Funding Opportunities For African Businesses

December 1, 2022.

1 .U.S. Embassy Harare: PD Annual Program Statement in Zimbabwe

   Deadline: 31-Jan-23

The U.S. Embassy Harare Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce that funding is available through its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program.

PD Harare invites proposals for projects that strengthen networks between the people of the United States and the people of Zimbabwe through exchanges highlighting the ideas and values. All programs MUST include an American component, such as an American expert engagement (physical or virtual) in Zimbabwe or Zimbabweans traveling to the United States to collaborate and exchange best practices in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of US perspectives. Projects that correspond to this year’s specific Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) and incorporate a strong American component into their design will be prioritized over other proposals.

Priority Program Areas

• PD Harare strongly encourages applicants to apply directly to 2023’s specific NOFOs to increase their chances of selection. Other projects must tie into the following themes:
  • Promote democratic principles including freedom of speech; particularly if they share best practices for citizen advocacy or explore the challenges modern mediahouses face in a digital economy and the ethical standards needed to gain public confidence.
  • Progress an inclusive economy; particularly connecting social entrepreneursand the creative community with emerging digital markets.
  • Deepen US-Zimbabwean university partnerships; particularly if they bolster stronger researchcapacity and explore the challenges university administrations face in today’s market.
  • Deepen US-Zimbabwean professional networks through participation in conferences and rekindling alumni exchange partnerships to solve new problems.
  • Foster social inclusion of underserved communities, such as disabled persons, minority ethnic groups, LGBTQI+, and those in remote rural areas.

Funding Information

• Length of performance period: 2-18 months
• Awardamounts:
  • Awards may range from a minimum of US$2,500 to a maximum of US$75,000.
  • Awards for travelto participate in US conferences may not exceed $5,000.
  • Awards for festivals looking to bring American talent must have free events.
• Total available funding: $250,000 USD

Eligibility Criteria

• PD Harare accepts applications from both the United States and Zimbabwe, while encouraging local applicants:
  • Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks, trusts and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience;
  • individuals; and/or
  • Non-profit or governmental educational institutions.
• For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.

Ineligible Criteria

The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:

• Programs relating to partisan political activity;
• Charitable or development activities;
• Building programs;
• Programs that support specific religious activities;
• Fund-raising campaigns;
• Lobbying for specific legislation or programs
• Scientific research;
• Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization; gold
• Programs that duplicate existing programs.

For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=344297

2.  Ro PLASTIC Prize: An International Prize for Innovators, Entrepreneurs and Startups

    Deadline: 23-Jan-23

The Ro Plastic Prize is now open for applications to inspire the international creative community to explore a new philosophy of design and production using innovative materials that derive from re-Waste, and to discover the infinite possibilities for its transformation. In the first two editions, the project focuses on plastic waste only, to later expand to include other kinds of materials.

RoGUILTLESSPLASTIC is a project manifesto that through design, art, planning, technological–scientific research, industry, and communication, introduces and disseminates various cultures and concepts dedicated to proposing solutions that promote new lifestyles and responsible choices. It consists, among others, of three main events that are presented at each Milano Design Week. One of the most important of these is the Ro Plastic Prize.

The Ro Plastic Prize is the International Award that targets an increasingly broad public and challenges the worldwide communities of designers, innovators, entrepreneurs, startups, changemakers, creators, scientists, researchers, developers, schools, universities, industry and communication experts who are passionate about making an extraordinary impact to propose innovative projects in the field of re-Waste.

Prize Categories

Art and Collectible Design

• The volume of plastic produced and disposed of has fallen significantly in recent years, thanks to the widespread awareness campaign that has galvanized technological research to invest in the regeneration of plastic. This has resulted in innovative materials and uses that have converted most industrial production into sustainable ones. The new approach to this material, imbued with an ethical and responsible message, has influenced and inspired the international creative community.Works and creations, made from materials produced from recycling, reusing and/or up-cycling plastic, are now part of the portfolios of famous artists and designers around the world and are featured in exhibitions in international museums, exhibits and fairs.
• Visual art and collectible design are embracing infinite forms of plastic with an unprecedented creative explosion that has increasingly impacted the collections of private individuals and the interest of auction houses and galleries. For this category, established and non-established artists and designers are encouraged to enter artworks, collectible design pieces, limited editions or unique one-off designs that utilise and maximise the various possibilities for reusing, recycling and/or up-cycling plastic. An essential aspect is that these works are able to harness interest within the world of international collecting and the art market. Accepted submissions (both indoor and outdoor) include installations, videos, photographs, NFTs, sculptures and performances without any restrictions.

Emerging High Technologies

• The world’s catastrophic levels of pollution, the loss of biodiversity, the reported depletion of fossil resources, and the waterand climate crisis are some of the reasons why global research and industry have made huge investments in highly innovative technological projects and products, successfully turning problems into opportunities: one in particular is WASTE.
• Waste – the target of scientific and technological research that has turned its minus value into an asset– has generated a veritable High TechnologyIndustry focused and developed on both the reuse of waste materials produced and economising the resources used for manufacturing.
• For this category, researchers, students, universities, companies and industries are asked to submit new and emerging innovative research and/or industrial projects, based on a proactive approach to Waste that features significant high-tech performance and contemplates the reuse of production waste, the reduction of emissions into the environmentand climate-friendly solutions that can increase the resilience of ecosystems by adapting lifestyles to new climate changes. The intent is to integrate technology and design to reduce energy use while maximising personal comfort, also focusing on buildings, streets and public spaces.

Inspiring Learning Projects

• The circular economygenerated by re-Waste is the key paradigm to concretely achieve social and environmental sustainability that is now unanimously and globally recognised.
• To bring about this transition, also prompted by re-Waste, trained professionals are increasingly needed to develop, produce and manage new technologies capable of implementing this change. For this reason, the current school system (educationand training) also urgently needs to address this issue by establishing outreach, education and training projects that include the approach and access to these new professions.
• The research, production and industry sectors worldwide urgently need projects to spread awareness and knowledge that target various age groups, and are able to motivate, stimulate and inspire new generations of students to choose technical and professional paths on this issue.

Prize Information

• The challenge includes specific categories in which all creative talents can participate, no matter their age or professional background. During the Milano Design Week, the Ro Plastic Prize Finalists will be the protagonists of a special exhibition curated by Nicoletta Orlandi Brugnoni. The International Jury composed of professionals and experts will select the winners, one for each category, who will receive a prize of EUR 10,000 during the Award Ceremony.
• For the 2023 edition, the Ro Plastic Prize launches three new categories representing common high priority issues, involving re-Waste. Applicants are invited to propose projects to one or more of the categories and may submit pre-existing works and/or those submitted to other competitions. Participation in the Award is free of charge, open to all ages and to individuals or teams from any country or field. Parental consent is required for any minor at the time of registration.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Ro Plastic Prize is open to creative talents from all countries, backgrounds, curricula and ages. Parental consent is required if the applicant is a minor at the time of registration.
• In the application phase, projects must be submitted as sketches, photos, drawings, renderings or videos, appropriate to convey the scope of the project.
• Projects for the Art and Collectibles Category must be exclusively made from re-used, recycled or up-cycled plastic and the selected finalists are required to present their projects with prototypes in scale.

For more information, visit https://www.guiltlessplastic.com/

3.  Apply to the Baobab Network in Africa

Deadline: Ongoing Opportunity

The Baobab Network works with early-stage tech start-ups across Africa. What does that mean? If your solution creates or relies on technology to solve a problem, has an MVP and a bit of traction you are welcome to apply.

The Baobab Network offer start-ups $50,000 USD in funding and a 3-month cohort program including personalised two-week consultation sessions with tailored support, in exchange for 10% equity. The venture team works with their portfolio to accelerate growth, build capacity and unlock the next funding stages to help companies scale.

The Baobab Network run a world-class accelerator programme supporting Africa’s boldest innovators to scale homegrown solutions.

Accelerator programme is designed to give you the funding and platform you need to take your company global

Every start-up is different, so they treat them that way. They invest $50,000 into early-stage tech ventures across Africa and provide founders with a global platform to scale their business.

Benefits

• Funding $50,000 USD Funding
  • They provide founders with the early-stage capital they need to kick-start their company’s growth.
• Bespoke Acceleration
  • They have built an intensive, unique programme to ensure that their graduate start-ups from every cohort go on to be successful.
• A Global Network
  • They bring a powerful global network of experts, mentors, corporate partners and investors to help grow your business.

What they look for

• Scalable Technology Solutions
• For-Profit Enterprises with Purpose
• Early Stage Companies Built In Africa.

Eligibility Criteria

• They work with early-stage technology creating or technology-enabled businesses
• Their remit covers the whole of Africa, as long as you are living and working in a key market that they cover then they ’d like to work with you
• They will work with companies across many sectors and verticals. There are a few industry areas they don’t specialise in which are outlined.

For more information, visit https://thebaobabnetwork.com/

4.  Grants to Enhance Meaningful Participation of Women, Youth, and Marginalised Groups in Political Processes (Malawi)

Deadline: 31-Jan-23

The European Union is pleased to announce a call for proposals to enhance the Meaningful Participation of Women, Youth and Marginalized Groups in Political Processes and Decision-Making.

Through the Malawi Democratic Governance Programme (Boma Lathu, 2021 – 2027) the European Union in partnership with the Government of Malawi aims to influence positive change on the outlook of democracy in the country. The overall aim of the programme is to deepen democracy while strengthening the social contract. The underlying logic towards achieving this goal is based on three intertwined enablers namely (i) strengthening effective civil registration services so as to safeguard human rights and data privacy (ii) increasing public participation, in particular of women, youth and marginalised groups in democratic processes and (iii) ensuring credible and transparent management of electoral processes.

The call seeks to contribute towards past and future efforts by various players, aimed at addressing these challenges. To be eligible, all proposals must significantly demonstrate specific components relating to inclusion and participation of both women and youth. Proposals must further demonstrate specific actions aimed at targeting an especially vulnerable and marginalised group(s). Inclusion and participation as referred here, cuts across national, local and community level governance structures. The action (s) will take place in seven pre-selected districts, however they will closely coordinate with national level actions led by Government actors.

Objectives

• The overall objective of this call for proposals is to empower civil societyorganisations and support their efforts aiming at deepening democracy and strengthening the social contract in Malawi.
• The specific objective of this call for proposals is to enhance meaningful inclusion and participation of women, youth and marginalised groups in political processes and decision-making structures.

The priorities for this call are:

• Advocacy to policy makers and key stakeholders (i.e. political parties, members of parliament, Government officials, traditional and community leaders, CSOs) for the adoption and implementation of laws, legislation, policies and frameworks that promote and protect inclusive political participation.
• Working with political parties and political leaders to transform and adapt internal party regulations (i.e. rules governing conduct of primary elections, affirmative action in internal electoral processes) that foster equal participation at all levels.
• Empowering women, youth and persons with disabilities to contest for or be nominated into decision-making positions through mentorship, coaching, training, mediaengagement, networking and support towards campaigning.
• Economicempowerment and income generation activities to enable women, youth and marginalised groups to contest for decision-making positions.

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 3,500,000. The contracting authority reserves the right not to awardall available funds.
• Any grantrequested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
  • minimum amount:  EUR 1,750,000
  • maximum amount:  EUR 3,500,000

Eligibility Criteria

Lead applicant(s)

• In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
  • Be a legal person and
  • Be non-profit-making and
  • Be a non-governmental organisation and
  • be established in  a Member State of the European Union or eligible non EU Member States as  established in  Regulation (EU) N° 2021/947 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI).
  • Be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co-applicant(s) and affiliated entity (ies), not acting as an intermediary.

Co-applicant(s)

• The lead applicant must act with a minimum of one (1) co-applicant.
• Where the lead applicant is an international organisation, participation of a minimum of (one) 1 local co-applicant is obligatory.
• Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
• Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.
• If awarded the grant contract, the co-applicant(s) (if any) will become beneficiary (ies) in the action (together with the coordinator)
• In addition, please note that contracts cannot be awarded to or signed with applicants included in the lists of EU restrictive measures.

Affiliated Entities

• The lead applicant and its co-applicant(s) may act with affiliated entity (ies).
• Only the following entities may be considered as affiliated entities to the lead applicant and/or to co-applicant(s):
  • Only entities having a structural link with the applicants (i.e. the lead applicant or a co-applicant), in particular a legal or capital link.
• This structural link encompasses mainly two notions:
  • Control, as defined in Directive 2013/34/EU on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings:

Entities affiliated to an applicant may hence be:

• Entities directly or indirectly controlled by the applicant (daughter companies or first-tier subsidiaries). They may also be entities controlled by an entity controlled by the applicant (granddaughter companies or second-tier subsidiaries) and the same applies to further tiers of control;
• Entities directly or indirectly controlling the applicant (parent companies). Likewise, they may be entities controlling an entity controlling the applicant;
• Entities under the same direct or indirect control as the applicant (sister companies).

• Membership, i.e. the applicant is legally defined as a e.g. network, federation, association in which the proposed affiliated entities also participate or the applicant participates in the same entity (e.g. network, federation, association,…) as the proposed affiliated entities.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3E2xGGd

5. US: Impact Fund for Projects (Human Rights, Environmental Justice, & Poverty Law)

     Deadline: 10-Jan-23

Applications for Impact Fund are now open to award recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits, private attorneys, and small law firms who seek to advance justice in the areas of civil and human rights, environmental justice, and poverty law.

Sectors

• Social Justice:The impact fund provides grants and legal support to assist in human and civil rights cases. They have helped to change dozens of laws and win cases to improve the rights of thousands.
• The cases they are funding allege that:
  • In Orange County, California there are currently 13 gang injunctions under effect, which disproportionately affect young men of color.
  • In Chicago, Illinois, the city’s homeless shelter program is inaccessible to people with disabilities.
  • In Springfield, Oregon, the city and its police department used excessive force during a Black Lives Matter protest.
  • In Maine, the state fails to safely monitor the prescription and administration of powerful psychotropic medications to foster youth.
  • In Missouri, a Medicaid agency fails to arrange for in-home nursing services for childrenwith medically complex conditions.
  • In Montana, voter suppression laws disadvantage young adults and give priority to gun owners.
  • In Vancouver, British Columbia, the police perpetuate systemic discrimination against Indigenouspeople through bureaucratic measures.
  • In West Virginia, incarcerated individuals do not receive adequate medical and mental healthcare, and jails do not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Environmental Justice: The impact fund provides grants to support impact litigation for environmental justice, with a focus on marginalized communities. These are often cases no one else will support.
• The cases they are funding allege that:
  • In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin the proposed expansion of a highway will divide the region’s Black, Asian, and Latine neighborhoods and bring pollution and ill health.
  • In North Dakota, the five-month closure of a highway in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests disproportionately affected the livelihoods and health of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members.
  • In Ontario, Canada, mercury contamination of the English-Wabigoon river system causes catastrophic environmental and health impacts for the Grassy Narrows First Nation.
  • In Sacramento, California, the county government and Sacramento Area Sewer District violate the Clean WaterAct by discharging raw sewage into the Delta, the Sacramento River, and the American River.
  • In Fresno, California, the city’s efforts to streamline industrial development fail to protect vulnerable neighborhoods from adverse environmental and public health impacts.
  • In the Eastern Coachella Valley in California, 1,900 residents of the Oasis Mobile Home Park suffer from arsenic-laced drinking water, wastewater contamination, and overcharging for utilities.
• EconomicJustice: The impact fund provides financial and other forms of support to cases fighting for economic justice. From workers’ rights to consumer protection for vulnerable populations, impact litigation is a powerful tool to hold corporations accountable.
• The cases they are funding allege that:
  • In San Diego, California, vehicle ordinances target homeless vehicle owners even when no adequate housingalternative exists.
  • In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the city and county destroy the property of homeless individuals and employ forced evictions from public spaces.
  • In Miami, Florida, insurance companies discriminate against a nonprofit community developmentcorporation renting to tenants with Section 8 rental subsidies.

Funding Information

• The maximum grant request is $50,000.

Eligibility Questions

• Are you eligible to apply for an Impact Fund Grant?
  • Are you a lawyer, or do you work for a law firm or a nonprofit Legal organization?
  • Are you looking for funding for a specific case?
  • Does your case target a social, economic, or environmental injustice?
  • Is your case a class action, or will it have a systemic impact in another way?
  • Are you seeking funding for out-of-pocket litigation expenses? (They don’t fund attorney or staff time.)
  • Are you willing to repay your grant if you recover fees/costs at the end of your case?

For more information, visit Impact Fund.

6. Direct Aid Program for Small-Scale Development Projects

      Deadline: 22-Dec-22

The Australian High Commission Republic of Kenya is seeking applications for the Direct Aid Program (DAP) to support to eligible groups or organisations undertaking suitable small-scale development projects.

Focus Areas

In 2022-2023, The Australian High Commission will fund projects in the following focus areas:

• Combating climate change and supporting the environment
• Countering violent extremism
• Skills development and economicempowerment
• Support for vulnerable groups, notably womenand girls, youth and people with disabilities

Funding Information

• The Australian High Commission will awardDAP grants at a minimum of AUD 25,000 and a maximum of AUD 60,000. Applications can be made in USD to an amount within this range when converted at the time of application.
• Activities may run up to a maximum of two years.

Eligibility Criteria

• Projects must be located in one or more of the countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzaniaor Uganda.
• Projects must have defined, realistic objectives and clear outcomes.
• Projects must be self-sustaining and recurrent/ongoing costs will not be supported (e.g. salaries/rental/utility costs, micro credit schemes or any other project that involves return of money, etc.). Projects that demonstrate a high level of local involvement or partnership with other likeminded organisations (financially and/or in kind) are encouraged.
• Organisations that received funding in both the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 rounds are ineligible for funding in 2022-2023.

For more information, visit Australian Government.

7. Open Call for Project Proposals from NPOs or NGOs in Madagascar

      Deadline: 28-Feb-23

The Lemonaid & ChariTea Foundation is currently accepting applications from local non-profit organizations and non-government organizations to support entrepreneurial and income-generating initiatives in regions that currently do not have fair access to the global economic system.

They work with local organizations that implement projects for positive change and economic independence in their communities.

Focus Areas

As their vision and mission already state, their concern is to contribute to a system that gives all people the opportunity to be economically included, to be entrepreneurial and to generate income. As such, their project grants focus on the interconnected areas of education, access to finance, value chains, and

Advocacy:

• Value Chains
  • Growth as they have known it so far tends to be exclusive and not beneficial for a large part of the population. Therefore, this focus area aims to create access to value chains and value for those who are often at the end of global value chains.
• Education
  • All of their projects aim to empower people in different ways and on different topics. They contribute to inclusive and equitable quality education that enables individuals to make their own informed choices and understand the impact of their actions on the environment.
• Advocacy
  • Campaigning for a marginalized group or issue is necessary to potentially gain more support or funding, or simply to bring attention to an underfunded issue. It can also be a necessary activity, complementary to direct project implementation, to ensure project success on a systematic level.
• Access to Finance
  • The term “access to finance” is often used concurrently with the term financial inclusion and aims to provide access to financial services for groups that do not have access to formal finance. It is an enabler for entrepreneurial action that has a greater social impact on the surrounding society.

Cross-cutting Themes

Cross-cutting themes are topics that they believe need to be addressed in order to contribute holistically to a more equitable world. These do not have to be the sole focus of a project, but can be addressed in parts and are often interconnected.

• Gender
  • They support projects that work to reduce structural gender inequalities.
• Marginalized people
  • They work with projects that target groups of people who have historically been excluded from development initiatives, such as indigenousgroups or people with disabilities.
• Innovation
  • In innovation lies the key for any entrepreneur. Projects that focus on a pilot project or try out new ideas and share lessons learned are innovative.
• Climate & Resource Management
  • They consider projects that contribute to the resilience of their communities to climate shocks and promote resource management to mitigate the ongoing global climate crisis.

Funding Information

Funding is available for amounts between 10.000€ – 50.000€ per calendar year.

Project Duration

The project duration is a maximum of three years. The organization’s own contributions should be:

• In the first year, a minimum of 15%;
• In the second year, a minimum of 25%;
• In the third year, a minimum of 50%.

Eligible Country

Applications will be considered from organizations with projects in the following country:

• Madagascar

Eligibility Criteria

• Local Non-government organisations;
• Non-profit organisations.

For more Information, visit Open Call for Project Proposals.

8. Call for EOIs: UNESCO Report on the Fashion Industry in Africa

      Deadline: 12-Dec-22

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is accepting Expression of Interest (EOIs) from interested institutions/organizations that can develop and conduct a multi-stakeholder survey in order to collect qualitative and quantitative data on the main trends, challenges and opportunities faced by the fashion industry in Africa.

This call aims to produce an analysis of the results and present them in a consolidated report, which will be published in the framework of the work conducted by UNESCO on cultural and creative industries and in line with the Organization’s Global Priority Africa.

In view of fostering dynamic creative industries in developing countries, UNESCO has launched an exploratory study, aiming to map the fashion industry in Africa and provide a detailed and accurate assessment of its current state of development. The fashion and textile industry is the second-largest sector after agriculture in Africa, with an estimated market value of $31 billion in 2020 and growing every year, with the potential of creating jobs for millions across the continent, especially for women and youth. Despite this sustained growth, some critical issues such as lack of investment and infrastructure, weakness of vocational training, difficulties accessing new markets and challenges linked to ecological factors are affecting the sector’s sustainable development.

Objectives

• On the basis of a UNESCO exploratory study and with the main objective to produce a UNESCO report on the fashion industry in Africa, the selected institution/organization will be responsible for developing and conducting an online survey on the African fashion, textile and accessories sector, in order to collect relevant data and information from UNESCO’s Member States in Africa, relevant professional organizations, international/regional cooperation organizations, and experts.
• In addition, the selected institution/organization is expected to undertake an in-depth analysis of the survey responses in order to produce pertinent data and information on the sector’s current status and future development opportunities.
• Based on this analysis, the selected institution/organization will be drafting a comprehensive final narrative report, which will include the following:
  • mapping the main trends, challenges, needs and priorities for the fashion industry in Africa, at the sub-regional, national or local level, as relevant,
  • highlighting the main opportunities and perspectives that could contribute to the sustainable and inclusive growth of the fashion industry in Africa,
  • Outlining areas for policy action, together with concrete recommendations to accompany national and/or local decision-makers in the implementation of tailored policies and initiatives for the sustainable development of this strategic sector.
• Throughout the assignment, due consideration should be given to every step of the value chain, from design to production and distribution, as well as to the employmentof women and youth in the sector. The report should be written in a clear and concise manner for an informed audience, avoiding jargon or specialized terminology.

Scope of Work

The selected institution/organization will be undertaking the following tasks, between December 2022 and May 2023:

• Carry out a multi-stakeholder consultation on the African fashion, textile, and accessories sector, which includes the development and wide dissemination of an online survey addressed to UNESCO Member States in Africa, as well as relevant professional organizations, international/regional cooperation organizations, and experts,
• The survey, which will be developed in close cooperation with UNESCO, will aim to collect statistical information, key indicators, and all other relevant datapoints in areas where they are currently lacking, such as:
  • The size of the fashion industry (e.g. employment rates, revenue generated, number of local fashion brands or businesses, number of fashion events organised),
  • The existing institutional and regulatory frameworks, public policies and measures that have been implemented to support the development and governanceof the fashion sector,
  • The availability of financing mechanisms (public and private) in place to support the creation and investment needs of designers and entrepreneurs,
  • The state of women’s participation and representation in the industry, as well as measures or programmes implemented in countries to promote gender equality and facilitate the participation of women across the different activities of the fashion value chain,
  • The number of textile and garment manufacturing and processing plants (e.g. spinning mills, dyes, looms, weaving facilities) that are currently in operation or defunct,
  • The availability of training and educationopportunities (e.g. number of accredited institutions, training courses, higher education degrees) as well as specific curricula that cover particular areas of fashion education from sewing and design to marketing and business
• Analyse the survey responses and produce pertinent qualitative and quantitative data on the fashion industry in Africa through these responses, which may also be visualized as diagrams, charts, graphs, etc.,
• On the basis of the exploratory study conducted by UNESCO and the data collected through the survey, elaborate a draft narrative report on the fashion, textile and accessories sector in Africa, highlighting innovative or inspiring initiatives and outlining concrete recommendations for policy makers in order to support the sector’s future development, in line with the objective set forth above,
• In accordance with UNESCO’s comments and feedback, review the draft narrative report, which will be finalized and published as an official UNESCO report on fashion industry in Africa.

Eligibility Criteria

The selected institution/organization should have the following qualifications:

• proven knowledge and networking experience in the fashion, textile, and accessories industry in Africa,
• solid experience in international researchand analysis of cultural policies and/or cultural industries or in other related fields,
• ability to collect and analyse information from various resources in English and French,
• Excellent writing skills and proven competency to draft a clear, comprehensive and analytical document, either in English or French.

For more information, visit https://en.unesco.org/creativity/news/call-expression-interest-unesco-report-fashion-industry

9.  Women Who Tech’s Startup Grants Program

    Deadline: 22-Dec-22

Applications for Women Who Tech’s Startup Grants Program are open to women-led startups globally.

Funding Information

• A total of $20,000 USD equity-free grants will be awarded. One startup will receive a $15,000 Innovation Grantand another startup will receive a $5,000 Impact Grant. All of the finalists will receive fundraising and investing support, and more.

Eligibility Criteria

• This is a global grants challenge, and startups from anywhere in the world may apply. No country or region is exempt.
• Nonprofits may apply
• You’re invited to apply to Women Who Tech’s latest Grants Program. All eligible applications will be reviewed by a panel of jurors comprised of VCs, angel investors, and serial entrepreneurs. Five finalists will be selected to participate in a cohort comprised of a virtual pitch coaching series and an investor pitch.

Rules

• Your startup must be woman-led startup, defined as having at least one woman founder or cofounder on the team. The woman (co)founder must be the person to pitch. Note: Women Who Tech uses an inclusive definition of “woman” and “female”, and they welcome transwomen, genderqueer women, and non-binary people who identify as gender-nonconforming, female, and/or woman. People who identify within gender identities associated within the male and/or man spectrums are asked not to apply to uplift space and access for people of genders that are historically oppressed and underfunded.
• Your product must be in beta or already launched to the public. You may not apply if you are in the concept stage or in the prototype phase. Note: Beta means your product is released and deployed to select users for initial testing to collect real-time feedback.
• You cannot have raised more than $7M USD from combined sources.
• Your startup must incorporate technologyinto the approach of your product, which allows the company to rapidly and massively scale in a manner that traditional, independent small businesses cannot. Note: Using tech (i.e. hosting a blog, selling products on your website, or using social media in your marketing) does not qualify as using tech to scale on a mass level nationally and globally.
• Your startup must be fast growing with degrees of innovation.
• All ideas must be original work or an improvement upon an existing idea without infringements.
• Your startup can be based anywhere in the world. No region is exempt.
• Agencies or consulting businesses are not eligible unless you have created a product that meets all rules and criteria.
• Nonprofits are eligible to apply as long as you meet all of the criteria and rules.
• All applications must be submitted in English, and all pitches must be given in English.
• Applications will be accepted from November 28, 2022 until December 22, 2022 at 11:59pm PDT. You may submit your application at any point during that time period. No late applications will be accepted.
• Once you submit your application, you will not be permitted to make edits or revisions. All submitted applications are final.
• Applications will only be accepted online through the Review application portal.
• No applicant may reach out to judges, sponsors, and/or partners in advance of the grant process advocating for their startup. Anyone who does will be disqualified. If you have any conflicts of interest, please reach out to the Women Who Tech team prior to submitting your application.
• Startups who have been awarded a grant through any Women Who Tech Startup Program may not re-apply. Finalists of any previous Grants Program or Startup Challenge who were not awarded a grant are eligible to apply.
• Women Who Tech reserves the right to select and reject grant applicants at any time.
• All grant finalists are required to virtually participate in the Women Who Tech Startup Grants Program which includes pitch coaching and their pitch series to VCs.

For more information, visit Tech Startup Grant.