We were glad so many of you were able to join us last week at our webinars on the Innovation Fund grants for NGOs and social enterprises. For those who missed the events, you can catch up on what we covered with the recording here and you can download the presentation deck here. We’ve also summarised some FAQ below and we hope these are helpful. As a reminder, this award round comprises three grants, valued up to US$ 140,000 for projects up to ten months long. The grants are intended to provide seed funding for NGOs, working in partnership with mobile network operators, to design and launch products, value added services, marketing campaigns and/or distribution mechanisms (‘offerings’) that will increase women’s access to and use of mobile and life-enhancing services. We look forward to receiving your concept notes!
Which countries are eligible for Innovation Fund grants?
Projects in the following regions are eligible:
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- North Africa and Middle East
- South and Southeast Asia
- The Pacific region (Please note that a separate round of applications for both NGOs and mobile operators in the Pacific region is under consideration for the second half of 2013. Please contact us at [email protected] if you would like further information).
Which countries are included in South Asia?
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.
Are government bodies eligible?
No, these grants are for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and social enterprises.
Are for-profit social enterprises eligible?
Yes, as long as the organisation has a demonstrated strong focus on delivering social impact. The organisation must also:
- Be legally registered to operate in country of the proposed project, compliant with the relevant registration rules
- Have been in operation for a minimum of 2 years
- Operate at large scale, i.e. regional, national or global
- Be in satisfactory financial health, i.e. able to produce two years of unqualified, audited financial statements.
What is the page limit for the concept note?
The Fund Manager will not consider concept notes which are longer than four (4) pages, including the cover sheet.
When will we know if our concept note has made it through to the next stage?
The concept notes are due on the 12th June. All applicants will be notified by the 21st June.
We do not have two years of audited financial statements – can we apply?
No, sorry – organisations need to produce two years of audited financial statements to be eligible for Innovation Fund grants.
By when do we have to have a mobile operator partner?
The concept note should, at the minimum, contain a clear plan and strategy for the mobile operator partnership, outlining who the key operator target(s) are. By application stage, the operator partnership must be in place and formalised in a memorandum of understanding (MoU). This MoU can be contingent upon being awarded the grant.
Who should I contact for more information?
Please write to us at [email protected].