Innovating Education in Africa: $100,000 Grants Available for Education Innovators

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (01 May 2023)

The Innovating Education in Africa Call is an initiative of the African Union (AU) that invites innovators to propose practical and sustainable education innovations that can address education and skills development challenges in Africa, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era. Successful applicants will receive grants of up to $100,000, among other benefits.

Here are some key details about the eligibility criteria, application procedures, and evaluation process:

Eligibility Criteria

• Must be a citizen of an AU Member State.
• Must be leading an organization that has successfully implemented an education innovation in one or more AU Member States, with verifiable outcomes.
• Must be legally registered and licensed to operate in an AU Member State.
• Must be directly responsible for the implementation and management of the innovation, i.e., not acting as an intermediary.

Application Procedure

Applicants must submit their proposals online in English or French at https://tinyurl.com/mr29ffcc  The application should include the following information:

• A brief statement of the challenge being addressed (100 words).
• A description of the innovation, including how it functions, the implementation approach, and the revenue model (500 words).
• A report on the performance and outcomes of the innovation (500 words).
• Documentation of business registration and license of operation.

Note: Only one innovation may be submitted per organization, and past recipients of grants under the Innovating Education in Africa (IEA) programme are not eligible to apply.

Evaluation and Selection Process

• Eligibility check: A longlist of eligible innovations will be created from the submitted applications (19-21 July 2023).
• Technical review and shortlisting: 50 promising innovations and 10 finalists for Early Pitch are selected (22 July – 7 August 2023).
• Early Pitch (Virtual): 5 finalists for Final Pitch are selected (13 September 2023).
• Final Pitch (TBC): 3 Innovations are selected and awarded grants (October 2023).

In addition to the monetary award, the awardees will receive promotion of their innovations to AU member states and development partners, a certificate of recognition from the Commissioner of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation of the African Union, and capacity building from partner organizations.

The deadline for submissions is June 30, 2023, by 23:00 (GMT+3).