Barcelona, 11 April 2025 — Over 80 project promoters, partners, beneficiaries, entrepreneurs, and donors from 11 UfM countries gathered today in Barcelona to review the state-of-play and the progress of the UfM Grant Schemes, which have provided over €3 million in funding to support employment, green jobs, and entrepreneurship among youth and women in the region.

Organised by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in partnership with the German Development Cooperation, and supported by the European Commission (DG EMP), the UfM Grant Schemes’ Stakeholders Dialogue showcased success stories, best practices and explored future opportunities for scaling up regional cooperation through targeted, inclusive funding. “It is both our hope and our intention to roll out more targeted grant schemes in the future, tackling priority areas where we can deliver real value for our Member States — especially for young people and women,” stated Joan Borrell, UfM Deputy Secretary General. The Dialogue followed the 2nd UfM Development Cooperation Actors’ Meeting, ensuring strategic alignment between donors, national partners, and project implementers. It also comes ahead of the announcement of the selected projects under the UfM’s third Grant Scheme in June 2025, focused on inclusive digital trade.

The UfM Grant Schemes support employment, entrepreneurship, and inclusive growth across the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, with a particular focus on youth, women, and vulnerable groups. Since their launch in 2020, the schemes have addressed pressing challenges in green jobs, post-COVID recovery, and digital trade. Initially funded by the German Development Cooperation and later joined by the Spanish counterpart (AICED), the Grant Schemes reflect the UfM’s commitment to turning regional strategies into tangible, local impact.