The USAID Private Financing Advisory Network-Asia, the International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy, and the Asian Development Bank announce a joint call for proposals for women entrepreneurs in clean energy. Selected woman entrepreneurs and organizations supporting the selected entrepreneurs will receive mentoring support from USAID PFAN-Asia with an aim to secure funding to up-scale their operations. The program is open to women entrepreneurs and organizations in the private sector and in public-private partnerships in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The deadline for applications is 31 March 2017. Link
social enterprise
U.S. Agency for International Development — Smart Solutions for Adaptable Cities in Asia
The USAID Private Financing Advisory Network-Asia calls for proposal to advance “Smart Solutions for Adaptable Communities and Cities.” Examples of these solutions include apps on clean transport and pilot projects on climate-adaptable housing and buildings, water management, and waste management. Selected project developers, technology providers, innovators, and inventors will receive mentoring support from USAID PFAN-Asia with an aim to secure funding to up-scale their operations. Applications are invited from the private sector, and from public- private partnerships, in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The deadline for applications is 31 March 2017. Link
U.S. Agency for International Development — Coastal Biodiversity in Central America
USAID’s regional office in Central America invites proposals to conserve biodiversity in targeted coastal-marine areas and associated upland ecosystems; to decrease degradation of forest and mangrove landscapes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resilience to climate change; and to enhance climate-smart economic opportunities and sustainable use of natural resources (“biocommerce” ). Eligibility for funding is unrestricted. The program will aim to make one award of up to US$17 million over five years. Funding Opportunity RFA-596-17-000002. The closing date for applications is 10 April 2017. Link
European Commission — Black Sea Cross-Border Cooperation
The EC announces the first call for proposals of the ENI CBC “Black Sea Basin Joint Operational Programme 2014-2020.” The program aims to promote business and entrepreneurship (including in agriculture), and to promote coordination of environmental protection and reduction of river and marine litter. Participating countries are Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine. The deadline for applications is 31 May 2017. Link
Feed the Future — Data-Driven Farming Prize
The Data-Driven Farming Prize seeks tools and approaches that use data to help smallholder farmers improve their agricultural productivity and value. Feed the Future invites proposals for data-driven approaches to be tested in Nepal to improve the productivity of rice, other cereals, and vegetables. Eligibility to compete for the prize extends worldwide to individuals, groups, organizations, and companies — in all sources and sectors — particularly local innovators in South Asia. The judging panel will award two grants of US$100 thousand each, and two others of US$50 thousand each, to the proposals with highest potential. The deadline for applications is 06 April 2017. Link
Young Innovators in Agribusiness — Postharvest Technologies Competition 2017
The East Africa Postharvest Technologies Competition aims to identify scalable post-harvest technologies in East Africa. Applications are open to both institutions and individuals of 18 years and above in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania. The competition will select top 50 technologies from successful entries and offer them accelerated training on scaling up and pitching. Twenty-five participants in the accelerated training will be invited to showcase and pitch to development partners, donors, governments, farmers/traders associations, and investors at the East Africa Postharvest Technologies Fair in May 2017. The top five technologies will divide seed awards totaling US$30 thousand. The closing date for applications is 20 February 2017.
Swiss Re — Leadership Prize in Water Management 2018
The International ReSource Award is a prize acknowledging social entrepreneurial thinking and leadership in addressing social and/or ecological issues related to sustainable water management practices in developing and emerging countries. Each of three finalists will receive US$20 thousand and expert assistance to further develop their proposals in order to compete for a first prize of US$75 thousand. Eligibility for the ReSource Award extends to charities, non-profit organizations, and revenue-generating social enterprises working in the areas of water, sanitation, and hygiene in the developing world. The application deadline for short proposals (Step I) is 22 March 2017. Link
U.S. Agency for International Development — Off-Grid Solar Energy for Africa
The “Scaling Off-Grid Energy Grand Challenge for Development” (SOGE) seeks to provide 20 million households in Sub-Saharan Africa with access to modern, clean, and affordable off-grid electricity from solar sources. USAID welcomes applications from U.S. and non-U.S. private businesses and social enterprises that are solar manufacturers, distributors, and service providers. Grants will range from US$500 thousand to US$1.5 million. USAID requires a private financial commitment in the ratio of at least 2:1 to the amount of a grant. Funding Opportunity APS-OAA-16-000001-ADDENDUM-SOGE. The deadline for concept papers is 30 April 2017. Link
Bestseller Foundation — Enterprises in Agriculture and Environment
The Bestseller Foundation provides financial support for agricultural value chains and for enterprises based on sustainable environment in Southern and Eastern Africa, China, and India. The foundation invests mainly with commercial actors in for-profit projects by means of loans and equity. Nonprofit organizations and projects may sometimes be eligible if they have clear and commercially viable objectives. In some cases, the Foundation may consider grants or donations. Potential partners in the eligible regions contact the Foundation by telephone or email, and present a short concept note. Link
Evidence Action Beta — Scaling-Up Promising Research
Evidence Action Beta calls for applications to collaborate in testing and scaling up the results of research into policies and/or programs that have the potential to benefit millions of people living in poverty. Successful candidates will collaborate with Evidence Action Beta in testing and possibly bringing a promising solution to scale. The program invites individuals or teams who have tested and found a positive impact of an intervention benefiting poor households through a randomized control trial or other rigorous empirical method. Solutions in environment, water and sanitation, etc., are of interest as long as they present an empirically-based connection to decreasing poverty. The deadline for submissions is 03 February 2017. Link