April 25, 2015
Apply: Open Funding for Digital Financial Projects in Africa
Designing and distributing mobile payment systems is a collaborative effort, bringing together policy makers, market players and donors. And to contribute fully and with confidence, each party must know what is at stake. In other words, they need data.
To generate this data, we need new and better methods for collecting it. Current data collection techniques and methodologies are often paper- or interview-based, making them slow, expensive, low-resolution, and prone to error. Findings are often limited to “snapshot” observations that aren’t useful for fueling predictions or projections.
So the new challenge we pose to you is this: Develop an innovative technological solution to capture data relating to the delivery and use of digital financial services that is orders of magnitude faster, less costly, higher quality, more reliable, and more transparent/auditable.
Eligible proposals can take the form of devices, software/algorithms, or business models. Solutions may make use of satellite data, franchise modeling, crowd sourced data, or other approaches; proposals must be sustainable, describe how personal information would be protected, and outline stakeholders who would benefit from the data collected; and preference will be given to applications that leverage existing or open-source platforms (e.g., Open Street Maps, Open Data Kit) and target populations in South Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa.
The approved grants will be awarded $100,000, and successful projects can potentially receive a follow-up grant worth $1 million. The application form is just two pages, but proposals will be assessed with rigor.
The utilization of mobile phones for financial inclusion is a simple answer to a complex problem, and bringing that answer to life presents many new complex questions. Finding the simple, affordable, safe and scalable answers to them will be no easy task. To apply, please click here .
Source: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
April 28, 2015
APPLY: #Tech4Governance Ghana Competition
Senam, Barcamp Ghana team member, searching for information during the Barcamp Voices 2015 in Accra organised by Making All Voices Count and Barcamp Ghana.
On May 30th 2015, Making All Voices Count in partnership with Penplusbytes shall host a pitching competition #Tech4Governance – open to applicants from Ghana with new ideas that seek to incorporate both online and offline tools to address two or more of the guiding points under the themes listed below.
The ideas should aim at addressing Making All Voices Count’s overarching goal; transparency, accountability and better governance. Any entity from Ghana is welcome to apply: companies, government actors, non-profits, for-profits, education establishments, NGOs or individuals.
Themes
New Ideas that seek to incorporate both ‘offline’ efforts with use of ‘online’/ICT tools are strongly encouraged. The two themes for which you can submit your project idea are listed below. Ideas should seek to address two or more of the guiding points under each theme:
1. Within the theme ‘Improved service delivery’ we seek projects that:
– Use technology to increase accountability and responsiveness of District, Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies;
– Use technology to strengthen feedback mechanisms from duty bearers at the local and district level;
– Strengthen and promote use and adoption of ICT tools in government ministries, departments and agencies;
– Promote citizen engagement and government accountability through open data and information sharing;
– Make effective use of technology to ‘make all voices count’ through active engagement of women and/or marginalized groups or communities.
2. Within the theme ‘Improved electoral processes’ we seek projects that:
– Use technology and innovation for voter registration, voter identification and voter verification processes;
– Use technology for election monitoring at district and national level;
– Use technology to allow citizens to vet the electoral process including gaps in voter registration;
– Use technology to allow media organizations effectively monitor and cover electoral processes at national and district level;
– Make effective use of technology to ‘make all voices count’ through active engagement of women and/or marginalized groups or communities.
Process and Awards
– Up to 10 finalists will be selected to participate at the pitching competition in Accra, Ghana, where they will pitch their idea to a panel of judges;
– 1 – 2 winners of the competition will get incubation support for their ideas from Making All Voices Count, with mentoring. Incubation will include preparation for potential innovation grants of up to GBP 40,000 down the line, depending on (i) the development of a proposal strong enough to warrant a grant and (ii) demonstration of their capacity to successfully implement;
– Winners will have access to mentoring support, international networking and related tools and resources through Making All Voices Count’s South to South Lab.
Key Dates
– Applications open on 21 April and close on 17 May 2015 23:59 GMT;
– Finalists announced on 22 May 2015;
– Pitching session and announcement of winners on 30 May 2015. Apply here
Source: Making All Voices Count
By kofi Blog No comments Tags: #Tech4Governance, Ghana Competition, Making All Voices Count