GSMA Innovation Fund for Green Transition for Mobile (Up To GBP200,000 Grant Funding)

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Applications are open for GSMA Innovation Fund for Green Transition for Mobile. Three billion people – 38% of the world’s population – live in areas covered by mobile internet but do not use it due to barriers such as limited digital literacy and skills, lack of relevant content, online safety concerns, and insufficient access.

To respond to these challenges and opportunities, the GSMA Innovation Fund for Green Transition for Mobile (“the Fund”) will tackle the dual challenge of digital and clean energy transition and explore innovative solutions for refurbished handsets.

The initiative builds on the GSMA’s commitment to advancing connectivity for good and aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Fund will provide grants and venture-building support to small and growing enterprises that leverage mobile and digital technologies (including AI) to have a positive impact on
the lives of people in LMICs.

GSMA Innovation Fund Objectives

The Fund has three objectives:

To improve clean energy access for vulnerable communities by supporting the scale and sustainability of business models that improve energy access and affordability. In doing so, the Fund also supports digital inclusion by enabling reliable access to mobile devices and life-enhancing mobile services.
To increase the circularity of mobile phones and improve handset affordability by supporting the scale and sustainability of business models that extend the lifespan of mobile devices through repair and refurbishment. In doing so, the Fund supports grantees to reduce e-waste and emissions while also lowering the cost of ownership. By recovering and refurbishing dormant devices, the Fund aims to increase the supply of affordable handsets, bridge the digital divide and promote circular economy practices across mobile ecosystems.
To advance the mobile industry’s climate action and environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities by generating evidence and practical lessons. This will lead to the creation of enabling environments for circular and clean energy solutions.

Key Focus Areas

The fund will focus on two key sectors, please note that the examples and sectors mentioned below are for illustrative purposes only.

Within energy solutions may include (but not limited to) the following:
- Small scale mini-grid solutions, mesh grids, energy efficiency and other renewable energy solutions, for instance through ABC (Anchor-Business-Community) business models which leverage telecom towers as anchor clients, while also providing energy to surrounding communities.
- Renewable energy solutions supporting productive use cases that lower the levelized cost of electricity of off-grid sites or sites that integrate on- and off-grid supply.
- Smart metering solutions that enable the management of on-grid and off-grid energy supplies
Projects with a focus on circularity, including innovative services and business models that enhance device longevity and promote circular practices through repair and refurbishment. These could include (but not limited to) the following,
- Device repair solutions
- Trade-in and buy-back focussed solutions
- Renewal and upgrade focussed solutions
- Refurbished device marketplaces
- Leasing, including device as a service (supporting repair and refurbishment)
- Responsible e-waste collection and recycling solutions
- Design and production of more circular devices

GSMA Innovation Fund Grants Details

The Fund support package includes:

Grant funding:

The amount requested can be any amount between GBP 100,000 and GBP 200,000 for a grant that lasts between 15 and 18 months. Applicants are expected to justify the submitted budget amount.
The grant awarded cannot contain any profit element and will be made on a cost-only basis.
The Fund will not allow any indirect costs as part of the grant. In addition, a maximum of 10% of grant funds can be allocated to direct overhead costs.
The Fund will closely oversee the monetary use of the grant and only disburse funding based on the achievement of milestones and satisfactory grant spending. Payments will be dependent on the grantee providing proof that mutually agreed milestones/targets have been completed/achieved.
With the exception of the initial disbursement upon grant signature, grantees should be prepared to receive reimbursement in arrears of incurred expenditure.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply to the Fund, applicants must meet all the following criteria:

Leverage digital technology, especially mobile, to deliver innovative, scalable and impactful solutions
- Demonstrate the use of digital and mobile technologies that include but are not limited to, solutions ranging from low-tech solutions (such as SMS, USSD, connectivity and mobile payments) to more advanced technologies (such as AI, IoT, blockchain, big data analytics or software-enabled service delivery). Use of mobile/digital technologies should be appropriate to the context, user needs and address the objectives of the Fund.
Entity type
- Be a for-profit, private-sector small and growing enterprise (up to 250 employees) in a low- or middle-income country (LMIC) in Africa, Central and South America or South and Southeast Asia.
- Have active users and commercial revenue (users and revenue from any products or services) in at least one eligible country.
- Be an existing entity registered and operating in the country of project implementation at the time of application (whether domestic or foreign-owned or a joint venture). In cases where responsibility for service delivery lies with a downstream partner rather than with the applicant (e.g. service delivery by a local government), it may be acceptable for the applicant to be registered in a country other than that of project implementation.
- Please note that only one organisation can apply for funding and become a grantee. It must be the organisation that is in charge of delivering most of the outputs of the proposed project. Applicants must demonstrate the sustainability of the project beyond the grant period and show potential for strategic partnerships with MNOs.
- Applicants may apply even if they previously held a GSMA grant, provided the earlier grant is not active after the application window closes.
Geography
- Propose a project that is implemented in a country/countries that is/are eligible to receive official development assistance (ODA) [as per the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) classification] in the following regions: Africa, Central and South America or South and Southeast Asia. The list of eligible countries in these regions, and details on additional due diligence checks in certain countries, can be found in the FAQs.
- Please note that as a 501(c)(3) organisation, the GSMA Mobile for Development Foundation Inc. is obliged to comply with the sanctions, laws and regulations of the United States and other sanctions regimes as may be applicable. These sanctions and laws and other legal or regulatory regimes may restrict
- the GSMA from distributing grant funding to certain entities or regions as indicated in the FAQs.