The Center for Mediterranean Integration and partners invite applications for the 4th Mediterranean Water Heroes Contest. Winners will participate in the CMI 2020 World Water Day workshop in Murcia, Spain (March 2020) with covered travel and accommodation. World Water Day 2020 will focus on “Water and Climate Change.” Young researchers, entrepreneurs and activists (18-35 years) working on water challenges in the Mediterranean from Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Montenegro, Palestinian Territories, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey are eligible to apply. Team applications will be accepted. Applications can be submitted in English and Arabic. Deadline for applications is 15 December 2019. Find the contest
awards/prizes
Global LEAP Awards — Solar Water Pump Competition
The Global LEAP Solar Water Pump Competition will recognize energy efficient and affordable solar water pumps intended for smallholder farmers or individual household use that are appropriate for use with off-grid energy systems. No financial incentives are available for this round. However, winners and finalists will be featured in the 2019 Global LEAP Solar Water Pump Buyer’s Guide and be considered for investment by the Efficiency for Access Coalition Investor Network. The competition is open to companies in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The deadline for receipt of nominations is 18 January 2020. Link to the Solar Water Pump Competition
Mohammed Bin Rashid Initiative for Global Prosperity — Climate Change Challenge
The Global Makers Challenge invites innovative start-ups, entrepreneurs and businesses to submit solutions to solve real-world problems. The current Climate Change challenge seeks solutions that will empower communities, especially those in developing countries, to eliminate waste and use existing resources through low-carbon, circular approaches. Applications are invited from innovators around the world without any geographical limitations. The winner receives prizes, including cash and mentorship. The deadline is 31 January 2020. Find the Challenges
2SCALE — Digital Innovation for Climate Smart Agriculture
2SCALE invites entrepreneurs, startups and SMEs with digital innovations to apply to the innovation challenge to boost climate smart agriculture. Innovation should promote food and nutrition security, climate-smart (eco-efficient) agriculture, and the inclusion of women and youth. Furthermore, the innovation should primarily focus on smallholder farmers. Projects have to be implemented in Kenya, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, or Niger. The winners will receive scaling opportunities, technical support, and research support. The application has to be submitted by 15 November 2019. More
United States Agency for International Development — Household Solar Workforce Development Africa
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) invite applications for the Household Solar Workforce Development Challenge. Projects should focus on the development of off-grid solar home systems for households and businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa. The call is open to for-profit, nonprofit organizations, social enterprises, and academic institutions with demonstrated capabilities and programs in energy workforce development. The selected organizations will receive awards ranging from US$100 thousand to US$350 thousand for project implementation over the course of one year. The closing date for applications is 15 December 2019. Find the challenge
International Fund for Agricultural Development — Photo Contest: Youth and Rural Development
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) launches a photo competition to promote youth participation in rural development in Latin American and the Caribbean. IFAD seeks images that show young people engaged in rural areas in the region. Ten selected photos will be exhibited during the official ceremony of the Rural Youth Innovation Award (June 2020). The top three winners will receive an all expenses paid trip to the ceremony. Participants should be between 18 and 35 years old. The closing date is 16 December 2019. Click here
World Bank Group — Supporting Women Micro-Entrepreneurs
The World Bank Group invites applications for the “Sustainable Development Goals and Her Competition.” SDGs & Her is an online competition for women micro-entrepreneurs to showcase how they are supporting the SDGs through their business operations. Winners will receive leadership training, mentoring and will be flown to Washington DC, for an event at the World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings (April 2020). The competition is open to women who own micro and small enterprises. The deadline for the competition is 10 January 2020. About the competition
Inter-American Development Bank — Rethink Plastics Challenge
The Inter-American Development Bank seeks innovative solutions that reduce or eliminate the production of single-use plastic and plastic waste in Latin America and the Caribbean. The challenge offers US$60 thousand in cash prizes. In addition, the winning submissions could be considered for a pilot project and receive a financial contribution of up to US$250 thousand. Individuals, teams and organizations are eligible to submit projects. The deadline to submit a solution is 14 January 2020. Find more information
African Union — Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Awards 2019
The African Union (AU) honors outstanding African scientists through the Kwame Nkrumah Awards for Scientific Excellence. The awards program is implemented at national level for young researchers; regional level for women scientists; and continental level open to all scientists. The current announcement calls for submissions at the African continental level to recognize outstanding science, for which it awards a prize of US$100 thousand. The closing date for submissions is 10 November 2019. Find the 2019 Edition
French Agency for Development — Digital Project for Sustainable Cities in Africa
The French Agency for Development (AFD) Digital Challenge seeks digital solutions for sustainable cities, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG). Solutions should focus on the basic needs of the urban population (e.g., access to water), foster local economic development (e.g., urban agri-food sector), or support the most vulnerable (e.g., alert systems in the context of an environmental disaster). The call is open to startups, associations, and research centers in Africa. The winner will receive €20 thousand. The deadline for application is 18 November 2019. More about the AFD Digital Challenge