The private sector is crucial in accelerating the socio-economic development of Mediterranean countries. By combining market insights and dialogue with the private sector, DG MENA aims to effectively use EU policy engagement and financing tools to support investments in Southern Mediterranean partner countries.
Global Gateway in the Mediterranean
Launched in 2021, the Agenda for the Mediterranean set out a renewed vision to strengthen Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and unleash the region’s untapped potential. It prioritised the green and digital transition, creation of inclusive societies, respect of human rights and the rule of law in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
To implement this vision, the Agenda introduced the Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) for the Southern Neighbourhood, which became the regional vehicle for the Global Gateway during the previous mandate. The EIP was backed by an EU financial package of up to €7 billion, with the ambition to mobilise €30 billion in public and private investments by 2027 in cooperation with International Financial Institutions. By September 2025, this target had already been achieved, two years ahead of schedule. Building on this success, we are now scaling up Global Gateway in the region.
Global Gateway is the EU’s contribution to narrowing the global investment gap worldwide. With an initial target to mobilise up to €300 billion over five years, a goal already reached in only four, we have now set a new target to mobilise up to €400 billion of investments for sustainable and high-quality projects by 2027. Delivered in a Team Europe approach, Global Gateway intends to boost investments for a transformational impact in the digital, climate, energy, health and transport sectors, and to strengthen education and research systems across the world. The private sector is a key stakeholder to implement Global Gateway alongside the EU and EU Member States institutions, partner countries, and development finance institutions.
Today, Global Gateway for the Mediterranean delivers on this key EU strategy in the MENA region and serves as the investment pillar of the Pact for the Mediterranean, launched in November 2025.
In the MENA region, investments are channelled through dedicated regional and country Investment Platforms. At a regional level, the forthcoming T-MED1 Investment Platform will coordinate potential investments in the renewable energy and clean technology sectors. At country level, Egypt and Jordan have established dedicated multi-sector investment platforms with the EU to keep track of our bilateral commitments, mobilise resources and coordinate support, with additional partner countries preparing to set up similar structures.
More broadly, private sector companies and investors will be able to submit their interest in engaging more actively in the MENA region under different categories of interest, including potential investment proposals and requests for support, through a General Call for Expressions of Interest, which will open in December 2025 (more information below).
Together, we are delivering on major developments in transport, energy and digital infrastructure, as well as investing in education, health and research, strengthening regional connectivity, and supporting socio-economic development.
Find out more about Global Gateway here.
[1] Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy and Clean Tech Cooperation Initiative
How to contribute?
There are several ways in which EU companies and investors can take part in the Global Gateway in the Mediterranean.
Tenders and Call for Proposals
Visit the EU Tenders Portal to search for calls for proposals and tenders published by EU institutions, agencies, and bodies. Use the 'All Filters' option to select partner countries and view relevant tenders. You can search by country, region, and sector, or enter your area of interest (e.g., 'energy') in the search menu to find ongoing opportunities in your field. A helpdesk and a guidance section are available to assist with applying to tenders and submitting grant proposals.
Procurement notices can also be found on the TED website. Enter your area of interest (e.g., 'digital') and then filter by region.
Additionally, monitor the official procurement/tender platforms at country level, or the platforms of the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) (see for example EIB All procurement, EBRD Client e-Procurement Portal (ECEPP), EDFIs Members) as well as tender websites of EU Member States. You can also consult the websites of government ministries in partner countries, where tenders for investments not directly implemented by the EU are published.
General Call for Expressions of Interest
The European Commission wants to support investment and development plans of EU companies in North Africa and Middle East countries, also aiming to promote economic development and business links with the local private sector.
A General Call for Expressions of Interest has opened on 17 December 2025 for companies and investors interested in expanding their activities in the MENA region.
It is neither a competitive funded instrument nor a specific call for project proposals, but a broader exercise meant to gather market intelligence on the potential opportunities, existing barriers and challenges, and business and investment enabling reforms identified by the private sector and relevant to the EU’s strategic interests in the region.
Specific Calls for Project Proposals
Specific calls for project proposals will be launched under the T-MED Investment Platform in 2026. These calls will have eligibility criteria targeted at large infrastructure investments in the renewable energy and investments in clean technology sectors.
Business Fora
Business fora encourage active dialogue between public and private stakeholders, both from local and European backgrounds. They are organised in collaboration with partner countries, the private sector, and the European Commission. Activities at these forums include sector-specific panel discussions, business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) meetings, exhibition booths, and field visits.
Upcoming events
Transparency
Transparency and accountability are essential for maintaining the trust of Union citizens in the legitimacy of the political, legislative and administrative processes of the Union. To facilitate Transparency and align with best practices, all companies getting in contact with our services must be registered in the European Union Transparency Register.
How to register: Guidance - European Union Transparency Register
Market Access Information
The EU provides online resources and support to assist businesses in global operations, such as:
- Access2Markets Welcome home page, which allows you to obtain information you need when you trade with third countries, such as on tariffs, taxes, procedures, formalities and requirements, rules of origin, export measures, statistics, trade barriers and much more. It also allows you to access key information needed for trade in services as well as for investment and procurement in 3rd countries.
- EU Trade agreements, which gives you a catalogue of the current trade agreements facilitating trade with third countries.
- YourEurope guides you to the most relevant EU and national websites to find out more about the rules on conducting business in the EU.
- The Trade Map provides indicators on export performance, international demand, alternative markets and competitive markets, as well as a directory of import and export companies.
- The Market Access Map allows users to access, compare, analyse and download customs tariffs, tariff-rate quotas, trade remedies and non-tariff measures applicable to a specific good in any market in the world.
- The Export Potential Map turns economic analysis into practical trade information.
- The StandardsMap provides information on voluntary sustainability standards (VSS), codes of conduct, audit protocols, reporting frameworks and business sustainability programmes.
Support for Companies
The EU provides various types of financial and non-financial support to business initiatives. In this regard, EU Delegations facilitate public-private dialogue and accompany relevant investment projects to take place, through technical assistance, skills development, improvement of the regulatory environment and financial support amongst others. Information about sectoral priorities between the EU and partner countries is available in the country action plans and multiannual indicative programmes. These documents are available on the country pages of the MENA, INTPA, and ENEST websites.
Whether you are a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) in the EU looking to export and invest beyond the EU, or an SME from our partner country, you can find a collection of specific tools that can help you:
- Support for the internationalisation of EU SMEs.
- The European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) is one of the financing tools of Global Gateway, promoting sustainable investments in the European Union’s (EU) partner countries.
- The Digital for Development (D4D) Hub is a strategic platform that aims to strengthen digital cooperation between the European Union and its Member States (Team Europe) and stakeholders in partner countries. The private sector is a fundamental partner to support the D4D Hub in promoting a digital transformation. Enterprises and business associations have the opportunity to formally contribute to the D4D Hub’s activities by joining the private sector advisory group (PSAG).
- ElectriFI: The Electrification Financing Initiative (ElectriFI) is a EUR 275m impact investment facility committed to increase access to clean energy in developing countries. ElectriFI aims to support investments that increase and/or improve access to modern, affordable, and sustainable energy services.
- Enterprise Europe Network (EEN): The EEN is the world's largest support network for SMEs with international ambitions. The Network’s international business experts have the experience and resources to help SMEs grow and can advise on the best market opportunities to expand internationally. The EEN offers a wide range of services, including market research, business matchmaking, innovation support, access to finance, and access to EU funding programmes.
- Intellectual Property Helpdesk: The helpdesk provides free-of-charge, first-line support to European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on intellectual property (IP) management, protection and enforcement covering six different regions: China, Europe, India, Latin America, South-East Asia, and Africa. It also provides a library of support materials such as guides, case studies, and video clips.
- Find other EU tools supporting the internationalisation of EU SMEs.
Business environment improvement
The EU contributes to the improvement of the business environment in partner countries. This takes place through a wide range of actions including dialogue, technical and financial support. The impact of these activities benefit the private sector indirectly. Prominent activities include the ones described below.
Trade and investment agreements help improve the business environment in partner countries. They boost trade and create new opportunities, incentivise EU investments through increased legal certainty and stability, and include strong sustainability commitments.
The EU is the world’s top provider of budget support. This system involves direct financial transfers to the treasuries of partner countries engaging in sustainable development reforms. As it fosters transparency and good governance, budget support contributes to the fight against corruption and the creation of a favourable climate for private investments in our partner countries.
Technical Assistance and Information Exchange instrument (TAIEX) provides peer-to-peer technical assistance and policy support to help implement structural reforms and improve regional and environmental policies. Public sector experts from EU Member States visit partner countries to provide up to 5 days’ advice.
Twinning establishes medium to long-term institutional cooperations between EU Member State public administrations and beneficiary or partner countries. This mechanism supports institutional capacity building through reform processes and peer-to-peer cooperation. Twinning projects are generally implemented over 12 to 36 months.
Contact Global Gateway Partners
Global Gateway involves a wide range of partners, each offering unique support to the private sector. Explore the partners listed below for Global Gateway opportunities and tools available:
EU Delegations - Diplomatic representations
The EU’s 144 Delegations around the world can provide guidance and support to relevant Global Gateway investments locally. EU Delegations work with partner countries and other Team Europe members to implement Global Gateway activities locally and regionally.
Team Nationals
The Team National is a whole-of-government set-up bringing together at national level all relevant government ministries (e.g. trade, economy, development, climate, transport, etc.), public financial institutions, export-credit agencies and development agencies to operate effectively under Global Gateway. You will find the list of Team National contact points here.
Development Finance Institutions (DFIs)
International and national development finance institutions (DFIs) are government-backed development banks set up to support private sector development in low- and middle-income countries. EU multilateral DFIs include:
- The European Investment Bank (EIB): The EIB is both an investment bank and a global development bank, active inside the European Union and around the world. The EIB contributes to Global Gateway by providing financing solutions, as well as technical and financial expertise for projects led by public and private stakeholders.
- The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD): The EBRD is a multilateral investment bank providing a wide range of products and services such as loans, equity investments, trade guarantees and advisory services. It provides a range of tools dedicated to SMEs spanning dozens of business sectors, loans, equity investments and guarantees and provides assistance to SMEs.
- Find in this table the DFIs of each EU Member State. Click on the name of each institution to be redirected to its website.
Development Cooperation Agencies
- National development agencies provide government aid to support economic and public development in developing countries. These agencies implement and finance Global Gateway projects.
- Find in this table the development cooperation agency of each EU Member State. Click on the name of each institution to be redirected to its website.
Export Credit Agencies (ECAs)
- Based in each Member State, these organisations promote national exports and/or economic interests. They provide loans or cover (insurance or guarantees) to help internationalise companies registered in their country.
- Find in this table the ECA of each EU Member State. Click on the name of each institution to be redirected to its website.
Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs)
- TPOs are EU Member State organisations supporting the internationalisation of companies registered in their country.
- Find in this table the TPO of each EU Member State. Click on the name of each institution to be redirected to its website.
- Contact points: DFIs, ECAs, ODA and TPOs
European Business Organisations (EBOs)
- Business networks such as business organisations and chamber of commerce are a good starting point to support EU businesses abroad. These can represent interests at EU, national or sectoral level and are often involved in Global Gateway.
- See the list of EU business organisations active in partner countries for more information and contact details.
