Funding Friday
Happy Friday everyone,
Explore global funding opportunities for creatives, entrepreneurs, and innovators. From AI-driven hiring to assistive tech, climate solutions, and cultural initiatives, these grants and challenges offer funding, mentorship, and networking. Take a look and see which opportunities fit your business!
Jesse
Global
🎨 Empowering Creative Organizations for Social Change
📝 The Creativity Pioneers Fund (CPF) is now accepting applications for its 2025 edition. This initiative seeks to catalyze transformational social change by investing in, connecting, and championing cultural and creative organizations that employ bold and unconventional practices to build a more just, inclusive, and equitable world. The CPF provides unrestricted micro-grants as a starting point for long-term collaboration, offering access to financial opportunities, in-kind support, mentoring, learning opportunities, peer-to-peer exchange, and networking.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Creativity as a Catalyst: How can creative organizations drive social transformation within marginalized communities?
Youth Engagement: What innovative approaches can be employed to involve youth aged 16-27 in creative initiatives that address social challenges?
Sustainable Impact: How can unrestricted funding empower organizations to achieve long-term, systemic change in their communities?
🔗 Creativity Pioneers Fund 2025: Empowering Creative Organizations for Social Change
💻 Empowering Entrepreneurs for Social and Financial Inclusion
📝 The EquityTech Fellowship is an initiative supported by Capital One, Deloitte, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Arnold & Porter, aiming to empower entrepreneurs across the United States and globally who leverage technology to increase social and financial inclusion, thereby closing equity gaps in wealth, education, and accessibility.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Technological Impact: How can innovative technological solutions effectively address systemic inequities in wealth, education, and accessibility?
Global Collaboration: In what ways can a global fellowship program foster cross-cultural collaborations to tackle universal challenges related to equity?
Sustainable Development: How can ventures focused on social and financial inclusion contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
🔗 EquityTech Fellowship 2025: Empowering Entrepreneurs for Social and Financial Inclusion
📊 Reinventing the In-Store Customer Experience
📝 VusionGroup, a global leader in digitalization solutions for physical commerce, is inviting startups to participate in their challenge aimed at reinventing the in-store customer experience. This initiative seeks innovative solutions that enhance how consumers interact within physical retail environments, enabling retailers and brands to connect more effectively with their customers.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Enhancing Shopper Engagement: How can digital technologies be utilized to create more personalized and interactive shopping experiences in physical stores?
Scalability of Solutions: What strategies can startups employ to ensure their innovations can be effectively implemented across extensive retail chains, encompassing hundreds or thousands of stores?
Technological Integration: In what ways can IoT, Data, and AI be integrated to transform traditional retail spaces into intelligent, responsive environments that meet evolving consumer expectations?
🔗 VusionGroup Challenge: Reinventing the In-Store Customer Experience
👩💻 Redefining the Future of Work
📝 ManpowerGroup has launched the AI, Tech, & #huManpower Challenge as part of the 2025 Viva Technology Startup Challenge. This initiative seeks innovative solutions that leverage artificial intelligence and technology to transform the talent experience, connecting individuals to meaningful careers and redefining the future of work.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
AI-Powered Recruitment: How can AI-driven digital marketing create emotional connections and match people with the right job opportunities that align with their skills and aspirations?
Personalized Career Journeys: In what ways can technology build personalized experiences from job search to assignment completion, enhancing employee satisfaction and retention?
Efficient Redeployment: How can AI-driven redeployment strategies facilitate faster, smarter hiring processes, ensuring talent is effectively matched to evolving business needs?
🔗 AI, Tech, & #huManpower Challenge: Redefining the Future of Work
🦾 Tech for Last Mile Initiative
📝 T-Hub has launched the Assistive Tech for Last Mile initiative to support startups developing innovative solutions in accessibility and assistive technology. This program offers startups an unparalleled opportunity to leverage T-Hub’s ecosystem to bring groundbreaking assistive technologies to market.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Bridging Accessibility Gaps: How can assistive technologies revolutionize the daily lives of individuals with visual, speech, and hearing impairments, ensuring inclusivity in society?
Technological Innovation: In what ways can AI and IoT be harnessed to create smart accessibility solutions that address last-mile challenges for people with disabilities?
Ecosystem Support: How does participation in initiatives like T-Hub's program enhance the scalability and impact of startups focused on assistive technologies?
🔗 T-Hub's Assistive Tech for Last Mile Initiative: Empowering Accessibility Startups
Asia Pacific
⛽ Accelerating Innovation in Energy, Industry, and Materials
📝 PETRONAS FutureTech 4.0 is an accelerator program designed to nurture early to growth-stage startups developing innovative solutions in energy, industry, and materials. This initiative aims to integrate these solutions into PETRONAS' innovation pipeline, offering startups opportunities to define, pilot, and activate their technologies.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Corporate Collaboration: How can partnerships with industry leaders like PETRONAS enhance the development and scalability of emerging technologies in the energy sector?
Sustainable Innovation: In what ways can startups contribute to sustainability goals through advancements in energy efficiency, emission reduction, and the development of bio-based materials?
Regional Impact: How does focusing on the Asia-Pacific region influence the growth and integration of tech-driven solutions in traditional industries?
🔗 PETRONAS FutureTech 4.0: Accelerating Innovation in Energy, Industry, and Materials
🌱 Empowering India's Green Entrepreneurs
📝 The Greenr Sustainability Accelerator Program is an initiative by TechnoServe, supported by the IKEA Foundation and Visa Foundation, aimed at nurturing high-growth businesses in the environmental action space. Launched in 2023, the program seeks to unlock the potential of over 350 green small and growing businesses (SGBs) in sectors such as waste management, textiles, food & agriculture, clean technology, renewable energy, green construction, and feminine hygiene.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Market Potential: With a $3.46 trillion market opportunity for green SGBs in India, how can entrepreneurs leverage this accelerator to tap into this vast potential?
Capacity Building: What specific skills and knowledge can green entrepreneurs gain from tailored business advice and mentoring provided by the program?
Access to Finance: How does the program facilitate financial linkages, and what impact does this have on the scalability of green startups?
🔗 Greenr Sustainability Accelerator Program: Empowering India's Green Entrepreneurs
🏭 Plastic Innovation Programme- Vietnam
📝 The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Vietnam has announced the Plastic Innovation Programme, offering small grants of up to USD 30,000 to organizations implementing innovative solutions to combat plastic pollution.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Material Innovation: How can locally sourced, plant-based alternatives effectively replace single-use plastics in Vietnam?
Design Innovation: What fundamental design changes can reduce or eliminate the use of plastics in products and services?
Business Model Innovation: How can shifting from product sales to service-based models decrease plastic pollution?
Technological Innovation: In what ways can technology support pollution monitoring and improve plastic waste management?
🔗 Plastic Innovation Programme: Tackling Plastic Pollution in Vietnam
Africa
🎭 Spaces of Culture Funding Scheme- Sub-Saharan Africa
📝 The Spaces of Culture Funding Scheme is an initiative under the EU-funded Africa-Europe Partnerships for Culture programme, aiming to support innovative cultural relations projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. This scheme emphasizes collaboration, dialogue, and mutual learning between European and local partners, fostering equal partnerships and local ownership.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Cultural Collaboration: How can equitable partnerships between African and European cultural organizations address local challenges and promote social impact?
Community Engagement: In what ways can cultural projects enhance community participation and open civic spaces in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Sustainable Development: How can cultural initiatives contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals in local contexts?
🔗 Spaces of Culture Funding Scheme in Sub-Saharan Africa
💡 Strengthening Climate Innovation
📝 The Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Africa 2025 program, led by Village Capital in partnership with Norad, is entering its second phase to bolster climate innovation across Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. This initiative focuses on supporting early-stage startups addressing climate-related challenges by collaborating with locally-led Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs).
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Local Ecosystem Development: How can strengthening the capacity of local ESOs enhance the support system for climate-focused startups in these regions?
Climate Innovation: What innovative solutions can startups develop to address specific climate challenges prevalent in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania?
Sustainable Impact: In what ways can empowering local entrepreneurs contribute to sustainable development and resilience against climate change in these countries?
🔗 Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Africa 2025: Strengthening Climate Innovation
♻️ Advancing Circular Economy through Green Recycling Enterprises- Zambia
📝 The Green Recycling Enterprises Engaging in New Technology for a Circular Economy in Zambia (GREEN Tech4CE) is a €22.7 million initiative funded by the European Union. This project collaborates with various Zambian ministries and private sector representatives to support the country's Green Growth Strategy, aiming for economic growth that is socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Economic Diversification: How can investing in green recycling enterprises contribute to Zambia's economic diversification and job creation?
Circular Economy: In what ways can technological innovation in recycling transform waste management practices in Zambia?
Inclusivity: How does targeting women and youth entrepreneurs in the green economy impact social inclusion and sustainable development?
🔗 GREEN Tech4CE: Advancing Circular Economy through Green Recycling Enterprises in Zambia
🌐 Digital Advocacy Grants
📝 The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) has announced the Open Internet for Democracy Initiative, inviting proposals from local private sector or civil society organizations to implement digital rights advocacy initiatives within their local contexts. This program aims to address laws, policies, or tactics that hinder democratic engagement in the digital space.
🤔 Thought-Provoking Questions and Insights
Digital Rights Challenges: What specific digital rights issues are most pressing in your community, and how can targeted advocacy address them?
Multi-Stakeholder Engagement: How can collaboration between private sectors, civil society, and government entities enhance the effectiveness of digital rights initiatives?
Sustainable Impact: What strategies can ensure the long-term sustainability and scalability of digital advocacy projects?