Impact Amplifier with the support of Google.org has set up an Africa Online Safety Fund worth $1,000,000 and it is inviting eligible startups to apply.
The Africa Online Safety Fund powered by Impact Amplifier is aimed that addressing safety concerns, including identity theft, Bullying and harassment, Sex trafficking, Hate crimes, Terrorist recruitment and promotion, Mis or disinformation, and Financial scams. This increased concern for online safety can be traced to the rise in internet penetration, mobile network, and smartphone usage in Africa.
The fund will support innovative existing and new solutions to these challenges. Regardless, the fund will favour solutions, which address women’s and children’s online safety specifically, as they are the most targeted communities in this regard.
Fund Management
Impact Amplifier, a South African based social impact advisory firm will be managing the Fund. It will be critically supported by ISD, a UK based think and do tank, dedicated to understanding and innovating responses to polarisation, hate, and extremism of all forms.
Fund Structure
The Africa Online Safety Fund will be awarding grants to organisations that address one or more of the safety issues the internet facilitates.
There are two categories of funding:
1.) Transformative
The Transformative projects are intended to be larger in scale, reach multiple geographies and or potentially large numbers of beneficiaries, and be scalable as a solution.
2.) Catalytic
The Catalytic projects are intended to be smaller, targeted, and potentially only locally or culturally specific. The Transformative grants will be a maximum of $100,000 and the Catalytic Grants will be a maximum of $10,000. A $1,000,000 commitment has been made to address online safety issues in Africa.
Application Process
The application process will be in two stages.
Stage one is a short application form to be completed by all interested organisations. Click here to apply.
All applicants that are shortlisted will be eligible to complete the second stage of the application process. The details and requirements of this stage will be provided directly to all shortlisted applicants.
Eligibility
Applicants can be public benefit organisations, private or from the public sector. No individual applicants will be considered.
The Fund is open to organisations throughout Africa but is prioritising Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Senegal, Ethiopia, and the Ivory Coast.
Selection Criteria
The primary criteria that will be used to select successful applicants includes:
- Innovation and Replication-What is the level of novelty in the intervention/service? Can it function as a model for other interventions? Does it replicate other successful online safety interventions from different geographies?
- Social Impact – What is the scale of the online safety problem being addressed? What is the potential social impact of the intervention? What is the potential impact of the intervention is scaled beyond the current plan? Can it in fact be ramped up? (Is it cost-effective, sustainable, and replicable?)
- Potential Success – How likely is the intervention to achieve its stated goals?
- Management team – What is the strength and experience of the management team and the precedent set by the team in terms of cooperation, achieving goals, and beneficiaries served?
- Financial Efficiency – is the funding requested an efficient use of resources? How does the amount requested, scope of the problem to be addressed, and beneficiaries to be reached compared to other applicants?
- Sustainability – can the intervention planned become financially sustainable beyond this grant? If so, how and to what scale?
Timing
The first phase of the application process is open from 17 July to 21 August. The shortlisted applicants will be announced by 7 September. The finalists will be selected by 8 October 2020.
Apply Here.
