Funding Opportunities For African Businesses

1.  Call for Proposals: Climate Innovations and Green Agricultural Entrepreneurship in West Africa

    Deadline: 15-Jan-23

Within the context of the NEXUS project, the Institute de la Francophonie pour le development durable (IFDD), a subsidiary body of the Organization internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), in partnership with the OIF Representation for West Africa (REPAO), and with the support of the Government of Quebec, is launching a call for proposals on Climate Innovations and Green Agricultural Entrepreneurship in West Africa.

The objective of the NEXUS project is to promote innovations and good agricultural practices in the management and sustainable use of natural resources (water, energy, biodiversity) to support, by 2027, the food security of more than 20 French-speaking countries, through a regional approach in several phases.

Each proposal should contribute to one of the following two activities of the NEXUS project:

• The establishment of a cascade financing mechanism and support for the deployment of at least 10 integrated, transformative climate and agricultural innovations, adapted to regional conditions and accessible to vulnerable populations to increase the impact of the response to climate change;
• The establishment of a trainingmechanism and cascade financing of at least 10 projects for young entrepreneurs in green agriculture contributing to the development of agro-ecosystems, improving integrated climate-economic opportunities and supporting sustainable agricultural value chains.

Funding Information

The call for proposals, with a total budget of 400,000 euros, will provide four grants of between 75,000 and 100,000 euros to eligible non-profit organizations established in West Africa, each to implement a project lasting 24 months.

Eligible Countries

The countries covered by the call for proposals are: Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

Eligibility Criteria

Applications must be submitted by a single entity meeting the following general eligibility criteria:

• Be a legal person (entity with legal personality) based and active in one of the following countries: Benin, Cabo Verde, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Senegal or Togo.
• Be active in one of the following areas.
  • Lot 1: in the field of R&I – academic and researchinstitutions/organisations, companies born out of academic research, education and vocational training (VET) providers, organizations representing local communities, agencies and associations working to gender equality in research and innovation, national science, technology and innovation agencies, innovation support organizations (technology hubs, innovation laboratories and technology transfer offices ), incubators and other similar organizations with specific experience in the priority areas targeted by this call.
  • Lot 2: in the field of vocational training, sustainable agriculture or businesssupport – government organisations, academic institutions/ organisations, vocational education and training (VET) providers, organizations representing local communities, agencies and associations working for equality between women and men in organizations, entrepreneurship support organizations (technology hubs, innovation labs and technology transfer offices), incubators, accelerators and other similar organizations with specific experience in the priority areas targeted by this call.
• Be non-profit or recognized as being of public utility.
• Formal existence: Be legally established since at least 2018 (4 years) in one of the countries concerned by the appeal, have documents attesting to this and provide a list of the main services or activities carried out over the last four years, indicating the annual budget, the periods and the direct and indirect beneficiaries.
• Previous funding: Indicate at least one grantof a minimum amount of €30,000 managed or implemented by your organization during the period 2018-2022 specifying your role, total budgets and sources of grants.
• For Lot 1: this will be a research or innovation grant (community developmentproject type grants are not accepted).
• For Lot 2: this will be a grant related to the support or financing of entrepreneurial projects or sustainable agriculture.
• Technical capacity: Proof of the skills necessary to carry out the proposed project (CVs of the members of the dedicated project team responsible for the activities financed, publications, innovations and any relevant evidence to be attached to the application).
• Management autonomy: Being directly responsible for the preparation and management of funded activities.

For more information,

Visit https://oacps-ri.eu/en/news/call-for-proposals-climate-innovations-and-green-agricultural-entrepreneurship-in-west-africa/

Also Read: Funding Opportunities For African Businesses

2.  SEARCA: Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions

    Deadline: 30-Nov-22

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is excited to announce the Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS) to help inventors, change makers, and agripreneurs turn their ideas into reality, bridging the gap between an idea and a prototype.

GRAINS supports scaling up of a technology or innovation model, establishment of agri-technology startups, and community knowledge transfer projects.

Specifically, GRAINS champions’ transformational innovation related to agriculture, forestry, fishery, and public health through:

• Technical or customer validation of experimental proof of concept
• Establishment of prototype of a technology or innovation model
• Development of technology prototype or innovation model
• Piloting or scaling up of a technology or innovation model
• Development of a new approach or model to improve or expand use of technology
• Establishment of technology start-up or businessventure
• Community knowledge transfer activities such as:
  • Technology and technical assistance projects
  • Developing/implementing emerging models of innovation
  • Protection and promotion of traditional community knowledge
  • Open agroecology projects

Funding Information

Applicant’s startup venture with equity funding of less than USD 20,000

Eligibility Criteria

SEARCA GRAINS is open to the following applicants interested in implementing on-the-ground innovation projects in Southeast Asia:

Institutions:

• Academic/research, private, government or non-government institutions, farmer groups and cooperatives
• Must have a legal entity based in Southeast Asia
• Must own or support startup/research groups with own invention, acquired technology or innovation at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 or above (experimental proof of concept to bench scale level)
• The lead proponent must be a citizen of a Southeast Asian country
• The institution or its supported startup/research group must be committed to transferring or exploiting the innovation

Individual:

• Researcher aiming to spinout a company from academic or research institutions
• Southeast Asian country citizenship
• Student, faculty member, or researcher affiliated with academic or research institution
• Inventor or principal investigator with technology/innovation at TRL 3 or above (experimental proof of concept to bench scale level)
• The affiliated academic or research institution committed to transferring and exploiting the technology/innovation via a spin-off, licensing, and other knowledge transfer mechanism
• Entrepreneur or startup founders who want to test, validate, and prototype their experimental proof of concept
• Southeast Asian country citizenship
• Founder or co-founder with invention, technology or innovation at TRL 3 or above: from experimental proof of concept to bench scale level

Is your Project Eligible?

• Significance of output to beneficiary and to industry need; good project rationale
• Alignment of the project with one or more of SEARCA’s outcomes or impacts
• Clear scope of work, activities, and timeline
• Capability of the project team to undertake the project
• Collaborative in nature
• Project duration: 6-12 months

For more information, visit https://www.searca.org/grains

3.  Call for Projects Proposals: Microfinance Program of the Global Environment Facility in Togo

    Deadline: 30-Dec-22

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is inviting National organizations of civil society, eligible (confers TDR), to submit their application, for the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program (GEF/SGP)

Principles

Two main principles guide the PMF/GEF:

• Global environmental problems can only be adequately solved if local communities are involved in finding and implementing their solutions, and

With small financing, these communities can undertake actions which, while contributing to the protection of the global environment, will participate in the improvement of their living conditions.

Objectives

The main objectives of the program are:

• Support and support innovative community initiatives, on a small scale, which by replication could reduce threats to the global environment, in accordance with multilateral agreements on the environment;
• learn from experiences, at the community level, and share best practices with the community of NGOs/ Associations/CBOs, state services, researchinstitutions and technical and financial partners;
• Facilitate the creation of partnerships and networks of actors, to support and multiply good practices in favor of sustainable development.
• PMF/GEF grants therefore make it possible to demonstrate the effectiveness of community initiatives and their contributions to mitigating environmental threats.

Priorities

Priority will be given to relevant and innovative projects aimed at:

• increase forest cover, through the creation of community and schoolplantations, the restoration of degraded landscapes, the sustainable management of land and ecosystems, by favoring initiatives related to protected areas, community forests and sacred sites;
• identify, develop and disseminate techniques and technologies for the sustainable management of natural resources and the environment, promoting the empowerment and inclusion of women, young people and people living with disabilities;
• Strengthen the technical capacities of CSOs to prevent, mitigate and respond to various risks, including natural disasters and climate change.
• Particular attention will be given to innovative initiatives, with environmental, social and economicco-benefits, carried out by women’s organisations, youth organizations and those of people living with disabilities.

Focus Areas

Project proposals submitted to the PMF/GEF must be initiatives whose results, adaptable and replicable, can contribute, in a significant and unprecedented way, to sustainable development, in particular in the following areas of the GEF:

• Biological diversity;
• Climate changes;
• International waters;
• Land degradation and desertification;
• Chemicals and hazardous waste

Funding Information

• The maximum contribution to a project is USD 50,000, up to 75% of its total cost.
• The PMF/GEF encourages projects favoring co-financing and the sharing of financial risks. In addition, the beneficiaries’ contribution must be detailed and justified in the project proposal.
• Duration: The project application file must present a provisional timetable for completion not exceeding 36 months (3 years). This duration may vary from one call to another, but not more than 3 years.

Eligibility Criteria

• Purpose of the project: In line with the mission of the PMF/FEM, the national strategy and, where applicable, in the priorities cited in the call for projects.
• Partnership: The beneficiaries of PMF/FEM subsidies must be established on national territory and are legal persons (NGOs, non-profit development associations, groups, in particular those at the initiative of youth and/or women, village committee development, cantonal development committee, etc.).
• These main beneficiaries, whose involvement is effective and measurable in carrying out the project, can be associated with other organisations/institutions. However, the latter cannot benefit from the grantrequested from the PMF/FEM. The National Coordination and the CNP can require the partnership with specific structures, for the implementation of a project financed by the program. Similarly, the National Coordination and the CNP can request the services of other structures or resource persons to coach, monitor and/or evaluate an organization supported and accompanied by the programme.

Response to the priorities of the call for projects

• Priority given to young people (individuals under the age of 35) and women
  • Contribution of women, young people and people living with disabilities in the realization of the project (in its design, its implementation and its expected impacts/results, has the project requested or is it based on the contributions of women and/or young people?);
  • Consideration of the special needs of women, young people and people living with disabilities in the project (in its design, implementation and expected impacts/results, does the project ensure that the specific needs of this (these) audience(s) are taken into account?

Project respecting the thematic and geographical framework

• Contribution to the conservation of biodiversity, mitigation of the adverse effects of climate change, sustainable land management, protection of international waters and management of chemicals and waste;
• Project located in priority landscapes.
• Contribution to the conservation of biodiversity, mitigation of the adverse effects of climate change, sustainable land management, protection of international waters and management of chemicals and waste;

For more information,

Visit https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=96804

4.  [Small Grants Round] Commonwealth Blue Charter Project Incubator (£5000 to £50,000)

 Deadline: 10-Jan-23

The Commonwealth Blue Charter Project Incubator is now accepting applications under its first Small Grants Round.

The Commonwealth Blue Charter Project Incubator supports the development of governments’ projects under the Commonwealth Blue Charter that accelerate their transition to fair, sustainable and inclusive marine conservation and maritime development, while mitigating and adapting to climate change.

The Incubator supports Commonwealth governments and their partners developing solutions that address shared ocean issues. While the grants are modest (£5k – £50k), the scope is large, and can include project-related capacity building, the writing of larger project proposals, ‘rapid assessments’, and proof-of-concept pilot projects. In summary, the Project Incubator:

• Encourages the development of projects under each of the Commonwealth Blue Charter Action Group themes;
• Focuses on the entire project cycle, including rapid assessments, proof-of-concept and small-sized projects;
• Assists in the development of funding proposals for medium-sized and larger projects;
• Provides mentoring and technical support;
• Facilitates project partnerships with non-governmental entities;
• Encourages planning for sustainability and scaling up, including regional initiatives;
• Supports ideas that dare to be different –innovative and cooperative solutions;
• Supports meetingglobal ocean commitments including ’30 by 30’ and the UN SDGs;
• Encourages the engagement of women, youth, LGBTI, IndigenousPeoples and local communities;
• Follows best practices, including transparency, accountability, and inclusivity.

Funding Information

• £5000 to £50,000.

How many and what sorts of projects will you support?

• For each intake, a country may submit up to three applications for each Action Group theme, up to five applications in total.
• As explained in the question, they consider a broad range of projects in all stages of their lifecycle. However, successful applications have to fit into one or more of the Commonwealth Blue Charter Action Group themes.
• When two or more project ideas are submitted by different parties, but with similar approaches / outcomes, they may also suggest that they consider joining forces to foster larger partnerships, joint learning, and combined project outcomes.
• Overall, they aim to support at least 10 applications across the Commonwealth per intake, dependent on the types of proposals received. Of these, they would endeavour to fundat least one project per Action Group theme, dependent on the applications that they receive.

Eligibility Criteria

• All applications must have a Commonwealth Government as the lead project entity. The lead entity is responsible for the delivery of the project. In a situation where the Government may not be equipped to receive international funding, it may assign a fiscal agent or one of the project partners to manage the grant’s finances. However, the lead Government remains responsible for overseeing the proper disbursement of these funds.
• Additionally, partnering with non-governmental entities is strongly recommended.
• Are all Commonwealth Governments eligible? Yes, in principle, noting:
  • The country must be a member of the Blue Charter Action Group under which this proposed project best fits. A list of Action Group members is at the very end of this document. More information on joining Action Groups can be found here. Countries can join Action Groups before or after applying (a letter from a minister or senior official to the Secretariat is sufficient);
  • The country must be fully up to date in meeting its Commonwealth membership obligations i.e. not in breach of the ‘Abuja Guidelines’ (they will inform the Government representative if their country is in arrears);
  • A single country may receive up to four awards in a 12-month period. If more than four Project Incubator applications are approved in principle, the country must choose which ones will be actioned;
  • If a country is involved in multi-country applications, they may in some cases waive the four-awardlimit outlined in the bullet.

 Also Read: Africa’s Rural Communities Will Be the Hardest Hit By Plastic Pollution

Ineligible

• Ineligible costs will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis; however, in general the following categories in this non-exhaustive list are not covered:
  • Government staff time;
  • Work that is part of a government’s usual day-to-day activities;
  • Ministerial-level travel;
  • Excessive and unnecessary travel;
  • Sub-contracting not identified in the project proposal.

For more information,

Visit https://thecommonwealth.org/bluecharter/commonwealth-blue-charter-project-incubator

5. John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships 2023/2024 at Stanford University, USA ($85, 000 Stipend and Fully Funded)

    December 1^st, 2022

The John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships, supports diverse journalists from around the world who are creating solutions to journalism’s most urgent problems. We focus on helping these journalism leaders succeed as effective change agents, improving the access to information people need to create and sustain democratic communities.

The core fellowship is a 10-month residential program on the Stanford university campus that allows journalists to step away from professional obligations to develop the leadership resilience needed for our times. Through individual coaching, access to Stanford experts and sources, tailored workshops and peer-to-peer learning, the JSK fellowships helps fellows identify the tools and mindsets needed to effectively lead and navigate change.

Requirements

U.S. and international journalists with digital-native and legacy news organizations, independent journalists, journalism entrepreneurs and journalism innovators.

Applicants need to have at least five years of full-time professional work experience. We do not require applicants to have a college degree or experience in traditional newsrooms.

The JSK fellowships is seeking change agents who:

• Are fiercely committed to the future of journalism, in all of its messy uncertainty
• Aren’t satisfied with the “way things have always been done” are eager to grow as journalists, as leaders, as people – they believe their best work and best selves are in front of them
• Embrace diversity
• Are excited about the prospect of being coached through a deep examination of their mindsets and perceptions of themselves and their place in journalism
• Like the idea of being “in fellowship” with a cohort of other journalists from varied professional and personal backgrounds.
• Are ready to set aside current work responsibilities and dig into a 10-month journey of professional and personal exploration.

Benefits

• During the 10-month fellowship provide JSK fellows with individual coaching, tailored workshops on leadership, a cohort of their peers and guidance that sparks professional and personal transformation.
• Fellows also have the time and freedom to explore the resources of a world-class university. JSK help fellows to develop the leadership resilience and mindsets needed to effectively lead and navigate change for decades to come.
• JSK fellows are welcomed as members of a global community working to improve journalism and gain new friendships, professional connections and skills that will continue beyond the fellowship. We invest in each of our fellows as journalists – and as people – for life.
• JSK provide a stipend of $95, 000, plus a few supplements to help with living expenses. JSK provide an extra $6, 000 for singles, $8, 000 for couples, and $10, 000 for families to help you with your rent.
• In addition, for fellows with children up through high school graduation, JSK provide an additional supplemental payment of $12, 000. JSK also cover the cost of Stanford tuition for fellows and Stanford health insurance for fellows, spouses and children. JSK also help fellows find rental housing near campus.

For more information:

Visit the official webpage of the John S. Knight journalism fellowships 2023/2024

6.  2023 PETCO Awards in South Africa: Entries are welcome from Small & Large Organisations, Businesses, Community Groups and Individuals

   Deadline: 6-Jan-23

The 2023 PETCO Awards are now open for Nominations.

The PETCO Awards is the premier national environmental awards initiative in South Africa, recognizing excellence in reuse, recycling and waste minimization among businesses, organisations, community groups and individuals within the South African plastic industry. Winners are recognized for embracing Extended Producer Responsibility, contributing to driving plastic recycling and reflecting the principles of sustainability, the Circular Economy, SMME development, and the advancement of women in the value chain.

The PETCO Awards are free to enter, and they welcome entries from both small and large organisations, businesses, community groups and individuals all over South Africa.

Categories

• Environmental Educationand Awareness Initiative
• Best Community Recycling Initiative
• Design for Circularity
• PET-buyer
• Local Authority Recycling Innovation
• Recycling Partnership Gamechanger
• Top Woman in Collection and Recycling
• Waste Reduction YouthWarrior
• Excellence in Academia
• MediaSpotlight
• Worth in your Waste
• Climate Change
• Waste Minimization Star

Eligibility Criteria

• Environmental Education and Awareness Initiative
  • Any private, corporate or government organization within the South African waste or recycling sectors that can demonstrate the successful implementation of a public-facing campaign eg in schools to reduce waste-generating behavior.
• Best Community Recycling Initiative
  • Any community group initiatives or individuals who are involved in community recycling projects that can demonstrate how they have raised awareness in their communities via ventures such as reuse, recycling, waste minimisation, educational talks and other recycling projects and, as such, have directly enriched their community.
• Design for Circularity
  • Brand owners, retailers, manufacturers, converters and product designers that display high levels of innovation and expertise in addressing the technical and manufacturing challenges associated with the responsible design of PET products, and their associated labels and closures eg increasing the percentage of recycled PET resin included in the products that they design and/or manufacture or who have made specific changes to improve the circularity of their product eg changed the color of their bottle from opaque or brightly colored to clear or changed the label design on a product.
• PET-buyer
  • Owners and managers of small, micro and medium-sized enterprises, focused on recycling of PET and other waste streams, that have shown innovation and best practice in their approaches to drive recycling and waste minimization behavior in their businessas well as in their communities. Those who can consistently demonstrate how they have changed their own circumstances through recycling as well as the impact on their environment for the better will receive preferential attention.
• Local Authority Recycling Innovation
  • Any local authority in South Africa that has used creative and innovative methods to drive up their recycling, reuse and waste prevention performance.
• Recycling Partnership Gamechanger
  • Combinations of waste management companies, recyclers, industry, businesses or compliance schemes. The entry must include at least two organizations from different sectors
• Top Woman in Collection and Recycling
  • Women in the South African recycling sector that have demonstrated admirable leadership, business acumen and strategic foresight in growing South Africa’s economy through recycling and driving recycling efforts in South Africa.
• Waste Reduction Youth Warrior
  • Any individuals between the ages of 6 and 18 who have tirelessly worked to drive recycling and waste minimization behavior in South Africa, through various interventions such as clean-ups (beach or inland) and education programs around eg PET recycling
• Excellence in Academia
  • Academics and researchers that are currently undertaking researchin the topics of waste minimisation, data management, Circular Economy principles, plastic pollution, marine pollution, life cycle assessments etc., that demonstrate intellectual inquisitiveness, insight, and growth while providing sound strategic and practical applications for research outcomes.
• Media Spotlight
  • Journalists, influencers and media personalities who are actively driving media attention towards recycling, sustainability issues and a Circular Economy.
• Worth in your Waste
  • A reclaimer or group of reclaimers who have made large strides in informing their communities about recycling and diverting precious recyclables from landfill.
• Climate Change
  • An organization or individual within the food and beverage sector who has influenced their organization to undertake actions which seek to mitigate their organization’s impact on climate change. This organization or individual would have put various measures in place to eg reduce, reuse or recycle, implement cleaner production practices, use renewable resources and cleaner energy, reduce carbon emissions or fossil fuels released from day-to-day activities, plant/reforest land and/or implement sustainable farming/fishing practices
• Waste Minimization Star
  • Any employee in a South Africa organization in a waste minimisation/recycling/sustainability role, who has driven substantial improvements across the organization or the wider sector. The nomination can be submitted by the employee or on their behalf by colleagues or employers.

For more information,

Visit https://petco.co.za/the-2023-petco-awards-are-now-open-for-nominations-2/

7.  Jamaica | 2022-2023 Youth Nutrition Program Grant Application Cycle

    Deadline: 3-Feb-23

The American Friends of Jamaica, Inc. (AFJ) is pleased to announce the launch of the 2022-2023 Youth Nutrition Program grant application cycle.

The AFJ is now accepting proposals from organizations operating in the fields of Education, Healthcare and human and Economic Development benefiting the people of Jamaica.

This program will provide funding for the cost of nutrition programs which are within the overall budget of youth based social intervention programs for children 0- 18 years old. This may include healthy and nutritious meals, food packages delivered to participants or community garden projects.

Funding Information

• Grant sizes vary but typically range from $1,000 to $20,000 depending on the program.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible, organizations must exhibit the following:
  • The grantee should have a Board of Directors, governing body or independent entity to which the project administrator is responsible. The governing body or sponsor should hold regular meetings with the project administrator, as well as keep minutes of deliberations and decisions.
  • The grantee should be registered under the Charities Act 2013 or be a school, a university or provide documentation supporting eligibility that will be considered by the AFJ Grants Committee.
  • The project should have at least one person with operational responsibility for implementation of the project and administration of funds.
  • The grantee should have a separate trust account for grant funds. Funds held for charitable purposes should be kept separately from funds held by the grantee for its administrative purposes.
  • The grantee should maintain clear and accurate financial records for its own operations that will provide the AFJ with an understanding of the organization’s administrative expenses.
  • The grantee should be able to keep separate accounts for the project, showing all income and expenditure.
  • These should be kept up-to-date, and the AFJ will have the right to request and review at any time between initial disbursement of grant funds, and the final report.
  • The grantee should be able to produce comprehensive reports on the project. For past AFJ grantees, no additional funds will be granted if a final report has not been submitted in a timely manner.

Also Read: Plastic Waste for Cash: Coca-Cola’s RESWAYE Aids Low-Income Communities

Ineligible

• In general, the AFJ does not fund:
  • Annual funds, galas, or other special-eventfundraising activities
  • Capital campaigns/renovation projects
  • Debt reduction
  • Dissertation or student research
  • Indirect/administrative costs
  • Sectarian religious activities, political lobbying, or legislative activities
  • Institutions that discriminate on the basis of race, creed, gender, or sexual orientation in policy or in practice
  • Personal loans, scholarship, fellowships, or grants to individuals
  • Unsolicited requests for international organizations or programs.

For more information,

Visit https://theafj.org/grant-applications/

8.     Open Call for Global Health Security Fund 2023

      Deadline: 9-Dec-22

The European Journalism Centre (EJC) has launched the Global Health Security Call to support up to 12 journalistic projects being delivered by individuals or teams of freelance and/or staff journalists on the topic of global health security.

Purpose: The 2023 Global Health Security Call is a programme that delivers grant funding and facilitates research opportunities to support in-depth journalistic analysis on the topic of global health security.

Mission: To incentivise and enable impactful journalistic coverage on global health issues, and create sustained relationships between freelance journalists and media organisations, as well as engage the public, key stakeholders and decision makers around the topic.

Vision: To inspire all opinion-forming media organisations in Europe to report on big health and policy challenges and solutions, and demonstrate the importance of journalism as a trusted, evidence-based means of communicating.

Objectives

Support: Identify and fund 12 journalists/ teams of journalists (freelancers and staff journalists) across France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway and Sweden that can efficiently execute and fully produce stories that:

• reveal new information
• focus on under-reported subjects/ concepts and/or focus on different angles of already-reported subjects/ concepts
• focus on solutions rather than problems
• highlight themes regarding equitable access and the importance of addressing such issues in low-income, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income countries (LMICs)
• demonstrate good technical knowledge and evidence-based research

Connect: Help to broker constructive relationships between the funded journalists and with relevant external stakeholders and experts, in order to enhance their participation in the Call, help them to successfully publish their stories, and demonstrate the benefits of collaboration for health reporting.

Inspire: Demonstrate the business case for media organisations to work with freelance journalists on health reporting, to encourage other organisations to adopt this approach.

• Secure ongoing investment for health-focused, solutions-driven collaborative journalism in Europe, in order to create ongoing positive outcomes for citizens.

Engage: Support at least 12 stories to be published within a three-month period that:

• identify funding gaps related to the topic
• help mobilise resources in the seven target countries
• encourage resource commitment that helps less developed countries
• Raise awareness of the value of long-term investment in global health R&D, especially in relation to pandemic preparedness, equitable access, and manufacturing capacity building.

Funding Information

The Call will provide grants of up to USD$8,500 per project and is aimed at journalists publishing stories in opinion-forming media organisations across France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway and Sweden.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants that meet the following criteria are eligible to apply to the Call:

• Applicants must be freelance or permanently employed individual journalists (staff journalists), or small teams of journalists, and should be experienced in reporting on the topic of health, science, development and/or policy
• There is no citizenship, nationality or residence/ location restriction on the applicants.
• Applicants should have a track record of publication in respected media outlets in one or more of the following countries: France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway or Sweden.
• Freelance applicants should be signed up to a press regulator, trust initiative, or part of a press association.
• Applicants must have a bank account that accepts international payments.

Ineligible

Applicants must not:

• Be state funded/ be from state-funded media organisations. For the purpose of this Call, state-funded refers to the direct funding of public service media organisations (whether state-owned or a private non-profits)
• Be state controlled/ be from state-controlled entities. For the purpose of this Call, state-controlled refers to editorial control by a government, which takes direct forms (e.g. through editorial guidelines or ownership structures) or indirect forms (e.g. state-controlled advertising revenue)
• Be from a news aggregator.
• Be a freelancer or from a media organisation that publishes content solely via a messaging service and/or social media platforms.
• Be a freelancer or from a media organisation that is not a publisher of their own original journalism.
• Be directly funded by, directed by, financially invested in by or affiliated with a political party or political activist group, religious or church group or diocese.
• Discriminate based on race, gender, faith, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability.

For more information,

Visit https://grant.ejc.net/s/global-health-security-call-2023

9.  Call for EOIs: Data Management Support for Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care Implementation Study

    Deadline: 26-Nov-22

The Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, World Health Organization is currently soliciting Expressions of Interest (EoIs) to develop a data management system and support overall data management work of immediate Kangaroo Mother Care Implementation Research in four countries (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India and Nigeria).

The benefits of KMC (continuous skin-to-skin contact and exclusive breastfeeding) are now well documented. Compared to stable low birth weight infants (<2000 g at birth) who received conventional neonatal care in an incubator or a radiant warmer, KMC has been reported to reduce neonatal mortality by 40%. In addition, KMC is associated with improved weight gain, fewer infections rate, and higher coverage of exclusive breastfeeding. Furthermore, a WHO-coordinated multi-country randomized controlled trial in five countries showed that KMC, initiated immediately after birth, reduces neonatal mortality by 25% in LBW infants between 1 to <1.8 kg. Estimates suggest that universal initiation of KMC immediately after birth could prevent 150,000 deaths globally.

Aims

The aim of this study is to develop a model for integrating immediate KMC into existing health systems for preterm or LBW infants. This will follow three steps:

• adapting Level 2 NICU to accommodate mothers and thereby become Mother-Newborn Special Care Units (M-SNCUs);
• scaling up the model using a stepped-wedge design and evaluating its impact on neonatal mortality and other outcomes;
• Supporting States to further integrate immediate KMC into other KMC scale-up activities. This study will be conducted in two phases. In a model development phase, an implementation model will be developed in each health administrative area (such as 1-2 districts) in each participating site. The final model will be scaled up across multiple health administrative areas in each country; the impact on neonatal mortality and other important outcomes will be evaluated through a step wedge design.

Areas

This call for expressions of interest only focuses on seeking interest on the work in the following areas:

• Support finalization of study instruments (Core variable tables, Case Report Forms)
• Developing a dedicated common data management system across all sites
• Conducting UAT (user acceptance testing) for all study sites
• Providing trainingand guidance for all sites to set up the data management platform
• Providing ongoing support for the data management platform till the end of data collection
• Provide quality assurance of data and report to WHO data coordination Centre monthly

Eligibility Criteria

• The institution should be independent of the actual implementation of the study i.e., the institution may have a specific role as a collaborative partner in the study however the institution should neither be collecting data nor supporting the provision of interventions.
• Previous experience in designing and developing a data management system for research studies
• Previous experience in coordinating data management of research studies

For more information,

Visit https://www.who.int/news-room/articles-detail/call-for-expression-of-interest–data-management-support-for-immediate-kangaroo-mother-care-implementation-study