Monday, October 26, 2009

OPIC - Global Technology and Innovation Fund


The Overseas Private Investment Corporation ("OPIC") is inviting proposals from qualified private equity fund managers for the formation and management of one or more investment funds (“funds”) that plan to invest in a wide variety of companies or projects that provide access to technologies in the OPIC-eligible countries. OPIC will provide financing ranging between $25 million and $150 million in total capital for each selected fund.

Vodafone Wireless Innovation Project - award for social innovation in wireless


About the Wireless Innovation Project™

The Vodafone Americas Foundation™ designed the Wireless Innovation Project™ as a competition to promote innovation and increase implementation of wireless related technology for a better world. To that end, Vodafone Americas Foundation’s Wireless Innovation Project™ is providing up to $600,000 in awards to support projects of exceptional promise that meet the criteria described in the Eligibility Criteria section. After successful completion of the Project last year, we are excited to launch the second Vodafone Wireless Innovation Project™. We will be accepting proposals from October 5, 2009 through February 1, 2010.

Aboubakar Fofana - Mali design house

http://www.aboubakar-fofana.com/images/aboubakar-fofana.jpg

Today, Aboubakar Fofana reinterprets this blue magic, infusing it with a new vitality and a contemporary aesthetic. Inspired to preserve his cultural heritage and the health of the planet, he creates sublime, limited edition designs on organic fabrics for interior décor and fashion. Aboubakar Fofana expresses his passion in a nuanced blue palette. Each hue echoes a unique and profound emotion. Each creation evokes a soulful sensuality and timeless serenity.

GO Ingenuity Award - awarded to artists, inventors, and small business entrepreneurs

GO Ingenuity Award

Sharing Invention & Innovation with Youth
Launched at Maker Faire Africa 2009, Accra, Ghana


The GO Ingenuity Award (GIA) is awarded to artists, inventors, and small business entrepreneurs to stimulate the next generation of "makers." Building on the momentum of Maker Faire Africa, GO Campaign will award one-year, one-time fellowship grants to individual applicants who are eager to share their skills with marginalized youth in developing countries in ways that educate and inspire youth to harness their own ingenuity. The GIA emphasizes the sharing of innovative artistry and technology in informal, hands-on learning workshops in places where youth already gather.



Guidelines

GO Campaign will award a maximum of five GO Ingenuity Awards per year in amounts ranging from $500 to $2,500 each. Award recipients are required to hold a minimum of 3 youth workshops at schools, orphanages, or youth organizations within 6 months of receiving the Award. Youth is defined as ages 25 and under.

Recipients will be required to sign an agreement with GO which will include a disbursement and reporting schedule based on the nature and timing of the workshops. The agreement will include recipients' requirements to:

  • Submit a brief narrative progress report after the first workshop including how funds received from GO have been spent
  • Submit a final comprehensive report with photos and narrative of the workshops, including letters from teachers, youth group leaders and feedback from attending youth
  • A budget and supporting collateral detailing how all the funds were spent

Winners will be profiled on the GO Campaign website and in media outlets at GO Campaign's sole discretion.

Applications for the 2010 GIA are due by December 1, 2009.

How to Apply

In completing the application, Artists, Inventors and Small Business Entrepreneurs are asked to submit a description and photo of their product/invention/craftwork, a timeline when the workshops will be held (all workshops must be completed by July 31, 2010), and a detailed line-item budget proposal of how the Award will be used. Budgets should include any necessary program development, promotion, supplies, transportation costs, as well as a stipend for the applicant. Applicant must clearly identify schools, orphanages or youth organizations where workshops will be held. Applicants must demonstrate potential and relative impact of product/invention/craftwork to be considered.

GO Campaign strongly encourages applicants to collaborate with non-profits, community-based organizations and local businesses to complete the application and, if selected as an Award recipient, conduct the workshops.

Gone Rural Swaziland - African high-end décor products


About
Gone Rural embraces the vitality and artistic spirit of women living in rural Swaziland to create innovative, high-end décor products for discerning clients. Inspired by the vision of designer Philippa Thorne, indigenous grass has been transformed into a global sensation. Gone Rural’s range has been featured by leading magazines, such as Elle Decoration, and imparts a fresh elegance to homes and chic boutiques around the world.

Citadel Capital - African private equity firm

http://www.citadelcapital.com/wp-content/themes/default/images/CC-Logo-Standard.png

From Site:

Citadel Capital is a private equity firm based in Cairo. Majority controlled by its senior management and employees, Citadel Capital makes control private equity investments in the Middle East and North Africa and has more than US$ 8.3 billion in investments under control, spanning 19 Platform Companies in 14 industries across 12 countries.

Monday, October 5, 2009

2010 MIF competition for innovative financial solutions


The Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Bank will co-host an international Marketplace on Innovative Financial Solutions for Development (2010 MIF) to be held in Paris on March, 4-5 2010.

The 2010 MIF will be dedicated to smart, fine-tuned, innovative financial mechanisms for mobilizing, channeling, and spending funds for development issues. The event will bring together development practioners, donors, philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, academics, representatives from across a range of financial institutions and policy makers to exchange experience and ideas on innovative development finance solutions. The event will be structured around workshops and a marketplace where innovators can showcase their initiatives and projects. The main objectives of the event are to:

The main objectives of the event are to:
  • advance the agenda on innovative financial solutions for development;
  • facilitate knowledge sharing and learning, including South/South learning, on innovative financial solutions for development, what works and what doesn’t , and how to design solutions to maximize development impact and cost-effectiveness; and
  • spur the evolution of cutting-edge projects that apply innovative financial mechanisms to development challenges.


The Competition

A key feature of the 2010 MIF will be a competition to garner and highlight fresh ideas on how innovative financing mechanisms can be used to solve development challenges at the local, country, regional, or global levels, with the goal that successful innovations can be scaled up and replicated.
The winners will be awarded pilot grants of up to US$100,000 to assist them in the implementation of their proposals.

Proposals are welcomed from all organizations involved in innovative finance focused on development, including financial institutions, private-sector companies, social enterprises, non-governmental and civil society organizations, government agencies, universities and other academic organizations, foundations, and development organizations. Guidelines and application forms can be accessed on the 2010 MIF website: www.fininnov.org

Proposals must be submitted by November 15th 2009.

For further informations, please contact: info@fininnov.org

Arts in Africa - one stop portal about arts in Africa


From Site:

The objective of this website is to be a one stop portal for information about the arts in Africa listed by country as well as discipline. It includes information on UNESCO branches, Funding Agencies, E-newsletters, Cultural Policy, Creative Industries, Events, Conferences, Training Institutions and civil society organisations among others.

Global Mamas - handmade apparel


From site:
Global Mamas enhances the international marketplace with unique, high quality, handmade apparel, and at the same time provides sustainable livelihoods for women and girls in Africa.

Global Mama’s reduces the economic inequality of women by significantly increasing the revenues and profits of woman-owned businesses in Africa. This in turn increases employee wages, generates new jobs and improves the standard of living. We believe that helping women gain economic independence is the most effective way to reduce dependence on foreign aid and steadily create a prosperous society.

BHF Magazine - African fashion

From site:
BHF magazine is an exciting and dynamic new African Lifestyle Magzine. With a boldness and eged, the likes of which has never been seen before, this quartely publication is the brainchild of visionary entreprenurial power couple Geoffrey and Jennifer Olisa.
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