Deadline: 10-Jan-22
Do you have an innovative idea or solution to improve the lives of children (especially those from marginalized communities) in Uganda? Join the UNICEF Uganda Innovation Fund Challenge Cohort 2 with your innovative concept or offering.
UNICEF Uganda has launched an Innovation Fund Challenge to deepen participatory practices in providing innovative solutions to national social policy challenges, with a view to transform the local ecosystem by leveraging on the disruptive power of technology as a driver for inclusive and sustainable growth.
The main objective of the UNICEF Uganda Innovation Fund challenge is to provide innovative avenues to enhance UNICEF’s ability to achieve the outcomes outlined in the country program document, and the achievement of the SDGs.
What is the focus of this innovation fund challenge?
Through this initiative, they are seeking to support ideas / solutions that are focused on addressing challenges related to child protection, development and survival of children and access to basic development and adolescent development for girls and boys. You are expected to select a challenge area and problem area that you idea or solution addresses. These are areas in line with UNICEF Uganda’s office country program.
Benefits
The Innovation Fund Challenge provide grant funding of up-to UGX 80 Million to further validate your concept or business
- Access to free technical assistance to realize or grow your business
- Access to mentors and expert coaches to provide tailored support
- Receive access to Outbox’s network to enable you to pilot or further validate your concept
- Receive grant funding of up-to UGX 80 Million to further validate your concept or business
What is the role of Outbox in the UNICEF Uganda Innovation Fund Challenge?
Outbox was selected to provide technical services to oversee the implementation of this Innovation Fund Challenge. Outbox will oversee the call for proposals and identification and selection of startups. It will also provide tailored mentorship and technical support to the selected startups. Outbox will oversee the disbursement of funding to innovators based on agreed milestones.
How many ideas / solutions will you support during the initiative?
UNICEF Uganda shall support a total of eight (8) startups in the initiative. They shall run two calls for proposals. After each call, they shall select the top four (4) startups into the initiative.
Eligibility Criteria
The initiative is open to:
- Founding teams of individuals that are above 18 years of age at the time of the application and who are nationa ls or resident in Uganda. The initiative will only accept teams of at least 2 founding individuals. A team of one founding individual will not be considered.
- The founding team should consist of participants who are Ugandan Citizen OR currently living or working in Uganda. Initial / pilot focus: Uganda. Clear prospects to scale beyond Uganda or the region highly desirable.
- All team members must be fully proficient in written and spoken English.
- The initiative requires founder participation. All founding team members must commit to participate in the initiative. Lack of commitment or active engagement will render the team or Innovation not eligible for the program.
- Innovators who either have an idea or an already existing business, which has been operational for less than two years and has not raised more than UGX 185 million in either grants, convertible grants, venture capital or Private Equity at the time of submission.
- Only applications submitted through the UNICEF Uganda Innovation Challenge Fund web portal will be eligible for consideration.
- Employees of U NICEF are eligible to apply to the initiative as they will not be involved in the selection process and management of this initiative.
For more information, visit https://unicef.innovationchallenge.ug/