Africa-wide
Competition
Service
Details
Over 500 million people have access to the internet in Africa; and although this reflects just under 40% of the population, this level of penetration is 110 times what it was just 20 years ago. Not only has internet access increased dramatically, but so has smartphone usage, with ownership now at 250 million people.
This exponential increase in internet, smartphone and mobile network usage has created extraordinary new opportunities for socio-economic development on the African continent. However, this rapid growth rate has simultaneously created a range of safety concerns, including:
- Identify theft
- Bullying and harassment
- Sex trafficking
- Hate crimes
- Terrorist recruitment and promotion
- The spread of mis or disinformation
- Financial scams
To address these issues, a $1,000,000 commitment has been made to address online safety issues in Africa. The Africa Online Safety Fund, with support from Google.org, has been established to support innovative existing and new solutions to these challenges. While not exclusively focused, the Fund will be favouring solutions, which address online safety for women and children 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.
Criteria
APPLICATION PROCESS
The application process will be in two stages. Stage one is a short application form to be completed by all interested organisations.
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.
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.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
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 if the intervention is scaled beyond the current plan? Can it in fact be ramped up? (Is it cost effective, sustainable, and replicable?)
- POTENTIAL FOR 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 compare 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.
Benefits
There are two categories of funding:
- 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. The Transformative grants will be a maximum of $100,000
- The Catalytic projects are intended to be smaller, targeted, and potentially only locally or culturally specific. 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
About Impact Amplifier
To address Africa’s socio-economic and environmental challenges, innovative entrepreneurs and business models must emerge.
Impact Amplifier drives this vision by: assisting impact investors to source and invest into compelling opportunities; providing investment readiness and advisory services to businesses, which combine financial success with positive social and environmental change; and delivering supplier development and sustainability advisory services to corporations and public institutions.
Services include:
PORTFOLIO BUILDING FOR IMPACT INVESTORS
Our core services are designed to assist impact investors build quality business portfolios, which can thrive commercially whilst making a meaningful contribution to social and environmental challenges.
INVESTMENT READINESS FOR HIGH IMPACT BUSINESSES
“High Impact” businesses are those that have the ability to thrive commercially whilst also addressing social and environmental challenges. We focus on supporting these businesses to become investment ready, raise capital by leveraging our global network of investors, and support their growth post investment through targeted advisory services.
SUPPLY CHAIN ADVISORY
Impact Amplifier supports larger organisations to enhance and diversify their supply chain in line with South Africa’s B-BBEE codes and sector charters. We develop enterprise development strategies, identify high impact SMME opportunities, provide business development and raise capital for targeted SMMEs.