Barrow to Award 1,318 TVET Scholarships, Launch Startup Funding Windows

By Ebrima Fadera

Edited by Mutiu Olawuyi

President Adama Barrow is expected to preside over a major Skills, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fund Award Ceremony on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, where 1,318 Technical and Vocational Education and Training students will receive scholarships and stipends.

The ceremony will also include institutional improvement grants for 25 TVET institutions and the announcement of new funding windows aimed at supporting training providers and young entrepreneurs across The Gambia.

According to the release, the awards will be made under the Skills, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fund, implemented through the World Bank-funded Resilience, Inclusion, Skills and Equity Project.

Under Window 2 of the fund, scholarships and stipends will support 1,318 students enrolled in 18 public and private TVET institutions. The support is intended to expand access to relevant skills training and help young Gambians prepare for employment, entrepreneurship and productive participation in the economy.

In addition, 25 TVET institutions will receive Window 1 Institutional Improvement Grants to strengthen institutional capacity, improve training facilities and enhance the quality of TVET delivery nationwide.

The grants to be awarded under the two windows amount to GMD 83,814,708.24. Of this amount, GMD 33,858,708.24 will go to Window 1 for TVET institutional capacity strengthening and improvement initiatives, while GMD 49,956,000.00 will support Window 2 scholarships, stipends and training grants.

The initiative comes at a critical time for The Gambia, where youth employment, practical skills development and economic diversification remain central national priorities. For many young people, TVET can provide a direct pathway to jobs, self-employment and dignity.

The SIE Fund operates through three financing windows: strengthening TVET institutional capacity, supporting relevant skills development and training grants, and promoting youth entrepreneurship.

The fund is designed to equip young Gambians with technical and entrepreneurial skills needed to contribute to sustainable national development. It also aligns with the Recovery-Focused National Development Plan 2023–2027, which emphasizes human capital, inclusion, skills and job creation as key drivers of growth.

As part of the next phase, the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology is expected to launch new calls for proposals for all three SIE Fund windows in August 2026.

This will include activation of Window 3, which will provide startup support for young entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas. Aspiring entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35 with high-potential business concepts will be eligible to apply for grants, mentorship and incubation support.

Priority sectors will include agriculture, engineering, tourism, information and communication technology, business, and creative and performing arts.

The new calls will be open to TVET institutions, training providers and individual entrepreneurs nationwide. Detailed application guidelines, eligibility criteria and timelines are expected to be published through the SIE Fund portal and official communication channels of MoHERST.

The July 28 ceremony is expected to bring together government officials, development partners, representatives of TVET institutions and beneficiaries.

Beyond the numbers, the ceremony represents an investment in the future of Gambian youth. Scholarships can help students remain in training. Institutional grants can improve the quality of learning. Startup support can help young entrepreneurs move from ideas to income-generating ventures.

For the program to achieve lasting impact, implementation will be key. Beneficiaries must be selected fairly, training must match labor-market needs, institutions must use grants transparently, and young entrepreneurs must receive mentorship that goes beyond funding.

The success of the SIE Fund will ultimately be measured by how many young Gambians gain employable skills, create businesses, support their families and contribute to national development.

If properly implemented, the fund can help move skills development from policy language to practical opportunity — giving young people the tools to build livelihoods, strengthen communities and participate meaningfully in The Gambia’s economic transformation.