Funding Opportunities for African Businesses – July 4

1. HiiL Innovating Justice Challenge 2020 for Entrepreneurs in Africa and Middle East

Application for the Hague Institute for the innovation of Law (HiiL) Innovating Justice Challenge 2020 is now open. The Justice Accelerator will welcome applications from Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Mali, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ukraine, Tunisia, Morocco, The United Arab Emirates and Netherlands.  It searches for the best justice entrepreneurs in the world to ensure access to justice for all. Entrepreneurs working on products or services that can prevent or resolve justice problems e.g. help people to get access to legal services, work on removing barriers for people to access financial services, or get a registered identity, preventing (digital) fraud, tracking crime, etc. are encouraged to apply.

Interested applicants can apply here.

2. Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa 2020/2021

Talented engineers from all fields of engineering in sub-Saharan Africa are called to apply for the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation Programme organized by the Royal Academy of Engineering. Selected applicants will be offered support to commercialise their projects for six months.  Afterwards, finalists will pitching at an event in Africa; the winner will receive £25,000 and £10,000 each will be given to two other finalists. Read more.

3. The African Union Launches Youth Innovation Challenge on Democracy & Governance

The African Union (AU) has launched the “Democracy and Governance in Africa- Youth Innovation Challenge” to identify, empower and recognize youths working on digital or non-digital innovations in Africa that promote peace and democracy. The AU is looking for structural ideas that can prevent conflict through addressing issues of democracy deficit, lack of good governance and ideas to promote human rights.The targets are youth innovators, innovation hubs and incubation centers across the continent. The challenge seeks ideas or innovations that have been implemented and/or tested with a level of success and impact, and that have prospects to be improved, replicated or scaled up at national, regional, or continental levels. Read more.

4. Commonwealth Wealth Youth Correspondent Program 2020 for aspiring youth leaders and writers

Talented writers and aspiring youth leaders can become commonwealth correspondents through the commonwealth youth correspondent programme. Applicants must be a national of a commonwealth country and must be between 15-29 years old. He/she must attach 2 writing samples of not more than 600 words or a video not more than 5 mins. Deadline for application is 31^st of July 2020. Read more.

5. Application is open for 1st Cohort of Women for the Environment Africa

Twenty women in executive-level leadership positions in African conservation will be selected for the Women for the Environment  Africa programme to form a synergy, using their leadership expertise for the benefit of people, wildlife, and ecosystems in Africa and the rest of the world for a year. Their meeting sessions will be virtual and physical. The program starts in October 2020 and ends in September 2021. Deadline for application is 25^th of July 2020. Interested applicants must not have less Sthan 15 years and must have held leadership positions for a minimum of 5 years. The deadline for application is 25^th of July 2020. Read more.

6. The Zicklin Center for Business Ethics’s Combatting Covid-19 in Africa Initiative

Call for proposals from young innovators and entrepreneurs on strategies to combat COVID-19 in Africa is on at the The Zicklin Center for Business Ethics at the Wharton school, University of Pennsylvania. The program is open to students and young professionals between the ages of 18-35 around the world. Active support, mentorship, and networking opportunities will be given to selected applicants. The deadline for application is 15^th September 2020. Submitted proposals must depict originality, feasibility, and clarity. To submit a proposal, please click here.

7. Become A Fellow At Radcliff Institute For Advanced Study, Harvard University

Call for proposals from scholars, artists, and practitioners proposing innovative work confronting pressing social and policy issues and seeking to engage audiences beyond academia is on at Radcliff Institute for advanced study at Harvard University is on for the 2021-2022 fellowship program. The areas of focus are:

• Law, education, and justice
• Youth leadership and civic engagement
• Legacies of slavery.

Residence will be provided for successful applicants for nine-month period starting from September 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022. Fellows will also receive $78,000 plus an additional $5,000 to cover project expenses. Additional funds may be available for fellows for moving expenses, childcare and housing to help them make easy transition. The cost of making use of Harvard undergraduates as Research Partners will also be borne. Please visit this link to apply. Deadline for application 1^st of October 2020

8. Application for the 2nd edition of Inclusive Fintech 50

Fintech start-ups with multi- operational strategies are called to apply in the second edition of the Inclusive Fintech initiative developed by MetLife Foundation and Visa, with support from Accion and IFC, and additional funding from BlackRock, Jersey Overseas Aid, and Comic Relief.  Selected start-ups will enjoy visibility, networking opportunities and cash prizes of $25,000.  Interested start-ups can apply here.

Awards are for early stage Fintechs providing solutions in credit, insurance, payments & remittances, savings & personal financial management, or infrastructure addressing challenges of underserved segments. Application deadline is 10^th of July 2020

9. Tracking Revolution Challenge by Coca Cola

Coca Cola has partnered with Disrupt Africa to organize Tracking Revolution Challenge targeted at start-ups with innovative and efficient strategies to track retail dynamics. Selected start-ups will pitch their ideas with executives of Coca Cola Limited Executives. Application deadline is 21^st of July 2020. Read more.

10. One World Media Coronavirus Reporting Award 2020 for Journalists and Filmmakers

Applications are open for the One World Media Coronavirus Reporting Award 2020. This award is launched in response to the exceptional work of journalists and filmmakers covering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries. Below are the criteria for eligibility.

• All entries should focus on stories, topics or issues in, about or related to the developing world, including Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia or the Post-Soviet States.
• Jurors will be looking for media that covers underreported stories or new angles and approaches to more familiar stories.
• Entries must have had their first screening, broadcast, theatrical release, launch or publication between December 1, 2019 and July 30, 2020.
• The Coronavirus Reporting Award is open to entrants anywhere in the world, if the work meets one of the following criteria:
• The entry has been broadcast, screened or published (in print or in an established online publication/website) in the UK, OR
• The entry has been broadcast or published (in an established print/online publication/website) internationally and is available for an English-speaking audience, OR
• The entry has been screened at an international film festival

For more information, check here.

11. IderaOS Launches Escrow Payment Technology

Listbuy, an e-commerce platform using escrow technology has been launched by tech start-up, IderaOS to protect online buyers and sellers from fraud. For more information, please visit https://disrupt-africa.com/2020/07/nigerian-startup-launches-escrow-payments-platform-for-online-shopping/

12. Ghana Board Celebrate $200M Disbursement Of Loan To Boost Cocoa Productivity

Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has welcomed the first disbursement of $200m, one-third of the loan agreement signed in November 2019 at the Africa Investment Forum. The financing is done by JICA (Japanese International Cooperation Agency) and Africa Development Bank under the fourth phase of the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance for Africa Initiative. The funding will help reduce the challenges associated with cocoa production in Ghana. Read more.

13. South Africa’s Mama Money Expands Global Reach With Western Union

Mama, a South African fintech that deals in international money transfer has worked with Western Union to enhance its expansion to other parts of the world.  This collaboration will enable Mama’s over 500,000 customers to pay out money into m0illions of accounts in over 100 countries and receive cash in Western Union outlets in over 200 countries and territories. For more information, please visit https://getfundedafrica.com/2020/07/01/south-africas-mama-money-expands-global-reach-with-western-union/

14. Fintech MFS Africa acquires digital payments provider Beyonic

Beyonic, digital payments management provider of business services for SMEs, fintechs, and social impact entities across Africa has been acquired by Pan-African payment gateway giant, MFS Africa. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval by the Fair Competition Commission in Tanzania, will provide the growing micro, small, and medium enterprise segment across Africa with the ability to manage digital transactions with individuals and businesses around the world. Read more.

15. Nigerian micro-investment portal ‘Trove’ nets new funding, from angel networks

Lagos Angel Network (LAN), SSE Angel Network (SSEAN), and Diaspora Angel Network (DAN), have all invested in Nigerian micro-investment platform,  Trove which enables users to invest in bonds and stocks in Nigeria and the US. Read more.

16. Proparco Invests USD 30 Mn In AfricInvest’s Pan-African SME Fund

Proparco, has invested $30m in AfricInvest, an investment and financial services company operating in North and Sub-Saharan Africa.  Proparco, which focuses on private sector development is owned partly by French Development Agency (AFD) and other private shareholders from developed countries.  The investment aims to provide growth capital to mid and large cap businesses in Africa. Its main areas of focus are consumer-oriented sectors, including financial services, manufacturing, retail and consumer goods, agribusiness, healthcare, education, telecoms, logistics and distribution. Read more.