The National Treasury’s Jobs Fund has officially opened its thirteenth funding round, calling for bold, innovative solutions that can unlock scalable, sustainable employment.

Under the theme 'catalysing demand-led growth in the green and informal economy', this funding round will be open from May 18 to June 30.

The fund seeks to partner with experienced intermediaries across the private, public and nonprofit sectors to accelerate job creation in high-potential areas of the economy, with a strong focus on the green and informal sectors.

Since its inception in 2011, the Jobs Fund has committed R7.7-billion in public funding, leveraging an additional R15.7-billion in matched contributions from partners. This collaborative approach has supported over 180 projects across 12 funding rounds, resulting in more than 343 000 jobs and internships created and over 418 000 work-seekers and entrepreneurs trained.

Notably, 66% of programme participants have been youth and 58% women, with 98% from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.

The thirteenth funding round builds on this record by targeting sectors with strong labour absorption potential and long-term sustainability. In particular, the green economy presents a significant opportunity to drive job creation while advancing South Africa’s transition to a more sustainable, low-carbon future.

At the same time, the informal economy, which employs over 5.7-million people, remains underdeveloped relative to other emerging markets, highlighting the need for innovative approaches to unlock its full potential, the fund states.

Despite these opportunities, both sectors face structural barriers, including limited access to finance, skills shortages, regulatory constraints and market access challenges. The Jobs Fund is, therefore, seeking proposals that directly address these constraints through innovative, scalable and implementable solutions.

“The scale of South Africa’s unemployment challenge requires a fundamentally different approach, one that moves beyond traditional interventions and actively catalyses new markets, new industries and new ways of working.

"Through the thirteenth funding round, we are looking to partner with organisations that are responding to today’s employment challenges and are actively shaping the future of work in South Africa. This is about unlocking investment, enabling innovation, and delivering sustainable impact at scale,” says Jobs Fund head Najwah Allie-Edries.