Posts Tagged “Funding for NGOs and StartUps”
DAAD Masters in International and Development Economics Scholarship at Germany’s HTW Berlin
Masters in International and Development Economics Scholarship
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) can grant a limited number of scholarships (6-8) to cover living expenses (service fee is waived for recipients of such grants) for applicants from developing and newly industrialised countries. Applicants are selected by the DAAD in cooperation with HTW Berlin. For more information on the DAAD scholarship, please see the DAAD webpage
Who can apply for the DAAD scholarship?
Applicants for the DAAD scholarship must
- come from a developing or newly industrialised country (link to list of eligible countries)
- have 2 or more years of professional experience since graduation
- must not have graduated longer than 6 years ago
- fulfill the MIDE admission requirements.
How to apply for the DAAD scholarship?
Should you wish to apply for a DAAD scholarship, please indicate this in your MIDE application form. You must also
Confirmation of Employment vs. Letter of Recommendation
A confirmation of employment is usually issued by HR and confirms the dates of employment with the organisation and the tasks. Possibly, but not in all cases, there will be an evaluation of the skills/accomplishments.
A letter of recommendation is a personal assessment from your supervisor that usually includes these three components:
- A paragraph or sentence that explains how the referee knows this person for how long.
- An evaluation of the person and their skills/accomplishments. If possible , specific examples should be offered that illustrate the person’s strengths and qualifications. These examples should be brief but detailed.
- A summary that explains why and to what degree the person is recommended.
- complete the DAAD application form and attach it to the MIDE application form. Don’t forget to date and personally sign the DAAD application form.
- submit a statement of motivation (dated and personally signed) explaining why you are interested in attending a particular postgraduate course with reference to your current employment. Please further describe your development-related motivation and how you intend to make full use of your scholarship and education by taking on social responsibility later in your career.
Important: When applying for more than one postgraduate course (maximum 3 courses), you have to submit one motivation letter only, i.e. the same for each course, explaining why you are applying for these specific courses and why you chose that priority.
You do not have to submit a separate statement of motivation for the MIDE programme. Your statement of motivation for the DAAD scholarship will also serve as the required letter of motivation for the MIDE programme. - submit proof of at least two years of professional work experience and state your current work situation at the time of application. It is required to submit the following proof: Certificate(s) of employment that include the exact position and period of employment. This/these letter(s) must come on official letterhead, be dated and signed as well as carry a stamp. Letters of appointment, work contracts, pay slips etc. are not accepted as proof of employment.
- a letter of reference from the employer(s), ideally guaranteeing re-employment after completion of the postgraduate course in Germany. This/these letter(s) must come on official letterhead, have a current date and be signed as well as carry a stamp.
If applying to more than one course, please list courses in order of priority in the DAAD application forms and do not change these priorities in the respective application!
Academic reference letters are not required for the scholarship application anymore. Please ignore this section in the MIDE application form.
What are the selection criteria for the DAAD scholarship?
The ideal scholarship holder
- Works either for a public authority or a state or private company in a developing country and,as such, is engaged in the planning and execution of directives and projects with emphasis on development policies having a bearing on technological, economic or social areas. Scholarship applications from lecturers and researchers at universities are subordinated to applications from practioners in the development field.
- Holds a Bachelor’s degree (normally four years) in a related subject
- Has completed an academic degree with far above average results (upper third) and at least
- Two years of related professional experience after the first degree (bachelor)
- His/her academic degrees are not older than six years.
Selection criteria and procedures for DAAD scholarship recipients ensure that:
- priority target candidates have proven development-related motivation and can be expected to make full use of their scholarship and education by taking on social responsibility later in their careers, acting as agents of change who stimulate and support development in their personal and professional surroundings (motivation, commitment to development) in their home countries.
- the candidates have the professional and academic qualifications necessary to ensure suc-cessful completion of the degree programme in Germany (final scores on previous academic examinations, language skills),
- women and candidates from disadvantaged groups who meet the required academic and professional standards and show proven commitment to development-related issues are especially targeted for programme admission.
What does the DAAD scholarship cover?
- Living expenses (17 months): 850,00 €/month
- Study and research subsidy
- A subsidy for travel expenses (incl. insurance for accident & personal liability) to Germany and back home after the completion of the programme
- Health insurance
- Preparatory German Language Course (February/ March).
Are there other sources of funding?
Competition for the DAAD scholarship is very intense, we receive about 250 applications for only 6-8 scholarships that can be granted.
Applicants are thus adviced to also look into other sources of funding, i.e. the employer, the goverment of the home country and other funding organistions. You do have to apply for these on your own, MIDE cannot assist you. A good starting point to search for scholarships is the scholarship databaseprovided by the DAAD.
Please note that HTW Berlin does not offer scholarships for students.
Inviting Startups to apply for the NINJA Business Plan Competition for COVID-19
NINJA Business Plan Competition
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the agency that coordinates official development assistance for the Japanese Government in developing countries, has announced the launch of the NINJA Business Plan Competition for businesses emerging during the COVID-19 outbreak. NINJA is short for Next Innovation with Japan; the project was launched this year.
The NINJA Business Plan Competition will target startups and organizations from 19 African countries (the details are described below). The application is open for startups/organizations in all sectors with a specific focus on emerging businesses in COVID-19-related fields including, but not limited to:
- Health: Online healthcare support; disease-testing solutions; medical data sharing and privacy protection solutions; distribution of drugs and medical equipment; IoT, including 3D printers, in the medical field
- Disaster management: Geo-tracking during disasters; emergency information dissemination
- Business services: Support for remote workers; efficient management/operation of online events
- Education sector: Remote learning support
- Food and agriculture: Efficient food/commodity distribution technology
- Finance: Contactless transactions/payment; lending/insurance services to SMEs and individuals
- Logistics: delivery service, urban mobility management
- Other: Substituting imported goods with local innovative technology
Note:
- The proposal should introduce some level of innovation in terms of a business model, a new product or service that can be more actively used, and/or profitability in the current and post COVID-19 era.
- Proposals should be as commercially-oriented as possible.
- JICA shall cover the budget of the activities up to USD 30,000. The use of proceed will cover costs associated with the proposed activities including, 1) remuneration of staffs, 2) other expenses, and 3) indirect local tax.
- JICA’s finance is not equity nor debt. However, successful applicants will be obliged to report the progress of their activities, by which JICA will make disbursement.
- JICA shall establish an evaluation board with outside evaluators experts under strict confidentiality to evaluate proposals.
Eligibility Criteria
To take part in JICA’s NINJA Business Plan Competition, startups must:
- Have their head office or a branch in one of the target countries.
- Be a profit/non-profit organization registered as an independent legal entity. Proposals from individuals will not be considered.
- Have a very strong management team of at least 2 people.
- Have innovative product(s) or service(s) in response or adoptable to the Pandemic and post-Pandemic society OR have a feasible business plan to create prototypes (MVP).
Target Countries
- Angola
- Burkina Faso
- Botswana
- Cameroon
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Kenya
- Madagascar
- Mauritius
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
Schedule
- Application deadline: Wednesday 29th July 2020 (First-come, first-reviewed base)
- Interview of selected startups: Mid-Late August 2020
- Final selection: September, 2020
- Contract with JICA: Around October 2020
Note: JICA will request the selected startups to be interviewed online to submit additional documents/a pitch deck if necessary.
Contract with JICA
- When applying, each company is to submit a business plan with the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that can be achieved within about 6 months.
- Before the contract, JICA examines the details of the proposed activity and the validity of the budget (each expense item) and JICA may request the additional documents to determine the detailed activity in the contract.
- After the contract is signed, startups/organizations must submit monthly reports about the KPIs to JICA. (The duration of the contract will be about 6 months.)
- JICA will make payments based on the progress of the proposed activities and the submission of the progress reports and/or the expense report with receipt.
- The payment schedule will be determined by JICA, and in principle, no advance payment at the commencement of the contract.
JICA’s consideration about the follow-up support related to this competition
- A final competition among the successful applicants from each country
- Matching events to connect the successful applicants with investors/business partners
- Visit to Japan, as a part of investment/business matching
To apply for the NINJA Business Plan Competition, please click https://forms.gle/8E5RQuchUsU5P8Jt7
For any queries about the competition, please get in touch with us at the following email address: edgps@jica.go.jp
Click https://forms.gle/8E5RQuchUsU5P8Jt7 to apply!
Vodacom Early Careers Programmes 2021
Vodacom Early Careers Programmes 2021
Joining Vodacom is more than a job, what we do matters. We don’t just carry minutes, texts and data – we carry people’s lives. And that’s a huge responsibility. If you think for a minute about the people you rely on…the likelihood is they rely on us.
Customers are at the heart of everything we do and we want to make a difference to the lives of our customers, and the communities in which we live and work. We support our people to give something back to the causes that mean the most to them through helping them give time and money to the charities they love.
And what’s it like to work here? We have created an environment where you can look forward to coming to work and are empowered to be at your best. We offer flexibility in how you work that helps you do your job in a way that suits you, opportunities to help you grow and progress throughout your career and a choice of benefits to suit your lifestyle.
Vodacom is a mobile communications company providing voice, messaging, data and converged solutions to around 61 million active customers in Africa. Were majority owned by Vodafone, one of the world’s largest mobile communications companies by revenue, and were listed on the JSE Limited. Vodacoms head office is in Johannesburg, South Africa and our operations include networks in Tanzania, DRC, Mozambique, Nigeria & Lesotho. Our mobile networks cover a total population of approximately 200 million people.
The Vodacom Discover Graduate programme is a permanent employment opportunity underpinned by 2 years of skills training programme that is specifically designed for the development of future leaders.
The Programme offers graduates a full rounded experience of the Vodacom business including mentorship and coaching, and on the job training, all whilst earning a full salary and enjoying all the benefits of a full time employee. At the end of the 2 years, they transition into a destination role within the organization. Following Discover, you will have the opportunity to apply for an international assignment taking you outside of your comfort zone to build your expertise and leadership capability. Start date on the programme is 1st February 2021.
The Vodacom Internship programme is a 12 month fixed term contract which provides workplace experience underpinned by a carefully designed training programme. It allows one to gain valuable work experience, explore career paths, networking with professionals in the field, while earning an income. This programme is our pipeline into Vodacom Discover Graduate Programme or transition into permanent roles as opportunities arise. The applicants need to have completed at least their undergraduate degree or degree equivalent by the end of 2020. Start dates are 1 February and 1 March 2021.
The objective of the Vodacom Internship Programme is to:
• Develop a talent pipeline of skilled individuals for the core business areas within Vodacom
• Create opportunities for unemployed graduates with the required qualifications to develop competencies in the digital techco environment.
The ideal candidate for both programmes should demonstrate strong potential in the following areas:
• Time management
• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Passion
• Flexibility
• Resilience
• Digital savviness
• Customer obsession
• Innovation
• Complex problem solving
Programmes Requirements
• Must have less than 2 years working experience post studies.
• Must be 26 years old or younger.
• South African Citizen by Birth/Naturalisation, however, citizens of DRC, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique and Tanzania are encouraged to apply for consideration in those markets.
• Must have obtained a minimum of 65% aggregate for completed or most recent academic results.
• Must have a minimum of a B-degree (B-Com, BSc & B-Tech) qualification (NQF 7).
• A 3 year National Diploma (NQF 6) will be considered in the following areas only:
o Electrical / Electronic Engineering
o Computer Software Engineering and
o Information Systems/Information Technology
Application Process
Step 1
• Before you can apply for a position, please ensure that you meet all of the above criteria.
Step 2
• Complete your application by answering the pre-screening questions accordingly. Please ensure to attach a copy of your certified academic results and identity documents. Applicants can state their preference to be considered for the Discover Graduate, Internship programme or both programmes.
Step 3
• Once you have registered and applied our Resourcing Team will then carefully assess your application and provide you with feedback every step of the way! Eligible candidates will be invited to complete our digital online assessment.
Applications close on 31 August 2020
Vodacom is committed to attracting, developing and retaining the very best people by offering a flexible, motivating and inclusive workplace in which talent is truly recognized, developed and rewarded. We believe that diversity plays an important role in the success of our business and we are committed to creating an inclusive work environment which respects, values, celebrates and makes the most of people’s individual differences – we are not only multinational but multicultural too. At Vodacom you will have access to our excellent flexible benefits programme that you would expect from any global company.
Acumen West Africa Fellowship 2020 for Entrepreneurs in Africa
Acumen West Africa Fellowship 2020
Applications are open for the Acumen West Africa Fellowship 2020. The West Africa Fellowship will bring together entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and organization-builders from both the public and private sectors who are modeling leadership, and who are hungry to do more.
Practical skills meet moral imagination in this intensive year-long leadership development program designed to equip extraordinary individuals with the tools, mindset, and community to tackle poverty and injustice in their communities. The next West Africa Fellowship runs from January 2021 to December 2021.
Fellowship Curriculum
The Fellowship curriculum is centered around the principles of moral leadership:
Adaptive Leadership: Based on Ron Heifetz’s work, Adaptive Leadership is a practical leadership framework that supports Fellows’ ability to catalyse and embrace the gradual and meaningful process of creating change.
Authentic Voice: Grounded in Marshall Ganz’s life’s work, the Authentic Voice curriculum allows the Fellows to develop the capacity to articulate a hopeful vision, speak across lines of difference, and move others into action.
Good Society Readings: Modeled off The Aspen Institute, the Good Society Readings explore the meaning of a just society, and the moral and historical foundation of social change through text based dialogue
Managing Polarities: Based on Barry Johnson’s work, Polarities aims to cultivate an individual’s ability to lead effectively when opposing but interdependent and equally important values are in tension.
Systems Thinking: Fellows explore the concept of Systems Thinking by working collaboratively on live challenges—enabling them to better understand larger, systemic problems and design more effective interventions.
Eligibility
The fellowship is open to:
Entrepreneurs: Leaders of both for-profit and nonprofit organizations providing critical goods or services to the underserved.
Intrapreneurs: Builders from any sector tackling poverty and injustice from within by shifting the institutional culture—and building new collaborations.
Organizational Builders: Leaders (other than the Founder or CEO) supporting the growth of institutions combating poverty and injustice
Application
The application process consists of these steps:
Apply online by August 6
Complete Stage 2 application between September 7 and September 24
Attend an in-person Selection Conference in mid-November
Fellows are announced in January 2021
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS
African Changemakers Mentorship Online Program 2020
African Changemakers
African ChangeMakers Mentorship program serves as a platform for emerging youth, women, men, teen boys and girls to learn, share, collaborate through mentoring.
We do not believe in one-size fits-all approach, we acknowledge the various specific needs of youth, women, men, teen boys and girls through investing in education, leadership development and life-skills that’s critical in strengthening the vital roles youth, women, men, teen boys and girls can play in building a stronger Africa community, career and business.
African Changemakers Mentorship (#ACMentorship) close the gap of self-development with our powerful support network at every level in life for emerging youth, women, men, teen boys and girls from every background by connecting them to established, skilled, expert and professional’s women and men from different sectors both local or global for knowledge transfer/sharing, solutions-to-problems, self-development, open doors of opportunities and empowerment of a new generation of African leaders.
African Changemakers Mentorship (#ACMentorship) makes a difference in the lives emerging youth, women, men, teen boys and girls by sharpening mindset, developing local and global views, human empathy, leadership, civic engagement and entrepreneurial skills for both personal and career development.
African Changemakers Mentorship program is very flexible with everyone put at the heart of the program development, as we are creating a sense of urgency in youth to step-up to leadership roles in their communities and at the global stage through African ChangeMakers Mentorship program.
As A Mentor: African Changemakers is challenging you to step-up your game in every areas of your life skills, expertise and experience to supercharge your ability and double your efforts to mentor others (youth, women,men, teen boys & girls) in your community, somebody, somewhere helped you and open doors of opportunity for you to get to where you are in life. Why not “PAY IT FORWARD” to others?
As A Mentee: African Changemakers is challenging you to step-up your game and double your efforts beyond in every areas of your life that needs development and improvement by connecting with a mentor at ACMentorship events (either online or face-to-face event) to learn skills, expertise and experience from mentors in your community/country.
- 18 – 23 years old
- A citizen from any of the 54 African countries.
- Training is in English Language – can read and speak in English.
- Have access to internet,data, computer, laptop or mobile device to connect to online program.
- Able to commit a full 3 hours a week to the program.
- Passionate about developing your career and professional skills.
- Passionate about using your skills to make positive impact in your community and businesses.
- Interested in leadership and innovation for Africa sustainable development.
- Can demonstrate leadership and collaborative skills with people.
- Can demonstrate initiative, self-direction, and a “can-do” attitude.