8 innovation challenges you can apply for

The number of grants for global development innovations is small yet growing, and competition for funding remains steep. Innovators who seek funding for their ideas often go through what is called a challenge — a competition that may be one-off or periodic. Here are some of the innovation funds you can apply for now and should watch out for in the coming weeks and months. Acumen Fund • Funder: various • Application period: year-round • Amount of funding: $250,000 to $3 million in investment capital, structured as either debt or equity • Eligibility: early- to mid-stage company that is in the process of scaling up and located in or with significant operation or impact in East Africa, West Africa, India, Pakistan or Latin America To qualify, applicants must develop products or services in the areas of agriculture, energy, education, health, housing or water which are more economical and offer greater social impact than what’s currently available. They also should have a clear business model demonstrating potential for financial sustainability within five to seven years, a clear path to scale and the potential to become “one of the leading service providers in the market.” Amplify • Funder: U.K. Department for International Development • Application period: the next challenge starts mid-September 2014 • Amount of funding: up to $500,000 in funding (or up to 14-weeks of IDEO.org human-centered design support) • Eligibility: anyone from around the globe Amplify is a 10-challenge, five-year initiative to find the most innovative new and existing global development solutions. As Devex has reported, the program funds ideas and supports the teams that could best implement these solutions. Development Innovation Ventures • Funder: U.S. Agency for International Development • Application period: through April 15, 2015 • Amount of funding: from $25,000 to $15 million depending on the stage (proof of concept, testing or scaling up) • Eligibility: individuals, nonprofits and companies that work in a country where USAID operates DIV seeks new ways not only to deliver but also finance goods and services. It focuses on solutions in any sector that can “reach sustainability without continuing DIV support” and thus can eventually be commercialized. It excludes the following project types: standard development practice such as building schools, basic scientific research, a planning tool or diagnostic as well as corporate applications meant to scale up business in developing countries which will likely not result in measurable development impact, and innovations that only apply in very limited context. Genesis Generation Challenge • Funder: Genesis Prize Foundation • Application period: starting Aug. 1, 2014 • Amount of funding: at least $100,000 to up to 10 winning teams • Eligibility: teams of young adults from across the globe Honoring inaugural Genesis Prize Laureate Michael R. Bloomberg, the challenge welcomes projects for nonprofit or for-profit ventures which are guided by Jewish values. Organizers promise a fair, open and transparent competition, with judges expected to provide detailed scores and feedback on proposals. All teams would also receive mentorship to help ensure the success of their projects. Google Impact Challenge U.K. • Funder: Google.org • Application period: through June 6, 2014 • Amount of funding: 500,000 pounds ($841,000) each to four winners and 200,000 pounds to six other finalists • Eligibility: registered British charities The challenge looks for solutions that use technology to transform lives around the globe. A public vote will help determine the winners among 10 finalists. Aside from cash rewards, the winning innovators will receive mentoring and technical support from Google and its partners. Grand Challenges Canada: Global Mental Health • Funder: Canadian government • Application period: round 4 tentatively starts in July 2014 • Amount of funding: 250,000 Canadian dollars in seed grants each over a maximum of two years and as much as CA$1 million in transition-to-scale grants over a period of no more than three years • Eligibility: organizations from Canada and 95 low- and lower-middle-income countries Grand Challenges Canada funds what it calls “integrated Innovations” or bold ideas that combine science and technology and social and business innovation. This particular challenge focuses on innovations that can address challenges in providing treatments and access to mental health care in the developing world, such as reducing the cost and boosting the supply of effective drugs. Humanitarian Innovation Fund small grant facility • Funder: DfID, Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Application period: year-round • Amount of funding: up to 20,000 pounds • Eligibility: lead applicant should be a nonprofit, public sector agency or academic or research institution regardless of origin The awarded grants are for innovations in a humanitarian response setting that are at the recognition, invention or dissemination stage. HIF welcomes up to two proposals from a single applicant per round. The Desal Prize • Funder: USAID, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Application period: launches tentative in June 2014, with the announcement of semifinalists scheduled for September 2014 • Amount of funding: a total of $400,000 to the awardee(s) • Eligibility: all sectors of the public regardless of location The Desai Prize represents the second call under the Securing Water for Food Grand Challenge for Development. It seeks small-scale technologies that can produce desalinated water from brackish sources in an efficient and reliable manner for human and agriculture use. The winner will be chosen based on overall performance following a series of demo competitions. Do you know of any active or upcoming innovation funds or challenges? Let us know by leaving a comment below or join the conversation on LinkedIn.