The CIVICUS Nelson Mandela-Graça Machel Innovation Awards shed a light on the importance of people power and civil society activism in creating a more just, inclusive and sustainable world. The Awards will recognize seven individuals, groups or organizations that stand out for their innovative work building people power in support of human rights and social justice for everyone. Each winning initiative will receive a US$5 thousand prize. The Awards are open to any individual, organization or group in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Pacific. Deadline to submit the online application form is 20 September 2021. Innovation Awards
energy
U.S. African Development Foundation — Mandela Washington Fellows Program
The Mandela Washington Fellows Program provides up to US$25 thousand in funding to African-owned, sustainable social ventures. Venture must be based in and operate in Sub-Saharan Africa. Applicants have to demonstrate how the venture will improve and change the communities in which the grants are implemented. Applications are open until 21 September 2021. More info here
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Award — Islamic Green City Excellence Award
The Islamic Green City Excellence Award is dedicated to outstanding works carried out by individuals and public as well as private institutions and organizations operating in the various fields of the environment and sustainable development. The selection of the candidate city for the Award is assessed on the basis of specific criteria, including Sustainable Energy Use, Water and Wastewater Management, Urban Forestry, Biodiversity Preservation, and Climate Change Mitigation, among others. Eligibility extends to everyone involved in environmental management and sustainable development (individuals, groups, institutions, organizations, companies, associations etc., be they public, private or non-governmental) from the Islamic countries. The application remains open until 21 December 2021. Link
Africa Solar Industry Association — Solar Awards
The AFSIA Solar Awards celebrate exceptional talent in the African solar market. AFSIA seeks solar applications, for example, large-scale solar park or solar home systems, grid-connected and off-grid systems, and solar-powered applications such as street lighting, solar irrigation, refrigeration or cook stoves. The Awards intend to recognize companies and individuals that have contributed to promoting and advancing the use of solar across Africa. Applications close on 24 September 2021. AFSIA Solar Awards
Green People’s Energy for Africa — Energy Access Challenges
The Green People’s Energy for Africa (GBE) seeks concrete solutions to address two specific challenges in the energy access sphere: Increasing Off-Grid System Sustainability and Reducing CO2 Emissions via Energy Access. The Challenge prioritizes solutions from within the nine focal countries: Ethiopia, Benin, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, Uganda, and Zambia. However, applications from other Sub-Saharan countries are also welcome. Applicants must be either non-profit organizations or local for-profit organizations in the country of implementation. GBE can cover up to 80% of the total project costs and must be lower than €125 thousand. The deadline for submissions of proposals is 31 August 2021. Details
Green People’s Energy for Africa — Small Projects Fund
The Small Projects Fund offers financial support to initiatives led by non-profit organizations in the field of decentralized renewable energy. The Fund supports small projects and concrete solutions based on an identified local need located in sub-Saharan Africa. The project’s target region must be in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, Uganda or Zambia and aim at improving decentralized energy supply. Contributions from the Small Projects Fund can cover up to 80% of the total project costs and must not exceed €200 thousand. Applications must be submitted at least four weeks prior to the steering committee’s convene dates which are 01 October and 01 December 2021. Know more
African Women’s Development Fund — Grants for Women’s Organizations
The African Women’s Development Fund supports organizations working towards the empowerment of African women and the achievement of gender equality on the continent. The six thematic areas include one on economic empowerment and livelihoods related to food security, agriculture, climate change, and other issues. The program makes grants to local, national, sub-regional, and regional women’s organizations in Africa and the following Middle East Countries: Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Yemen. Grants range from US$8 thousand to US$50 thousand. The closing date for applications is 11 August 2021. More
U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan — Media Program for Renewable Energy
The U.S. Mission in Kazakhstan seeks applications to improve the media coverage on renewable energy issues in Kazakhstan. The project should be designed to provide in-depth training on renewable energy to at least 50 journalists from different regions of Kazakhstan, who in turn will be required to produce at least four articles on the theme of green energy or climate change. The applicant should provide online media training classes, covering the topics of renewable energy, global and local efforts in preventing climate change. USAID will provide up to US$46 thousand in funding for project implementation. Eligibility extends to non-profit and for-profit organizations registered in Kazakhstan, as well as civil society organizations registered in the United States. The closing date for applications is 27 August 2021. Link
IDEX Accelerator — IDEX Fellowship 2022
The IDEX Fellowship Program aims to build the capacity of young professionals for social enterprise in areas such as agriculture, education, clean energy, sanitation, healthcare, livelihoods, and impact investing. The program provides six months of leadership training in enterprise development, including field placements at social enterprises in India. Candidates should be 21 to 35 years old, with a minimum of one to three years of professional work experience. IDEX offers a limited number of partial scholarships on program tuition to a select number of candidates. The application deadline is 31 October 2021. Info
Unleash — Incubation Program for Entrepreneurs
UNLEASH Plus is a global 6-month incubation program for entrepreneurs working on social or environmental challenges, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The program provides teams with the right skills, mindsets, and resources to test and launch their solutions, and design them for large-scale impact. Teams will explore real-life challenges within the SDG themes, before defining specific problems and coming up with solutions. The top teams will present their solutions to investors and experts. The program is open to all youth entrepreneurs looking to advance solutions that address the SDGs. The application deadline is 25 July 2021. UNLEASH Plus