Aid Organisation. These laptops are urgently needed for distance learning by Ukrainian orphans residing in Germany.

The Digital Innovation Unit at GFA has recently unveiled an exciting new product: D^2 Innovate (D-squared). Our freshly launched website, d2innovate.eu, serves as a dynamic hub for collaboration and exploration.

As of July 2024 Christoph Grass has taken over the position of the Managing Director at GKW Consult. Christoph has nearly 20 years of professional experience and has held various managerial positions at international engineering consultancy firms.

From 17-20 April 2024, 100 residents from four new settlements in the city of Osh were trained on how to access digital public services. This training was part of the project ARAKET: For a Better Life in New Settlements in Kyrgyzstan of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

In the middle of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the German capital this week hosted the highly regarded regarded Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2024). In several side events, participants from GFA Consulting Group were also able to make contacts with important players and learned about the current status at numerous panels.

The Natural Resources Management & Environment Department at GFA signed a contract for consultancy services with the National Natural Parks of Colombia (PNNC). The four-year project on behalf of KfW aims at consolidating protected area management and improving connectivity in priority corridors.

On May 29, the picturesque city of Geneva, Switzerland hosted a crucial symposium on the man-agement of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Ukraine amidst the ongoing war.

The activities included in this project are focused on the improvement of the conditions for companies to participate in a South African green hydrogen economy - now the study about "PtX business opportunities in South Africa – market potential & value chain analysis" is available.

GFA Consulting Group and GKW Consult, both members of the GFA Group, showcased their expertise at IFAT 2024 – the world’s leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management – held from 13 to 17 May.

Over the next two years, GFA will support the multi-donor action "Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Economic Development and Employment in Jordan (E4DE)" by identifying and mobilizing short-term experts to contribute to improving the Jordanian business environment and strengthening entrepreneurship capacities.

The project ARAKET: For a Better Life in New Settlements in Kyrgyzstan of SDC aims at contributing to the improvement of residents’ livelihood in eleven new settlements around Bishkek and Osh cities in Kyrgyzstan. During the project's first phase, the GFA team on behalf of SDC is particularly striving for outputs in the improvement of job and income opportunities for women in these areas.

As part of it's mission to support SMEs in the salt industry in Senegal, the "Renforcement des capacités des PME dans l'Industrie du Sel" (Emploi Sel) project and its "Invest for Jobs" program organized the first Salt Industry Business Forum in Kaolack from 25 to 27 October. Partners were UNICEF, the Belgian Development Agency (ENABEL), Nutrition International (NI) and the Conseil National du Développement de la Nutrition (CNDN).

GFA is implementing the project "Strengthening Women's Economic Empowerment in Rwanda" on behalf of GIZ from March 2024 to December 2025. It aims to address unemployment and underemployment in Rwanda with a special focus on women's empowerment.

The project focuses on organizational and capacity development of public entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs) as well as training and coaching of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) using the SME Loop approach and improved access to finance.

GFA, together with its partners, conducted a non-communicable diseases Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) to identify the most cost-effective NCD interventions in Ukraine. This research was modeled to address NCDs in four regions of Ukraine.

The managing directors of GFA GROUP companies gathered in Hamburg for their annual strategy meeting. The central focus of the meeting was, above all, the continued development of GFA GROUP as a unified platform.

Our company has been part of the joint inter-ministerial and strategic evaluation of the civilian engagement of three German ministries in Afghanistan between 2013 and 2021, namely the German Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and for Home Affairs and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Developmt.

On 24 February two years ago, Russia invaded Ukraine. Through its staff and projects, GFA has long individual and professional ties to the country. As Europeans, colleagues and partners, GFA personnel is committed to supporting Ukraine’s path to peace, prosperity and EU accession.

GFA was awarded with a first-position Certificate of Merit from the Tanzanian Tax Authority for its outstanding tax compliance in the Dodoma District in 2023. The acknowledgment was received by the office manager of GFA´s branch in the country during the Taxpayer Appreciation Day ceremony that took place in Dar Es Salaam on 5 Dec, 2023.

GFA, in cooperation with SHER and DEC Ltd., has been awarded the contract for the implementation of the KfW-funded irrigation project PIGO plus from 2024 to 2029. The project’s objective is to establish a basis for sustainable agriculture in selected catchment areas in the west of Burkina Faso to improve food security and create income opportunities for the local population

Exciting times with the H2.SA project "Promoting the development of a hydrogen economy in South Africa - Renewable H2 market potential and value chain analysis", GFA has implemented on behalf of GIZ.

The Green and Digital Innovation Hub Kenya (gDIH) was launched at the Kenya Innovation Week on November 27. This groundbreaking initiative, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German government and the European Union, aims to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Kenya.

The Digital Innovation Unit at GFA has recently unveiled an exciting new product: D^2 Innovate (D-squared). Our freshly launched website, d2innovate.eu, serves as a dynamic hub for collaboration and exploration.

As of July 2024 Christoph Grass has taken over the position of the Managing Director at GKW Consult. Christoph has nearly 20 years of professional experience and has held various managerial positions at international engineering consultancy firms.

From 17-20 April 2024, 100 residents from four new settlements in the city of Osh were trained on how to access digital public services. This training was part of the project ARAKET: For a Better Life in New Settlements in Kyrgyzstan of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

In the middle of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the German capital this week hosted the highly regarded regarded Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2024). In several side events, participants from GFA Consulting Group were also able to make contacts with important players and learned about the current status at numerous panels.

The Natural Resources Management & Environment Department at GFA signed a contract for consultancy services with the National Natural Parks of Colombia (PNNC). The four-year project on behalf of KfW aims at consolidating protected area management and improving connectivity in priority corridors.

On May 29, the picturesque city of Geneva, Switzerland hosted a crucial symposium on the man-agement of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Ukraine amidst the ongoing war.

The activities included in this project are focused on the improvement of the conditions for companies to participate in a South African green hydrogen economy - now the study about "PtX business opportunities in South Africa – market potential & value chain analysis" is available.

GFA Consulting Group and GKW Consult, both members of the GFA Group, showcased their expertise at IFAT 2024 – the world’s leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management – held from 13 to 17 May.

Over the next two years, GFA will support the multi-donor action "Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Economic Development and Employment in Jordan (E4DE)" by identifying and mobilizing short-term experts to contribute to improving the Jordanian business environment and strengthening entrepreneurship capacities.

The project ARAKET: For a Better Life in New Settlements in Kyrgyzstan of SDC aims at contributing to the improvement of residents’ livelihood in eleven new settlements around Bishkek and Osh cities in Kyrgyzstan. During the project's first phase, the GFA team on behalf of SDC is particularly striving for outputs in the improvement of job and income opportunities for women in these areas.

As part of it's mission to support SMEs in the salt industry in Senegal, the "Renforcement des capacités des PME dans l'Industrie du Sel" (Emploi Sel) project and its "Invest for Jobs" program organized the first Salt Industry Business Forum in Kaolack from 25 to 27 October. Partners were UNICEF, the Belgian Development Agency (ENABEL), Nutrition International (NI) and the Conseil National du Développement de la Nutrition (CNDN).

GFA is implementing the project "Strengthening Women's Economic Empowerment in Rwanda" on behalf of GIZ from March 2024 to December 2025. It aims to address unemployment and underemployment in Rwanda with a special focus on women's empowerment.

The project focuses on organizational and capacity development of public entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs) as well as training and coaching of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) using the SME Loop approach and improved access to finance.

GFA, together with its partners, conducted a non-communicable diseases Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) to identify the most cost-effective NCD interventions in Ukraine. This research was modeled to address NCDs in four regions of Ukraine.

The managing directors of GFA GROUP companies gathered in Hamburg for their annual strategy meeting. The central focus of the meeting was, above all, the continued development of GFA GROUP as a unified platform.

Our company has been part of the joint inter-ministerial and strategic evaluation of the civilian engagement of three German ministries in Afghanistan between 2013 and 2021, namely the German Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and for Home Affairs and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Developmt.

On 24 February two years ago, Russia invaded Ukraine. Through its staff and projects, GFA has long individual and professional ties to the country. As Europeans, colleagues and partners, GFA personnel is committed to supporting Ukraine’s path to peace, prosperity and EU accession.

GFA was awarded with a first-position Certificate of Merit from the Tanzanian Tax Authority for its outstanding tax compliance in the Dodoma District in 2023. The acknowledgment was received by the office manager of GFA´s branch in the country during the Taxpayer Appreciation Day ceremony that took place in Dar Es Salaam on 5 Dec, 2023.

GFA, in cooperation with SHER and DEC Ltd., has been awarded the contract for the implementation of the KfW-funded irrigation project PIGO plus from 2024 to 2029. The project’s objective is to establish a basis for sustainable agriculture in selected catchment areas in the west of Burkina Faso to improve food security and create income opportunities for the local population

Exciting times with the H2.SA project "Promoting the development of a hydrogen economy in South Africa - Renewable H2 market potential and value chain analysis", GFA has implemented on behalf of GIZ.

The Green and Digital Innovation Hub Kenya (gDIH) was launched at the Kenya Innovation Week on November 27. This groundbreaking initiative, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German government and the European Union, aims to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Kenya.

GFA is an active member of the German Association of Consulting Engineers (VBI). The German Association is a member of the European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA), which represents the engineering consultancy industry in Europe.

In Germany and other European countries, donated blood and blood products are often just enough to cover the needs. In Ukraine, however, and since the start of the full-scale war in February 2022, blood donation has become an act of supporting national security.

GFA, alongside partners such as the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Public Health Centre of Ukraine, hosted a significant NCD (Non-Communicable Disease) National Forum in Kyiv on November 14-15, 2023.

On November 15, GFA's Natural Resources Management and Environment department signed a new contract with Peru's National Forestry and Wildlife Service for nearly 2 million euros in technical assistance for the program, which is financed by KfW on behalf of German-Peruvian cooperation.

In a significant move towards sustainability, GFA has recently enhanced its environmental commitment by installing 74 photovoltaic modules on the main building at its Hamburg headquarters.

On October 26, GFA South East Europe (GFA SEE), a subsidiary of GFA, celebrated its 10th anniversary at the Barrel House in Belgrade. In the presence of government representatives, donor community, experts and colleagues from GFA Consulting Group, the event featured a panel discussion on the social aspects of green transition.

The Integrated Conservation of Biodiversity and Forest project, a joint project between the Government of Lao PDR and the German Federal Government, has been working since 2015 to manage and conserve more than 900,000 hectares of critical biodiversity landscapes in northern and central Laos.The project recently produced an amazing video about their work and the wildlife.

Water shortage, environmental degradation and climate change are main challenges in the Lake Chad Basin, which are accelerated by rapid population growth and volatile social, economic and political developments in the region. The Lake Chad Basin Commission was established to address these challenges by managing the water resources.

In a world grappling with climate challenges, the Power-to-X (PtX) industry is emerging as a beacon of hope, promising to transform our carbon woes into sustainable solutions. A key lynchpin in this transformation is sustainable carbon sourcing - a new study shows why.

The GIZ Technical Working Group on Energy-Climate Action-Transport meets twice a year to exchange on concepts and approaches related to greenhouse gas emissions in the context of  transport and mobility.

On 10 October, the annual Mental Health Day is commemorated in Ukraine, too. In this context, a recent exchange of experiences is remarkable. On September 11-15, two projects supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) joined forces to facilitate the transfer of best practices within the region.

These days, GFA is conducting a global diagnosis of the city’s entire water supply system funded by the International Red Cross Committee (ICRC). The examination prepares the ground for ICRC plans to extend its support beyond repairing current damage to a more long-term, holistic and structured approach.

Not many people know that 75 % of newly emerging diseases are caused by zoonosis such as HIV, Ebola, swine and bird flu, which are transferred from animals to humans. The recent Covid-19 pandemic has been a bitter reminder of the interconnectedness of all life forms on our planet. Unfortunately but most probably there is more to come.

For the many years that GFA has actively carried out projects in Berlin, the company has not had a joint office there until now. This meant that many GFA colleagues in Berlin only met rarely or not at all. It is for this reason that we are particularly pleased that we could finally celebrate the official inauguration of our Berlin office together with our colleagues and guests on 13 July 2023. 

On 31 July 2023, the annual World Ranger Day is celebrated  in protected areas worldwide. For GFA and our project partners alike this is an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to protect the national park and its wildlife. Rangers, who are often considered the physical guards of biodiversity in protected areas.

An article in the June edition of Ingenium , a magazine for planners issued by the German Federation of Consulting Engineers (VBI), deals with “Consulting under Global Challenges - German Consultants in a Fragile World” (pp 34-36)

On 30 June, 2023, the GIZ Digital Transformation Centre in Nairobi, Kenya announced the African Centre for Technology Studies as the winning consortium for the Green Digital Innovation Hub

After more than four years of intensive and prolific work that started in 2018, GFA successfully completed the Policy and Regulatory Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA). This was a technical assistance project, which was implemented in partnership with the African Union Commission on the basis of funding by the EU.

The Green Business Development Project in Jordan was successfully concluded in mid 2023, after BMZ had commissioned GIZ with the implementation of the Green Action in Enterprises (GAIN) project to support stakeholders in the introduction of green economy approaches to the industrial sector.

As a company passionate about the water sector, GFA was thrilled to attend and participate as an exhibitor in the Danube Water Conference “Navigating changing waters” in Vienna from 31 May to 2 June, 2023. It was inspiring to hear about the numerous ongoing and upcoming  initiatives in the water sector.

Every year, World Refugee Day on 20 June celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. The Day’s 2023 theme is “hope away from home.” This theme reflects the situation of millions of refugees in the world.

GFA led the project Act4Health in Ukraine, which provides help and support for the people that need it the most affected - those with chronic health conditions and predominant Non-Communicable Diseases (NDC). The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) supports the project. 

The German Association of Consulting Engineers (VBI) launched a campaign in 2023 to celebrate the people they call Die Ausdenker: Germany’s consulting engineers and architects - The Re-Thinkers. The campaign shines a light on the profession of engineers as drivers of innovation in the face of technical, economic, and ecological challenges.

As part of the initiative FAIR Forward implemented by GIZ on behalf of German Federal Ministry of Development and Economic Cooperation together with Rwanda Space Agency, GFA developed a curriculum aimed at providing training to aspiring data scientists in  Machine Learning for Earth Observation (ML4EO).

On April 17, 2023, the Belize Ministry of Energy recognized five Women in Renewable Energy (WIRE) who have significantly contributed to the sustainable energy transition in Belize. The European Union supported the award through a GFA project titled, LAIT UP BELIZE!

In April 2023, GFA successfully completed the Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings in Jordan (EEPB) project

We celebrate biodiversity by reaffirming our commitment to protecting ecosystems through capacity development in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where we work

Over the past 11 months, GFA implemented a project in Fiji to improve the ePhyto (digital plant health certification) system and roll out ePhyto certificates nationwide

Get all information and contact us!

Digitalization has become an essential consideration in the energy sector, while the production and use of green hydrogen is expected to become a game changer

Digital skills are considered a key competence of the 21st century, but how can we target and develop digital competencies in Technical Vocational Education and Training and Higher Education?

On 28 March 2023, the Supporting Article 6 Cooperation (SPAR6C) program was officially launched by Honorable Eng. Collins Nzovu, Minister of the Zambian Green Economy and Environment Ministry

GFA is pleased to announce that together with the company Tractebel, we have signed an agreement on a transfer of ownership of GKW Consult GmbH to GFA Holding AG. The agreement was signed on 21 March 2023

World Water Day is a global observance held annually on 22 March to raise awareness about the importance of freshwater resources and the need for sustainable water management

“Enabling Access to Justice, Civil Society Participation and Transparency” (EnACT), a GIZ supported project in Zambia, just won the Techtrends Zambia Awards 2022 under the category “Tech for Good”

GFA as the implementing agency for IFE is proud to report: The Eranove Group has developed a program to train engineers and managers for the African continent

On 17 November 2022 GFA B.I.S. conducted the “1st GFA BIS SunSystems User day” in Berlin

Instead of giving Christmas presents to its business partners, GFA contributes yearly to a fund for charitable projects supported by employees

In September 2022, a team of GFA consultants led a successful first SPAR6C scoping mission to Zambia. The SPAR6C program (Supporting Preparedness for Article 6 Cooperation) is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) 

The African continent remains the primary target region for GFA Consulting Group GmbH. East Africa has become a technology hub with many startups and research

The northeast of Uganda is in the grip of a severe drought, leaving more than half a million people at risk of starvation. GFA team is assisting the Ugandan government in constructing three medium-sized dams that will provide water all year around

In 2019, MCC/MFK contracted GFA together with HPC International to identify the best technical and financial model to implement energy efficiency measures, and thus decrease energy consumption in Kosovo

The study provides an overview of the status of international climate negotiations and issues at stake at the COP27 climate change conference

On September 26, the  Joint Action for Sustainable Development platform was launched during the 21st annual conference of the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) in Berlin

As part of the GIZ Reform of the Water Sector II program in Zambia, GFA conducted theoretical and practical training sessions for the Lusaka Water and Sanitation Company personnel

The European Green Deal is the European Union policy approach that provides the framework and the resources for Europeans to contribute to solving the global climate change challenges

Within the EU project “Support to Ukraine for developing a modern public health dystem” GFA has launched a website for Ukraine refugees in European countries: www.treatment4ukraine.com

In the presence of numerous distinguished guests from Fiji‘s private and public sectors, the Fiji ePhyto project was officially launched on 18 July 2022 in Suva, Fiji

GFA has successfully completed the “Learning Networks in Municipal Energy Management Systems” project in Mexico

Life without smartphones is unthinkable, but unfortunately, their ecological footprint is problematic. GFA has decided, for this reason, to provide employees who are due a new company mobile phone with a Fairphone 4

In light of the high demand and positive feedback from previous participants, TVET Hamburg together with the Renewables Academy AG (RENAC) offers the third round of the Green TVET School

From September 2019 until May 2022, GFA, in partnership with HPC International, successfully implemented a pioneering Women in Energy Efficiency (WEE) intervention activity to support women-owned businesses in the Republic of Kosovo with energy-efficient equipment and appliances

This year, between 18 May and 1 July, we will celebrate the GFA anniversary with a series of events on current topics in international cooperation at six different locations in Germany and abroad - watch the event summaries online

We took our 40th company anniversary as an opportunity to produce an impressive film about Senegal and our projects for vocational training and employment in the country

The Joint Action for Sustainable Development project, which is financed by the budget of the Federal Chancelleryand implemented by GFA, has launched the landing page ofits website, inviting organizations around Germany to register their sustainability initiative on a national web platform

Linked with GFA´s 40th anniversary celebrations, Anja Desai, GFA managing director, as well as Paul van der Poel, GFA director Natural Resources Management and Environment, visited Albania

A delegation visited our project in Albania, a composting plant in the municipality of Cërrik.

The Facility Investing for Employment announces the signature of a new grant agreement with an NGO in Rwanda

On April 18-22, 2022, the city of Saranda, Albania organized the "Saranda Recycling Week"

The Facility Investing for Employment launches a new Call for Proposals in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tunisia

On behalf of GIZ GFA developed the Peace Education Handbook for the Great Lakes Region in English and French

Beginning of April, the expert team of GFA and ValuAdd presented to the UK Himara Management a draft business plan developed within the framework of the project “Rural Water Supply Program IV (RWSP IV)” accompanying measures

Within the GIZ Reform of the Water Sector II program in #Zambia, implemented by GFA, an Industrial Wastewater (IWW) survey was conducted

The GIZ Reform of the Water Sector II program in Lusaka and Luapula provinces is implemented by GFA to improve working conditions for transparent planning and implementation processes in securing water and sanitation services and skills development in this sector

On April 14, 2022, the German Ambassador to Albania, HE Peter Zingraf visited the Prespa National Park

The EU hosted a high-level event on women’s political participation in Georgia on March 31^st, 2022

This year, between 18 May and 6 July, we will celebrate the GFA anniversary with a series of events on current topics in international cooperation at six different locations in Germany and abroad

The next Call for Proposals will start on 1 June 2022 and will seek applications for projects in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tunisia

In a recent press release, the Global Nature Fund (GNF) reports on impressive sustainable activities taking place in the context of the project “From Farm to Fork”

GFA has developed a new foresight study for GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development

A war goes against all we work for. We are saddened and shocked and angry - all at the same time by the atrocious attack of the Russian regime on Ukraine

In light of the high demand and positive feedback from previous participants, TVET Hamburg together with the Renewables Academy AG (RENAC) offers the third round of the Green TVET School

Today, digital learning has become a common phenomenon, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. This newsletter sheds some light on a GFA corporate culture of "digital by purpose” instead of “digital by default”

GFA is providing waste management consultancy services within the City Climate Finance Gap Fund

A consortium led by GFA South East Europe  has been awarded the World Bank technical assistance project Strengthening Capacities of Local Self-Governments (LSGs) in Serbia towards Low-carbon and Resilient Urban Development Investments

On 20-21st January 2022, the Swiss-Ukraine project Act4Health, led by GFA Consulting Group, in collaboration with Ukraine Public Health, organized a two-day strategy development workshop in Ukraine involving all national and international stakeholders working in the field of non-communicable diseases 

GFA leads a consortium comprising the partners Conflict Management Consulting CMC (Belgium), MAZURIS SASU (France), and Multiconsult Norge A/S that has been awarded with the “KfW 2020/0043: Framework Agreement (FWA) for Consulting Services in Fragile Contexts”

A film team from GFA accompanied our project ‘From Farm to Fork’, on location in Costa Rica. The impressively produced footage with fascinating interviews is available under this link . Enjoy!

Under the Backstopping Mandate, the team developed the new SDC Financial Sector Development Guidance, a state-of-the-art document

The GFA Energy department has successfully finished the GIZ project “Assessment of energy efficiency service market potentials in Egypt and the feasibility of establishing a Super Energy Service Company (Super ESCo)”

GFA is again listed in the Hamburger Abendblatt among the top 200 employers in Hamburg

GFA invited 27 innovators from nine West-African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo), to attend an innovation boot camp in Grand Bassam, Côte d’Ivoire, for 3-days at the end of September 2021

On 1 Jan 2022, GFA will become a member of Renewable Energy Hamburg (EEHH, a network of more than 200 private companies, universities, research institutes and public authorities

The variety of course formats has increased quite considerably in the last years, mainly due to digitalization

The successful applicants of last year’s call for proposals in Tunisia emanated from sectors that include food processing, construction, technology, and the chemical industry  

For two days in late September, the GFA head offices in Volksdorf felt like a beehive with people bustling about in all directions, hunting for information. The buzz was all about the GFA’s first Climate and Energy Cluster Days on 28-29 Sept, 2021

If you remain curious about whatever happened to the golden Eagle ’Mati‘ after release in Prespa National Park, then here’s an update

The “Green Innovation Centre for the Agriculture and Food Sector in Vietnam”, is aiming to improve rural livelihoods through promoting climate-intelligent innovations along the rice and mango value chains within selected districts of the Mekong Delta

GFA Consulting Group, together with Kocks Consult and Valu Add Management Services has been awarded a consulting service contract in Albania for the “Rural Water Supply Programme IV-Accompanying Measures”

Green Economy will be a priority theme of this call for proposal

After eight years it was high time for all Managing Directors of the GFA Group to meet together in person for a full day

The Ghanaian Times reported as follows on a project implemented by GFA within Ghana on behalf of GIZ

On the 28th of September 2021, Ukraine began with the implementation of a Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) survey

Between the 21st and 23rd of September, 2021, the Ministry of Health and key stakeholders of the health sector in Malawi came together at the Joint Annual Health Sector Performance Review (JAR)

GFA’s transition to a digital company got a big push last year after working intensively on its digital innovation strategy, building on the strengths of our thriving Digital Innovation Unit and our three IT companies – GFA Syscom, GFA B.I.S. and TolaData

GFA assist ProFEB with EEC measures that focus on human capacity development of government and civil society partners

GFA ENTEC (GFA subsidiary) is actively supporting the National Development Foundation of Dominica in the development and implementation of three new Green Financing Products

The structural upheavals of the past year promoted the need for innovative digital solutions in development cooperation worldwide

Economic growth generally implies growing demand for raw materials, energy and other natural resources, while growing amounts of materials end up as waste if not properly managed

20 September – 29 October 2021: TVET Hamburg has partnered with the Renewables Academy AG (RENAC) to create a unique E-learning experience about the German dual TVET system with a focus on green energy skills

GFA implements the Foresight study on the implications of blockchain on development cooperation and financing sustainable development - take part!

The dairy value chain project in Kenya had four very lively and participated radio shows in two local radio stations assuring coverage over the entire working area of the project

Ever since November 2017, GFA has been implementing the Innovative Training in the Milk Value Chain component (FiL) as part of the Green Innovation Center Tunisia

GFA has launched the Capacity Building for the Aquaculture Sector project on behalf of GIZ as part of the Country Package - Fishing for food security in Cambodia

The safety of citizens using public transport during the pandemic has been one of the hot topics of the BMZ funded project “Integrated Urban Transport Systems for Smart Cities” (SMART-SUT)

On 4 June 2021, GFA and its partners launched the Reducing Risk Factors for Non-Communicable Disease project in Ukraine, which is funded by Swiss Development Corporation

On May 21, 2021 GFA Group registered a new company, the H2Global Advisory GmbH, in the context of the H2Global support mechanism of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi)

GFA in cooperation with DMI Associates recently completed the project “Support to the Development of a Geographical Indications System” in Ukraine

On 28 May 2021, German Health Minister Spahn visited the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) to officially hand over laboratory equipment

GFA, the lead company of a consortium, officially closed an EU flagship business support initiative in Ukraine, the EU SURE FORBIZ as part of the EU4Business Initiative

GFA has been implementing one of the action areas of the GIZ program Civil Society Participation Program (CSPP) at the local level in Zambia since September 2018

Grenada is facing two serious risks: scarcity of freshwater and recurring natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods

At a learning journey in April 2021, we invited the Hamburg Sports Federation to present the "Integration through Sport" program

Green Economy projects are particularly welcome. Companies and other organisations can apply for co-financing grants worth up to 10 million euros per project

On 13 April 2021, a Golden Eagle was released at the Prespa National Park in a ceremony recognizing the threatened status of the emblematic bird and national symbol of Albania

GFA is currently implementing an e-learning training on a fully functional Learning Management System platform developed by its Senegalese partner Volkeno:www.defaru.sn

The project Del Campo al Plato advocates the integration of biodiversity and ecosystem services elements in banana and pineapple value chains in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic

The Facility wants to promote the labour market in Ghana by providing financial and technical support to project leaders in order to boost the economy, generate long-term jobs and encourage continuous training

On behalf of the Green Innovation Centres for the Agriculture and Food Sector program of GIZ, GFA is implementing the dairy value chain component in selected counties of Western Kenya

Companies and other organizations can apply for co-financing grants worth up to € 10 million per project

Every year 500,000 young Afghans enter the labor market and want to secure a future life free of poverty and conflict

In this newsletter, the company’s Public Finance Management Team offers an overview of how GFA contributes to the SDGs

On 2 March 2021, the Ukrainian Public Health Centre and the project “Reducing Risk Factors for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases in Ukraine” funded by SDC signed a Memorandum of Understanding

The model of circular economy is based on the goal to design out waste and pollution, keep materials in use and regenerate natural systems

In Morocco, the labour market is characterised by strong and persistent imbalances in supply
and demand for labour, and in the qualification system

In the recent Carbon Mechanisms Review M. Burian and J. Schnurr together with their colleagues at the REDD Focal Point and WWF in the Democratic Republic of the Congo share their experiences and valuable lessons learnt within the development and implementation of the Mai Ndombe Province Emission Reduction Program

GFA B.I.S. has published a new factsheet on DACOTA, a fully customizable remote monitoring system to track and monitor decentralized project activities.

The project Del Campo al Plato advocates the integration of biodiversity and ecosystem services elements in banana and pineapple value chains in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic

A website for the Community-based Sustainable Forest Management for Water Resource Conservation in Manipur (CSOFOM) project was officially launched  Imphal, Manipur

GFA is again listed in the Hamburger Abendblatt among the top 200 employers in Hamburg.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep us under stress. More than ever it becomes clear how vital an intact healthcare system is for achieving other sustainable development goals

The Coronavirus outbreak forced all of us to explore new ways of working while it accelerated digital transformation

We are happy to share with you e-learning success stories from Honduras, the African Union, Ukraine and our in-house courses in our latest C³ Newsletter

From December 2019 to September 2020 the consortium GFA-GCI carried out the “Preparatory Study for the Land Management Project Laos (LMPL)”, funded by KfW

The One-Stop Information Platform (OSIP) for investment in the Nigerian Renewable Energy Engery Efficiency (RE/EE) sector launched on the 30th November

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep us under stress. More than ever it becomes clear how vital an intact healthcare system is for achieving other sustainable development goals

GFA’s Water, Sanitation and Waste Management department, in association with JBG Gauff Consultants and NETWAS Tanzania, has been providing consulting services for the implementation of the Investment Financing Facility for Tanzanian Urban Water Utilities since April 2016

This year’s topic of the GFFA is “How can agriculture provide the world long-term with food for a balanced diet despite pandemics and climate change” will take place in a virtual format in January 2021

On November 17^th  2020, GFA on behalf of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Government of Albania organized a webinar for over 200 participants via the ”Albania Agribusiness Support Facility" project

1 February – 12 March 2021 - TVET Hamburg has partnered with the Renewables Academy AG to create a unique e-learning experience about the German dual TVET system with a focus on green energy skills

Agriculture plays a significant role in Albania, contributing to 18.6% of the country‘s GDP while employing 36% of the total employment population

The SDC project Mental Health for Ukraine, implemented by GFA, managed to publish an article in the open-access, peer-reviewed "Journal for Market Access & Health Policy"

The Public Service Journalism Webinar Training Program on COVID-19, which is organized by TRANSFORMASI shall enter its final stage

Join the 1^st EU-Latin America Partnership on Raw Materials Conference on 24 - 25 November

On 22 December 2020 the VIENTIANE TIMES published an article about the finished CliPAD project in Laos. 

During a project visit on 19-23 Oct 2020, German Ambassador to Laos, Jens Lütkenherm, called ten years of German technical and financial cooperation related to climate protection through avoided deforestation in the Huaphan Province a success story

he technical assistance to the Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA) prepared and supported an Africa Union Commission (AUC) workshop

Within an EU-funded project, GFA supports the Children’s Museum of Amman through supplying the children with educational material on energy

The EU-funded Supporting Public Health Institutes Program (SPHIP), duly supported by GFA, hosted a round table at this year’s World Congress on Public Health

Since 2018, GFA, in a Consortium with IHS, has been implementing on behalf of GIZ Component 3 of the project Sustainable Intermediate Cities in Ecuador

As of 2017, GFA has implemented the project TRANSFORMASI on behalf of GIZ in Indonesia. After the COVID-19 outbreak, GFA received additional funding from BMZ to support responses to the pandemic itself

GFA Managing Director, Anja Desai, and ZIF Head of HR, Sarah Degen-Heinemann, met in Hamburg to renew the cooperation between the two companies

The SDC-funded project, Mental Health for Ukraine (MH4U), implemented by GFA in partnership with Implemental and the University of Zurich, launched an online course: Spring School of Mental Health

The GFA C³ Trainer Network further enhanced its better learning mindframe through the Professional Training course

On the 2^nd of September 2020, GFA’s Water, Sanitation and Waste Management department launched a new GIZ project in Tirana to address their solid waste and recycling management

Projekt-Consult GmbH, member of GFA group implemented an online CTC (Certified Trading Chains) audit training course for auditor candidates in the Democratic Republic of Congo financed by BGR.

Watch the short film about the PRIDA project

In response to the temporary demands of vulnerable families of especially affected locations in the program region of Golfo de Fonseca, Honduras

In APRODE II, GFA is supporting the development of a regional training program for both specialists and managers within the administration of Honduran education

We are now on the home stretch of our final activities in the EDMITA project, which is set for completion at the end of October

In collaboration with Lucid Media, GFA´s Digital Innovation Unit is currently implementing the GIZ project One-Stop-Shop for Investors in the Nigerian renewable/energy efficiency sector

This newsletter presents GFA’s integrated approach towards urban resilience and discusses tools that support local governments in facing future shocks and stresses

Recently the Zambian TV station Zanis broadcasted a detailed report about the work of our Water and Sanitation project in Zambian Western province.

Kenya’s national newspaper, “The Standard”, published a detailed article pertaining to a GIZ project being implemented by GFA

The latest FAO newsletter for Colombia involves the topic marketing strategies within the framework of COVID-19

GFA has been awarded a mandate from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to implement the new regional project “Strengthening Social Entrepreneurship for Migration & Development”

Member of the German Bundestag, Aydan Özuguz, and Senator of Finance of the Hamburg Bürgerschaft, Dr Andreas Dressel, visited GFA headquarters on the outskirts of Hamburg on 10 July, 2020

The outbreak of the corona virus disease in 2019, (COVID-19), that started in the Hubei province of China, has now spread to all continents, affecting 188 countries in all regions

GFA is implementing the third component of a GIZ program in Zambia: “Civil society participation in governance reform and poverty reduction (CSPP)”

GFA through its KfW-supported project “Community-based Sustainable Forest Management for Water Resources Conservation in Manipur, India” donated Rs 25,000 towards the Chief Minister´s COVID-19 Relief Fund

The GFA Climate Competence Center (CCC) has been working on the ‘Green Hydrogen’ topic since 2018 in South Africa

In recent months, the Covid-19 pandemic and its global implica­tions have meant serious challenges for governments, businesses and individuals alike

The film shows the success of the ProSecAl project and its impact on women and beneficiary households

FAO together with the WWF Landscape financing lab organized a French webinar on approaches for the evaluation of environmental services

In March 2020, the General Directorate of Water Resources of the Ministry of the Environment in Honduras thanked the SDC for its contribution to the consolidation of the legal and regulatory framework

As the Covid-19 pandemic unfolds, disruptions in domestic food supply chains are emerging as a pressing issue in many countries

In order to show solidarity and offer support, GIZ in cooperation with Siemens Gamesa and the local association Amis des Écoles has distributed up to 1,250 food packages for poor families in the Midelt region

GFA published an Energy strategic paper - it outlines the perspectives held by the GFA energy team about how the energy sector can contribute to establish resilient societies in future by providing sustainable, flexible and resilient energy solutions that are both technically robust and economically feasible

Indonesia’s Ministry of State Apparatus and Bureaucratic Reform has currently requested TRANSFORMASI’s assistance in developing a one-off recognition competition for innovations responding to the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia

HEAT organized the first of a series of four webinars on Fostering Green Recovery through Climate Technologies

Sphere Solutions, a major South African manufacturer of transcritical CO₂ systems, and its partners met with five commercial banks in South Africa to discuss cooling-as-a-service (CaaS) for implementing related innovative refrigeration systems in South Africa

GFA B.I.S. has long been focused on offering to our clients and partners innovative and flexible tools that can be tailored to individual projects’ needs

The Alliance for Rural Electrification is a network of policy makers, private and public stakeholders to foster the development of decentralized renewable energy solutions in Africa, Asia and Latin America

The project teams of GFA are engaged in our partner countries to help limiting the pandemic itself and coping with the immediate effects of the dramatic economic slow-down

To what extent can agriculture contribute to climate protection? How can agriculture adapt to climate change? These questions were addressed in studies the proceedings of which have been published in April 2020 by GFA together with the BMEL and other project partners

For four years, GFA experts have been engaged in developing innovative solutions for the sustainable management and protection of the Taï and Comoé National Parks in Ivory Coast

Albania, too, is in a nationwide lockdown to fight the Corona pandemic. While people are to stay at home, nature at the project location of the KfW financed project Transboundary Biosphere Reserve Prespa of the Prespa National Park is not in quarantine

As the corona crisis is rapidly unfolding, our projects worldwide are starting to feel the impact. You might be worried about the ability of GFA Headquarters, being based right in what the WHO calls the epicentre of the pandemic, to provide the usual support over the coming weeks and months

For two weeks in November 2019, one major road in Coimbatore, a city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, changed into a scene of colorful blocks and stripes

For two weeks in November 2019, one major road in Coimbatore, a city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, changed into a scene of colorful blocks and stripes

Offering an innovative and flexible approach during the current worldwide Covid-19 crisis, GFA managed to successfully kick-off a new fiscal agent project in Chad for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

In Senegal, too, authorities are preparing against the spread of Covid-19

The Mental Health for Ukraine (MH4U) project has responded to the current Corona crisis by developing resources for Ukrainian citizens and health professionals that help them better cope with the psychological stress caused by the pandemic

On 9 March, 2020 the finalization of energy-efficient measures at five public buildings in Amman was celebrated in Amman, Jordan

German development cooperation enables reference laboratories in West Africa to perform the much-needed diagnostic tests

Enjoy a short film in French, with English subtitles, which shows the launch and implementation in October 2019 of a digital health game for young people

Framework contracts (FWC) are an approach to reduce time-consuming and bureaucratic procurement processes. GFA has been implementing EU FWC for more than 15 years

In January 2020, GFA officially started the new project phase as General Agent for the Bilateral Cooperation Program (BKP) of the German Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL)

On 18 February 2020, GFA presented the climate change adaptation measure "Smart-Valleys" at GIZ headquarters in Eschborn

GFA organized four hackathons in Liberia, Nigeria, Guinea and Sierra Leone for BMZ/GIZ

On 15 February, GFA successfully launched the first contest of ideas for banana and pineapple farmers in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic

This February, GFA-SGL started the second phase of the Soil Protection and Rehabilitation (ProSoil) Project in Western Kenya

GFA implements the EU funded project “Advisory Services for Resilient Agri-Food System (ASRAFS)”, which directly supports the DEVCO C1 unit based in Brussels, Belgium

GFA, in a consortium together with Particip GmbH as lead, Indufor Oy, Oréade-Brèche Environnement & Développement and Prospect C&S SA has been awarded the EU contract “Forest for the Future Facility – F4”

2019 was again an exciting year for our C³ Unit. Our global C³ team was engaged in good learning in 21 countries

The Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) publishes a research paper on a carbon finance instrument

In September 2019, GFA has been awarded the contract for the implementation of the Procurement of Implementer for Pilot Incentives for Energy Efficiency (PIEE)

As part of the EDMITA project mayors, deputy mayors and other representatives of the communities of Midelt, Er-Rich, Tata and Foum El Hisn, Morocco, went on a study tour to Freiburg

On 31 December 2019 our component of the GIZ-financed Labour Market Access Project in Egypt came to an end after four and a half years of very successful and fruitful implementation