Funding Friday...
Develop Impact - Issue 158
Happy Friday!
Here we are at the end of the work week. I hope it was a great and impactful one for you.
We are excited to share with you the latest funding opportunities for your #tech4good project, which aims to build a more sustainable and inclusive world. This week's edition features twenty-two global funding opportunities, and we hope that this update will be helpful in your quest to create positive change in the world.
In addition, if you have anything you would like to share with this community, please let me know.
Have a good weekend!
Jesse
What’s funding this week…
Global
Addressing the information pollution crisis with the power of open source
The Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have joined forces, with support from Omidyar Network and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, to launch a campaign to source digital public goods that can help combat information pollution and restore information integrity. This global initiative will identify and promote existing open-source digital solutions, as well as concepts for future solutions, that can be scaled to tackle the problem of mis- and disinformation at its roots.
The individuals, organizations, and teams behind selected digital public goods and concepts will receive financial support ranging from $5000 – $10000 USD and have their work highlighted at the Nobel Prize Summit with an aim to enhance their visibility, uptake, and ultimately, their impact.
Submission deadline: April 2, 2023.
NOFO: Supporting Critical Open-Source Technologies That Enable a Free and Open Internet
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects to strengthen the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms online through an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure global Internet, with a focus on technology development. Competitive proposals will develop and implement programs to develop, improve, implement, and sustain open-source technologies which serve as critical foundations for a free and open Internet.
The award ceiling is $1,000,000 and the award floor is $500,000.
Submission deadline: April 19, 2023.
Silk Roads Youth Research Grant
UNESCO launched the Silk Roads Youth Research Grant in 2021 to encourage young researchers to study the shared heritage of the Silk Roads. The grant will award 12 research grants to young women and men under 35 years of age. Proposed research must focus on the results of cultural interactions and exchanges along the Silk Roads and must provide dynamic and novel ideas on the processes of exchange and transformation.
The panel will award 12 grants of USD 10,000 per research project based on the strengths of the proposed research and its potential contribution to furthering understanding of the interactions and exchanges taking place across the Silk Roads and the concrete elements resulting from them. The grant will be awarded in two separate instalments.
Submission deadline: May 31, 2023.
The Google PhD Fellowship Program was created to recognize outstanding graduate students doing exceptional and innovative research in areas relevant to computer science and related fields. Fellowships support promising PhD candidates of all backgrounds who seek to influence the future of technology. Google’s mission is to foster inclusive research communities and encourages people of diverse backgrounds to apply.
The Google PhD Fellowship include:
Africa
Up to 3-year Fellowship
US $30K to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel.
Google Research Mentor
India
Early-stage PhD students
Up to 4-year Fellowship
US $50K to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel.
Google Research Mentor
Late-stage PhD students
1 year Fellowship
US $10K to recognize research contributions, cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel.
Google Research Mentor
Southeast Asia
Up to 3-year Fellowship
US $10K per year for up to 3 years (or up to graduation, whichever is earlier) to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel.
Google Research Mentor
East Asia
1 year Fellowship
US $10K to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel.
Google Research Mentor
Submission deadline for Africa: May 11, 2023.
Submission deadline for India: April 18, 2023.
Submission deadline for Southeast Asia: April 18, 2023.
Submission deadline for East Asia: May 10, 2023.
WISE Edtech Accelerator Programme 2023 – 2024
For over six years, we have supported edtech founders from around the world scale innovative solutions to key challenges within the world of education. Each year, we deliver a bespoke program aimed at supporting startup growth through one-to-one coaching, masterclasses with industry experts, as well as access to a global network of investors and education specialists.
The WISE Edtech Accelerator is a key part of our edtech program that aims to support innovation and build an edtech community focused on revolutionizing the way we teach and learn.
Benefits:
3 Bootcamps
100+ Introductions to potential partners per cohort
108 Hours of Coaching per venture
Submission deadline: April 13, 2023.
The OWSD Early Career Fellowship is a prestigious award of up to USD 50,000 offered to women who have completed their PhDs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and are employed at an academic or scientific research institute in one of the listed Science and Technology Lagging Countries (STLCs). The OWSD Early Career fellows are supported to establish environments at their institutions where they can maintain an international standard of research and attract scholars from all over the world to collaborate.
Submission deadline: April 27, 2023.
Asia-Pacific
Open Call for Entrepreneurship Technology Training at Karachi’s Startup Lab (Pakistan)
This project will recruit 50 aspiring female and male entrepreneurs in Karachi to pursue their startup ventures by using the STEM and Entrepreneurship resources available at the Lincoln Corner Karachi’s Startup Lab!. The prospective grantee will create comprehensive courses that include training on digital applications, entrepreneurship-related STEM gadgets and equipment, and step-by-step facilitation processes that aspiring entrepreneurs will undertake at the Startup Lab! The period of performance is 6 months to a year.
The estimated Total Program Funding is $50,000, with a $50,000 award ceiling and $25,000 award floor.
Submission deadline: May 1, 2023.
Open Call to Startups: Smart Cities Innovation Lab
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) has launched an open call to startups across Asia to take part in the Smart Cities Innovation Lab (SCIL). The project invites entrepreneurs with regional focus on Sihanoukville (Cambodia), Chiangmai (Thailand), or Surabaya (Indonesia) to collaborate with municipal governments to scale up sustainable smart city solutions.
Through this project, selected participants will have the opportunity to roll out their innovative solutions and explore long-term partnerships with one of the partner cities. They will also gain invaluable support such as access to workshops with industry leaders, 1:1 mentoring session, and media exposure via Seedstar's & UNESCAP networks and social media channels.
Submission deadline: April 3, 2023.
The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives – Thailand
The CFLI is a program that supports small-scale, high-impact projects in developing countries. It also serves to support positive bilateral relations between Canada and recipient countries. The average CFLI contribution is $15,000 to $30,000 Canadian Dollars (CAD$100,000 is the maximum allocation amount for a project eligible under CFLI).
All projects must align with at least one of the following CFLI thematic priorities:
Inclusive governance, including diversity and 2SLGBTQI+, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Growth that works for everyone, including women’s economic rights, decent jobs and entrepreneurship, investing in the poorest and most vulnerable, and safeguarding economic gains.
Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
Environment and climate action focusing on adaptation and mitigation, as well as on water management.
Submission deadline: March 31, 2023.
ASEAN Prize 2023 calls for nominations
Southeast Asia's regional premier award, ASEAN Prize, recognizes individuals and organizations whose determination and perseverance have progressively driven the region towards harmony and sustainable development.
As in past years, the awardee for ASEAN Prize 2023 will receive the trophy and a monetary prize of US$20,000 sponsored by Temasek Foundation of Singapore and Yayasan Hasanah of Malaysia.
Submission deadline: April 28, 2023.
Accenture’s FinTech Innovation Lab Asia Pacific 2023
The FinTech Innovation Lab Asia-Pacific is an annual accelerator program run by Accenture in collaboration with Hong Kong Cyberport and the world’s top financial institutions. They are looking for growth-stage companies that have developed cutting-edge technology products targeted at the financial services sectors.
Benefits:
Free to join and zero equity taken: There is no fee or equity stake required to apply and participate in the FinTech Innovation Lab.
Access: Provides growth-stage technology companies with unparalleled access to senior executives at the world’s leading financial institutions.
In-House Advocate: Senior Sponsors at each organization provide fintech companies with deep engagement and help them to build connections with relevant product/business/tech groups.
Mentorship: An independent group of mentors levering their experiential knowledge to provide specialist support to each fintech company.
Network: A powerful network of relationships with key decision-makers in financial services, including access to our entrepreneur network, VCs, alums, legal mentors, business mentors and Accenture’s broader ecosystem.
Long-Term Support: Ongoing connection to their financial services partners through alumni calls and participation in future programs.
Submission deadline: March 30, 2023.
Europe
Call for Bilateral Initiatives (Slovakia)
The Business Development, Innovation and SMEs programme is a business programme aiming to increase value creation and sustainable growth in Slovakia.
The Call for Proposals for Bilateral Initiatives under the Fund for Bilateral Relations within the Business Development, Innovation and SMEs programme aims to set up a flexible and easy tool to develop and strengthen business partnerships between entities from Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway (Donor states) and Slovakia. The programme focus areas:
Green Industry Innovation and
Welfare Technology and Ambient Assisted Living technologies
The total allocation for the Call is € 70 000. The minimum grant amount per project is EUR 1,000, and the maximum grant amount per project is EUR 10,000. The applicant requires no co-financing under this Call.
Submission deadline: June 30, 2024.
The Sweden-Estonia Cooperation Fund 2023
The foundation aims to renew and strengthen the relations between Estonia and Sweden. This year, the prioritized areas for grants are projects with a clear bilateral focus and with participants from both countries within the cultural exchange and knowledge sharing, network building, entrepreneurship, and promoting Estonian and Swedish languages and cultures in each country.
Project grants can be given up to 5000 EUR/project and travel grants can be given up to 500 EUR/person.
Submission deadline: March 31, 2023.
Open Call for CaixaImpulse Innovation Program
CaixaImpulse Innovation helps to transfer scientific knowledge to society and encourages the creation of new products, services and companies related to life sciences. It supports innovative biomedical projects by helping them to validate their asset/s and define their valorisation and exploitation strategy, and by bringing them closer to the market.
They offer high-value resources that include financial and non-financial support:
Financial support for the activities in the project development plan, according to the proposed milestones: up to €700,000 if the project runs through all the stages (€50,000 max. in stage 1; €150,000 max. in stage 2; €500,000 max. in stage 3).
Mentors and experts to monitor and support your project: industry experts, consultants and entrepreneurs to help you define the best valorisation and development strategy, whilst providing constant feedback on the project.
Specialised training in key areas: project management, tech transfer, assessment, finance and commercialisation tools, negotiations. The training provides participants with the tools required to acquire specific valorisation and business skills and define their valorisation plan (Compulsory for projects in stage 2 and optional for stages 1 and 3).
Submission deadline: March 30, 2023.
Digital Funding for Small Charities in the UK
The Fat Beehive Foundation is an independent UK registered charity that provides small grants for websites and digital products to other small UK registered charities.
Their aim is to help these organisations carry out their work in a more efficient and effective way, resulting in positive social benefit.
They only fund charities with an average income of less than £400,000 a year. They provide highly specialised grants up to £2500.
Submission deadline: March 31, 2023.
Middle East and Africa
AGRA’s 2023 VALUE4HER Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards
AGRA has launched a call for applications for the 2023 Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA) that recognize African female agripreneurs demonstrating remarkable Innovation and business excellence in agricultural value chains.
The winning agripreneurs, who will be unveiled during the 2023 AGRF Summit, will receive a total of $85,000 in grant funding. To be eligible for WAYA, businesses must be operating in an agriculture or agribusiness value chain, be a legal entity registered in a country that is a member state of the African Union, and at least 51% owned and managed by one or more women who are citizens of one of the 55 African countries.
Submission deadline: May 31, 2023.
Impact Amplifier seeking Applications for Africa Online Safety Fund
The Africa Online Safety Fund will be awarding grants to organisations that address one or more of the safety issues the internet facilitates.
The Africa Online Safety Fund has three categories of funding: Transformative, Maturing and Catalytic. The Transformative projects are intended to be larger in scale, reach multiple geographies and or potentially large numbers of beneficiaries, and be scalable as a solution. The Maturing projects are intended to test ideas at a larger scale, try new ideas within existing projects, and reach new audiences. The Catalytic projects are intended to be smaller, targeted, and potentially only locally or culturally specific.
The Transformative grants will be a maximum of $50,000, Maturing will be up to $25,000 and the Catalytic Grants will be a maximum of $10,000. Beyond fitting your project into the category descriptions provided, Organisations cannot apply for more funding than 50% of its annual budget.
Submission deadline: April 30, 2023.
The 2024 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation
The Royal Academy of Engineering has opened applications for the 2024 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation as the programme approaches its 10th anniversary. The Africa Prize supports ambitious entrepreneurs and innovators developing local and scalable solutions to everyday challenges on the continent.
The aim of the Africa Prize is to support the crucial role that engineers play in addressing societal challenges including access to power, food and water security, adapting to climate change, and improving telecommunications, education, financial services, healthcare and other public infrastructure.
The winner of the Africa Prize receives £25,000 and three runners-up are each awarded £10,000. Up to 16 shortlisted applicants receive a unique package of support over eight months to help them accelerate their businesses.
Submission deadline: July 25, 2023.
The Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East
Orange rewards the positive entrepreneurial spirit of dynamic start-ups within the framework of its Social Venture Prize. Since 2011 this International Grand Prix competition has welcomed start-ups from 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East. It identifies, rewards, and supports business propositions that make a positive social and environmental impact.
To encourage sustainable, responsible, and inclusive development, the International Women’s Prize was introduced in 2020, promoting business ventures led by women entrepreneurs.
Funding information:
Awards International Grand Prix
1st prize: €25,000
2nd prize: €15,000
3rd prize: €10,000
The 10 finalists within the OSVP International Grand Prix and the winner of the International Women’s Prize will also receive 6 to 9 months of business development support.
International Women’s Prize
Winner: €20,000
Submission deadline: May 21, 2023.
Ghana Science and Tech Explorer Prize Challenge
The Ghana Science and Tech Explorer Prize (GSTEP) Challenge is a unique opportunity for young people to learn more about innovation, entrepreneurship and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). It presents a new and exciting way for young people to engage with Science and Technology through practical learning, developing skills such as problem-solving, presentation skills, communication, teamwork and entrepreneurship skills.
The GSTEP Challenge provides all of the resources to take part, including lesson plans to support the application process, and additional training and mentorship for finalist teams.
Submission deadline: April 14, 2023.
Americas
The CSI Tech Incubator Program
The CSI Tech Incubator Program is a 9-week program focused on business development and digital strategy for early-stage tech entrepreneurs. In addition to their robust curriculum, they have assembled an excellent mentor network of experienced tech founders, investors, and subject matter experts. Their team of experienced mentors, work with your team personally to understand your business challenges and work with you to solve them.
Funding Information:
National Grid – $250,000 Downtown
Revitalization Initiative (NYC Governor) – $2,314,000
New York City Council – $2,925,000
Submission deadline: March 31, 2023.
ventureLAB’s Accelerate AI Program – Canada
ventureLAB’s Accelerate AI program is a 6-month program, funded through Scale AI (Canada's AI Global Innovation Cluster), to support growing and scaling AI startups offering intelligent solutions and applications in the supply chain industry. Through tailored, streamlined support, participating ventures will accelerate their development and commercialization journeys, receiving support in four key areas:
Attracting and retaining talent
Customer acquisition
Access to capital
Technology development
Submission deadline: March 31, 2023.