The Regional Challenge Fund (RCF) aims to strengthen the labour market relevance of vocational education and training by funding investments in equipment and infrastructure for training providers that engage in cooperative training activities with partnering enterprises.

Youth unemployment, combined with a lack of skilled labour among the enterprises, characterise the economic situation in the Western Balkans. Hence, the aim of the Fund is to increase the employability of VET students by reinforcing a cooperative training approach in the economies of the Western Balkans 6: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

The Fund was commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), delegated to KfW Development Bank, and is executed by the Western Balkans 6 Chamber Investment Forum.