Ascend Learning and Innovation Fund in Africa.
Ascend Learning and Innovation Fund in Africa
The Ascend West and Central Africa programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), is excited to announce a new cycle for the learning and innovation fund to accelerate the control and elimination efforts for up to five neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) – lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths and trachoma.
The fund sits within the three-year Ascend West and Central Africa programme, which is an integrated programme aiming to make major progress towards eliminating these painful and poverty-trapping NTDs.
The programme will deliver more than 400 million treatments, helping several countries to make significant progress, in line with the WHO 2030 NTD Roadmap.
The fund seeks to enhance the quality of effective NTD programming by validating innovative ideas and assisting the transition of programme learning into scalable and sustainable outcomes.
The fund offers the opportunity to be creative and do things differently – to explore innovations, respond to emerging gaps, solve identified needs, and transition operational findings into scalable programming.
What does the Innovation Fund offer?
The Ascend Learning and Innovation Fund offers applicants the opportunity to:
- Explore innovations that can range from the ‘brand new’ to creative ways of applying / adapting / scaling existing approaches.
- Support programme adaption by responding to learning, contributing to the global evidence base.
- Support the transition of operational findings into scalable programming.
- Support activities that complement and add value to the Ascend West and Central Africa programme and beyond.Funding Information
Individual grants are available, ranging from £25,000 to £350,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- This fund is open to a range of organisations. If you have a fantastic evidence-based idea, they want to hear about it and help turn it into a project. Please note applicants must be affiliated with eligible organisations.Eligible organisations may include but are not limited to Ascend consortia partners, governmental institutions, non-profit organisations, academic institutions and for-profit businesses.
- They cannot accept applications from unaffiliated individuals.Organisations must pass due diligence and compliance checks before any funds are released.
Apply by 6th November.
For more information and application details, see; Ascend Learning and Innovation Fund in Africa