Deadline: February 26, 2016
UNICEF invites expressions of interest to receive funding that will be made available through the UNICEF Innovation Fund. The purpose of the UNICEF Innovation Fund is to invest in open source technologies for children.
The Fund has raised $9 million so far and offers innovators in developing countries a pooled funding mechanism to help them take their tested projects to the next stage. The Fund brings together models of financing and methodologies used by venture capital funds and the principles of UNICEF’S award-winning Innovation Unit.
Thematic Areas
Projects funded need to increase the ability of children to access information and to increase opportunity and choice. Specifically, projects should align with one of UNICEF Innovation’s three portfolio areas:
- Products for youth under 25
- Real-time information for decision-making
- Infrastructure to increase access to services and information
These three areas are ripe for investment due to rapidly changing technologies such as blockchain, 3D printing, wearables and sensors, artificial intelligence and renewable energy.
Eligibility
Expressions of interest are invited from companies/institutions registered in UNICEF’s programme countries. Interested companies must meet the criteria required to be eligible for funding as detailed below.
UNICEF is looking to provide investment-style funding to early-stage tech startups. Only entities that fulfill these mandatory requirements will be eligible:
- A private company/institution registered in a UNICEF programme country (see list here)
- Working on open source technology solutions (or willing to be open source) under the following licenses:
- Software: BSD, AGPL, LGPL
- Content and designs: Creative Commons CC-BY-SA or CC-BY
- Projects funded need to increase the ability of children to access information and to increase opportunity and choice. Specifically, projects should align with one of UNICEF Innovation’s three portfolio areas:
- products for youth under 25 to address a range of needs including learning and youth participation
- real-time information for decision making and governance
- infrastructure to increase access to services and information, including connectivity, power, finance, sensors and transport.
- Generating publicly exposed real-time data that can be / is measured
Application
To apply, read the detailed requirements.
Interested companies are required to complete and submit the EOI Response form and provide the information and supporting documents indicated in the form. EOIs Response forms must be submitted through this link, not later than 1800hrs (Eastern Standard Time) on 26 February 2016.
For more information, visit UNICEF Innovation Fund.
