UNICEF Looking to Give a Boost to Tech Startups that Help Children in Need

Projects, ideas and initiatives using technology to promote opportunity and access to information among children are being called upon to submit an application to the UNICEF Innovation Fund. Send your entry in by Friday, 26 February.

Autor*in Anna Rees, 02.18.16

Projects, ideas and initiatives using technology to promote opportunity and access to information among children are being called upon to submit an application to the UNICEF Innovation Fund. Send your entry in by Friday, 26 February.

The Innovation Fund, which launched last year, is looking to invest up to 100,000 USD in open source technology startups that help children, aiming to help social entrepreneurs and innovators in UNICEF programme countries take their work to the next level.

All projects being proposed must be open source, be at or beyond the prototype phase and operate within one of the following areas:

  • Products for youth under 25 to address a range of needs including learning and youth participation;
  • Real-time information for decision-making; and
  • Infrastructure to increase access to services and information, including connectivity, power, finance, sensors and transport.

All proposals must be able to demonstrate a direct, positive impact on children. In a statement released earlier this month, UNICEF Innovation Co-Lead, Christian Fabian, outlined the motivation behind the programme: “We’ll be identifying opportunities from countries around the world including some that may not see a lot of capital investment in technology start­ups. We are hoping to identify communities of problem­ solvers and help them develop simple solutions to some of the most pressing problems facing children.”

The deadline to submit a project is Friday, 26 February. Head to the website to submit or find out more.

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