Funding Friday...
Develop Impact - Issue 169
Happy Friday!
I hope this email finds you well. This week, the team at Glean Asia has compiled 10 new funding opportunities from around the globe, open to individuals and organizations working on innovative solutions to address pressing challenges in various sectors, including education, healthcare, and internet access.
These opportunities offer financial support, capacity building, and collaboration with leading industry players, providing you with the resources you need to take your projects to the next level and make an even greater impact. Notable opportunities include the AU Innovating Education in Africa 2023 Call, the Investing in Innovation (i3) Program, and the Fund for Internet Strengthening in Latin America and the Caribbean, among others.
As always, we are eager to hear about your news, projects, and updates that you'd like to share with the community. Please don't hesitate to reach out and let us know what you've been up to!
We wish you a productive week ahead and hope you find these funding opportunities valuable.
Best regards,
Jesse Orndorff and the team at Glean Asia
What’s funding this week…
Global
Aptos Foundation Phase 2 Grant Applications
The Aptos Foundation has opened Phase 2 grant applications, inviting developers, entrepreneurs, and creatives to apply. The foundation aims to cultivate strong relationships within the community, fostering a collaborative, sustainable, and innovative environment for Aptos and the broader Web3 ecosystem. Currently, the Aptos Foundation supports over 50 projects through its grants program.
Mission:
In the first round of grants, the focus was on infrastructure, developer tooling, ecosystem, and education. These areas offer great value to the broader ecosystem, and projects in these spaces are often driven by a strong interest in creating communal value. The Aptos Foundation encourages these areas with funding and hands-on support to build a healthy developer and user community. This progress seeds the ecosystem flywheel, driving the network's future evolution and growth and achieving true decentralization across various aspects of the projects.
To apply for a grant and for more information, visit the Aptos Foundation Grants website at https://aptosfoundation.org/grants.
SERVIR-HKH Initiative Empowering Women in Geospatial Information Technology Program 2023
Deadline: May 26, 2023
The SERVIR-HKH Initiative is organizing a training program to build the capacity of women from the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region in geospatial information technology (GIT). The program aims to bridge the gender gap in the Earth observation/GIT sector and foster women's leadership in this field across HKH countries.
Eligibility:
This training is exclusively for women from the HKH countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.
Applicants must have a bachelor's degree or be enrolled in a university-level curriculum at the time of application.
Selected candidates must ensure access to a computer with the Windows operating system, the ability to install and run open-source GIS software, a reliable internet connection supporting audio/video lectures, and availability to attend the online sessions during 13:00–17:00 (NPT).
Expectations:
Train 200 young women participants (25 from each HKH country) with an academic background in geography, science, engineering, surveying, environmental science, and/or information technology.
Upon completing the training, participants will better understand the concepts and applications of Earth observation and GIT linked to SERVIR-HKH services, enabling them to use the knowledge gained professionally.
Application Process: The deadline for the submission of applications is May 26, 2023. Selected candidates will be informed via email by June 2, 2023.
Program Dates: The program will take place from June 13, 2023, to June 16, 2023.
For more information, visit the SERVIR-HKH Initiative Empowering Women in GIT Program 2023 webpage.
Asia
DRL Enabling Workers' Rights through a Just Transition
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) has announced two open competitions for organizations interested in promoting a just transition for workers as economies shift toward clean energy and sustainable production. Two projects will be awarded – one for Southeast Asia and one for South Asia.
Objectives for Southeast Asia:
Networks of workers and climate advocates conduct unified messaging and advocacy on the effects of climate change on the work and livelihoods of workers, and the necessary social protections and skills transfer required to transition to clean energy work opportunities.
Workers exercise freedom of association to collectively promote worker rights and protections, such as insurance and social security, in climate-affected industries and new tech sectors, to promote a just transition to sustainable economies.
Objectives for South Asia:
Networks of workers and climate advocates conduct unified messaging and advocacy on the effects of climate change on their work and livelihoods.
Workers learn and use new skills to apply for and enter jobs in climate sustainable and green tech sectors, both urban and rural.
Workers, particularly women, migrant and informal sector workers, organize and advocate for labor rights in new green tech and climate sustainable jobs and social protections such as insurance and social security through the transition to sustainable economies.
For more information on the application process and to submit your proposal, visit the official DRL Enabling Workers' Rights through a Just Transition website at: https://www.state.gov/drl-enabling-workers-rights-through-a-just-transition/
Africa and Middle East
GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition 2023 (up to $50,000)
Deadline: June 19, 2023
Generation Africa is accepting applications for the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition 2023. This annual competition aims to identify and support innovative, high-potential agribusinesses and inspire millions of youths to pursue a career in the fast-evolving agrifood sector. The competition will culminate in a final pitch contest live on stage at the AGRF Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in September. Two young African entrepreneurs, one man and one woman, will be awarded a cash prize each to accelerate their journey to scale.
Eligibility:
Youth-led African agrifood businesses.
Open to both men and women.
Prizes:
Two winners, one man and one woman, will receive a cash prize of up to $50,000 each.
Competition Timeline:
The competition will end with a final pitch contest live on stage at the AGRF Summit to be held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in September 2023.
For more information, visit the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition 2023 webpage.
DAWERR Innovation Challenge 2023
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Lebanon and ECODIT are launching the DAWERR Innovation Challenge 2023 (IC23) to attract startups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) focused on solid waste management solutions in rural areas of Lebanon. Up to 10 selected entities will participate in an innovation bootcamp, with up to six advancing to a three-month incubation program (Phase 1). During Phase 1, each entity will receive up to $750 in in-kind grants. Up to three finalists will then advance to the second phase of the incubation program, receiving up to $5,000 in in-kind grants each. The winning startups and MVPs aligning with DAWERR objectives may be eligible for a grant of up to $20,000 to pilot and scale their solutions.
Call for Submissions - Innovating Education in Africa 2023
The AU Innovating Education in Africa Call invites innovators to propose new and practical education innovations with the potential for sustainability, scalability, and replication on a wide scale. The goal is to mobilize continental education innovators to rethink solutions that address education and skills development challenges in Africa, particularly as countries emerge from COVID-19.
The program aims to create change by:
Incentivizing innovators to identify major education and skills development challenges in Africa.
Sourcing innovative ideas and solutions to those challenges for adoption, replication, and scale-up.
Encouraging innovation partnerships involving education and training institutions, governments, and other key stakeholders.
Benefits:
Successful applicants will benefit from one or more of the following:
Grants of up to $100,000 USD to strengthen the interoperability of innovations with public education systems while collecting evidence on effectiveness.
Promotion of innovation to AU Member States and Development Partners, including publication in the Africa Education Innovations Handbook 2023.
Certificate of recognition from the Commissioner of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation of the African Union.
Capacity building for innovators by partner organizations.
For more information on the application process and to submit your proposal, visit the official African Union website at: https://au.int/en/announcements/20230428/call-submissions-innovating-education-africa-2023
Investing in Innovation (i3) Program 2023 for African Entrepreneurs
The Investing in Innovation (i3) Program 2023 invites African entrepreneurs creating solutions to health product distribution challenges in Africa to apply for its 2023 cohort. Up to 30 companies will be selected, with each receiving a $50,000 grant and access to leading donors, industry, and institutional players who will support introductions to customers.
Investing in Innovation Africa (i3) is a pan-African initiative for start-ups building the future of healthcare supply chains. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and sponsored by AmerisourceBergen, Merck Sharpe & Dohme (MSD), Microsoft, and Chemonics, i3 supports the commercialization of 60 promising early- and growth-stage companies. The program connects African-led supply chain innovators to donors, industry, and government partners to power start-ups’ growth and impact.
Benefits:
Access to Markets: i3’s matchmaking program and flagship event connect innovators to leading local and international industry players, financial institutions, donors, and governments to establish partnerships and pilot projects that fuel impact and scale.
Risk-Tolerant Funding: i3 provides systematic grants of $50,000 to all participating start-ups. This flexible funding addresses key business model needs and advances the start-ups’ charitable impacts.
Investment Readiness Support: i3 provides participating start-ups with tailored investment readiness support, delivered by leading innovation experts at CCHub, Startupbootcamp AfriTech, Villgro Africa, and IMPACT Lab.
For more information on the application process and to submit your application, visit the official i3 website at: https://innovationsinafrica.com/application/
Europe
UKRI Centres for Doctoral Training in Artificial Intelligence
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is offering funding for Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT) focused on the applications and implications of artificial intelligence (AI). Eligible UK research organizations are invited to submit proposals within priority areas addressing UK training needs in novel and existing AI technologies. A total of £117 million is available to support 10 to 15 CDTs, with each training five cohorts of students pursuing a four-year doctorate or equivalent. The first cohort will begin in the 2024-2025 academic year.
More Info: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/ukri-centres-for-doctoral-training-in-artificial-intelligence/
Americas and Caribbean
Caribbean Climate Resource Grant 2023
Deadline: May 31, 2023
Applications are open for the Caribbean Climate Resource Grant 2023, which aims to incentivize journalists in the Caribbean to create climate resources/tools for other journalists, community organizations, and communicators across the region. The goal is to encourage, improve, and enhance climate reporting, promote climate knowledge sharing, and spotlight underreported regional climate issues.
The grants will facilitate individual research on topics often considered difficult or too niche to cover. The resource created could be in the form of a video, guide, handbook, research paper, or detailed story that would benefit everyone in the Caribbean.
For more information, visit the Caribbean Climate Resource Grant 2023 webpage.
Apply Now: $120,000 Internet Strengthening Grants in Latin America and the Caribbean
The Fund for Internet Strengthening in Latin America and the Caribbean supports projects, initiatives, or solutions that contribute to the consolidation of a global, open, stable, and secure Internet. Two support formats are available:
Grants: Financial support up to US$30,000 for any project that uses open-source software and/or open-source hardware.
Awards: Recognition from LACNIC and US$10,000 in financial support.
For 2023, there are three categories that will give out both grants and awards to organizations that are based in and conduct their activities in the LACNIC service region across Latin America and the Caribbean:
Internet Stability and Security: Network Architecture and Operation, Traffic Engineering and Interconnection, Cryptography, Security and Resilience, Future Development of the Internet, and a subcategory on Use and Application of Blockchain Technology for Internet Stability.
Internet Access and Connectivity: Projects or initiatives promoting connectivity, quality of access, and strengthening regional Internet service providers.
Open and Free Internet: Projects, initiatives, or solutions addressing current challenges faced by Latin America and the Caribbean in relation to the Internet and human rights, digital inclusion at the regional level, and rights in the digital environment.
The Fund for Internet Strengthening in Latin America and the Caribbean is organized by FRIDA, a program by the Internet Addresses Registry for Latin America (LACNIC) that supports Latin American and Caribbean projects, initiatives, and solutions contributing to the consolidation of a global, open, stable, and secure Internet.
Application Deadline: May 31, 2023
More Info: https://www.ictworks.org/stronger-internet-grants-lac/