Deadline: 16 July 2017
Applications are open for “The GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator Innovation Fund” which is funded by UK Department for International Development (DFID), and supported by the GSMA and its members.
The fund provides selected start-ups in Africa and Asia with grant funding, technical assistance, and the opportunity to partner with mobile operators in their markets to help scale their products and services into sustainable businesses with positive socio-economic impact.
Objectives
The objectives of the Fund are to:
- Establish partnerships between mobile operators and start-ups in order to increase the reach of innovative mobile services.
- Test business models with the greatest potential for growth and impact.
- Provide lessons and examples on the ways in which mobile is driving positive socio-economic change.
Focus Areas
- Sharing economy: defined as any mobile-based platform, product or service which enables low-income citizens in emerging markets to generate income from ‘underutilised assets’ through sharing those assets with their peers.
- Services for SMEs: defined as any mobile-based solution, product or service designed for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) – formal or informal – in emerging markets which unlock improved productivity and growth.
Funding Information
- The amount can be between £100,000 and £250,000
- The duration of the project can be between 9 and 15 months.
Eligibility Criteria
The Fund is open to projects from start-ups registered and operating in Africa and Asia-Pacific.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online via given website.
Eligible Countries
- Africa: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo Dem Rep., Congo Rep., Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Swaziland, São Tomé and Principe, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
- Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam.
- Pacific: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.
For more information, please visit Innovation Fund.