Funding Opportunities For African Businesses

1. The International Program in Public Health Leadership (IPPHL) for Mid-career public health professional (Fully Funded to the United States)

The International Program in Public Health Leadership (IPPHL) expands the policy and leadership acumen of public health leaders throughout Africa to collectively transform health systems.

The International Program in Public Health Leadership is an eight-month program for emerging leaders working in African Ministries of Health. A flagship program of the Evans School at the University of Washington, IPPHL expands the policy and leadership acumen of leaders to develop and implement lasting public policy solutions and transform health systems. The curriculum emphasizes the foundations of policy analysis, evidence and evaluation, implementation, and personal leadership development.

Since 2017, IPPHL has trained 118 public health professionals across 22 African countries. The program is fully funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and partners with the Center for Creative Leadership.

 Fellows engage with the Evans School’s evidence-informed policy expertise and the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)’s acclaimed leadership programs to:

• Develop politically feasible, evidence-informed policies and programs
• Drive organizational change & overcome resistance to set agendas for sustainable implementation
• Build internal and external coalitions for change

Requirements;

• Mid-career public health professional from Africa, working in government, for a government initiative/partner, or entity at the federal, regional, state, or provincial level
• Responsible for managing public health program(s) with supervisory responsibilities, either individual staff or a team; Accountable for the performance of public health programs and/or for managing front-line health workers
• Holds a degree related to public health or is a medical professional
• A citizen and resident of a country in Africa
• Strong English-language skills, and the ability to articulate the various policy or program implementation challenges that they deal with in public health

Participation & Commitment

If accepted, you will be required to attend all live virtual and in-person components of the program including completing prep work for the session. See estimated time(s) below:

• Orientation – virtual sessions (March 14, 15, 16: 4 – 5:30 pm GMT, online sessions)
• Policy Intensive – virtual sessions (April 11 – June 1, online classes every Tuesday and Thursday: 4 pm—5:30 pm GMT): An average of 5-7 hours per week on programmatic assignments, such as reading case studies and articles, completing self-assessments, meeting with their executive coach and faculty advisor, and participating in the live online sessions
• Leadership Immersion – Seattle, WA, USA (June 19 – June 30):  2 weeks of experiential learning, workshopping, networking, and individual leadership development. Full attendance across the two-weeks is required.
• Launch & Learn – virtual touchpoints (July 11, July 25, August 8, August 22: 4 pm – 5:30 pm GMT): Fellows begin applying the leadership, implementation, and policy frameworks in their places of work. The cohort convenes for four 90-minute sessions to check-in on progress with colleagues. Fellows finalize their written policy projects during these six weeks.
• Capstone Seminar – Nairobi, Kenya (August 30 – September 2): The cohort convenes in-person for the final after-action to assess progress and strategize how to move projects, agendas, and teams forward. Full attendance across the five days is required.

 Benefits:

• There is no tuition or program fee.
• IPPHL makes every effort to cover most direct costs associated with the program, including lodging and airfare for the two-week Seattle Residency and Capstone Seminar.
• Participants are responsible for covering certain costs, such as visa fees and internet and will receive limited financial support for these expenses either during or after the completion of the program.
• One-on-one executive coaching & UW faculty advisors provide rapid feedback on leadership and policy development.
• Case-based learning prepares fellows to apply skills and frameworks to real-world challenges.
• A unique blend of online programming and in-person residencies provide a variety of opportunities for global engagement and collaborative learning.

How to Apply:

Please be prepared to complete the following steps in the application to apply:

• Complete the online application form
• 3 short-answer questions limited to 1500 characters each on the following topics (please refer to application for full questions and expectations):
• How you have used leadership and management skills to affect change in the past (or in your current role), and what personal characteristics help you effectively work through leadership challenges and influence change
• A critical challenge that you face in your position or in your health program that you would like to address as your policy problem throughout IPPHL
• How the leadership, policy analysis, and skills of influence learned during this program will further your career aspirations
• Upload your resume or CV in PDF form.
• Upload a Statement of Release from your supervisor in PDF form. This statement should come from an individual or department with the authority to release you for time spent during the in-person and virtual portions of the program, some of which may occur during work hours.
• Upload a Letter of Recommendation from your employer or supervisor PDF form. Your Letter of Recommendation should include:
• Several ways that a leadership and policy program like IPPHL would support your professional development
• One strength or specific talent you would add to the program
• Two ways your participation in IPPHL would benefit your larger team and organization
• A statement of willingness from your organization to participate in elements of the program that require their input such as surveys

Application Deadline:  October 13, 2022.

For More Information, visit : International Program in Public Health Leadership (IPPHL) – Evans School of Public Policy & Governance

2. EU-ECOWAS scholarships programme on sustainable energy

The EU-ECOWAS Scholarship programme provides scholarships for masters’ degrees in the sustainable energy sector at specialised universities in West Africa (Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo) for the benefit of eligible students from ECOWAS member states involved in the energy sector.

The programme aims to improve access to high-quality training in the sustainable energy sector in West Africa, enabling university graduates with a focus on young professionals (English, French and Portuguese speaking) in the ECOWAS member states to acquire the profile required to meet the growing demand for specialists at the highest level in the field of sustainable energy and to promote good governance of the sector in the region

Selection criteria;

The EU-ECOWAS Scholarship application form collects responses from applicants who are interested to complete a master’s programme in the energy sector from shortlisted universities. The scholarship selection process will analyse the information collected through the application form against the following criteria:

• Be nationals of a member state of ECOWAS or Mauritania and being resident in ECOWAS’ region or Mauritania
• Have at least a bachelor’s degree with First Class or Second Class (Upper Division)
• Have undertaken studies at least at bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, energy and environment (including renewable energy and energy efficiency), law, economics, finance and planning as deemed by the entry requirements of the chosen university
• Work experience in the energy sector in West Africa will be an added advantage
• Hold (at least) provisional admission into an approved course of study at the time of scholarship approval
• Scholarship is open to working and non-working candidates. Working candidates are required to provide letter of release from their employer to complete the course for the duration of the programme
• Commitment to publish at least 1 practice-oriented research before the end of the programme
• Commitment to start internships within the course of study.

Also Read: Nigeria Looks To Its Shallow Water Oil Fields To Boost Production

Cote d’Ivoire

Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INPHB) 

Course available:

• Specialised Master’s in Renewable Energies (Mastère Spécialisé en Energies Renouvelables)
• Togo
• Universite de Lome
• Courses available:
• Research master’s in advanced Materials for Electricity (Master recherche en matériaux avancés pour l’électricité)
• Professional Engineer master’s in electrical engineering (Master ingénieur professionnel en ingénierie électrique)
• Research Engineer master’s in electrical engineering (Master ingénieur recherche en ingénierie électrique)

Application Procedure;

Successful applicants will be required to provide the following documents for validation:

• Identification cards such as an international passport or a national identity card
• Proof of residency in an ECOWAS country or Mauritania
• A copy of the provisional admission letter from a shortlisted university
• Academic transcripts or certificate obtained, and
• Any other documents to validate information provided in the application form.

Contact  EU-ECOWAS scholarships programme on sustainable energy | Opportunities For Africans

For more information, visit; https://www.britishcouncil.com.sn/en/programmes/education/eu-ecowas-scholarships 

3. Princeton in Africa Nexus Fellowship Program 2023/2024 for young African Professionals.

In 2023, Princeton in Africa is expanding its model to pilot Nexus! Princeton in Africa Nexus will pair 5 Africa Fellows educated and resident on the African continent with 5 Fellows educated at U.S. accredited institutions in the same fellowship host organizations on the African continent for a co-fellow exchange of skills, knowledge, leadership, and technical expertise. The Nexus is an addition to PiAf’s signature fellowship program tailored for young leaders educated at a U.S.-accredited institution!

The program is designed to enrich our Fellows’ experience and professional growth on the African continent and bring young professionals educated in African institutions into our community of nearly 700 alumni spanning all over the world.

Requirements;

How do I become a Nexus Fellow?

In order to be eligible for the Nexus program, applicants must:

• Have citizenship in an African Country and have current residency in an African country (applicants with dual U.S. citizenship will not be considered).
• Have an Undergraduate Degree or a Master’s degree (or equivalent), or a Ph.D. from an African University.

The eligibility requirements of the general PiAf fellowship program are:

• PiAf general applicants must be recent graduates or graduating seniors of a U.S.-accredited 4-year college or university. Note, most universities outside of the U.S. are not U.S.-accredited; if you graduate from a non-U.S. accredited university, then obtain an additional degree from a U.S.-accredited university, you would be eligible to apply for Princeton in Africa. All applicants must have a 4-year undergraduate degree or a graduate degree from a U.S.-accredited university.
• If a candidate interested in Nexus only has a degree from an accredited 4-year U.S. college or university they would be considered for the general fellowship program.

Application Requirements

• Resume or CV (2 pages max)
• Official transcript (All Applicants)
• University Enrollment Verification Documentation (Nexus Applicants Only)
• One letter of recommendation (submitted using this form)
• $75 Non-refundable Application Fee (Fee waivers available on a need-basis, email piafapp@princetoninafrica.orgfor more information)
• Complete Online Application
• Demonstrated commitment to service

Application Deadline: October 26, 2022

For More Information, visit; Nexus | Princeton in Africa

4. FATE Foundation/HiiL Justice Entrepreneurship School 2022 for young West African Entrepreneurs

The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) in partnership with FATE Foundation has launched the call for application for the Justice Entrepreneurship School (JES) which is a programme targeted at entrepreneurs within West Africa who are in the incubation stage of business and have innovative ideas about businesses within the justice sector of economies. HiiL (The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law) is a social enterprise devoted to user-friendly justice and has a goal to develop entrepreneurs working on solutions that will address and solve the pressing justice needs of people in West Africa.

Target Audience

Target Audience Includes Startups that empower people with break-through innovations to create better:

• Working conditions with employers
• Separation terms with spouses
• Protection against theft, fraud and violence
• Arrangements about noise, damages and property access with neighbours
• Housing maintenance and rent conditions with landlords
• Agreements on ownership, registration and use of land
• Contracts, fraud protection and compliance for their small business

 Area of Focus;

Areas of focus for prevention or resolving pressing justice problems are in the following areas:

• Employment: contract termination, payment of wages/social security/insurance, working conditions, equal hiring opportunities.
• Family: separation, abuse, child support, custody and inheritance.
• Neighbours: excessive noise or disorder, right of way, damage to property.
• Crime: theft, robbery, burglary, and bodily injury, lending and borrowing money.
• Land: ownership, registration, use of land, tenure.
• Housing: eviction, living conditions, payment of rent
• Small business: supplier or client contracts, tax, registration, regulatory compliance, fraud, business premises.
• Public sector: corruption, bribery, access to utilities (water, sanitation, electricity)
• Consumer: unfair/unauthorised charges by company or bank, purchasing defective goods or substandard services, warranties.
• Money: Solutions that help prevent or resolve disputes over lending and borrowing money.

The programme will run for 8 weeks with a single touchpoint twice a week (Mondays and Wednesday) between 26 September – 16 November 2022

Eligibility Requirements;

To be eligible, you must:

• Be computer Literate
• Have basic computer knowledge
• Have a certificate from a tertiary institution
• Have a prototype or MVP solution that prevents or resolves justice problems like Neighbours, crime, money, Land, Employment, etc
• Have a Prototype or MVP solutions that cause social change or has a social impact that pertains to justice.

Time Commitment: The programme will run for 1 day a week for 8 weeks and 4 – 5 hours on each day.

Timeline:

Monday 26 September – Wednesday 6 November 2022

Application Deadline: September 30, 2022

For More Information: FATE Foundation/HiiL Justice Entrepreneurship School 2022 for young West African Entrepreneurs | Opportunities For Africans

5. African Union AU20 “our Africa, our future” Writers Residency Programme (Fully Funded to Accra, Ghana plus US$1,000 stipend)

This year, the African Union celebrates its 20th anniversary since the organization’s establishment at the Durban Summit of July 2002. Dubbed AU20, the celebrations are taking place under the theme “Our Africa, Our Future” and will focus on the AU’s initiatives, successes, impact, challenges and the way forward.

As part of this commemoration, the African Union (AU), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is hosting a residency programme under the AU20 project for established writers from across Africa to produce a piece of work that celebrates the unity and potential of the African continent.

The writer’s residency will take the form of a hybrid programme, with two online meetings in November 2022 and a two-week physical residency at the Library of Africa and African Diaspora (LOATAD) in Accra, Ghana from 14 to 28 November 2022. The residency will culminate in a public event in Accra to showcase and discuss the written work.

Catering to the theme “Our Africa, Our Future”, five writers from the continent will be tasked to interpret the theme in a broad and expansive way across a selected genre, including fiction, narrative non-fiction and poetry. The work will be published in an e-book anthology to be released in early 2023.

The AU20 project aims to elevate the profile of the AU in the minds of Africans, particularly the creative community, and better connect the AU to African citizens. Powered by Africa No Filter, the writer’s residency will contribute towards bringing the African Union closer to the African people by selecting creative professionals who think outside the box, dare to challenge conventions and offer new and original work through their chosen materials, techniques and subject matters.

Requirements;

• Established writers of fiction, narrative nonfiction, and poetry who have had at least one book/chapbook published by a reputable publisher (not including self-published work) or who have substantial publication credits in literary journals/magazines.
• Writers can write their pieces in either French or English, and must be able to communicate in English.
• Writers must be both nationals of, and resident in, any African country.
• Writers must own a valid passport and be willing to travel to Ghana to participate in the physical residency.

Expectations;

• Be willing to commit to the entirety of the residency programme i.e. both digital (3 & 7 November) and physical (14-28 November) sessions.
• Produce a piece of writing between 5,000 and 7,000 words (or five poems for poets) on the theme “Our Africa, Our Future” for publication in the e-book anthology.
• Prepare a 500-word summary to promote the piece(s), for inclusion in the African Union’s flagship magazine, the AU ECHO.
• Participate in the public event at the end of the residency, photography and videography of the creation process, and any publicity that may arise from the programme.

Benefits:

• All travel costs to, from and within Ghana.
• Accommodation and board at LOATAD in Ghana.
• Access to the library’s extensive resources.
• A stipend of US$1,000. Trips to relevant places of interest while in Ghana.
• Meetings with key people in the Ghanaian/African literary space.

How to Apply: Complete this form attaching the following documents:

 https://forms.gle/C2ALmzwurMk96Xh87

• A one-page cover letter explaining why you want to participate in this AU-themed residency and what you hope to gain from the experience.
• Your writers CV (3 pages maximum) with contact details for two referees.
• A writing sample of no more than 2,000 words in your preferred genre.
• A copy of the ID page of your passport.

The deadline for applications is 30 September 2022. Applications for which an element is missing as well as those that have exceeded the application deadline will not be taken into consideration.

Questions:  Email residency@loatad.org with the subject line “AU20 Writers Residency”.

Application Deadline: September 30, 2022

For More Information, visit: open call for African writers AU20 “our Africa, our future” writers residency programme | African Union

6. The GIZ-SAIS Investment Readiness Programme 2023 for African Agtech Start-ups.

The SAIS Investment Readiness Programme (IRP) offers African tech start-ups from the agriculture, food, and livestock sectors a year-long tailor-made support program to make you investor ready and scale up your business!

Eligibility Requirements

Legal form

• You have to be registered and operate in Africa
• You have to provide a certificate of registration

Team (founders)

• You must have a founding team of at least two people who work ideally full time for the start-up
• Your founding and management team should have entrepreneurial and technical experience in their area of operation

Digital product/service

• You must have a viable digital product that positively impacts the incomes of its customers
• Your product must have a positive impact on the African AgTech, FoodTech or livestock sector (vertical sectors that have an influence can be accepted like eCommerce, FinTech, Logistics, EdTech etc)

 Market access and traction

• You must have launched your digital product at least six months before the application period
• Your start-up has to provide evidence of traction (customer base, first revenue)

Business model

Your start-up should have an easily understandable and convincing business model.

• Your start-up should have a clear statement of the problem, clear digital solution, clear customer segment, and clear revenue stream.

 Add-ons (But not musts) 

• You have women in your founding team or as senior managers
• You or one of your founding team members has an IT background
• You and your founding team members have previous start-up experience
• With your product you target a vulnerable group of customers

 Benefits

• Regular sessions of personalized coaching with local and international experts
• Tailored to your specific and individual needs, during which strategies and measures for rapid growth will be developed and implemented.
• Access to online training (tailored)
• Structured around several key themes to develop your start-up further, e. g. Pitch Training, Growth Strategy, Data Analytics & Management, Term Sheet, Valuation, Market Analysis, Marketing & Sales, and so on.

Integrating you into a local hub (optional)

• To get you a workplace for 6 months and facilitate contacts with major players in the local start-up scene, if needed.
• Access to additional services
• to optimize certain key areas of your business, e. g. legal advice, online marketing, digital product optimization, design, and coding.
• Access to the GIZ network
• of our global presence, local expertise, far-reaching networks, and years of experience working with the private sector, investors, and business partners. The network can help you to improve the visibility and contacts with start-ups nationally and internationally through participation in national, regional, and international events dedicated to African entrepreneurs.

Add-on: Programme for Female Leaders

In addition to the above-mentioned, we offer special support for female founders and women in leading positions of the start-ups:

• Our Female Leader Circle meets with the aim of bringing women in leadership positions together, networking and learning from each other. Input sessions on topics that are of special interest for female leaders serve as a starting point for discussion.
• A bi-annual Female Founders Award recognizes the achievement of female founder.

The IRP is offered by “Scaling Digital Agriculture Innovations through Start-up (SAIS)”, a project implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is co-funded by Bayer Cares Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Our overall goal at SAIS is to increase incomes in the African agri-food sector through scaling proven digital innovations. For 2023, up to 20 start-ups will be selected to participate in a year-long Investment Readiness Programme.

Application Deadline: October 31st, 2022

For More Information visit; https://vc4a.com/giz/giz-sais-investment-readiness-programme-2023/

7. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Young Leaders Programme 2023/2026 Learning Sprint.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is accepting applications for the sixth generation of the IOC Young Leaders programme, supported by Worldwide Olympic Partner Panasonic. The programme aims to support young people in the development and implementation of social projects that use sport to solve issues in their communities.

The IOC Young Leaders Programme is part of the IOC’s long-term commitment to support young people and empower them to become social change-makers through sport, while reinforcing sport’s role as an enabler for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The programme is designed to best equip the selected young leaders to solve local problems through grassroots sports initiatives and sustainable business models.

Also Read: It’s Time to Rethink Licensing Rounds In Africa’s Oil & Gas Producing Countries

The IOC Young Leaders programme

Launched in 2016, the IOC Young Leaders programme empowers young people to leverage the power of sport to make a positive difference in their communities. Each project promotes the Olympic values and principles such as respect, tolerance, peace and gender equality, while also addressing a specific local problem.

Requirements

The IOC Young Leader profile:

• 20-28 years old
• Proficiency in English
• Passion for sport as a tool for social and economic change
• Interest in community action
• Knowledge of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
• Strong communicator and team player willing to learn and grow
• Comfortable in managing social media, and new technologies and platforms

This programme is for you if you want to:

• Turn ideation and research into real action and development of solutions
• Become a more effective and stronger leader in sport and social business (or a sport and social business entrepreneur)
• Drive local transformative change in and through sport
• Represent and embody the Olympic values in action
• Commit to a four-year entrepreneurial journey
• Be both a mentee and a mentor through a comprehensive mentorship programme
• Collaborate with fellow young leaders, experts, researchers, sports leaders and social business

The 4-Week Learning Sprint

The 4-Week Learning Sprint, which will take place during November 2022, is a virtual learning programme, open to anyone, comprising four virtual sessions dedicated to different topics (includes content about the Olympic Movement, Olympism 365, Olympic partnerships, the IOC Young Leaders Programme, sport-based social business, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and how to achieve them through sport, etc.).

The sessions can be attended live or watched back after they are made available on the IOC’s YouTube channel. Each week, participants will be asked to complete a topic-specific reflection task –linked to each session – which should not take more than one hour to complete.

• Participants will also be encouraged to complete weekly social media tasks in line with the programme’s themes and to share their Learning Sprint journeys.
• Completion of the 4-Week Learning Sprint is the first pre-requisite for a candidate to be eligible to apply for the IOC Young Leaders Programme. The application process for the programme will open on 1 December 2022. Without completing the Learning Sprint (including all tasks), participants will not be eligible to apply for the IOC Young Leaders Programme.
• The 4-Week Learning Sprint is open to anyone, with the target audience aged between 20 and 28 years old.
• Provided all sessions have been followed and the weekly tasks have been completed and submitted in a timely manner (exact deadlines to be announced closer to the time), participants will be able to obtain a Certificate of Participation on behalf of the IOC Young Leaders Programme

Benefits;

• 25 IOC Young Leaders will be selected to benefit from a comprehensive four-year programme, providing them with funding, network support, tools and expertise to become successful social entrepreneurs and make a positive impact through sport.
• This includes a mandatory online four-week learning sprint, a blended learning approach with monthly activities and in-person events, weekly learning modules and leadership opportunities, but also a total of CHF 10,000 in seed-funding given to each participant over the four years.

Selection Criteria

The process for selecting the IOC Young Leaders for 2023-2026 consists of two stages: the 4-Week Learning Sprint and the IOC Young Leaders Programme Application Process.

STAGE 1

Completion of the 4-Week Learning Sprint is the first prerequisite for a candidate to be eligible to apply for the IOC Young Leaders Programme.

Registration for the 4-Week Learning sprint opens on 15 September and closes on 20 October 2022.

The four sessions of the 4-Week Learning Sprint will take place in November: every Tuesday starting on 8 November.

More details will be communicated to those who register.

STAGE 2

 After successfully completing the 4-Week Learning Sprint (Certificate of Participation earned), a candidate becomes eligible to apply for the IOC Young Leaders Programme.

The application process opens on 1 December and closes on 31 December 2022.

For More Information, visit;  IOC Young Leaders programme: Applications are now open

8. Lenovo TransforME Grant for NGOs and Charities empowering Under-represented Communities

Are you a registered charity or NGO that trains, reskills, or upskills high potential adults to solve problems using innovative, emerging technology? The Lenovo Foundation wants to hear from you!

The Lenovo Foundation is looking for organizations that are equipping today’s workforce with the skills individuals need to transform their careers, lives, and communities.

Charitable Giving Focus Areas

Lenovo Foundation invests in advancing STEM Education programs, increasing access to opportunity for diverse populations, and empowering employees to improve global communities.

Lenovo corporate giving aligns to the Lenovo Foundation’s mission by providing gifts of funds, product, and employee time and talent in the following focus areas:

• Empowering diverse, under privileged and minority populations
• Increasing access to science, technology, engineering and math education
• Global natural disaster response and recovery

What are they looking for?

• Organizations that are developing skills for individuals in the fields of computer programming, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, IT support, internet of things, analytics, automation, and other emerging technologies.
• Focus on benefitting individuals with the following demographics: Focus on communities: Experiencing economic hardship Facing historical or systemic boundaries to opportunity Facing geographic boundaries to opportunity Targeting populations: Age 18-65+From underrepresented backgrounds in the industry, including women and individuals from minority racial/ ethnic backgrounds.
• Programs that can demonstrate: High rates of participant engagement and retention Ability to enable transformational outcomes for individuals on a 24-month timeline (or less) At least two years of program existence preferred Thoughtful, well executed financial planning for program support in the USD $25k – $250k range. Grant round is for cash only programmatic support. Detailed understanding of the programmatic cost of successful completion of the program (I.e. how much money is needed for one individual to successfully complete the program, and how do you define successful completion) Thoughtful approaches to removing barriers to success for target populations, i.e. living stipends for impoverished populations, free child care to enable success for parents
• Organizations that are responsible and prompt in their communications and are looking to grow a partnership with Lenovo.

 Guidelines for Support;

Lenovo Foundation and Lenovo corporate philanthropy do not support:

• Organizations that are not 501(c)(3) organizations as classified by the United States Internal Revenue Service, or international organizations that are not determined the equivalent of a U.S. 501(c)(3).
• Organizations that discriminate between recipients of services, employees, or partner organizations based on gender, race, age, marital status, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, or political affiliation.
• Social, labor union, alumni, trade associations, fraternal organizations, or professional organizations.
• Religious or faith-based organizations that restrict services to a particular group or engage in proselytization.
• Community, college, or professional sports leagues or organizations
• Unsolicited requests for sponsorship of events such as galas, conferences, dinners, or seminars.
• Organizations that benefit a sole individual.

All organizations considered for support:

• Must complete and adhere to the Lenovo Compliance Form.
• Must provide reporting on how gift of funds or product were used.
• Must operate within parameters of all applicable laws, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.S. Patriot Act and all applicable laws and regulations in countries where program support is provided.
• Organizations based in the United States must be verifiable through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Exempt Organizations Select Check online tool. For non-U.S. organizations, Lenovo utilizes the IRS’s Reliance Standards for Making Good Faith Determinations or Expenditure Responsibility rules and regulations in determining eligible charitable organizations.

Product Donations – Restrictions;

• Items donated to an organization may not be marketed or resold without the written permission of Lenovo, with the exception of charitable fundraising auctions.
• Organization must immediately report to Lenovo if donated items are stolen, intercepted, or used for purposes outside of agreed intent at time of gift.

Requirements;

• Timely application by stated deadline.
• Compliance affirmation and paperwork (questions #8-11)
• Banking and payment details
• Two photos, approved by organization for Lenovo’s use on social media

Application Structure;

 Please have the following information prepared for submission:

Contact information

• Compliance affirmation
• Materials needed: photo, budget
• Grant Application Questions
• Relationship Disclosure

Video Details

 They welcome the chance to get to know you through a video introduction. This video does not have to be a high production quality. You can simply record and introduction on your phone, table or other device. They’re looking for a basic introduction of your organization and skilling program. Consider including the following:

• State name of organization and speaker
• Share where you are based and the community you serve
• How are your program skilling individuals for the future
• What does Lenovo’s vision of “providing smarter technology for all” mean to you?
• Any other information that can fit within a three-minute video!

For more information, visit; Lenovo Foundation | Focused on advancing STEM education globally

9. Microsoft announces AI Grant Program

Recent breakthroughs in large models are changing the way they relate to unimaginably large datasets. But the models are not products. There is a tremendous opportunity for founders who understand what these models can do to build products that will redefine how everyone work and live. They have seen this firsthand with GitHub Copilot. In files where Copilot is enabled, up to 40% of the code in those files are being suggested by Copilot.

Today Microsoft is thrilled to announce that they are taking this further by working with AI Grant to support “breakthrough products that will be AI-first, built by entrepreneurs who understand both what the latest AI models can do, and what people actually want to use.”

AI Grant is funded by Nat Friedman, former CEO of GitHub, and Daniel Gross, an early investor in Stripe, Coinbase, Figma, and others.

Goals;

 The goal is to find and support the great entrepreneurs who are exploring this new frontier. They want to raise the status of building AI-first products. Research is important, but creating a product that people love on a new platform requires unusual levels of creativity and ingenuity – arguably more so than raising money and spending it to scale up a training cluster. And the rewards to the entrepreneurs who create these products will be enormous.

Funding Information 

• Nat and Daniel have invested $10M in AI Grant. The company investments themselves are made by AI Grant LLC.
• If you are raising more than this, talk to them directly! they’re interested in great companies raising between $2M and $200M.

 Benefits

If yours is one of the selected for the program, you will receive:

• A $250,000 investment via a no cap, no discount MFN SAFE
• $250,000 in Azure cloud credits
• Membership to Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub including a wide array of Microsoft and 3rd party benefits, go-to-market support, 1:1 mentoring and more
• $50,000 in credits for AssemblyAI
• $10,000 in human-labeling credits from Scale.ai
• An invitation to spend the week networking with peers and some of the smartest minds from the world of AI entrepreneurship, at the AI Grant summit in San Francisco in early November
• Early access to Stability AI models

Eligibility Criteria; 

• Anything that leverages AI models in a useful or engaging way.
• In particular, they’re looking for technical & pragmatic founders who want to build great products.
• If you get a thrill from making something that other people love to use, and you understand that building a new product is 1% idea and 99% iteration, they want to support you.

Application Deadline: October 1^st, 2022

For more information, visit; Apply now for the AI Grant program 

10. Join the 2023 UPG Sustainability Leadership Program

Are you a passionate citizen, aged 18 to 35, that believes your actions can support your local community and that every small positive action can make the world a better place? Then you are welcome to apply for United Global People (UPG) Sustainability Leadership Class 2023 Program.

In spring 2023 UPG commits to train and certify a minimum of 500 additional young leaders from all over the world by spring 2023. And to offer 60 of them an immersive 1-week experience on an island in the USA: the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership.

UPG Sustainability Leadership is a movement that mobilises individuals and organisations to support positive citizen leadership on sustainability.

It is a movement that encourages and enables citizens at all levels to take positive action. A movement inspired by the UPG’s commitment to do what they can with what they have, rather than wait for someone else to act. It is a movement that embodies the notion that everyone can do something to make the world more sustainable.

UPG believes that sustainability includes BOTH the usual “green” issues such as planting trees, recycling waste, managing energy, protecting the oceans AND other issues that have been central to their societies for a long time such as: education, health, jobs, gender equality, sustainable consumption, sustainable production and more. For those who are familiar with it, UPG uses the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guide.

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The flagship activity is the #UPGSustainability Leadership training program for 500+ young adults from across the globe every year. There are also activities for schools and institutions as well as for companies.

Eligibility Criteria; 

• Candidates must be 18-35 years of age by 1 October 2022
• Candidates must be self-motivated, capable of overcoming major challenges and able to think outside the box
• Applicants from all nationalities are eligible to apply
• Candidates from all genders and candidates with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
• All applicants to the UPG Sustainability Leadership program will need to have a good understanding of English to apply. Application forms, all training and all supporting materials will be in English so to get the most out of the program a strong English language capability is required.

Selection Criteria;

 UPG is looking for young determined people from all different paths of life and regions of the world. From well-experienced professionals to freshly graduated students. The selection process considers four factors:

• Your Profile – this helps us to strive for diversity
• Your Motivation – they select the most motivated
• Your Capabilities and
• The Potential for Impact

Application Deadline; December 3^rd, 2022

For more information, visit; UPG Sustainability Leadership – United People Global