Thanks for your interest! For the moment we don’t accept unsolicited applications for funding. Applications are accepted by invitation only. Moreover, Fondation Botnar does occasionally open calls for applications, details of which will be published on our website. In such cases, before applying for a grant, please ensure that you have checked our website and read the questions below carefully. Please also kindly note our geographical focus.

To be considered for funding, a reminder that any application submitted to Fondation Botnar needs to comply with the following conditions:

• Receiving a grant from Fondation Botnar means that you commit to upholding our values and principles.
• Applicants must ensure that innovations are affordable, accessible and equitable for the targeted young people. Project proposals leveraging digital technology should adhere to Principles for Digital Development and ensure that the funded developments serve the public good.

Romania, Ecuador, Colombia, Senegal, Ghana, Tanzania, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

At Fondation Botnar we collaborate with a range of stakeholders such as not-for-profit organisations, public institutions, academic or research entities in the country of implementation, international or multilateral organisations, government / public authorities and other implementation partners, as required.

We also may collaborate with for-profit technology providers and NGOs for a service provision, advisory, implementation research support, and capacity strengthening role with the lead applicants.

Applicants pooling expertise in a consortium (for example, a public-private partnership) are welcome to apply.

For-profit members of an applying consortium should remember that Fondation Botnar requires grantees to ensure that innovations are affordable, accessible, and equitable for the targeted young people. Project proposals leveraging digital technology should adhere to  Principles for Digital Development  and ensure that the funded developments serve the public good. Please see Fondation Botnar’s Global Access Approach here.

In addition, Fondation Botnar does Venture Philanthropy investments in purpose-related start-ups. These should be early-stage (pre-seed to Series A). We primarily use equity instruments or convertibles for the investments. We are always a minority shareholder, never a lead investor. The company’s operations need to be in our focus countries, Low – and Middle-Income Countries. Such investments are different from programmatic funding, as described above.

We fund implementation science or research projects, but strongly encourage projects that combine this type of research with implementation, stakeholder engagement or policy work, for the benefit of young people between 10 and 24 years of age.

If you are invited to submit an application, then you will be told the type of information and documents required at each application stage can be found in our Grant Application & Management System in the “More Info” section. Once the application window opens and you have registered as a user you can download a PDF version of the application forms.

Applications for projects that have co-funding are strongly encouraged and will be given preference. Exceptional programmes that show co-funding in-kind will also be considered. However, a lack of co-funding will not disqualify a programme from being funded.

Projects are usually funded for a duration of three years but can be longer.