Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI)
The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) is a part of the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme. PYEI is a multi-sector action plan/ programme directed at addressing South Africa’s chronic youth unemployment challenge. Of the 1.2 million young people entering the labour market each year, more than 65% remain outside of employment, education, and training. Those young people who manage to access opportunities tend to zigzag on often broken pathways, falling in and out of education and short-term work so that they cannot realise their potential to participate in the economy.
The PYEI has identified several priority interventions to accelerate youth pathways into the economy over the next five years, including the establishment of a National Pathway Management Network, delivery of agile workforce development, support for youth self-employment and enterprise in the township and rural economy, the strengthening of workplace experience, and the Presidential Youth Service programme.
Given the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the economy and employment, there is an even more urgent need to implement these priority interventions – particularly in a context where existing approaches have failed to halt the rise of youth unemployment. Implementing the PYEI will form an integral part of the post-COVID-19 recovery agenda and will help put South Africa on a path towards “a new economy and a new society.”
Various partners across government will be responsible for implementing the different components of the PYEI. The National Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) is responsible for the National Pathway Management Network, the NYDA is responsible for the National Youth Service (NYS) programme and the Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) / Jobs Fund is the Fund Manager for PYEI.
Two programmes under PYEI accepted applications from eligible intermediaries between 29 October and 25 November 2021:
National Youth Service (NYS) programme, and
National Pathway Management Network (NPMN) Innovation Fund.
Please note that applications closed at 15h00 on 25 November 2021.
The following table shows the core difference between the two programmes:
The funding rounds open on 29 October 2021 and close on 25 November 2021 at 15:00. No applications will be accepted after the deadline.
More information on these two programmes is contained in the text that follows.
National Youth Service Programme
The NYDA and the National Treasury’s Jobs Fund are pleased to announce the opening of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI)’s National Youth Service programme funding round. Proposals from non-profit making entities that can participate in the delivery of the National Youth Service programme are welcome.
Through the National Youth Service (NYS) programme, young people will be engaged in Community Service activities in the first year of implementation. This will be progressively scaled up over a 5-year period. The primary aim of the NYS programme is to mobilise young people to become active citizens of the country’s democracy, while earning an income and increasing their employability. The purpose of the Community Service activities as envisaged for the NYS programme is also to enhance service delivery efforts and improve the lives of marginalized communities.
Successful applicants should demonstrate how principles of youth development are included in the delivery of Community Service rather than as separate training programmes. While the Presidential Youth Employment Fund (PYEF) expects applications for the implementation of the NYS to be tailor made and context specific, to be recognized as part of the Presidential Youth Service, programmes must:
Target young people aged 18 – 35;
Provide a minimum of 16 hours per week of active Community Service in order to allow youth to engage in other opportunities – and to reach more young people at scale;
Meaningfully benefit the community in which they take place and be completed to a high standard;
Facilitate personal growth, values, and an ethos of citizenship;
Recruit and enrol young people through the National Pathway Management Network (and associated platforms such as SAYouth.mobi).
For the NYS programme, the following priority Community Service activities have been identified: Surveys and Digital Mapping, Sports and Recreation, Arts, Culture, Entertainment, Learner Support Programmes, Social Support Services, Solidarity and Care, Early childhood development/Early Learning, Food security, Child nutrition, Community Works, Revitalization, and Greening programmes.
Please take note that the initiative is not limited to the Community Service areas identified above.
How to qualify for funding
The funding round is open to Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) or Non-Profit Companies (NPCs) who meet the eligibility criteria outlined below. Project partners must demonstrate an understanding of the objectives of the youth service and the capacity to plan, implement and manage a project of the size and nature proposed. Successful applications/ initiatives should at least display the following characteristics
Must be a Non-profit Organisation as defined by the Non-profit Organisations Act 71 of 1997 (the NPO Act); or a Non-Profit Companies (NPCs) as defined in Schedule 1 of the Companies Act.
Must have been registered as an NPO/ NPC (NGO, CBO or FBO) with the relevant department (e.g. Department of Social Development) for at least 2 years (all requisite certificates and proof of registration will be required).
Must be in full compliance with administrative requirements (including Tax Compliance Status);
Must have audited Annual Financial Statements (AFS) covering at least 3 years.
NPOs/ NPCs must have existing funding contracts that secure at least 50% of existing business over next 1 year.
Must have a verifiable track record of at least three years technical experience in the area of interest.
Must demonstrate capacity to immediately engage at least 3,000 youth (aged 18 to 35) in Community Service activities for a 6-month period during this current financial year with an option to scale-up in years 2, 3, 4 and 5 (through additional funding from the PYEI to be allocated via subsequent scale-up funding rounds).
Must be able to enrol, onboard and ensure that beneficiary youths have a bank account, and monitor their activities using both manual/ paper-based and electronic platforms (the NYS programme may or may not provide the IT platform but applicants will be required to demonstrate the capacity to procure and utilise a basic desktop computer and smart devices such as tablets and smartphones.
Must demonstrate capacity and robust operating systems to pay stipends to at least 3,000 youth. Such systems, including those to manage a monthly payroll (including UIF issues) at the scale proposed for the NYS programme will be assessed during the Due Diligence stage of the application process.
Please note, smaller NPOs/ NPCs are encouraged to collaborate and form consortiums meeting the minimum requirements.
Further detail is contained in the links below:
National Youth Service Term Sheet
National Youth Service Application User Guide
National Youth Service FAQs
If your organisation meets the eligibility criteria, you are invited to attend a virtual briefing session on the National Youth Service on 3 November at 10h00. This session will be repeated on 5 November at 10h00 for those who cannot attend the first date. To register for a session, please click on the relevant link below:
To attend the 3 November 2021 session at 10h00 please register here: Zoom Link
To attend the 5 November 2021 session at 10h00 please register here: Zoom Link
NYS CFP Briefing Session Presentation
National Youth Service Virtual Briefing Session (audio)
For further information on the completion of the application form, the Project Implementation Monitoring Plan, and the Grant Agreement, please click on the following links to access the Applicant Training Presentation and Video recordings:
National Youth Service Applicant Training Session Presentation
National Youth Service Virtual Applicant Training Session (Videos)
If you are eligible to apply for funding for the National Youth Service, please click on the button below to begin your application:
Apply here
National Pathway Management Network Innovation Fund
The Department of Employment and Labour and the National Treasury’s Jobs Fund are pleased to announce the opening of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI)’s National Pathway Management Network Innovation Fund funding round. Proposals from private, public, and non-profit entities that can participate in the National Pathway Management Network via the Innovation Fund are welcome.
The NPMN Innovation Fund is a grant initiative seeking to identify and support innovative solutions to barriers young people face in meaningfully participating in the labour market and the broader economy. It will be implemented using Challenge Fund principles.
The Innovation Fund will support initiatives focussed on resolving barriers related to the 3 key focus areas of the NPMN i.e. demand activation, supply and enablement of youth and supporting linkages between the demand and supply of opportunities for employment, learning and self- employment.
Both the piloting of solutions and the scaling up of solutions that have proof of concept will be supported.
While the solutions being sought relate to the entire economic spectrum, the PYEI is focused on the following priority economic sectors:
Digital and technology;
Tourism and Hospitality;
Agricultural Value Chains;
Installation, Repair and Maintenance; and
Social Services (including early childhood development, healthcare and elderly care).
The Innovation Fund will assist in capacitating successful applicants to pilot and/or operationalise and scale innovative models across the country in support of the NPMN.
How to qualify for funding
At a minimum, applicants and applications must meet all of the following eligibility criteria:
NPOs/NPCs (NGO, PBO, and CBOs) must have been registered with the relevant departments (e.g. Department of Social Development) as applicable. All requisite certificates and proof of registration will be required.
For-Profit Private Sector Applicants are required to be registered with the Department of Employment of Labour in terms of the published regulations related to the Employment Services Act No 4 of 2014.
Public Entities applying for funding are subject to all applicable eligibility criteria. In addition, the proposed initiative must be distinguished from other similar initiatives previously or currently being funded with public funds.
Must be in full compliance with administrative requirements (including Tax Compliance Status).
Must have audited Annual Financial Statements (AFS) covering at least 3 years.
Must have a track record of more than three years of technical experience in the area of interest. Evidence of this will be requested including Annual Reports/Funder reports showing programme activities with youth for each of the past three years, proof of the demographic profile of the young people with which the organization has worked including geographic location, socio economic and educational status, age, number of young people served (over past three years), and evidence of the type of intervention they have implemented (i.e. learnership, contracted by Department of Social Development (DSD), enterprise development, leadership development etc.).
The NPMN Innovation Fund will make funding available as follows:
The minimum grant request available per Applicant is R3 million;
The maximum grant request available per Applicant is R15 million;
Minimum Matched funding requirements are as follows:
- Government Institutions 1: 0.5
- Non-Governmental Institutions and other NPOs 1: 0.5
- Private Sector Applicants 1: 1.0
Further detail is contained in the links below:
NPMN Innovation Fund Term Sheet
NPMN Innovation Fund Application User Guide
NPMN Innovation Fund FAQs
If your organisation meets the eligibility criteria, you are invited to attend a virtual briefing session on the Innovation Fund on 4 November at 14h00. This session will be repeated on 5 November at 14h00 for those who cannot attend the first date. To register for a session, please click on the relevant link below:
To attend the 4 November 2021 session at 14h00 please register here: Zoom Link
To attend the 5 November 2021 session at 14h00 please register here: Zoom Link
Innovation Fund Breifing Session Presentation
NPMN Innovation Fund Virtual Briefing Session (Audio)
For further information on the completion of the application form, the Project Implementation Monitoring Plan, and the Grant Agreement, please click on the following links to access the Applicant Training Presentation and Video recordings:
NPMN Innovation Fund Applicant Training Session Presentation
NPMN Innovation Fund Virtual Applicant Training Session (Videos)
If you are eligible to apply for funding for the NPMN Innovation Fund, please click on the button below to begin your application:
Apply here
For more information or queries please contact the Jobs Fund:
Tel: 010 476 0104
Email: jobsfund@treasury.gov.za
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