Deadline: April 10 2014
Innovators worldwide are invited to enter the 2014 Grant Competition by the All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development (ACR GCD). ACR-GCD is a partnership between the USAID, World Vision and Australian Government, to develop scalable technology-based solutions to increase literacy among children in developing countries.
The ACR GCD Round 2 Grant Competition aligns with the Grand Challenge for Development model which offers innovators opportunities to apply their scientific and technological expertise to develop solutions to clearly defined development problems.
Focus Areas
Round 2 requires technology-based innovative solutions in three focus areas:
- Mother Tongue Instruction and Reading Materials
- Family and Community Engagement
- Children with Disabilities.
The ACR GCD Partners seek applications that will improve reading scores of students in early primary education. Through the ACR GCD Round 2 Grant Competition, the Partners seek effective, low-cost, technology-based innovations that address problems that keep children from learning to read.
Benefits:
It is estimated that a minimum US$2,700,000 will be made available for awards. Approximately three awards per focus area will be made, with a total of $900,000 available under each focus area. The amount of available funding is subject to change.
Eligibility:
- Have interest in child literacy, global problems and technology
Criteria:
- Innovative Viability (35 points)
- The extent to which the innovation is likely to improve reading scores among targeted beneficiaries;
- The extent to which the innovation is reflective of demand substantiated by original evidence or secondary research (needs assessment, market research
- etc.);
- The extent to which the innovation addresses one of the problems articulated in Section 3;
- The extent to which the innovation can be monitored for success;
- The extent to which the innovation is cost effective (financially sustainable)
- The extent to which there is potential for wide-scale impact on targeted beneficiaries.
- Application and Sustainability in Developing or Emerging Countries (35 points)
- The extent to which the innovation addresses the Problem selected and the proposed theory of change is clear and logical;
- The extent to which the innovation appropriately addresses the characteristics of end-users/beneficiaries (i.e. language, reading level) and the needs of the education system;
- The extent to which the intervention is market appropriate and responds to demand;
- The extent to which the innovation demonstrates an understanding of the constraints and opportunities that may result in different outcomes for girls and boys and how the project meets the needs of all children;
- The extent to which there is support from families, the education system and/or engagement of local/national/regional partners in project design, implementation, and evaluation
- The extent to which a sustainable model is clearly and logically defined.
- Monitoring and Evaluation (20 points)
- The extent to which the approach to implementation, and monitoring and evaluation is appropriate, clear, and logical;
- The extent to which the M&E plan demonstrates a clear link to the overall goal to improve literacy for students in early primary education and the extent to which results are measureable and attributable; and
- The extent to which the proposed indicators are linked to Outcome 1 and Output 1, and are realistic, logical, and appropriate within the budget and time period allocated.
- Organizational Capacity (10 points)
- The Applicant’s prior experience and success in implementing, managing, and evaluating similar activities; and
- The Applicant’s record of collaborating closely with various levels of host country governments; stakeholders in the development, implementation, and evaluation processes; and/or other public and/or private sector partners.
For more information, click here.
