Call for applications: UNESCO funding for female entrepreneurs

The deadline for submitting project proposals is 16 April 2018. The funding is up to $100 000 per project.

The call is open to NGOs that promote young female cultural entrepreneurs working in the digital creative industries. Here is a list of countries that are eligible to apply. Public authorities and institutions, individuals, regional integration organisations and/or SMEs will not be eligible for funding.

The IFCD funding invests in projects that lead to structural change through:

• The introduction and/or elaboration of policies and strategies that have a direct effect on the creation, production, distribution of and access to a diversity of cultural expressions, including cultural goods, services and activities.
• The reinforcement of corresponding institutional infrastructures, including professional capacities and organisational structures, deemed necessary to support viable local and regional cultural industries and markets in developing countries.

U40 Empowered will finance projects that:

• Develop and/or implement strategies that invest in women as entrepreneurs working in the digital creative industries.
• Create networks and opportunities to innovate and collaborate for women under 40 working in the digital creative industries.
• Organise female-led creative mentorship programmes for women under 40 in partnership with digital creative hubs, incubators and clusters.
• Give visibility to the work and innovations of women entrepreneurs under 40 working in the digital creative industries.
• Strengthen the digital skills of women under 40 working in the creative industry.
• Collect and analyse sex-disaggregated data with a view to better understand the underlying causes of gender inequality in the digital creative industries with a view to inform policy making.

Application process

All project proposals must be submitted online.

• Create your account.
• Log in and complete all the fields in the online application form. During this process, you can save your application and come back later, using your login and password.
• Upload the project framework and complementary documents in the dedicated fields.
• Before finalising your application, ensure that all fields have been completed and accept the terms and conditions.
• Date, sign and click on the submit button to finalise your application.

Please note that the application and its complementary documents must be submitted in English or French.

The U40 Empowered is a UNESCO initiative that started in 2018 with the support of Sabrina Ho. The initiative is designed to increase opportunities for women under 40 to access funding, infrastructure, equipment and co-production opportunities in the digital creative industries. U40 Empowered will also support strategies that address the different needs, aspirations, capacities and contributions of women.

Click here to apply.