Funding Friday...
Develop Impact - Issue 164
Happy Friday!
Hope you are having a good work week and that you are finding fulfillment in all the tasks and projects you are working on. We are thrilled to announce the soft launch of our new chatbot, GBVChatbot for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs with support from UNFPA and the Embassy of Japan in Cambodia. Our team has been working diligently to develop an interactive and confidential platform that provides users with access to essential resources and support. With this new chatbot, we hope to empower women across Cambodia and help them navigate the complex and often overwhelming process of seeking help.
Back to Funding Friday, in this week's edition we have compiled a list of twenty-eight global funding opportunities that are open to individuals and organizations working on innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges.
Please let me know if you have anything else you'd like to share with this community.
Have a good weekend!
Jesse
What’s funding this week…
Global
The GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation 2.0
At Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2023, the GSMA, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) announced the GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation 2.0. The fund is now open for applications.
Successful projects will receive grant funding of between GBP 100,000 and GBP 250,000 over 15 to 18 months, plus tailored technical assistance.
Submission deadline: May 16, 2023.
Modeling Biodiversity and ecosystem service loss to advance resilience
Swiss Re Foundation, together with their enabling partners EY, WWF, and AXA Research Fund invites scientific research institutions to apply for the grant program and submit BES (Biodiversity and ecosystem services) scenario research proposals.
The challenge has three main purposes, namely:
Generate knowledge (forward-looking views: BES vulnerability, gradual BES decline up to tipping points, decline reversal)
Support decision-making
Build foundations of a globally accessible data set to allow other stakeholders to contribute to scenario thinking.
They aim to fund a minimum of three to a maximum of five institutions globally for two years with a grant of a maximum of USD 100 000 each.
Submission deadline: May 14, 2023.
JournalismAI Fellowship Program
The JournalismAI Fellowship Program is a free online initiative that brings together journalists and technologists from media organizations worldwide to explore innovative solutions to improve journalism via the use of AI technologies.
Up to 30 journalists and technologists will be selected to join the 2023 Fellowship cohort and work together over the course of six months (June to December) towards building AI-powered solutions that enhance reporting.
Through project-based work, the program aims to advance fellows’ AI expertise, benefiting their own professional development and enabling their organizations to accelerate AI adoption and implementation.
By the end of the program participants will have:
Improved their understanding of the potential offered to journalism by AI technologies.
Learned new methods and skills to experiment and prototype new ideas.
Developed their thinking about the role of technology in journalism.
Experienced the power of international collaboration.
Built trust between editorial and technical teams in their own organization.
Gained new perspectives from a multicultural, interdisciplinary environment.
Learned about a set of AI-powered tools available for news organizations.
Developed an international network of like-minded news innovators.
Built a prototype of their AI-powered solution.
Shared their learnings with the global JournalismAI community.
Submission deadline: April 21, 2023.
The world has already invented products and services to end poverty. Yet they have found many proven interventions with large delivery gaps. Millions of people still don’t have access to basic poverty-fighting tools. D-Prize seeds new ventures that distribute proven poverty interventions.
Submit your design for a new organization that solves one of their Distribution Challenges including health, water, education, agriculture, livelihoods, energy, public services, and custom.
They will award the most promising teams with up to $20,000 USD to launch their new organization wherever extreme poverty exists.
Submission deadline: May 14, 2023.
WTO launches call for candidates for the 2024 Young Professionals Program
The WTO is looking for talented, highly qualified, and dynamic individuals to join the 2024 Young Professionals Program (YPP). A call for applications is now open for the program, which aims at providing young professionals with an opportunity to develop their skills and gain experience in the field of international trade.
The YPP is a unique opportunity for young professionals to gain valuable hands-on experience. YPP alumni have gone on to hold positions in international organizations (including the WTO), national governments, and the private sector, working in the field of multilateral diplomacy and global trade.
Participants in the program will receive a monthly salary of CHF 3,500. The WTO also provides appropriate medical cover and travel costs.
Submission deadline: April 13, 2023.
Applications are open for BeChangeMaker 2023 – the global social entrepreneurship acceleration program brought together by WorldSkills and the HP Foundation. BeChangeMaker is a series of skill training projects made available yearly to 30 teams of skilled and talented young people, to help you explore your career potential as a social entrepreneur.
Between June and September 2023, participants will have access to high-quality learning content on HP LIFE, tools and technology for startup acceleration, dedicated coaching, mentoring, and customized support, as well as the opportunity to tap into a diverse global network of potential supporters and investors.
Submission deadline: June 3, 2023.
Asia-Pacific
2023 APEC Healthy Women Research Prize
The 2023 APEC Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Research Prize (HWHE) calls for applications to showcase outstanding research seeking to improve women’s health and economic participation. The annual prize aims to encourage the creation of sex-disaggregated data and gender-based research within the APEC member economies.
Applicants do not need to come from academia, as long as the research is evidence-based and addresses at least one of the pillars outlined in the Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Policy Toolkit:
Workplace health and safety
Health awareness and access
Sexual and reproductive health
Gender-based violence
Work/life balance
The prize winner will receive USD 20,000 and may choose to present their research to APEC gender experts in the public and private sectors on the margins of the 2023 Women and the Economy Forum, hosted by the United States. Two runners-up will receive USD 5,000 each.
Submission deadline: June 3, 2023.
1st German-Japanese Fellowship Program
Due to geopolitical shifts and reflecting the importance of Japan as the host of the G7 meeting, IJP, for the first time, will offer a fellowship project exclusively for Japan in 2023. This program will put a strong focus on economics, geopolitics, environment/energy, and new technologies. A total of five journalists from Japan and five from Germany will have the opportunity to participate in a two-month stay abroad in their respective countries.
All delegates of the program receive a one-off payment of 4,000 euros from IJP. This should cover most travel, food, and accommodation expenses as well as health insurance. Payment by the host media is not to be expected.
Submission deadline: May 15, 2023.
Selection of Implementing Partners – E-work Component (Palestinian Territories)
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is accepting proposals to implement the E-Work project which has the output “Graduates in Gaza, particularly youth and women, have improved technical and freelancing skills demanded in the digital sector”.
Through this intervention, UNDP aims to provide technical training in freelancing to unemployed graduates, with the goal of training 385 graduates (at least 50% women) and generating 1350 jobs/work assignments for them through online platforms. The intervention also aims to positively impact the lives of 290 graduates, increase the skills and job opportunities of 270 graduates (at least 50% women), and bridge capacity gaps through tailored training.
Submission deadline: April 11, 2023.
AIM-ICDK Water Innovation Challenge 3.0
NITI Aayog’s flagship program - Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) has been at the forefront of promoting a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. As a part of the Indo- Danish Bilateral Green Strategic Partnership, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog (AIM) launched the Open Innovation Water Challenge in partnership with the Innovation Centre Denmark (ICDK) at the Embassy of Denmark in India. The initiative aims to identify innovative & next-gen solutions to solve proposed challenges in collaboration with corporate and public partners.
The winners of the challenges will form the Indian cohort which will participate in the Next Generation City Action program and engage with young talents from leading universities and innovation hubs of 5 countries (India, Denmark, Ghana, the U.S.A, and Brazil). The program will help innovators to build their skills and apply their technical capabilities to build water-related solutions. The AIM-ICDK Water Innovation Challenge has successfully completed 2 editions and has launched the 3rd edition this year.
Submission deadline: April 24, 2023.
The YSEALI Academic Fellowship is an intensive short-term academic program whose purpose is to provide groups of young leaders with a deeper understanding of the United States and a particular theme, while simultaneously enhancing their leadership skills. The Fellowship will focus on one of three themes: Civic Engagement, Environmental Issues, and Social Entrepreneurship and Economic Development.
The five-week program will include seminars, group presentations, and lectures. Educational travel, site visits, leadership activities, and volunteer opportunities will also be provided. Participants will have opportunities for cultural activities outside the classroom and may also participate in an educational study tour of the United States to meet with organizations working in the field.
Submission deadline: April 17, 2023.
Open Call for Leading Asia Scholarship 2023
Leading Asia is an initiative designed to ensure that outstanding young people from Asia are represented at the One Young World Summit 2023 in Belfast, UK.
What could the 'Leading Scholarship' mean for you?
Gain greater visibility for your work & be heard by world-renowned experts and leaders.
Tap into a global network of potential collaborators from 196 countries.
Gain access to exclusive Ambassador opportunities, such as speaking events.
What does the Leading Asia Scholarship sponsorship pay for?
Access to the One Young World Summit 2023 in Belfast, UK.
Hotel accommodation between 1 and 5 October 2023.
Catering includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The cost of travel to and from Belfast. Your flight to and from Belfast must depart from and return to one and the same international airport.
Submission deadline: April 30, 2023.
Media and Information Literacy Hackathon in Armenia
The U.S. Embassy Yerevan, of the U.S. Department of State, announces an open competition for organizations to submit a statement of interest to implement the “Media and Information Literacy Hackathon” program in Armenia. The goal of this program is to promote the creative thinking and problem-solving skills of the Armenian youth and to empower them to produce innovative solutions that can advance media and information literacy in Armenia.
Funding Information
Length of performance period: up to 12 months
The number of awards anticipated: 1.
Award amounts: up to $70,000
Submission deadline: April 23, 2023.
Europe
The EU Prize for Humanitarian Innovation
The European Prize for Humanitarian Innovation celebrates the humanitarian organizations, social enterprises, and companies that are developing technology to deliver better quality assistance to vulnerable people affected by natural disasters and man-made crises such as conflicts.
The prize will be awarded to the organizations that have developed and are deploying innovative solutions for the delivery of humanitarian aid, that is cost-effective, simple to use and re-use, scalable in different humanitarian aid settings and sectors such as shelter, water and sanitation, energy, heating or cooling, food, hygiene, protection, natural disaster risk reduction and health care and based inter alia on the application of digital technologies.
There is one first prize for the winner of the European Prize for Humanitarian Innovation of EUR 250 000, and two runner-up prizes of EUR 150,000 and EUR 100,000 for the applications ranked 2nd and 3rd.
Submission deadline: October 3, 2023.
The European Capital of Innovation Awards iCapital 2023
The European Capital of Innovation Awards recognizes the role of cities in catalyzing local innovation ecosystems and aims to stimulate new activities to boost game-changing innovation, enhance the city's capacity to attract new resources, funds, and talents, and strengthen synergies among innovation ecosystems to tackle urban challenges.
In 2023, the European Capital of Innovation Awards will feature two categories:
The first one, the European Capital of Innovation category, would include cities that have a population of minimum 250 000 inhabitants and, based on the cumulative criteria set out below, would reward the winner (ranked 1st) with EUR 1 million and two runners-up (ranked 2nd and 3rd) with EUR 100 000 each one.
The second one, the European Rising Innovative City category, would include towns and cities with a population of 50 000 and up to 249 999 inhabitants; and, based on the cumulative criteria set out below, would reward the winner (ranked 1st) with EUR 500 000 and the two runners-up (ranked 2nd and 3rd) with EUR 50 000 each one.
Submission deadline: June 29, 2023.
MassChallenge UK: Artificial Intelligence Accelerator
An initial partner set of Bosch, Siemens, Whitworth Bros., Bühler, University of East London, and Royal Docks, supported by the MassChallenge Switzerland partner Group including Givaudan, DSM, Louis Dreyfus Company, Omya, and Nestlé are delighted to announce the launch of a pilot accelerator program for AI-focused startups in the Royal Docks, London from July to October 2023.
The program connects high-potential startups to experts, corporations & communities to help the startups grow their businesses and deliver impact. Startups in the UK program will have the opportunity to compete for the no-strings-attached, non-dilutive prize money from MassChallenge Switzerland, and a special £10,000 prize to the best UK startup in the program.
Startups will benefit from MassChallenge Switzerland’s program and connection events to partners and expert mentors in London. Acceleration will take place with Boot-camps in Switzerland, events in London, and online.
Submission deadline: April 26, 2023.
S3E REVERSE is designed to help start-ups and SMEs gain market traction through a pan-European brokerage program that will connect them with corporate and public organizations, with specific challenges and problems, which they can work together to solve.
The S3E Reserve edition offers a customized program to help scale-ups and SMEs with deep tech projects and solutions from all of Southern Europe. It includes Mentoring, Coaching, Training in Public Procurement, Masterclasses, Networking with Industry Leaders, Technology Brokerage, Innovation Readiness Assessment, and a Self-assessment of the solver.
Submission deadline: May 15, 2023.
Middle East and Africa
UNWTO Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East
The UNWTO Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East, calls for women entrepreneurs from all over the world and based in the Arab region willing to grow their tech startup in the tourism industry, and provide sustainable solutions to the sector.
The winners of the Women in Tech Startup Competition Middle East will gain the following benefits:
Invitation to join UNWTO Innovation Network, with access to more than 447 investors, 47 incubators, 1274 corporations, and representatives from governments, academia, and media from all over the world.
Opportunity to participate and pitch in the UNWTO Tourism Tech Adventure high-level event, that will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 27 September for the celebration of International Tourism Day.
Visibility on all UNWTO platforms and social media networks, with a global reach.
Mentorship programs with international leaders in the field of innovation.
Access to potential seed funding, investments, and partnership opportunities with consultancies, accelerators, and incubators.
Scholarships for UNWTO Tourism Online Academy, which has more than 20.000 alumni, and offers courses in different languages, including Arabic, produced in partnership with international top Universities all over the world.
Prospective opportunities to talk as guest keynote speakers and panelists at international forums.
Submission deadline: July 1, 2023.
This challenge calls for ocean-positive startups and social enterprises which contribute to the sustainability and resilience of the Western Indian Ocean, aligning with the Great Blue Wall Initiative and delivering benefits to people and nature. This challenge contributes directly to the upcoming Africa Climate Action Summit (4-6 September) which will convene The Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) under the leadership of President William Ruto of Kenya and co-hosted by the African Union Commission.
The best submissions will be recognized as “Top Innovators” and invited to join the UpLink Innovation Network Program, facilitated by Friends of Ocean Action & World Economic Forum and partners to help scale and advance their impact. It will offer:
Visibility through the World Economic Forum and IUCNs media and social media platforms.
Access to Friends of Ocean Action, World Economic Forum, IUCN, and Partners events.
Connection to networks, organizations, companies, and funding opportunities in particular those related to the Great Blue Wall.
Capacity and community building sessions, the program objective is to help the Top Innovators gain visibility, attract partners and funding to scale their solution, and ultimately to accelerate their impact.
Submission deadline: April 24, 2023.
Health Entrepreneurship Challenge 2023
The goal of the Health Entrepreneurship Challenge is to enable the creation of ventures with positive health outcomes in Africa. They’re calling on African entrepreneurs to submit their venture ideas or solutions focused on health innovation.
Teams that meet the eligibility criteria will be selected for participation in a comprehensive training and mentorship program, with up to $25,000 CAD in funding for each top-performing venture selected. Top teams will also travel to Toronto, Canada for up to 4-months with all costs covered, to learn and expand their entrepreneurship network. This Challenge is facilitated by the African Impact Initiative and experts from the University of Toronto Entrepreneurship (Health Innovation Hub (H2i), The Bridge, and I-Cube).
Submission deadline: April 15, 2023.
2023 AquayaLEARN Fellowship Program in Kenya & Ghana
The Aquaya Institute (Aquaya) is an independent, non-profit research and consulting organization dedicated to safe, equitable, and sustainable water and sanitation in low-resource settings. Their mission is to improve public health by reducing the burden of waterborne diseases. Aquaya is based in Nairobi, Kenya, Accra, and San Francisco, USA.
Fellows will be based in Nairobi/Accea office and receive the following support:
Coverage of travel expenses (including a one-round trip to Nairobi/Accra and all research-related travel)
A stipend for lodging and additional living expenses.
Submission deadline: April 15, 2023.
SME Development Fund in Rwanda
Circular Food Systems for Rwanda aims to put these three principles into practice. A development fund will provide technical assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in implementing a circular business model or improving upon their current practices. At the same time, the program aims to create an enabling policy environment to catalyze system transformation.
The development fund will provide technical assistance to agri-food SMEs in Rwanda to improve their ability to utilize and scale circular business models.
Submission deadline: May 31, 2023.
Greenovations Incubation and Mentorship Program
The Greenovations project team has launched the call for applications for the Greenovations Africa – 2023 program. It is a “Blended Incubation and Mentorship Program” aiming to build the capacities of young and women African innovators and entrepreneurs in the green sector with tailor-made support, mentorship, as well as seed grant funding to bring their innovations to market and scale.
It is open to young innovators and entrepreneurs from African nationalities, aged below 35 years old, and based in one or more African countries with an innovative business in an early stage in the following green sectors: Agriculture, renewable energy, waste management, water management, and climate action.
Submission deadline: April 23, 2023.
Halcyon Food & Agtech in Africa Intensive Fellowship
Halcyon’s second fellowship focused on Africa is designed for entrepreneurs with innovative solutions that can improve the livelihoods of farmers while increasing access to quality food for the most vulnerable. This fellowship is focusing on ventures disrupting the food and agriculture sectors.
Thanks to their partners at Amazon Web Services, S&R Evermay, and HR Sage, fellows will receive a host of workshops, access to advisors and mentors, and more! The programming will be delivered in a hybrid modality, with three virtual meetings, a one-week in-person residency at Halcyon, and a one-week in-person residency in Nairobi.
Program Features:
A $5,000 USD per venture equity-free stipend to use toward travel expenses to attend the residencies.
One weeklong residency at Halcyon’s facilities in Georgetown, Washington, DC
One weeklong residency in Nairobi with a culminating event featuring pitches from each venture and connections to investors, advisors, and media.
Free workshops focused on investment readiness training and connections with relevant impact investors.
Honing storytelling and pitching
Access to pro bono legal support, skills development, and mentorship
$25,000 USD in Amazon Cloud credits
Join a community of over 300 impact-driven entrepreneurs.
Submission deadline: April 28, 2023.
Americas
Swift Student Challenge in the United States
Apple is excited to continue its long-standing support of students around the world who love to code. Show your passion for coding by submitting an incredible app playground on the topic of your choice.
Winners will receive exclusive WWDC23 outerwear, AirPods Pro, a customized pin set, and one year of membership in the Apple Developer Program. In addition, they will hold a separate random selection process just for winners who opt in for the opportunity to attend the special event at Apple Park.
Submission deadline: April 19, 2023.
Colombian Ecosystem Builders focus to support Entrepreneur Support Organizations
This program, supported by Argidius Foundation, will identify, train, and help a cohort of ten Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs), such as accelerators, incubators, funds, universities, and service providers. They will work closely with industry experts, investors, and ecosystem partners to develop the networks and tools they need to scale and better support entrepreneurs in Colombia through a hybrid program.
They are looking for Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs), such as accelerators, incubators, funds, universities, and service providers that support entrepreneurs working in the following areas, depending on where they are based:
Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) supporting the Caribbean Coastal Area
Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) focusing on Agriculture and Food
Funding: Milestone-based funding (USD $2K for the 10 participants and USD $25K for the top three peer-selected ESOs).
Submission deadline: April 28, 2023.
2024 Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program (US)
The Commodity Credit Corporation and Foreign Agricultural Service are currently seeking applications for its 2024 Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program. The TASC program is designed to assist U.S. organizations by providing funding for projects that seek to remove, resolve, or mitigate existing or potential sanitary, phytosanitary, or technical barriers that prohibit or threaten the export of U.S. specialty crops. The TASC program is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).
Funding information:
Total Award Funding: Anticipated to be $9,000,000
Award Ceiling: $500,000
Award Floor: $1
Submission deadline: May 19, 2023.
GNI Sustainability Lab: Supporting Environmental Journalism in Brazil
Google has launched the Sustainability Laboratory, a program to support journalism, led by the Google News Initiative, which aims to train and support up to 20 journalistic vehicles and local creators who work in the coverage of environmental issues and science communication.
The program will last for three months and will focus on three pillars: education, partnerships, and products. In addition, the 7-course modules will be made available remotely, so that more people have access. At the end of the program, participants are expected to have expanded their knowledge and be able to boost their business through audience analysis and reader engagement tools, as well as product analysis and value proposition and monetization.
Submission deadline: April 17, 2023.