Young Water Solutions supports young entrepreneurs to launch their water and sanitation related social businesses. The Young Water Fellowship provides training, seed-funding and mentorship. The bootcamp aims to empower its participants to implement projects addressing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), water pollution, and water scarcity. After the bootcamps Fellows can apply for a funding of up to €5 thousand to pilot their business models over 6 months. To be eligible, applicants must be 18 to 30 years old, be fluent in French, intend to stay in Senegal for at least 1.5 years after the training and spend at least 15 hours per week to work on their social business. The call for applications is open until 22 September 2021. Young Water Fellowship Senegal
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Sustainable Mekong Research Network — Rapid Response Grants
The Sustainable Mekong Research Network (SUMERNET) seeks to reduce water insecurity for the poor, marginalized and socially vulnerable groups in the Mekong Region. SUMERNET will provide up to two grants to collaborative research projects that focus on water access; governance and management of water-related disaster risks; and transboundary interactions with water systems. The proposed project must cover the whole Mekong region or at least two countries in the study area. Funding support will not exceed US$ 45 thousand per research project to be completed within 6-12 months. The Lead Applicant must be a formal SUMERNET network member. Expressions of Interest have to be submitted by 20 September 2021. Rapid Response Grants
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Grants to U.S. University Students for Research on Global Sustainability 2022
The P3 Awards (People, Prosperity, and the Planet) fund research projects in air quality, water resources, health, and chemical safety. Grants are up to US$25 thousand for one year (Phase I); winners in Phase I will be eligible to apply for larger grants to follow. The competition is open to U.S. institutions of higher education to support teams of undergraduate and/or graduate students. Collaboration and partnerships with colleges and universities outside the USA are permitted (up to 40% of the grant can be contracted to an international partner), but only U.S. institutions are eligible to apply. The application deadline is 27 October 2021. P3 Awards
Wallace Global Fund — Environmental Policy and Governance
The Fund supports advocacy campaigns, awareness raising, and citizen engagement in environmental policy and governance. It aims to strengthen environmental law and justice; to build grassroots coalitions; and to support media that take progressive positions on social and environmental issues. Grants are to nonprofit charitable organizations in the USA and internationally. The application process begins with an online letter of inquiry. Link
Afri-Plastics Challenge — Marine Plastic Waste
The Afri-Plastics Challenge seeks proposals that focus on solving the marine plastics problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Challenge aims to reduce marine plastics by developing and scaling innovative solutions to plastic mismanagement. Challenge prizes are competitions that offer a reward for the first or best solution to a problem. The process identifies the most promising and supports them with seed funding and expert support to develop the idea further. Applicants must be formally constituted and operating in Sub-Saharan Africa as either a registered business or non-governmental organization. The closing date for applications is 15 September 2021. About the Afri-Plastics Challenge
Unleash — Incubation Program for Entrepreneurs
UNLEASH Plus is a global 6-month incubation program for entrepreneurs working on social or environmental challenges, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The program provides teams with the right skills, mindsets, and resources to test and launch their solutions, and design them for large-scale impact. Teams will explore real-life challenges within the SDG themes, before defining specific problems and coming up with solutions. The top teams will present their solutions to investors and experts. The program is open to all youth entrepreneurs looking to advance solutions that address the SDGs. The application deadline is 25 July 2021. UNLEASH Plus
Grinnell College — Grinnell Prize 2022
Grinnell College invites nominations for the 2022 Grinnell Prize. The Grinnell Prize of US$50 thousand will be awarded to individuals who show creativity, commitment, and extraordinary accomplishment in effecting positive social change. Past nominations have spanned a diversity of social issues related to agriculture and hunger relief, conservation and environment, and many other thematic areas. Nominees may be nationals of any country who have earned a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) between 2006 and 2022. Nominees must be nominated by a third party. The closing date for nominations is 31 October 2021. About the Grinnell Prize
U.S. Mission to Malaysia — Environmental Exhibit
The U.S. Mission to Malaysia supports the development and implementation of a traveling exhibit on environmental themes targeting youth audiences on environmental issues such as climate change, conservation, reducing carbon emissions, waste management, sustainable economies, renewable/green technology, and/or other environmental themes. Applicants may propose workshops, lectures, activities, etc. and a companion website. The proposed travel exhibit is to be hosted in six locations across Malaysia. Estimated total project funding is US$130 thousand. Eligibility extends to foreign public and private educational institutions, as well as not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks. The closing date for applications is 31 July 2021. Details here
UK Government — Reducing Plastics Pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
The Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) Program calls for concepts for research and development projects that have the potential to bring new solutions into the plastics value chain upstream of the end-of-life solutions. The program has an investment fund of up to £20 million to be disbursed over a 5 year period with up to £5 million for this call. Eligibility extends to NGOs, UK-based non-profit organizations, companies, and educational institutions. Priority will be given to projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. The deadline for submitting applications is 02 July 2021. Plastics Call
ETH Zurich — Opportunity Grants
The Leading House ETH Zurich calls for proposals for opportunity grants with China, Japan, South Korea and ASEAN countries. Opportunity grants will support activities of Swiss researchers from universities or public research institutes linked to specific events, incidents, or major environmental and economic developments in the region in Asia. The call is open to all scientific disciplines and fields of research. Senior scientists may request up to CHF 50 thousand for projects of up to 12 months. The application deadline is 18 July 2021. Link