Funding Friday
Develop Impact - Issue 171
Happy Friday!
We hope you're doing well and ready to dive into this week's edition of our Funding Summary. We've gathered an exciting compilation of twenty-two funding opportunities from across the globe. These opportunities are open to both individuals and organizations who are working on innovative solutions to tackle pressing challenges.
In this edition, we'd like to highlight a few notable calls for funding. They include funding opportunities from OPPO, SVRI, and UNESCO, which could be of great interest to you.
As always, we value your participation in our community, and we're eager to hear about your news, projects, and updates. Don't hesitate to reach out and let us know what you've been up to!
Wishing you a fantastic weekend ahead!
Best regards,
Jesse
What’s funding this week…
Global
The SVRI Research Grant 2024
The Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) is offering grants for innovative research and interventions that will contribute to the prevention and response of violence against women (VAW) and violence against children (VAC) and other forms of violence driven by gender inequality in low and middle-income countries. The grants are available for a range of projects, including research projects that guide efforts to effectively address or prevent VAW and VAC, qualitative studies exploring the effectiveness and process of creating change with innovative VAW and VAC prevention interventions, and projects that develop innovative methods and tools for VAW and/or VAC research. The grant activity will take place in low and middle-income countries. Applicants can apply for grants between $40,000 to $150,000 no longer than 18 months in length.
Learn more: http://svri.org/what-we-do/research-support/svri-research-grant-2024
WFF Startup Innovation Awards
The WFF Startup Innovation Awards, powered by Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC), is a global startup competition established to support and showcase innovators and entrepreneurs who are harnessing the power of technology to drive the sustainable transformation of agrifood systems in support of ending global hunger and achieving better production, better nutrition, better environment and better life. The competition is open to companies whose work impacts any element of agrifood systems: production, aggregation, processing, distribution, consumption and disposal of food products that originate from agriculture, forestry or fisheries; and parts of the broader economic, societal and natural environments in which they are embedded.
The awards aim to elevate the next generation of entrepreneurs who are creating new technologies and innovations to benefit our planet and the agrifood systems we need to thrive. The Startup Innovation Awards provide finalists and award winners the potential for global visibility, the ability to raise capital, network with global entities (governments, United Nations agencies, corporations, VCs, partners), and gain the mentorship opportunities they need to pioneer technological breakthroughs and help power a sustainable future for our food. Agrifood systems specialists, innovators and entrepreneurs from around the globe have volunteered to become experts and judges for the WFF Startup Innovation Awards. The WFF Innovation Labs launched the Startup Innovation Awards, powered by Extreme Tech Challenge, on 2 May 2023 during UN Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Forum and will accept applications until 15 June 2023.
Learn more: https://www.world-food-forum.org/innovation-lab/startup-innovation-awards/en/
2023 International Literacy Prizes
UNESCO has opened its call for applications for the 2023 edition of the International Literacy Prizes. The call encourages all experts in literacy education to submit their applications and urge nominating organizations to recommend candidates from various parts of the globe. Six awards will be granted to individuals or organizations for their outstanding projects that promote literacy learning. The programs are requested to reflect around the theme “Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for peaceful and sustainable societies”. The theme emphasizes how literacy plays a crucial role in empowering individuals and communities to adapt and establish peaceful and sustainable societies, especially during times of change and social, economic, and environmental challenges. The UNESCO International Literacy Prizes have been acknowledging excellence and innovation in the field of literacy for more than 50 years. To date, over 512 projects and programs across the globe have been recognized and supported for their exceptional contributions in this area.
The application is open to all governments, non-governmental organizations, and individuals who contribute to the promotion and advancement of literacy learning through projects and programs. Applications should be submitted to the nominating entities either in the program’s country or a UNESCO field office, who are encouraged to submit the nominated individuals, institutions, and organizations to UNESCO. The nominations will be assessed by an independent International Jury composed of five experts based on the criteria set out in the guidelines. Based on the recommendations of the International Jury, the Director-General of UNESCO will select the finalists to be awarded at the occasion of International Literacy Day on 8 September 2023.
Re-imagine Education Awards
The Reimagine Education Awards is a global competition that awards innovative approaches to education that enhance learning outcomes and employability. The competition has been in existence for nine years, and the upcoming awards ceremony in 2023 will celebrate a decade of the competition. The awards aim to recognize and celebrate the pioneers of education across the world, fostering a vibrant community of innovators committed to redefining learning and employability for future generations. The awards are organized by QS Quacquarelli Symonds, a British company that specializes in providing world university rankings and educational information. The competition will take place online and in Abu Dhabi in December 2023.
The awards offer 17 diverse categories to honor the most transformative and forward-thinking programs, technologies, and pedagogical approaches that are revolutionizing education. The awards include the Global Education Award and the Global EdTech Award, which respectively offer a prize fund of $25,000 USD and Google Cloud credits worth $25,000 USD. The Global Education Award recognizes outstanding achievements in education and provides financial support to further enhance and scale innovative educational initiatives. The Global EdTech Award supports winners with cloud-based tools and services, enabling them to leverage cutting-edge technologies and infrastructure to drive their edtech solutions to new heights.
Learn More: https://www.reimagine-education.com/
The Bertha Challenge - Fellowships for Activists and Investigative Journalists
The Bertha Foundation is launching the fifth Bertha Challenge, which offers non-residential paid fellowships and project budgets to activists and investigative journalists to work on a pressing social justice challenge for a year and deliver a body of work at the end of the fellowship year. The 2024 Bertha Challenge seeks to expose and explore who is responsible for the spread of unquantifiable amounts of climate disinformation and to expose how that disinformation is used in the interests of corporations and politicians with an agenda tied to corporate profit. The fellowship aims to support groundbreaking work by providing time to work exclusively on a focused project, the spaces in which to connect with a diverse global cohort of Bertha Fellows and partners, and the resources to develop and deliver tangible products that speak directly to the challenge question. Successful applicants will receive income for one year, a project fund of up to $10,000, access to a Connect Fund of up to $5,000, regular online discussions, peer and mentor support, and network development through the global cohort of Bertha Fellows and exposure to relevant partners within and beyond the Bertha network. The Bertha Challenge is a call to those journalists and activists working against misinformation and its effects on the climate crisis, and asks applicants to apply by July 4, 2023.
Learn More: https://berthafoundation.org/story/bertha-challenge-2024/
Financing Youth-led Climate Action - Microgrants
GYCAF is a fund that aims to finance youth-led climate action in communities vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The fund targets youth-led organizations and networks seeking funding for their projects and businesses. The microgrants funding focus includes sustainable agriculture, clean energy, oceans, capacity building, green stewardship, and technology and innovation. Eligibility criteria include that the organization must be youth-led, with the definition of youth adopted being under 30 years of age. The team must demonstrate a well-planned project, with a well-developed strategy, timeline, budgeting, and team management. The selection team is made up of a diverse cohort of experienced youth leaders from around the world. Successful applicants will be awarded grants between USD 500 - USD 1,000, depending on the grantee application.
Lear More: https://gycaf.org/apply/
Pathways Communication Grants 2023
The Pathways Communication Grants Program seeks to fund communication products that disseminate scientific outcomes developed within inter- and/or transdisciplinary place-based research projects on pathways for sustainability. Researchers, including PhD students, who are affiliated with universities and/or research institutions are eligible to apply. The communication products must be based on completed research outcomes or synthesis and be ready to be turned into a communication piece, and must contribute to greater impact of these pathways in terms of uptake, understanding, and reach beyond the scientific community. The grant supports partial and/or full costs of developing a communication product, such as printed or digital publications, videos, audios, digital interactive learning tools, and data visualizations. The total funding available in 2023 is 60,000 €, with funding amounts for each project ranging from 2,500 € to 10,000 €. The grant does not make any retrospective awards for communication products already published. One third of the funding will be allocated to support proposals led by researchers from and working in low and middle income countries, and another third will be allocated to support proposals led by early career researchers, as another priority group.
Learn More: https://pathways.futureearth.org/home/communication-grants-program
100+ Accelerator Circular Economy Challenge
The 100+ Accelerator is seeking startups with innovative and scalable solutions that can make a significant impact on one or more sustainability challenges. The program focuses on startups that have a product in the market or are ready to go to market and are led by passionate entrepreneurs who have surrounded themselves with diverse talent in the best position to succeed. Applicants will be evaluated based on their fit with identified sustainability challenges, ability to demonstrate traction/product market fit, market expertise and team, and capacity to carry out pilots in selected global zones. The program is looking for solutions related to recycling, reuse, and returnability, packaging material alternatives and innovations (including plastics, fiber, cans, and palletization), packaging new forms, materials tracking and tracing, and upcycling. The aim of the funding is to help close the loop and create a circular global economy where waste is eliminated, resources continually circulated, and nature regenerated.
Learn More: https://www.100accelerator.com/index.php/en/challenge/circular-packaging
CDKN Global Stories of Adaptation
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) and CDKN are partnering to call for stories on community-driven and Locally Led Adaptation (LLA), to be featured in a publication launching at COP28. The call for stories seeks to identify and collaboratively develop a number of stories that highlight different lessons emerging from community-driven and LLA interventions with local partners working in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The stories will focus on cases from community-based, local non-governmental organizations, or local governments that have recognized, prioritized, and mobilized the capacity and knowledge held by local actors to design and deliver local adaptation interventions. Successful examples, as well as cases where certain strategies or approaches were tried but did not succeed, are welcome. Approximately ten stories will be selected, and chapter contributors will be recognized as co-authors in the stories. The deadline for submission of story ideas is 12 June 2023, and story contributors will be compensated for their time.
Learn More: https://cdkn.org/story/opportunity-are-you-champion-locally-led-adaptation-help-us-tell-your-story-world
Pilot Cities for Urban Ecosystem Restoration
The Federal German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is funding a global project called Generation Restoration, which seeks to engage with eight pilot cities and provide project funded catalytic grants (USD 50,000-100,000) to make the case, develop innovative policy approaches, and initiate implementation of urban ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions implementation. The United Nations Environment Programme is issuing a call for proposals for cities interested in starting or scaling up ecosystem restoration efforts, closing on 30 June 2023 at 23:59 UTC+2 (European time). In addition to the eight pilot cities, the project is also looking for 5-10 role model cities to help strengthen advocacy at the global level under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, participate in knowledge exchanges, and work with pilot cities to kickstart their efforts on urban nature. The project duration is 21 months, starting in December 2023 and ending in September 2025. The call for proposals is open to cities globally, and there is no specific mention of a country or region.
Learn More: https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/call-proposals-pilot-cities-urban-ecosystem-restoration
Global Good Fund Fellowship
The Global Good Fund is an organization that invests in the leadership of entrepreneurs who are working to solve social issues. They are currently accepting applications for their 2024 Fellowship, which is a highly competitive program for emerging leaders and entrepreneurs of for-profit and non-profit social impact organizations. The fellowship is open to individuals with diverse ethnic, religious, economic, geographic, and gender experiences. The ideal candidate is someone who is dedicated to their own self-discovery and development and holds a full-time leadership position at their social enterprise, which has been operational for ideally two to five years.
Learn More: https://globalgoodfund.org/apply/
INGENIOUS Innovation Grants
The INGENIOUS (Building resilience and accelerating transition to green and digital economy in Energy Intensive Industries) - Euroclusters project provides funding to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the energy-intensive industries, as well as other SMEs that provide solutions to the EII towards green and digital transition and resilience. The aim of the funding is to support innovative projects aligned with the major challenges where SMEs need to accelerate the implementation of the digital and green transformation, in order to provide affordable, clean, and efficient technology solutions, develop new business models, innovate their services, technology, and production lines, and open new markets. The eligible activities include the development of a prototype, demonstrating technologies in a relevant or operational environment, testing technologies in a relevant or operational environment, validation of technologies, designing a business case, designing and engineering a pilot, process optimization, and product development. The funding amount is a maximum of €60,000 per SME and €180,000 per project.
Learn More: https://clustercollaboration.eu/content/ingenious-innovation-grants
Deep Tissue Imaging Grants
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) is offering funding for four-year projects in the field of deep tissue imaging. The aim of the funding is to gain a deeper mechanistic understanding of biological systems by visualizing and measuring them across biological scales and in their biological context. The funding seeks to drive development of imaging technology focused on obtaining cellular resolution readouts within complex living organisms. The grant program will advance the field of deep tissue imaging, which aims to obtain cellular resolution in complex tissue and through skin and bone.
Learn More: https://chanzuckerberg.com/rfa/deep-tissue-imaging/
Teaching Factories Competition 2023: DEEP TECH
The Teaching Factories Competition (TFC) on Deep Tech is an initiative of advanced training dedicated to university and vocational education and training (VET) students promoted by EIT Manufacturing. The competition aims to promote the use of the Teaching Factories educational methodology, which is a collaboration between industry and academia through challenges, and the benefits of academia-business partnerships to reach an authentic innovation in Manufacturing.
Learn More: https://www.eitmanufacturing.eu/calls/teaching-factories-competition-2023-deep-tech/
100X Impact Accelerator
The 100X Impact Accelerator offers £150,000 of catalytic capital, as well as world-class resources, door-opening connections and 12 weeks of programming to social ventures. The aim is to help these ventures scale their impact and achieve their endgames or models for scaling, which can include partnerships, government adoption, digitisation, and open source solutions. The accelerator seeks to drive real, impactful change at scale, and offers access to LSE’s evidence-based data and connections with policymakers, among other benefits.
The accelerator is looking for impact-first organizations, registered charities, not-for-profits, or social enterprises that are currently scaling social impact in one of their eight Impact Areas.
Learn More: https://www.100ximpact.org
OPPO Inspiration Challenge
The OPPO Inspiration Challenge 2023 is providing global entrepreneurs and technology professionals with an opportunity to create innovative solutions that benefit humanity. The challenge is initiated by the OPPO Research Institute, and aims to support and fund the development of such solutions. The challenge is based on OPPO's mission of "Technology for Mankind, Kindness for the World", and its brand proposition of "Inspiration Ahead".
The challenge will award grants of US$50,000 to each of the top 5 winners from the global final demo event. In addition, the global top 15 will be invited to participate in an Acceleration Camp and meet with OPPO senior executives, technology and investment experts, and industry partners. Further partnership opportunities are open to the global top 45, including but not limited to productization and commercialization opportunities, strategic partnership and investment opportunities, opportunities to showcase at global technology events, and the opportunity to receive cloud resources and technical support from Amazon Web Services.
The deadline to submit proposals for the challenge is June 30th.
Learn More: https://www.oppo.com/en/proposal/
Asia & the Pacific
FHI360 Cambodia - Request for Annual Program Statement (APS) Media, Inclusion and Freedoms Fund
The Civil Society Support (CSS) Activity is a four-year activity supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by FHI 360, in partnership with the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL). The goal of CSS is to enhance coordination and collective action among civil society organizations (CSOs), improve the enabling environment for civil society, and support innovative methods to advance civic engagement and coordination in public policy dialogue. The Media, Inclusion, and Freedoms (MIF) Grants will support innovative approaches to pilot emerging new tools, techniques, and approaches in support of thematic policy areas of the clusters, including policy advocacy, public awareness and strategic communications, and the enabling environment for civil society and media. Through this grant program, CSS will fund CSOs, media organizations, and/or private sector organizations to advance public participation in policy dialogue and policy making and contribute to a free and open environment for civil society and the media. FHI 360 will provide a maximum of four grants, each of which must not exceed USD 50,000, subject to availability of funding. Each award activity must have a period of performance between six to twelve months.
Call for Expressions of Interest - Partnerships to support over-indebted women entrepreneurs and their families in Cambodia
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has launched a Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the project ‘Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship’ (CWE), which is funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada and implemented by ESCAP. The objective of the call is to partner and provide grant funding in Cambodia, focusing on reducing the burden and negative repercussions of over-indebtedness of women entrepreneurs and their families. The call asks for proposals from organizations that can help relieve the burden and reduce the repercussions of over-indebtedness for women entrepreneurs and their families in Cambodia. The project implementation timeline is from 15 July 2023 to 31 March 2024, or any shorter timeframe proposed within these dates. Applications are open to all organizations which hold a not-for-profit status in Cambodia.
Africa & Middle East
Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund
The Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund is a grant established in 2012 with support from The ALBORADA Trust. The grant supports pairs of researchers, one from the University of Cambridge or an affiliated institution, and one from a sub-Saharan African institution, to initiate or strengthen research collaborations across all disciplines. The goal is to enable Cambridge researchers to engage with African colleagues from 34 African countries. The grant awards between £1,000 and £20,000 for research costs, research-related travel between Cambridge and Africa, and for conducting research training activities in Africa. The grant cannot pay for overheads, PI salaries, administration costs, bench fees, or for researchers to attend conferences. Some awardees have been able to use the preliminary results from their seed fund/research collaboration to apply for and win significant funding such as Royal Society/Leverhulme Awards, Global Challenges Research Fund, etc. For this round, applications from North Africa will be considered. The grant activity will take place in sub-Saharan Africa, and the deadline to submit an application for collaborative research funding is Monday 4th September 2023.
Learn More: https://www.cambridge-africa.cam.ac.uk/initiatives/2023-call/
Pitch AgriHack 2023
Heifer International is funding Pitch AgriHack 2023, a competition that aims to promote sustainable agricultural development in Africa. The competition offers a platform for early-stage, mature or growth-stage, and women-led agritech ventures to present their technological solutions in order to transform the continent’s agricultural landscape. With a total prize money of US$45,000, Pitch AgriHack 2023 will reward the most promising ventures that address key challenges in the agriculture sector. The competition is open to African founders or co-founders, aged 18-40, with businesses providing agritech solutions and digital services in the agriculture sector. The winners and runners-up in each category will receive cash prizes of US$10,000 and US$5,000 respectively. A rigorous selection process will be conducted by expert reviewers who will evaluate the submissions based on their innovativeness, feasibility, and potential for impact. Finalists will pitch their agritech solutions to an esteemed panel of judges on stage, at a live finale event at the African Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in September. The winners of Pitch AgriHack 2023 will also be awarded at the AFSF. The AGRF Agribusiness Deal Room, attended by over 800 companies, 15 government delegations, and 150 public and private investors, will generate exciting new opportunities for these entrepreneurs to secure investments, partnerships, and mentorship.
Learn More: https://vc4a.com/heifer-international/pitch-agrihack-2023/
ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator
The ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator program invests in early-stage startups based in Africa, with a focus on FinTech, Mobility, E-commerce and TalentTech. The program provides funding and fundraising opportunities, workshops, and curated resources, as well as access to a network of corporate partners, investors, and alumni. The aim of the funding is to help entrepreneurs succeed by providing them with the best mentors and resources. The program is open to startups at any stage, as long as they're ready to accelerate their company and have good answers for key questions about their team, the market, and their solution. The program's selection process is based on the team's strength, market size and timing, traction, and idea.
Learn More: https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/arm-labs-lagos
People and Conservation Learning Group Small Grants
The Arcus Foundation has funded a small grants initiative for 2023, which will be delivered by IIED. The initiative will support people and great ape conservation in three great ape range states: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda. Applicants can apply for grants up to US$7,500. The initiative aims to support the self-determined priorities of local communities and Indigenous groups. There are no prescribed types of activities that will be considered for funding, provided that the funded activities support issues and challenges related to both people and great apes. The small grants initiative is keen to fund projects which foster collaboration between or within different networks of organizations, groups, and individuals. The deadline for applications is June 15, 2023.
Learn More: https://www.iied.org/pclg-launches-small-grants-initiative