The GSMA, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) have announced the launch of the GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation. The objective of this new Fund is to help accelerate the testing, adoption and scalability of digital innovations that enable the world’s most vulnerable populations to adapt to, anticipate and absorb the negative impacts of climate change.
Even though the global community works to limit global warming, we will still witness the unavoidable effects of climate change over the next few decades, such as more frequent extreme weather events, displacements caused by droughts or food insecurity, lower agricultural yields, and daily loss of forests. Although no one is immune to these impacts, communities in low- and middle-income countries will be the most affected and are the least prepared to adapt. Mobile and other digital technologies can help create a more resilient and sustainable future, where communities not only adapt to and survive climate shocks and stresses, but are also equipped with the tools and resources they need to thrive in spite of them.
The new Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation is committing to support start-ups and small and growing enterprises that leverage digital technology, particularly mobile, to deliver climate resilience and adaptation solutions to and with low-income and vulnerable populations.
Thanks to our partnership with FCDO and Sida, selected organisations will be eligible to a full support package including grant funding of up to £250,000; tailored technical assistance; facilitation of relationships with mobile operators and public sector organisations; peer learning opportunities; and opportunity to increase their visibility to potential investors and partners through GSMA’s events, publications, and social media. For a full view of eligibility criteria, package components and application process, please read our Terms and Conditions.
“Mobile and other digital technologies can help create a more resilient future, where communities not only survive climate shocks, but thrive in spite of them. Building on our longstanding partnership with the GSMA, FCDO is delighted to support their newly launched fund, that will partner with start-ups and small and growing enterprises, that are seeking to use digital and mobile technologies, to ensure greater resilience and adaptation for low-income and vulnerable populations.”
– Professor Charlotte Watts, CMG FMedSci, Chief Scientific Advisor and Director for Research and Evidence, FCDO
“The effects of climate change are already severely affecting the lives and opportunities of people living in Sida’s partner countries. Mobile and digital technologies can accelerate and scale local innovations that enable vulnerable people to adapt to the repeated shocks caused by climate change. Sida is therefore pleased to support this innovation fund for climate resilience and adaptation together with our partner, the GSMA.”
– Maria van Berlekom, Head, Unit for Global Cooperation on Environment, Sida
Because the impacts of climate change are multi-faceted and far-reaching, a wide range of solutions are needed to address those, from pay-as-you-go farming equipment or data-driven online marketplaces that support and enhance livelihoods dependent on natural resources, early warning systems or other services that provide climate hazard information and advice; or index-based insurance and other financial services that help households recover from climate events. As such, we are hoping to see a variety of innovators, from across multiple regions and sectors, apply to the Fund.
For more information about the Fund requirements and application process, please click here.
