Seed Funding

 

The NLG EdTech Summit agenda includes three breakout sessions. These sessions are designed to bring all participants together, to collaborate and form partnerships. Participants are encouraged to attend the Summit with the expectation that they will develop Action Plans during these breakout sessions, that will be put into action after the event. 

To encourage collaboration, seed funding opportunities have been provided by key sponsors.  All participants will have the opportunity to apply for seed funding during the event. Participants will be encouraged to develop Action Plans around the creativity inspired through the breakout sessions . Action Plans should be created in partnership with other organizations where possible. Applicants must be present at the NLG EdTech Summit to be eligible to compete for these funds.


Five seed funding awards are available. The total amount of seed funding available through the event is $210,000 USD and €25,000. Click on the links below for an overview of each seed fund and the judging criteria.

  • All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development (ACR GCD) Award 1 - $50,000 USD - Illustrations for science, technology, engineering and mathematics content (English / Arabic)
  • All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development (ACR GCD) Award 2 - $50,000 USD - Early-grade story templates for science, technology, engineering and mathematics content (English / Arabic)
  • Malala Fund Award - $50,000 USD - Accelerated learning for adolescent refugee girls (English)
  • Worldreader Award - $50,000 USD - Promoting regular reading between parents and children (English)
  • Startup Boat Award - €25,000 - Technological innovation (English)
  • Zain Award - $10,000 - Teams resident in Jordan - (English)

Seed funding awards

 


Goal

The purpose of the seed funding is to encourage new ideas and collaborations, amongst the diverse group of participants at the Summit (private, public, local and international organizations). Seed funding will be available for ideas that target the following themes outlined in the seed funding criteria above.

The goal of the seed funding is to encourage people to come together to launch an idea or collaboration. However, it is envisioned that ideas and collaborations formed during the event, will continue to be developed afterwards.


Finding seed funding partners

 

Several activities are scheduled during the event, to encourage people to move around, get to know each other, and get an understanding of what other organizations are doing. Everyone is then free to create collaborations with whoever they think is the best fit for them. You do not have to be an exhibitor to apply for funding.


Brainstorming sessions

In the agenda, times have been allocated for "brainstorming sessions”. During these sessions, attendees will be encouraged to partner and generate ideas for seed funding applications.


Action plans

The output of the brainstorming sessions will be an Action Plan, which outlines how the applicant(s) plans to take the ideas they generated forward. A template for the Action Plan applications can be found here. Each plan will be submitted to a judging panel for the opportunity to win up to the allocated amount in seed funding.

Any action plans submitted before the event will not be accepted.


Judging

Judging panels will include members of the refugee community and representatives from the seed fund organizations.

Judging will happen on day two. Judging will take place in six stages:

  1. Action plans are submitted to the judges.
  2. The judges select a shortlist of Action Plans.
  3. The teams shortlisted each give a short pitch to the judges.
  4. Based on these pitches, the judges select finalists for each seed fund. These finalists will be invited to submit a fuller proposal after the event.
  5. The more detailed proposals will be reviewed and one overall winner will be selected, to receive each the seed fund.
  6. The seed funds will be transferred within the timeline specified by the judges.