BIH partners NGOs to offer grants to innovators
Gaone Marumoloa | Friday April 21, 2017 17:49
In a bid to boost the utilisation of indigenous products at regional, continental and global levels, the organisations are providing funding up to the value of R2 million (P1.6 million) to support two projects (maximum R1 million per project) targeting the impact areas of human and animal health and nutrition.
The grants are for organisations in the SANBio member states for innovations based on indigenous knowledge systems with a proof of concept, potential regional and global impact and which can be commercialised.
Technology solutions of the knowledge systems covering the impact areas could include, but are not limited to nutraceuticals, preservatives, cosmetics, and nutritious products made from indigenous resources.
“Innovative SMMEs and research groups from SANBio member states (Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, and Madagascar) can apply. For this call, at least two SANBio member states should collaborate in finding a solution and one of the countries in the consortium must be from Botswana. “The successful technologies must be ready to use or require only short-term development,” reads a press release from BIH.
Africa and particularly the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region is said to be in a unique position due to the high levels of biodiversity, the potential to impact the regional and global markets exists in terms of the value added products that can be made from these resources.
Applicants should ensure that the consortium has an industrial partner as part of the applicants. Project teams must include at least a business expert, the lead innovator and other experts needed to implement the project.
This funding will support projects that provide a scalable solution from Indigenous Knowledge Systems in the SADC region while the successful technologies must be safe for human consumption, affordable, ready to use or require only short-term development and should be scalable.