The Investment Promotion Agency (IPA) has launched a nationwide call for projects aimed at identifying investment-ready businesses that will be presented to national and international financiers during the fifth edition of the Cameroon Investment Forum (CIF 2026), scheduled for November 18 to 20 at the Yaounde Conference Centre.
According to a call for projects released by the IPA, the initiative seeks to mobilize promoters of large enterprises, project leaders, start-ups, decentralized local authorities, public and private institutions, as well as Cameroonians in the diaspora seeking financing for investment projects.
Selected projects will gain access to the forum’s Investment Market and Deal Rooms, where they will engage directly with banks, investment funds, development finance institutions, private equity firms, institutional investors and multinational organizations.
Applications close on August 15, 2026. Eligible applicants include companies with at least five years of operating experience, promoters of mature and well-structured investment projects requiring financing, and public or private organizations leading projects with significant economic or social impact.
Applicants must submit an executive project summary, a three-year business plan, financial statements covering the 2023, 2024 and 2025 financial years, and a detailed financing proposal outlining funding requirements, financing structure and expected profitability.
According to the IPA, priority consideration will be given to projects that promote innovation, employment creation, local value addition, domestic processing of natural resources and alignment with Cameroon’s priority economic sectors.
Projects led by young entrepreneurs, women and members of the Cameroonian diaspora will also receive particular attention.
The objective, according to the agency, is to transform high-potential projects into tangible investments capable of creating employment, generating value addition and strengthening the competitiveness of the Cameroonian economy.
The call for projects also aligns with the IPA’s broader strategy of strengthening investment facilitation beyond attracting investors.
Recent discussions organized jointly by the IPA and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) highlighted a shift towards investor support, retention and reinvestment, alongside improved investment facilitation services.
Speaking during a recent investment agreement signing ceremony, the IPA’s Interim General Manager, Boma Donatus, reassured investors that the agency would continue supporting them throughout the implementation of their projects while encouraging them to participate in CIF 2026.
Encouraging investors to maintain close engagement with the agency whenever implementation challenges arise, Boma said: “If you encounter any problem with the implementation of your investment agreement, come back to us. We are here to implement what the Head of State has instructed through the 2025 Ordinance. We remain at your disposal whenever you face difficulties concerning the implementation of your agreement.”
Revised investment framework and reinvestment
The announcement comes as the IPA continues implementing Cameroon’s revised investment incentives framework established under Ordinance No. 2025/002 of 18 July 2025, later ratified by Law No. 2025/015 of 17 December 2025.
The new regime links investment incentives more closely to productive investments, employment creation, local content, technology transfer and priority sectors while simplifying approval procedures and expanding certain tax and customs incentives.
Recent investment data also underline the importance of expanding the country’s pipeline of investment-ready projects.
A joint IPA-UNIDO survey covering 75 foreign-invested enterprises employing more than 24,000 workers found that investors had already reinvested more than US$86 million and planned a further US$166.8 million in reinvestments. The study also reported that 68% of surveyed companies intended to expand their operations.
Separately, IPA figures released in May 2026 indicate that the country’s investment incentives program has generated nearly CFAF 1.9 trillion in realized investments and more than 16,000 direct jobs across 156 approved companies since 2014.
Beyond preparing for the November forum, the national call for projects is expected to provide the IPA with an updated inventory of investment-ready opportunities that can be promoted during future investment missions and matched with domestic and international financiers seeking commercially viable projects in Cameroon.
Mercy Fosoh
