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.

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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.

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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.

News & Events

News

29 May 2026

Investing in education is investing in democracy and peace

When conflict disrupts learning, entire generations are left behind. Educaid.be 2026 conference shows why investing in education means investing in peace.

News

19 May 2026

Practitioners’ Network General Assembly marks the end of a successful Enabel and Sida co-Presidency

Enabel and Sida hand over Practitioners’ Network co-Presidency to GIZ and CzDA, strengthening European international cooperation.

News

13 May 2026

New board of directors at Enabel to strengthen the strategic role of international cooperation

Enabel, the Belgian state-owned enterprise for international cooperation, announces the appointment of its new board of directors.

Resources

10 May 2026

Cooperation in motion – activity report 2025-2026

The 2025-2026 Activity Report tackles the themes, events and achievements that have marked the past year and will continue to inspire our work in 2026.