The Africa Think Tank Platform Call for Proposals to Advance Policy Research Across the Continent
The African Union Commission will launch a call for proposals on July 24, 2025, for its five-year, $50 million Africa Think Tank Platform initiative, offering competitive grants and institutional support to strengthen policy research institutions across the continent.
The Africa Think Tank Platform (ATTP) is an initiative of the African Union Commission in partnership with the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), with funding from the World Bank Group.
The call for proposals marks the operational launch of the initiative, which aims to enhance evidence-based policymaking and cross-border collaboration among African research institutions.
The call for proposals will select between three and five consortia, each comprising three to five African think tanks, to receive grants of approximately US$10 million for up to two and a half (2.5) years. Selected consortia will conduct collaborative research on regional integration issues across six priority areas: economic transformation and governance, climate change adaptation, regional trade and value chains, food security, human capital development, and digitalization. Gender inclusion will be integrated across all thematic areas. Each consortium is expected to address at least four of these priority areas, with grants supporting policy-relevant research, policy uptake, institutional capacity building, and initiatives to improve the representation of women in professional roles within think tanks.
The launch event will take place at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa and will be streamed virtually for continental participation. Think tanks have until September 24, 2025, to submit proposals, with award notifications scheduled for November 14, 2025.
Addressing Continental Challenges
The platform responds to multiple interconnected policy challenges facing Africa, including political instability, governance deficits, economic inequality, climate change impacts, health crises, and food insecurity.
Many African countries also struggle with financial constraints, external debt, capacity gaps, and fragmented policy implementation.
Supporting Regional Integration
The platform will facilitate partnerships between think tanks and policymakers while promoting regional policy harmonization.
It will also create a dynamic and accessible policy knowledge repository to support evidence-based decision-making, aligned with the African Union's Agenda 2063 and global development goals.
Collaborative Research Model
The ATTP addresses common obstacles facing African think tanks, including limited capacity, funding constraints, and restricted access to policymakers.
The initiative emphasizes collaborative, cross-border research to prevent duplication and support the effective implementation of policies in all member states.
Recent economic shocks, including those from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war, have highlighted the need for strong African institutions capable of effective regional decision-making.
The platform seeks to deliver economies of scale by supporting research that transcends national boundaries.
Application Process and Support
Eligible applicants must demonstrate strong track records in public policy research, regional collaboration, and institutional capacity.
The competitive selection process will prioritize think tanks capable of generating practical, high-quality policy solutions.
Selected consortia will receive funding, institutional support, capacity development, and access to a continental network linking them with policymakers and peer institutions.
The initiative aims to strengthen African institutions and expand their influence in shaping development outcomes.
Ongoing Engagement
Regular informational webinars will provide updates and live question-and-answer sessions for interested applicants.
More details will be distributed via email and through ATTP and partner organization websites.
The platform represents what organizers describe as a homegrown solution that could serve as a model for policy infrastructure development.
Over the next five years, the ATTP will support think tanks and policymakers in creating sustainable, African-led solutions based on evidence from ground-level projects.
The initiative has the potential to create new employment opportunities in evidence-based policymaking for sustainable development, while redefining development partnerships and policy research across Africa by emphasizing local knowledge and expertise.
Organizations interested in participating can access information about eligibility criteria and submission processes during the July 24 launch event, which will include presentations on the ATTP vision and a question-and-answer session with the Secretariat.
For more information about the call for proposals and livestream registration, interested parties should contact the ATTP Secretariat at attpinfo@africanunion.org. Updates will be available through the official ATTP page: https://africathinktankplatform.africa.
For more information, contact:
Fatou Diouf, Head of Communications and Influencing
comms@theacbf.org
Follow us on:
www.linkedin.com/company/africa-capacity-building-foundation
www.twitter.com/ACBF_Official
www.intstagram.com/theacbf
www.facebook.com/TheACBF
https://theacbf.org
