Non-profit organizations with innovative technology solutions that support the fight against climate change may avail of grants from a $3-million seed fund launched by social investor network AVPN, with Google.org and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The seed funding will be made available to eligible NGOs in 11 markets in Asia Pacific (APAC): Australia; Hong Kong, China; India; Indonesia; Japan; New Zealand; Singapore; Republic of Korea; Taipei,China; Thailand; and Viet Nam.
Fund guidelines
Grant size from the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund will range from $100,000 to $250,000. The fund will support a minimum of eight grantees across Asia Pacific.
The fund will provide grants to NGOs that are using technology-based solutions in the following areas:
- Increasing access to renewable energy/decarbonization efforts
- Adaptation to the effects of climate change
- Biodiversity protection
- Water preservation
- Circular economy
- Air quality
- Waste management
The selected grantees can use the funds to scale up their innovative solutions in sustainability. Winners will also gain access to technology and volunteers from Google.
Applications will be assessed based on the following:
- Impact. Whether the project will improve the environment through the proposed solution to address sustainability challenges
- Innovation. Whether the project will tackle the issue it seeks to address in a new and creative way using technology
- Reach. How the project will impact the environment if successful and be able to demonstrate the extent of the impact on the environment
- Scalability. If successful, what would be the expected outcomes of the project in 5 years and whether the project can serve as a model for other communities
- Feasibility. Whether the project has a well-developed, realistic plan of execution and the right partners for implementation.
Application to the fund is open until 31 January 2023. Grantees will be selected through an online application process.
"This initiative is an opportunity for public and private organizations to come together in the shared responsibility to work toward climate and sustainability solutions. We’re excited by the possibilities of using technology, including many of our own tools and platforms, to build scalable and impactful solutions that help tackle the threats presented by climate change," said Google Vice-President of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Asia Pacific Michaela Browning when the fund was launched earlier this year. "Working in close partnership with AVPN and ADB, we look forward to supporting non-profits that are working on promising technology-based solutions, to help them to scale these and take them to the next level."
Funding impact projects
“Sustainability is at the core of AVPN’s mission, which is why this landmark fund, made possible with support from Google.org and ADB, brings us closer to our vision of moving more capital toward impact. This fund is part of our wider efforts with the AVPN Climate Action Platform, which has now facilitated over 55 climate-related deals with a total value of $75 million+ on the platform,” AVPN CEO Naina Subberwal Batra earlier said.
Asia and the Pacific has faced some of the harshest effects of climate change globally. Last year, more than 57 million people in the region were severely affected by climate-related disasters.
For more details, visit APAC Sustainability Seed Fund.
