Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) - Critical Infrastructure Programme (CIP)

The Critical Infrastructure Programme (CIP) is a cost-sharing grant for projects designed to improve critical infrastructure in South Africa. The programme is primarily designed to leverage private investment, but will also promote certain public sector investments that create an enabling environment that leads to private investments.

Infrastructure is considered “critical” and thus eligible for assistance if the investment would not take place without the infrastructure, or if the investment and infrastructure projects can go ahead without the CIP contribution, but it can be proved that it would be of a smaller scale, lower quality or would be established at a later stage than the period when it is needed.

The grant covers qualifying development costs from a minimum of 10% to a maximum of 30% and is capped at R50m. The grant is made available upon the completion of the infrastructure project concerned.

The following categories of infrastructure will qualify for assistance under the programme:

• Roads and railroad systems.
• Electricity transmission and distribution systems.
• Telecommunication networks.
• Water storage, purification and distribution systems.
• Sewerage systems.
• Waste storage, disposal and treatment systems.
• Fuel supply systems and conveyor or transportation infrastructure for solid fuel.

Eligibility criteria

• The applicant must be a registered legal entity in South Africa.
• The project must be at least a level four Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) contributor in terms of the Codes of Good Practice for B-BBEE. 
• The investment project is either the undertaking of a new defined fixed investment or the expansion of existing fixed investment in either manufacturing, construction, services, mining, agriculture or tourism.

Application process

Send an email to LFeketha@thedtic.gov.za