Forging partnerships
International cooperation is a matter of partnerships. We want to contribute to building a better world. This ambitious goal can only be achieved by working with a broad range of partners, who complement each other and help to increase each other’s impact.
Who do we work with?
We want to bring about change together with the institutions and citizens of our partner countries in Africa and the Middle East. We call on the know-how and experience of the most suitable public services, research centres, universities, NGOs, businesses, development agencies, donors and other organisations to enhance the impact and relevance of our activities.
Therefore, Enabel enters into strategic partnerships with the public and private sector and with civil society actors, using each other’s competitive advantage and respecting everyone’s principles and uniqueness to collectively achieve more sustainable results.
As the implementing agency of the Belgian governmental cooperation, Enabel plays a key role in facilitating the Belgian government’s approach on international solidarity.
In line with this, we are committed to strengthening our cooperation with other Belgian actors for international cooperation in a spirit of enhanced cooperation at European level.
Enabel has concluded more than 60 partnerships with Belgian government institutions, research centres, universities, civil society organisations and private sector actors.
What kind of partnerships?
Public partnerships
Many government agencies have unique competences that are hard to find on the market. Strengthening the public institutions of our partner countries is central in the governmental cooperation implemented by Enabel. To that end, exchanging with peers in the context of a development project is of great value. Like a broker Enabel provides the context, relationships and follow-up for expertise that is often found only in public institutions.
Through these public-public partnerships we also enhance the Belgian public contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in Belgium and abroad.
Civil society partnerships
Enabel acknowledges the added value of Belgian non-governmental organisations’ close ties with local civil society. Enabel’s actions can be more relevant and achieve greater impact thanks to their specific expertise in certain areas and within their non-governmental mandate as civil society actors in a human-rights based approach.
Strategic partnerships with Belgian, local and international civil society actors allow – within the priorities of Belgian Development Cooperation – for a better informed, longer-term, more structural and complementary pursuit of shared development objectives.
Private sector partnerships
Enabel sees partnerships with the private sector as strategic to achieve synergies and complementarity. For example, for a project in the port of Cotonou in Benin, we are working together with the Port of Antwerp. Then, through a partnership with Colruyt, date producers from Morocco find a market in Belgium. By means of these partnerships, we want to increase the impact of our work.
EU member states & cooperation agencies
Enabel develops partnerships with European and international donors and development agencies to enhance the impact of Belgian and European cooperation. These partnerships strengthen our cooperation with partner countries and aim to mobilise additional financial resources and promote complementarity between European actors.
Furthermore, Enabel is a member of many networks that allow us to join forces with other actors to strengthen our clout on a particular theme.
Whom to contact for partnerships?
Does your organisation also wish to enter into a partnership with Enabel? Our Institutional Relations service will put you in touch with the most appropriate experts to further discuss partnership opportunities.
Contact us via info@enabel.be
News & Events
News
16 February 2026
Enabel and VITO strengthen their collaboration to accelerate sustainable solutions in Africa and beyond
Enabel and VITO expand partnership to drive climate action, renewable energy and sustainable innovation in Africa.
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12 February 2026
“Small-scale farmers worldwide struggle to make a dignified living from their work”
From Junior Expert to Country Representative in Uganda for Broederlijk Delen. Bram went to work in Uganda in 2017, 9 years later he’s still living there.
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06 February 2026
Colruyt Group Foundation and Enabel launch Youth Incubator
Colruyt Group Foundation and Enabel launch Youth Incubator, a public-private programme empowering young people in international cooperation.
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02 February 2026
Belgium hosts energy study tour for delegations from Moldova, Ukraine and Palestine
Belgium hosts an Enabel-led energy study tour for Moldova, Ukraine and Palestine, showcasing expertise in energy efficiency, grids and battery storage.
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Resources
30 January 2026
E-learning: facilitating change through action research
Explore two e-learning modules on action research, a powerful approach to continuous learning, adaptive management and stronger impact in international cooperation.
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News
22 January 2026
From Junior Expert to Country Representative: Samy’s journey with the Red Cross in Burundi
From Junior Expert to a country-level role at 28, Samy builds disaster preparedness with Red Cross Flanders in Burundi through hands-on field work.
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