EcoGraf (ASX: EGR) has advanced an application for co-funding support from DEG Impulse to back community development initiatives linked to its Epanko graphite project in Tanzania.
The application has been submitted under the develoPPP program following an initial meeting in Frankfurt and subsequent site meetings in Tanzania with DEG Impulse director Daniel Thomann and members of EcoGraf’s Tanzanian team.
The site visit covered key development areas associated with Stage 1 of the Epanko project—which is planned to have graphite concentrate capacity of 73,000 tonnes per annum—and included a detailed review of current and planned community initiatives.
The proposed funding support sits alongside EcoGraf’s broader financing strategy for Epanko, where KfW IPEX-Bank has already been mandated to arrange a senior secured loan facility of up to US$105 million under the German Untied Loan Guarantee scheme.
Community Development Strategy
EcoGraf’s develoPPP application includes a package of measures aligned with its resettlement action plan and wider community development strategy.
Those initiatives include development of the resettlement village, with potable water supply and treatment systems and solar power for housing.
Education infrastructure covering schools, sanitation facilities, teacher housing, and associated upgrades is another feature.
The program also includes a community health centre with staff housing and sanitation infrastructure, together with vocational and skills training, native plant nursery and flora conservation work, local enterprise development, waste and recycling facilities, and environmental restoration initiatives.
Grant Timing Supports Mid-2026 Start
EcoGraf is in the final stages of preparing its submission for the develoPPP grant and has proposed a project commencement date of 1 July 2026, subject to approval.
The company said the initiatives form part of its commitment to long-term sustainable benefits for host communities alongside project development undertaken in accordance with International Finance Corporation performance standards and the World Bank Equator Principles.
That framework remains consistent with EcoGraf’s project financing strategy and its mandate with KfW IPEX-Bank as the company continues to progress Epanko toward development.
