Funding Opportunities for African Businesses

1. Global Youth Mobilization

 Application is currently ongoing for youths who have ideas for a solution to overcome a challenge created by the COVID-19 pandemic and who also want to campaign for change in their respective local areas. Global Youth Mobilization is a movement of young people taking action to improve their lives now and in a post-COVID-19 world. The Global Youth Mobilization is powered by the COVID-19 Solidary Response Fund, supported by the World Health Organization and United Nations Foundation and by the Big 6 Youth Organizations.

Funding Information

• Individual young people or informal groups can apply for either $500 or $1,500.
• Youth-led grassroots organizations can apply for either $3,000 or $5,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any young person between the ages of 14 – 30 can apply.
• Applications for funding must be inclusive and from an individual young person, an informal group of young people or a local/grassroots youth-led organization.
• To be successful, applications must be innovative and address the negative impacts of COVID-19 and related societal challenges and be aligned with the WHO’s recommendations on COVID-19 public health measures.

For more information, visit https://globalyouthmobilization.force.com/s/

2. 2022 F5 Tech for Good Grant Program for Non-profits

Applications are nor open for the 2022 F5 Tech for Good Grant Program. F5 is particularly focused on closing the funding gap in technology infrastructure amongst nonprofit organizations that serve Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and/or undeserved communities. Access to technology tools or services should be the enabler, not the barrier, to the resources, opportunities, and information these critical nonprofits need to succeed.

Funding Information

F5 invites eligible nonprofits to apply for their third-annual F5 Tech for Good grants of $10,000 USD. Twenty grant partners will be selected for funding in total.

Eligibility Criteria

• Grant funding is open to non-profits in all countries.
• Nonprofit organizations must serve at least 50% BIPOC and/or underserved communities.
• Nonprofit organizations must be a legally registered charitable organization.
• Funding must be used for technology needs.
• Nonprofits must have been in operation as a legally registered nonprofit for at least 3 years.
• For nonprofits based outside of the United States selected for a grant, an Enhanced Expenditure Responsibility (EER) process will be conducted by F5’s international grantmaking partner, CAF America. Funding will be contingent on the successful completion and approval of the EER process. F5 will cover the EER fees.

For more information, visit https://www.f5.com/company/global-good/2022-f5-tech-for-good-grant-guidelines

3. Grants to support the Creation of Geoparks in Africa and the Arab States

 UNESCO and the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) have launched grant opportunity to promote the Geopark concept in Africa and the Arab States. The UNESCO/Global Geoparks Network Grant is a tailor-made consultancy service specifically dedicated to support local teams to develop a UNESCO Geopark project. The grant includes several steps and actions. GGN Experts will advise and accompany the granted territory from the initial idea to the official application as UNESCO Global Geopark.

Eligibility Criteria

• They target emerging Geopark initiatives in Africa and the Arab States, but also existing nature parks and national parks with geological features of international value intermunicipalities, associations involved in rural development and other management bodies that would like to start developing a viable Geopark.
• Secondary criteria will relate to government support, funding perspective, tourism potential, security and community involvement.

For more information, visit https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/grants-support-creation-geoparks-africa-and-arab-states

4. 2022 Emile Bruneau Empathy Fund

 The Empathy for Peace has announced the 2022 Call for Applications for the Emile Bruneau Empathy Fund. Empathy for Peace welcomes submissions from groups and grassroots organizations for projects that support building/fostering empathy in children and youth. Projects can be located anywhere, however, applications from areas of conflict, political or social instability and/or violence will be prioritized.

Funding Information

Empathy for Peace anticipates being able to fund 2-3 projects for a maximum of $2,000 CAD per project.

Eligibility Criteria

• Submissions must be from a registered not-for-profit organization, or be sponsored by a registered not-for-profit organization.
• Submissions must be for projects that aim to primarily support children and youth.
• Submissions must be for projects with a goal or a main component that aims to foster empathy.
• Submissions can be for new or existing projects and funding can be used to cover the full or partial costs of the project.

For more information, visit https://www.empathy-for-peace.org/empathy-fund1.html

5. EJN’s Virtual Fellowship Program

Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN) is pleased to announce a virtual fellowship program that will support selected African journalists to cover the 15^th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) taking place in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, in May 2022.

Additional Details

• 10 African journalists will be awarded virtual fellowships and receive training, mentorship, and other support to facilitate remote reporting on this important event. They are particularly keen to hear from journalists with a background in reporting on land use, or any of the other key issues relevant to the conference.
• Selected fellows will have the opportunity to engage with their fellowship cohort and share knowledge and ideas for effective reporting on the issues.
• All fellows will also receive a communications stipend, to ensure that they have consistent access to the virtual activities of the fellowship.

Requirements

To be eligible for the Fellowship, applicants must:

• Be a professional journalist from or representing an established media house and reporting from a low or middle income country in Africa.
• Be of African citizenship
• Have a good command of the English language.
• Have previous experience reporting on desertification and degradation issues, and can clearly indicate the kinds of stories they might pursue during the conference.
• Be available between the 7^th-20^th May, 2022.
• Commit to participate in all Fellowship activities.
• Provide a letter of support from an editor, producer or supervisor who can confirm that your news reports will be published or broadcast in an established media outlet. Freelancers are welcome to apply, but must provide a letter of support from a media outlet for which they intend to report.

for more information, visit https://earthjournalism.net/opportunities/earth-journalism-network-2022-virtual-reporting-fellowships-to-the-unccd-cop15

6. ISTAT Foundation Humanitarian Aid Program 2022

The International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT) Foundation is accepting applications for its 2022 Humanitarian Aid Program that provides grant funding for humanitarian organizations across the globe that use the power of aviation to help save lives, promote human welfare and alleviate suffering.

Funding Information

Through the Humanitarian Aid Program, the ISTAT Foundation seeks to provide up to US$10,000 grant funding for humanitarian organizations.

Eligibility Criteria

• Organizations registered as a charitable, nongovernmental entity focusing on aviation-related humanitarian prevention, relief, and/or recovery efforts for natural disasters, human-generated disasters and health-related crises.
• Organizations can only submit application per year. Prior year recipients are able to apply in subsequent years.
• The program does not fund capital infrastructure, for-profit projects, religious or political activities.
• Application materials must be submitted in English.

For more information, visit https://foundation.istat.org/Programs/Humanitarian-Aid

7. Africa No Filter Fellowship for African Media Professionals

The Africa No Filter is seeking applications for its Africa No Filter Fellowship for African media professionals who work to offer alternative discourses on Africa to develop an ecosystem of discourse changemakers by supporting storytellers, investing in media platforms, and conducting disruptive campaigns.

Funding Information

• Up to $25,000 for women-led organizations.
• Up to $10,000 for female journalists, bloggers, and vloggers.

Eligibility Criteria

For organizations:

• The organization must be African and led by a woman.:
• Have been in operation for more than a year;
• Be used to working with African storytellers and content creators.
• The proposed project should focus on multiplying narratives and stories that reflect a more diverse and vibrant continent;
• African organizations in the Diaspora can also apply.

For individuals:

• Be an African woman;
• Have created content and stories that reflect a more diverse and vibrant continent for over a year;
• The proposed project should focus on multiplying narratives and stories that reflect a more diverse and vibrant continent;
• African women in the diaspora can apply.

For more information, visit http://africanofilter.org/appel-%C3%A0-candidatures-bourse-africa-no-filter-destin%C3%A9es-aux-professionnelles-des-m%C3%A9dias-africaines-qui-%C5%93uvrent-%C3%A0-proposer-des-discours-alterrnatifs-sur-lafrique

8. International Bioethics Research Training Program

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking applications for the International Bioethics Research Training Program to support the mentored training of a sustainable critical mass of bioethics scholars in low and middle-income country (LMIC) research intensive institutions with the capabilities to conduct original empirical or conceptual ethics research that addresses challenging issues in health research and research policy in these countries as well as provide research ethics leadership to their institutions, governments and international research organizations.

Funding Information

• Applicants may request up to $230,000 direct costs per year.
• The total project period for an application submitted in response to this funding opportunity may not exceed 5 years.

Eligibility Criteria

• Higher Education Institutions.
• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education.
• Private Institutions of Higher Education.
• Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply.
• Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply.
• Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research training program as the Training Program Director/Principal Investigator (Training PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support.
• Only individuals from LMICs that meet the Country Eligibility are eligible for training under this FOA.

For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppld=338655

9. Venture Lab Open Innovation Challenge

Venture Lab has announced the applications for its Open Innovation Challenge to select startup companies (the “Winners”) with a relevant Project which may benefit from a future collaboration and a chance to co-create with NGK. The Venture Lab is committed to bringing improved healthcare to people worldwide, through leading innovation. Their ambition is to create a new “hospital-at-home model”, staying patient-centric. They are convinced that innovation across the entire healthcare ecosystem holds the key to fully unlock the potential of medical devices and data for improved patient outcomes.

What’s in it for you with this programme?

• Technical expertise.
• A 3-week acceleration programme start a fully funded MVP.
• Global footprint
• Strategic Venture Investment

Eligibility Criteria

• The Challenge is open to any startup company which demonstrates a high technology focus in relation with NGK’s problematic. This Challenge is only open to legal entities and expressly excludes participation of individuals and consumers.
• An applicant must be a company/University registered on the trade register of the country in which it has its headquarters and able to provide a registration certificate.

For more information, visit https://hello-tomorrow.org/venturelabopeninnovationchallenge/

10. VivaTech AfricaTech Awards 2022 for Innovative African startups

 VivaTech, with support from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), launched the first edition of the AfricaTech Awards, a pan-African initiative developed to recognize and support the most innovative and impactful African startups across three key sectors Climate Tech, Health Tech and FinTech.

Eligibility Criteria

• Startup based in Africa
• Having a product/solution addressed to the African market
• Having a scalable product/solution
• Must have raised a minimum of $200k in capital but not more than $6M.
• Must address one of the following themes: Climate Tech, Health Tech or FinTech.

Rewards for Winners

The category winners will receive:

• Climate Tech Winner – Introduction to the IFC Climate Tech Specialist and key industry players, access to New Energy Nexus’ global clean energy ecosystem network and its local networks in Uganda and Nigeria.
• Health Tech Winner – Introduction to the IFC Health Tech specialist and key industry players.
• FinTech Winner – Introduction to IFC FinTech investment team and IFC partner VC funds.

For more information: Visit the Official Webpage of the VivaTech AfricaTech Awards 2022