Google Podcasts Creator Program by Google and PRX podcast accelerator is back and calling for applications before the closing date of Sunday 2 August 2020 for its training program for producers.

Now in its third year, the Google Podcasts creator program is guided by a mission of providing a global audio community with open resources, empowering underrepresented voices, and showcasing new work.

Through the virtual accelerator program taking place for 12 weeks, independent podcasters have the opportunity to forge close relationships with other podcasters and industry experts from around the world.

Benefits of the programme

Successful applicants with an existing podcast who want to advance their skills and take their productions to the next level will receive:

• Regular feedback on all aspects of their production, including editorial and technical input
• Training on topics such as storytelling, sound design, and reaching audiences through marketing and engagement
• Equipment and software to help meet independent production needs amid the challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Up to $12,000 in funding for use as they see fit for their productions audio equipment.

Criteria for participation

We are looking for producers from around the world who:

• Have proficiency in English
• Are willing to pause production during the program
• Have published at least five episodes of their podcast since January 2019
• Represent a range of geographies, backgrounds, views, voices and styles
• Are interested in making their podcast sustainable through revenue and audience growth

All training will be free, entirely virtual, and conducted by PRX alongside international industry experts and Google Podcasts creator program alumni.

How to Apply

Applicants are advised to read through the FAQs page here before submitting applications here.

The deadline for application is Sunday, August 2, 2020, by 11:59 pm ET

BIPOC podcasters and creators from traditionally marginalized groups are strongly encouraged to apply

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First City Monument Bank, FCMB, in partnership with Passion Incubator, has recently launched its pitch event, the FCMB Agritech EPIC Pitch 2020.

Passion Incubator, a Lagos-based, early-stage incubator and accelerator, has been investing in some Agritech start-ups, thus, making FCMB confirm its renewed commitment, in supporting the Agritech ecosystem on the African continent.

This 2020 edition, will feature a virtual conference with the theme: ‘Redefining and Repositioning Agricultural value chains in this COVID-19 era’.

The conference will see a gathering of global experts, who would discuss and give valuable insights into agricultural value chains.

The program has its focus on the following Agricultural value chain solutions:

• Agricultural Finance
• Agricultural Marketing
• Processing/Production/Storage
• Supply chain

Benefits of participation

• A sum of N1.5 million to assist the top two winning start-ups from the programme
• Mentorship support
• Access to workspace
• Market and networks that stimulate innovation
• Collaboration and business growth
• Access to the Passion Incubator’s resources & partner organization support
• Access to business development services

“This initiative is geared towards building and accelerating the growth of the Agritech Start-ups in Africa and also helps young and self-driven Nigerian entrepreneurs grow their business.

This mission would, eventually, build investible, sustainable and scalable businesses that can contribute to the nation’s employment rate, as well as the growth of the nation’s GDP”, a source from FCMB stated.

The 2020 edition would hold, as a virtual conference, due to the prevailing coronavirus pandemic.

How to apply

Interested entrepreneurs in Agrictech can go ahead to apply here.

The deadline for the application for FCMB Agritech EPIC Pitch is Friday, July 24, 2020.

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Inclusive Fintech 50 has opened applications for its second edition.

This edition will identify 50 early-stage fintech start-ups that are driving financial inclusion, for the billions of underserved individuals, across the globe.

Launched in 2019, with 20 African start-ups participating, Inclusive Fintech 50 is creating more visibility for high-potential inclusive fintechs.

These fintechs have solutions in savings and personal financial management, credit, payments, remittances and infrastructure, addressing insurance, as well.

These are quite common challenges, affecting the underserved segments.

The project was founded by Visa and MetLife Foundation with assistance, from IFC and Accion, with additional funding from Comic Relief, BlackRock and Jersey Overseas Aid.

With this, all selected fintechs are brought together with investors, to develop industry insights, cumulated from applicants data that are anonymous.

Benefits of participation

Selected fintech start-ups would

• Enjoy increased visibility
• Opportunity to connect with peers
• Position themselves for investment, through connections to investors
• Two of the selected fintechs will, also, receive cash prizes of US$25,000

“Now more than ever, fintechs play a crucial role in expanding financial services to vulnerable populations”, stated Mark Pickens, Senior Director for Social Impact at Visa.

“Visa believes in the power of digital payments as an on-ramp, for unbanked and underserved people, which is all the more important, as we seek to help lower-income communities to mitigate, adapt to and recover from economic turmoil”, he added.

How To Apply

Are you an early-stage fintech start-up? You can go ahead to apply here.

The deadline for applications is Friday, July 10, 2020. The cohort will be announced in October 2020.

Featured Image: startupnationcentral.org

The UNOPS Global Innovation Challenge is calling on developers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and programmers to find creative and innovative ideas that will push the progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNOPS assists the United Nations and its many collaborators to provide security, peace, development, and humanitarian solutions across the globe.

The solutions required need to demonstrate the effectiveness of technology in building climate resilience and assisting the society in preparing for it, as well as creating adaptation to the many challenges encountered as a result of changes in the climate.

Selected participants would have the opportunity to take part in the UNOPS Global Innovation Centre Incubators.

Data on the climate and natural resources are expected to get captured and analysed with accuracy.

The data analysed would play an essential role in helping to design and create strong systems, infrastructure, and networks.

The solutions to get designed can include

• Reliable power generation
• Effective emergency responses to storm
• Advancing sustainable agriculture
• Biodiversity protection
• Improvement of access to safe drinking water
• And lots more

The submitted solutions are not necessarily meant for commercial purposes as they will get treated by the review team with confidentiality.

Invitation to a boot camp in Kobe, Japan will get extended to top candidates but this depends on travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Selected participants would join the UNOPS Global Innovation Centre Incubators for a year, where they would get assistance to build their respective solutions.

Interested developers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and programmers who want to offer solutions to address SDGs can go ahead to apply here.

The deadline for applications is Friday, July 31, 2020.

The Seedstars Growth Program is a Virtual Three Month Post-Acceleration program focused on Growth

The program is designed to help startups build a Growth Team and implement a Growth Methodology in order to support scaling up the venture and raise Series A and beyond.

We have mastered the technique of organising an entire acceleration program virtually.

So, rather than taking you out of your market, we bring the expertise to you so that you may remain close to your customers and your team.

Growth Program until now

• 46 Startups: We have already run 4 batches of the program, accelerating 46 startups.
• 61% Follow-on: 61% of our startups raised follow-on funding after the program
• 83% NPS: 100% of our past participants would recommend the growth program to a friend or colleague
• $300k – $1.2M Avg. Round: On average, our startups raised between $300k and $1.2M after participating in the program.

The acceleration program team will conduct online and face-to-face interviews with the pre-selected startups before the final selection will be announced by end of June, 2020.

Benefits of the programme

• The Program kicks off with an intensive week of webinars with the main goal to define clear OKRs, setting up tools and building the foundation for growth.
• The program runs for 12 weeks through a series of 12 modules focused on Growth and Series A fundraising through weekly 1:1 mentoring sessions and webinars with subject experts
• After the end of the Growth Program, the team will evaluate your performance in order to decide on follow-on investments and additional support to help your startup grow.

Investment Deal

• $50,000 Initial investment: $30,000 cash + $20,000 program fee
• up to $100,000 In-kind services & perks: Services provided by Microsoft, Intel, Hubspot, Rebump, Segment, Evernote, Xero, UpWork etc.
• Up to $500,000 Follow-On Investment: Consideration for a follow on investment from Seedstars and its global investor network.

Program Criteria

Achieved Product-Market Fit

• Post-Revenue
• Verified Business Model
• Profitable Unit Economics
• Ready to invest in Growth

Operating in a High-Impact sector

• Financial Services
• Health
• Agriculture
• Education
• Government
• Energy
• Real Estate
• Retail

How to Apply

Interested start-ups can apply here. The deadline application for the Seedstars summer growth program is Sunday, June 14, 2020.

Innovate Now, Africa’s first Assistive Technology Accelerator is seeking applications from innovators across the African continent who are dedicated to developing mobile-based technologies designed to assist people living with disabilities.

The UK Aid-funded programme, gets conducted by Global Disability Innovation (GDI) Hub and Amref Enterprises Limited, hopes to accelerate 12 start-ups in its second cohort, with a focus on solutions that will leverage mobile technologies to enable persons with disabilities access information and navigate daily life with independence and dignity.

The second intake’s theme – Mobile and Assistive Technology (AT) – is in response to research indicating that mobile technology can increase access to assistive technologies, information, digital products and services for people with disabilities.

This is especially true in Africa, a rapidly digitising economy where numerous basic services and products are available via mobile phone in countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.

“The mobile device and associated mobile technologies have tremendously improved access to information, goods and services for people from all walks of life, including persons with disabilities.

Innovate Now Cohort 2.0 aims to support ventures that are leveraging this disruptive technology to improve functioning, independence and wellbeing of persons with disabilities in Africa,’’ noted Bernard Chiira, Director – Innovate Now.

According to a study on mobile disability gaps published by the GSMA, mobile phone ownership among persons with disabilities is high, with approximately 82% of adults with disabilities in Kenya owning a mobile phone for example.

Although persons with disabilities are less likely to own a mobile phone than non-disabled persons, those with access to mobile devices perceive the handsets to be useful for accessing features such as education and financial services.

“The independence and wellbeing of persons with disabilities is critical. Assistive technologies are central to ensuring that persons with disabilities can continue to thrive.

It is my desire to see innovations supported by Innovate Now turn into big businesses that will not only make mobility easy, but create employment for our people,” said Senator Isaac Mwaura, Chair – Innovate Now Board.

Innovate Now is also inviting submissions for mobile technology-based innovations that seek to provide solutions to help persons with disabilities during times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Benefits of participation

• Selected finalists will participate in a rigorous 3-month virtual start-up acceleration programme that will run from July to September 2020
• Access to the Innovate Now Live-Lab Network where they can engage persons with disabilities in the product development process.
• Access to mentorship from experts such as Rhys Williams and Catherine Holloway from GDI Hub; Anne Lawi, Country Director – Pangea Accelerator; Maurice Otieno, Executive Director – Baraza Media Lab, and Robert Yawe, Managing Director – SynapTech Solutions, among others.
• Presenting their innovations to a select audience of investors and world leading institutions with the aim of scaling them to reach the populations that need them most.

Last year’s 5 finalists are preparing to pitch at the Innovate Now Virtual Demo Day to hold on June 4, 2020, during which various investments to get announced. They include:

• Vision Vijana
• Linccell Technology
• Hope Tech Plus
• Syna Consulting
• Toto SCI

Innovate Now is part of the AT2030 Programme. It is Africa’s first Assistive Technology Innovation Ecosystem and Start-up Accelerator and gets implemented by Amref Enterprises Limited (AEL) and led by the Global Disability Innovation Hub.

The Accelerator aims to support 60 start-ups, 15 of which will get scaled up over the next 3 years.

With statistics showing that close to 1 billion people globally do not have access to Assistive Technology and the gap is likely to double by 2050, the accelerator programme seeks to close the gap that exists between persons with disabilities and access to assistive technologies.

How to Apply

Interested start-ups with innovative ideas can go ahead to apply through this platform. The deadline for application is Monday, June 8, 2020.

The 2020 edition of the ITU Innovation Challenges will be taking place amid a global pandemic caused by Covid-19.

This has resulted in stress on value chains and countries’ readiness for a digital economy, significantly affecting social conditions worldwide.

Today, more than ever, we need digital innovation to help communities leverage technology to bridge the digital innovation divide and improve social conditions.

The ITU Innovation challenges bring together policy-makers, ecosystem builders, innovators, and resource partners to co-create ideas and projects that nurture an inclusive digital world.

There are three challenges to choose from:

• The Digital Change-maker Challenge covers a wide range of topics from cybersecurity and regulation, to digital inclusion and climate change, and calls for participants to provide innovative solutions to real-life problems faced by stakeholders in their communities, especially considering value chain competitiveness and global disruption due to COVID-19.
• The Ecosystem Best Practice Challenge looks for ecosystem builders to identify best practices that allow innovators to develop sustainable and resilient solutions to navigate technological change and bridge the digital divide.
• The Women in Tech Challenge, in cooperation with the EQUALS Global Partnership, invites tech innovators to help and empower women in various sectors, including agriculture, fashion, and health.

The winners will be announced in August 2020 and will be invited to a four-day immersive Global Innovation Forum in October 2020 where winners will participate in capacity-building workshops and pitch their proposals to a global audience of experts and network with decision makers.

Exceptionally, this year, we are looking at this forum as an online event due to the changing situation of Covid-19 (details to come).

At least 5 global winners will be selected per challenge by a jury of experts. Application criteria and guidelines are available here.

The application deadline is Friday, July 31, 2020. For more information about ITU innovation challenges, please visit here or send an email to Mohamed.Ba@itu.int.

Google is pleased to announce the third round of Google Africa Developer Scholarships, as part of our commitment to create skills and economic opportunities for Africa.

This builds on Google’s 5-year engagement to help bridge the developer skills and opportunities gap in Africa by providing 100,000 African developers with access to high-quality, world-class training on mobile technologies and Cloud platforms.

Today, Google has also announced an additional 30,000 training scholarship opportunities and a further 1,000 grants for the Google Associate Android Developer and Associate Cloud Engineer certifications.

The training will be delivered by our partners, Pluralsight and Andela, through an intensive curriculum designed to prepare learners for entry-level and intermediate roles as software developers.

Across Africa we continue to see developers who have successfully gone through the scholarship program grow their careers and also use their skills to benefit their communities.

Boutheina Bouchahda, a middle-school teacher from Tunisia, went through the training program last year and is building an application for her students to teach them how to program.

Boutheina credits the scholarship program for her skills and confidence growth. Ayeah Godlove Akoni from Cameroon completed the web development skills track and immediately got a job as a web developer.

He is also one of the 1,000 developers across Africa who qualified for the developer certification grants. .

Throughout this journey, we have seen the value of peer-to-peer learning as a catalyst for deeper learning thanks to the in-person meetups facilitated by our community leads in multiple cities across Africa.

Developers accepted into the scholarship will gain access to our network of over 250 Google Developer Groups and Developer Student Clubs in 150 cities across Africa.

This connection to communities focused on Google technologies will provide access to extra skills and help inspire the next generation of software developers in Africa.

Please click here to apply for the scholarship.