The Seed Fund Network consists of a total of 33 grantees from 16 different countries throughout Africa. The fund provided small grants to invest in nascent networks, organizations and social enterprises, as well as individual champions already taking impressive steps to support women and girls in computer science. WeTech’s work with the Seed Fund concluded in 2015, but Seed Fund Network members continue to meet and work toward increasing access for women and girls in computer science-related training, jobs and leadership roles.

The goal of the Seed Fund is to provide advanced computer science for women and girls and empower the next generation of women leaders throughout the continent. Grantee projects include hackathons, networking and outreach events, coding bootcamps, internships, mentoring programs, web and application development.

The WeTech Seed Fund Network is not currently open. Please check back for more current information.

Eligibility

To apply for the WeTech Seed Fund, applicants MUST meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Applicant must be a current resident of an African country (including North and Sub-Saharan Africa)
• Applicant must be an individual working independently (at least 18 years of age), or a representative of a non-governmental organization (NGO), social enterprise or educational institution based in Africa
• Applicant must be able to demonstrate previous experience conducting high-impact activities supporting women and girls in computer science or Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields
• Applicant must be committed to developing and contributing to a virtual community for WeTech Seed Fund grantees
• Applicant must be able to demonstrate leadership potential (reference letters will be required)
• Application must be submitted in English (Please note: planned activities may be conducted in ANY language)

Evaluation Criteria

All applications will be evaluated on the project’s potential to have a tangible and lasting impact on the opportunities for women and girls in computer science and other related STEM fields.

Preference will be given to projects that demonstrate:

• A collaborative approach
• Plans for sustained engagement with beneficiaries
• An innovative use of technology
• Realistic plans for expansion and growth
• Volunteer-led organizations are encouraged to apply

Projects eligible for grant funding include, but are NOT limited to:

• Mentoring programs
• Early incubation of female tech entrepreneurs
• Programming and app development training programs
• Hackathons and coding camps for women and girls
• Networking events for women in computer science or STEM fields
• Computer science workshops and trainings for women and girls
• Community education among parents and educators to generate support for girls to pursue computer science or STEM related opportunities
• Facilitating access to new information and resources
• Sponsorship of a Technovation team

Activities and items NOT ELIGIBLE for grant funding include:

• Projects that focus strictly on computer literacy and basic computer education for women and girls will not be considered
• Participation in international conferences or events will not be funded 
• Office supplies and equipment should not exceed 30% of the total grant request amount 
• Staff and administrative costs should not exceed 25% of the total grant request amount
• Governmental departments and Ministries are not eligible to apply

Funding Levels

Individuals and volunteer-led or smaller organizations are invited to apply for a grant range of $2,000 to $5,000.

Organizations with an annual operating budget of at least $25,000 are invited to apply for a grant range of $5,000 to $20,000.

If you have any questions throughout the application process, please contact us at wetech@iie.org.