Critical Infrastructure Programme (CIP)

Critical Infrastructure Programme (CIP) is a dtic cost-sharing grant for infrastructure that unlocks investment in South Africa. The program is built for roads, utilities, stormwater, and similar enabling works on or near industrial sites where the project would not proceed, or would operate poorly, without public co-funding. It sits inside the department's infrastructure support family and is meant to reduce the cost of doing business for projects with wider economic value. The grant is capped at R50,000,000 per project. Standard projects receive 10 to 30 percent of qualifying costs, while agro-processing, aerospace and defence, and grid-independence projects can reach 10 to 50 percent. Distressed municipalities and state-owned industrial parks can go as high as full support. Applicants must be South African legal entities, meet Level 4 B-BBEE compliance with QSE exemptions, and observe a 15-month grace period after application to reach compliance where needed. The route is rolling. CIP works best when the infrastructure need is obvious and the economic case is tied to a specific investment that cannot land without it. It is not a general civil-works subsidy; overlapping dtic support on the same infrastructure is disallowed, and prior SEIF funding can block eligibility. Projects that can show direct leverage, clear ownership of the site, and a strong investment outcome are the most natural fit.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.