Apply Now: DATA4COVID19 Africa Challenge 2021 for Africans

You can win between $50-100K in project funding through the #DATA4COVID19 Africa Challenge 2021. Interested individuals and groups are invited to submit their project proposals. We expect between 7 -10 projects will receive awards.

From now through February 5,  2021, l’Agence française de développement (AFD), together with Expertise France and The GovLab, is soliciting innovative proposals (re)using data in a collaborative and responsible way to provide actionable intelligence for decision-makers and people to respond to COVID-19 and future pandemic challenges across Africa.

See Also: Wales Africa Grants Scheme COVID-19 Response

DATA4COVID19 Africa Challenge 2021 | WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

AFD, together with Expertise France and The GovLab, is seeking ideas and proposals that (re)use data to provide actionable insight on COVID-19 along the following domains:

PUBLIC HEALTH

• Tracking Disease Spread
• Developing Disease Treatment
• Identifying the Availability of Supplies
• Monitoring Adherence to Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions

ECONOMIC

• Supporting Post-Pandemic Re-openings and Recovery
• Alleviating Pandemic-related Unemployment and Poverty
• Guaranteeing Protections for Workers
• Supporting Education and Upskilling
• Fostering Business and Government Solvency

SOCIO-POLITICAL

• Understanding Public Perceptions and Behavior
• Protecting Human Rights and Promoting Accountability
• Addressing Misinformation

Across these domains we are looking for innovative projects and data collaboratives that provide one or more of the following types of insight:

• Situational Awareness
• Cause-And-Effect Insight
• Prediction
• Impact Assessment

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a grant from the #DATA4COVID19 Africa Challenge 2021, the applicant must:

• Be a legal person (legal entity) or a grouping of such persons (consortium) within the limit of 3 legal persons per grouping;
• The lead partner of the consortium must be established in one of the African Union countries;
• International organisations and trust funds are excluded;
• Have a bank account in the name of the entity;
• Each member of the consortium must be registered within the Trade and Companies Registry of its country;
• Be directly responsible for the preparation and implementation of the action and not act as an intermediary. Subcontracting is not allowed;
• The lead partner’s average cumulative annual turnover over the last two years for which the accounts have been closed must be at least three times the grant application;
• The general liquidity ratios (current assets/current liabilities) for the last two financial years closed must be at least 1 (one). In the case of a consortium, this criterion must be met by each of its members.
• Eligible Countries: We seek projects targeting beneficiaries within and across Africa. In particular, we encourage actors operating in Francophone  Africa to apply.

The Grant Amount

The call offers recipients a contribution between 50-100K in funding. We expect between 7 -10 projects will receive awards.

Also Check: Commonwealth Foundation COVID-19 Special Grants

Application Procedures

How to Apply: Interested applicants for the #DATA4COVID19 Africa Challenge 2021 can apply online. Applications should include a technical proposal as well as required supporting documents. Applicants must submit their application in English or French.

Applications should include:

• A clear problem definition and formulation of question(s) that, when answered, would provide new, actionable insight related to COVID-19 and its impact.
• Timeline: Given the urgency to develop insights that can help the COVID-19 response through data, we will prioritize those proposals that can produce rapid, yet rigorous, insights through existing relationships and collaborations with important data holders and other stakeholders. The Challenge is not intended to support projects that rely heavily on the generation or collection of new data.
• Roles and Responsibilities: The Challenge is targeted at supporting inter-organizational and inter-sectoral data collaborations to address various consequences of COVID-19 in Africa. Applications should clearly describe how different parties will contribute to the data collaborative by, for instance, providing functional access to data, conducting analysis, translating insight into action, or providing operational support.
• Demonstration of:
  • Access to the relevant datasets needed. We will look specifically for nontraditional databases (e.g. databases not derived solely from statistical agencies) and databases that are broadly accessible and reliable.
  • Significant professional experience in the use of data analysis to answer complex questions;
  • Relationship with recognized organizations operating in Africa that are capable of and committed to act upon the insight generated, such as government or a locally based civil society group;
  • Strong and well-documented data responsibility and ethical standards;
  • Cost efficiency of the approach (as opposed to other ways to generate insight)
• A commitment that the project proposal has not been submitted for grant funding elsewhere and has not received funding from other sources.

Application Deadline: February 5, 2021.

Visit the Official Website for Further Details

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