Funding Friday...we've gone global!
Develop Impact - Issue 140
Happy Friday!
I hope you have had a great week.
To start the new year off, we have a big announcement! Over 2022 my team at Glean Asia, has been working hard to curate the best technology and innovation funding opportunities across SE Asia. With 2022 behind us, Develop Impact is now expanding to include all regions in our weekly newsletter. The goal will still be to bring you relevant and hyper-local funding opportunities for your #techforgood projects, just with a much wider reach. We will continue to work with our local contacts and partners to source the best opportunities weekly.
Let’s have an amazing 2023! And if you get value from this newsletter, please share with your friends and colleagues!
As always, please let me know if you have anything you’d like to share with this community, I would love to hear from you!
Enjoy reading!
Jesse
What’s funding this week…
Global
Grants to Support for Enterprise Development in Developing Countries 2023
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is seeking proposals for a grant scheme to contribute to sustainable economic growth in the renewable energy sector, which is key for many developing countries. Consideration will also be given to projects in other sectors where there is an element of renewable energy.
The grant will cover up to 50% of the incurred project development costs and the applicant shall finance the remaining 50%. The minimum grant amount will be NOK 500,000. Applications for amounts under NOK 500,000 will be rejected. Applicants applying for support to more than one project that together amount to more than NOK 500,000 will be considered.
USAID Special Call for Partnership Concepts (Large Funding Available)
USAID’s Innovation, Technology, and Research Hub (ITR) is making a special call for partnership concepts under the “Digital Invest: Mobilizing Private Capital for Internet Connectivity and Digital Financial Services in Developing Markets” program to catalyze investment in digital solutions that strengthen open, interoperable, reliable, inclusive, and secure digital ecosystems.
This program will support private sector partners to accelerate sustainable market growth for digital connectivity and financial technology companies serving traditionally excluded consumer populations in developing markets.
The award ceiling is $1,000,000 and the award floor is $200,000.
International Startup Call: The Future of Blockchain-Enabled Fintech
The Natixis Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB) is seeking applications for the International Startup Call: The Future of Blockchain-Enabled Fintech.
At the forefront of innovation, Natixis CIB aims at identifying the new age of fintech, disruptive innovation, and new market opportunities.
The winner will get a grand prize of €30 K. The winner and the two finalists will also receive coaching from experts (1-year coaching plan within BPCE experts), and participate in Shine through BPCE (Participate in key Groupe BPCE events worldwide) and Hello Tomorrow Global Summit (Full access pass to the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit and the Investor Day).
FemTech Start-up Acceleration Program
Applications are now open for the FemTech Start-up Acceleration Program, a 9-month equity-free global program for companies developing innovative solutions to improve technologies relating to women’s health with international reach.
Femtech & Women’s Health The global 9-month equity-free global start-up acceleration program will help selected start-up companies to refine their business models and go-to-market process strategy, meet investors and potential customers and connect them with leading FemTech hubs around the globe through its international roadshows.
ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2023: Get a Chance to win 25,000 EUR in Prize Money
The annual ISC3 Innovation Challenge is thematically oriented along a once-per-year selected focus topic. Start-ups globally are invited to contend for a total of 25,000 EUR in prize money with their innovative ideas that are revolving around the ongoing year’s focus topic.
The winners are awarded monetary prizes in three categories:
Best Social Impact for Start-ups that have a noteworthy impact on their community.
Best Regional Impact for Start-ups with an innovative solution to solving an issue that is particularly relevant to their region.
The overall Winner of our Innovation Challenge.
All the finalists receive customized support from the ISC3 Global Start-up Service in form of pitch training and have the possibility to be featured as Start-up of the Month.
Asia-Pacific
$3 Million in Seed Funding at Stake in Search for Innovative Solutions to Fight Climate Change
Non-profit organizations (NGOs) with innovative technology solutions that support the fight against climate change may avail of grants from a $3-million seed fund launched by social investor network AVPN, with Google.org and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The seed funding will be made available to eligible NGOs in 11 markets in Asia Pacific (APAC): Australia, Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Republic of Korea, Taipei, China, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
Clean Energy Tech Entrepreneur Exchange Program – Japan (Pdf)
The U.S. Consulate General Sapporo’s Public Affairs Section announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out Clean Energy Tech Entrepreneur Exchange Program.
The total amount of $50,000 should cover the travel costs of international flights between Japan and the United States, accommodations during the stay in the United States, per diem, domestic transportation within the United States, U.S. ESTA or visa application fees, and English-Japanese interpreters where necessary.
Quantum Computing Commercialisation Fund (Australia)
NSW Government has strategically invested in a number of initiatives to support the formation of a global quantum ecosystem in NSW, showing thought leadership for the sector including investment in research, infrastructure, and skills development.
NSW possesses the full complement of quantum computing capabilities, from theory and software to hardware, and is home to one of the largest cohorts of quantum talent internationally.
Grants of between $200,000 to $4 million are available for projects that progress quantum computing hardware and/or software toward commercialization within NSW.
Funding can be used for:
prototyping and piloting studies
manufacturing and/or scaling
conducting market and product assessments
salaries and access to external expertise that is directly related to the delivery of the project
commercialization strategies and commercial feasibility studies
specialist equipment and/or infrastructure necessary to progress the project
intellectual property protection or advice
Europe
Bioregions Open Innovation Challenge 2022
Applications are now open for the Bioregions Open Innovation Challenge 2022 to support targeted activities to convert business innovation, social innovation, product innovation, or process innovation ideas into reality.
By participating in the Bioregions Open Innovation Challenge 2022, you can benefit from:
3 x €7000 grant to pitch and showcase your solution
Get insights into the fitness and feasibility of your solution by deploying and testing in a variety of European regions covering northern, central, and southern Europe
Find partners, clients, and support in leading European Bioregions
Gain recognition and advance in your professional networking
The global objective of this call for proposals is to promote EU values-based human-centric digital transformation through the multilateral system, whilst supporting the EU’s vision of multi-stakeholderism as a model to help shape the global narrative.
This grant is aimed at strengthening the capacities of CSOs (digital advocacy groups, grassroots, think tanks, digital associations, and NGOs) dealing with open internet and digital rights to increase their capabilities and capacities to become more influential in the global arena. These organizations are expected to be capable to strengthen their participation at International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Internet Governance Forum (IGF), and other organizations working formats (groups, open cooperation platforms, events, etc.).
The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 7,500,000. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.
Middle East and Africa
Request for Proposals: Evidence Generation Award 2022
Grants up to 200 million KRW per project are available for projects that aim to generate evidence on the current use and gaps in the application of digital health technologies in the Global South.
Funds requested should be commensurate with the activities outlined in the proposal. Collaborative submissions among multiple countries are highly welcome. The proposed project team must include at least one local institution based in the country or region that the evidence generation will focus on. Collaborative submission with a Korean entity is encouraged but not required.
CFPs for Projects to Foster Greater Access and Use of Digital Financial Solutions
The Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility (ADFI) is pleased to announce a Call for Proposals to select viable and scalable digital financial solution (DFS) initiatives aimed at fostering access, quality, and usage of financial services, especially among the most vulnerable including women, youth and small businesses.
For national projects, the Call for Proposal is targeting the following countries: Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Guinea, Morocco, Nigeria, and Tanzania while regional projects are targeting all five regions of the continent.
Proposals should align with ADFI’s pillars of intervention i.e. (i) digital infrastructure (ii) policy and regulation (iii) products and innovation, with gender inclusion and capacity building as cross-cutting themes.
Africa Blockchain Incubation Program 2023
Africa Blockchain Institute are excited to announce the launch of the Africa Blockchain Incubation Program 2023, designed to support and nurture the next generation of blockchain innovators on the continent. This is the 3rd edition of the program that has successfully incubated different blockchain startups from across Africa.
Selected participants will enjoy the following benefits which to help bring their ideas to fruition:
Blockchain Technology: Participants will be provided with overall insight into blockchain technology and connections with the industry.
Business Education: Participants will be provided with business knowledge, industry connections, and an introduction to investors.
Platform Support: Product development support from leading blockchain platform providers.
Business Support: Business development and entrepreneurship education support from business experts.
Business Guidance and Investor Access: Meetings with a group of highly successful entrepreneurs and investors with expertise in scaling high-tech startups.
Demo Day: The program concludes with a Demo Day providing startups the opportunity to pitch their business to investors, experts, and the Blockchain community.
Americas
Google for Startups Accelerator Canada: Cohort Fourth
Applications are now being accepted for Cohort Fourth of the Google for Startups Accelerator Canada, a 10-week accelerator program for Seed to Series A Canadian technology startups.
The accelerator is designed to bring the best of Google’s programs, products, people, and technology to startups that leverage machine learning and AI in their company today or plan to in the future. In addition to mentorship and technical project support, the accelerator also includes deep dives and workshops focused on product design, customer acquisition, and leadership development for founders.
Benefits
Equity-free support: 10 weeks of equity-free support
Mentoring: Mentoring from 20+ Google teams
Training: Training on design, marketing, and leadership
Strategic support: Support on company and product strategy
Product credits: Google product credits for your tech stack
Early access: Early access to new Google products and tools
Access to experts: Access to Google’s network of industry experts
Technical project partnership: Partnership on advanced technology project
TAC-CS Digital Solutions Incubator
The Toronto Arts Council (TAC) is inviting applications for TAC-CS Digital Solutions Incubator Program which provides funding to arts organizations and collectives to address organizational challenges using digital technology.
The grant amount is $15,000. As a guideline, please plan for approximately $10,000 in fees for the project leads and $5,000 for any materials and expenses related directly to the project. This grant is not intended to fund office computers, production equipment, or any general operating expenses.