The GROW Project: Driving Circular Construction Skills Through EU–Africa Collaboration
The GROW Project brings together a diverse consortium of European and African partners, each contributing specialised expertise in vocational education and training (VET).
The partnership also brings strong knowledge in sustainable construction waste management and the circular economy, ensuring that environmental priorities are fully integrated into project activities.
In addition, the consortium benefits from solid experience in private sector engagement, helping bridge the gap between training systems and labour market needs.
With a strong track record in international capacity-building initiatives, the consortium ensures a structured and impactful implementation from the outset.
European Partners
The GROW Project’s European partners provide leadership in training, innovation, and collaboration. MQ (Portugal) coordinates the project and leads curriculum development, AREA (Italy) drives communication and private sector engagement, and MUNDUS (Spain) brings Erasmus+ experience and a network of African VET providers.
MQ (Portugal)
Project Coordinator
A leader in sustainable education and circular economy training, MQ oversees overall project management and it leads the Curriculum Development & Capacity Building to ensure a high-impact training programme.
AREA (Italy)
Knowledge & Technology Transfer
A specialised SME facilitating Europe-Africa collaborations, it will curate GROW Communication, Dissemination & Replication activities, ensuring strong private sector engagement and project visibility.
MUNDUS (Spain)
Not for profit association
Based in Spain, (not-for-profit), with a wealth of experience in Erasmus+ programme and with an established network of VET providers across Africa.
African Partners
The GROW Project’s African partners combine expertise in waste management, vocational training, and entrepreneurship. LAWMA leads stakeholder engagement and brings policy and technical knowledge in circular waste systems, while APODISSI supports VET outreach and green value chain engagement. In Mozambique, UniZambeze integrates circular economy principles into training and entrepreneurship support, and ISDB delivers hands-on technical training in construction and green skills, helping align education with industry needs and sustainable job creation.
Lagos Waste Management Authority - LAWMA
Waste Management & Policy Integration
As the Lagos Waste Management Authority, provides technical expertise on circular waste practices, leads engagement with local industries and policymakers, and supports the public private partnership framework for long-term sustainability. LAWMA leads the Stakeholder Engagement & Skills Needs Assessment activities.
APODISSI (Nigeria)
An SME based in Lagos, Nigeria
An expert in TVET programmes and capacity building for digitalisation of Micro and SMEs. Supported micro-entrepreneurship and startup initiatives across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan countries. Apodissi will Increase awareness of GROW among VET providers and the Green Waste Supply Chain while supporting stakeholder engagement.
Zambeze University
Academic & Entrepreneurship Support
Academic & Entrepreneurship Support. A public university specialising in business education and entrepreneurship, UniZambeze plays a key role in integrating circular economy principles into vocational training, supporting train-the-trainer programmes and business incubation.
Instituto Superior Dom Bosco - ISDB (Mozambique)
VET Institution & Technical Training
A vocational training provider specialising in construction and green skills development, ISDB is responsible for delivering hands-on training programmes, supporting curriculum implementation, and facilitating student internships to bridge the gap between education and industry. It leads Pilot Training and On-the-Job-Experience with combined expertise in VET training, private sector collaboration, policy integration, and sustainability, the GROW Project ensures the development of a demand-driven, industry-aligned vocational training programme, fostering green job creation and supporting the transition to a circular economy in Nigeria and Mozambique.