Social entrepreneurs can tap up to $100k with Expo 2020 Dubai Innovation Impact Grant

Are you a social entrepreneur with innovative solutions to social, environmental or humanitarian problems?

Social entrepreneurs selected to participate in the Expo 2020 Dubai Innovation Impact Grant programme will each receive grants of up to $100 000.

The initiative is run by Expo Live, an innovation and partnership programme that was launched by Expo 2020 Dubai to fund, accelerate and promote creative solutions that improve people’s lives while preserving the planet.

Expo Live has been allocated $100-million for grant programmes, innovation challenges and knowledge-sharing events that promote collaboration and provide technical assistance and exposure to global innovators.

Applications for the Expo 2020 Dubai Innovation Impact Grant programme will close next Sunday

Although enterprises from any country and any sector can apply for the grant programme, Expo Live project manager Jana Elkova told Ventureburn in an email last week that Expo Live is “especially” keen on funding and working with social enterprises from Angola, Algeria and Tunisia.

Applications for the programme, which is now in its fifth cycle, will close on 15 September.

Entries are open to any registered startups or enterprises with innovative solutions that are past the ideation stage and ideally at least at prototype level.

Funding levels will be dependent on the stage of maturity of the project, its capacity to implement and grow, as well as the extent of its impact in sub-theme areas as well as at community level.

These sub-themes and sample categories are:

• Opportunity: Education, employment, new industries, financial capital and governance
• Mobility: Transportation, travel and exploration, personal mobility, logistics and digital connectivity
• Sustainability: Sustainable cities and habitats, natural ecosystems and biodiversity, resources, climate change, green growth

Larger projects, multi-year initiatives and startup ventures will receive tranche funding against certain milestones.

The programme intends to build a portfolio of programmes that range from prototype stage, implementation to those that are looking to scale.

In addition to the grants, those selected for the programme stand to benefit from international exposure at Gitex Technology Week, which takes place between 6 and 10 October in Dubai.

Participants of the programme will also get to participate in Expo 2020 Dubai, as well as access to business and partnership opportunities.

Those looking to learn more about the programme’s application process, focus areas, scope and project selection cycle can get more information in this grant manual (opens as a PDF).

Featured image: Past Expo 2020 Dubai Innovation Impact Grant programme participants (Screenshot)