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Apply Now: $100,000 UNICEF Seed Grants for Child Protection Tech

By Wayan Vota on November 30, 2020

unicef seed grants

With billions of children connected to the internet, children’s lives are being shaped behind a screen. COVID-19 digital responses are moving children and their families onto digital solutions to support learning, socialization and play.

While digital solutions provide huge opportunities, these same tools may also increase children’s exposure to online risks and harms. Being online can magnify traditional threats that many children already face offline and can further increase vulnerabilities with online risks that include:

  • Cyberbullying,
  • Online sexual abuse and exploitation,
  • Exposure to potentially harmful content,
  • Inappropriate collection, use and sharing of data.

Child safeguarding and protection online remain inadequate to support children, their families and education systems to prevent and respond to these risks and harms accordingly. Technological solutions are one crucial element to efficiently respond to the threats of the online environment for children.

UNICEF $100,000 Seed Funding Investments

UNICEF seeks to invest $100,000 equity-free seed grants in companies that are using machine learning, artificial intelligence, blockchain, or augmented reality technologies that respond to the four broad categories of digital risks to children:

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  • Content Risks: Exposure to harmful or age-inappropriate content that endorses risky or unhealthy behaviours and violent content which may be upsetting or show criminal activity. How can we make online content, social media and gaming platforms and other services safe for children?
  • Contact Risks: Harmful interactions with another human including child sexual abuse, exploitation, and harassment. How can we prevent online child abuse and exploitation?
  • Conduct Risks: Harmful exchanges, such as bullying, stalking, data misuse, financial abuse, and other inappropriate behavior. How can we educate children about digital risks awareness, and appropriate behaviors in digital environments?
  • Contract Risks: Exposure to inappropriate commercial relationships and misuse of personal data such as tracking, hacking, fraud and theft. How can we protect children’s and young adult’s data online?

UNICEF is particularly interested in organizations that have a working, open source prototype showing promising results. Female-founded startups are especially encouraged to apply.

Apply Now! Deadline is December 20, 2020

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Written by
Wayan Vota co-founded ICTworks. He also co-founded Technology Salon, MERL Tech, ICTforAg, ICT4Djobs, ICT4Drinks, JadedAid, Kurante, OLPC News and a few other things. Opinions expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of his employer, any of its entities, or any ICTWorks sponsor.
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12 Comments to “Apply Now: $100,000 UNICEF Seed Grants for Child Protection Tech”

  1. Obasola Olaitan Elisabeth says:

    Can educational services apply for this grant

  2. Application for a grant to help orphans and vulnerable children in education to reduce suffering. We are Raymond Charity foundation in Zambia to help orphans and vulnerable children in need in Zambia. Continue with the good work you are doing. Keep in touch and best wishes.

  3. FASHRAMBIZ AFRIBRAND LIMITED says:

    How can organizations that are not technology based benefit from these types of Grants? Our aim is to help 3,000 orphans and vulnerable children in rural and urban areas of Zambia through education support and promote agriculture for sustainability.

    • Wayan Vota says:

      That is an interesting question. ICTworks focuses on ways that organizations can use technology to improve their programmes. Calls for proposals like this one from UNICEF require that organizations are using ICT in some way to qualify for the award. Organizations that are not using technology in some way are not usually eligible for these grants.

  4. Nuwamanya Nicholas says:

    Am in Uganda. I need need for funding for my program

  5. Okimi solape says:

    I’m in nigeria I need your grant

  6. Abdullahi Ali Hassan says:

    I am Nigerian I need your grant

  7. I am a Liberian hoping to receive this grant to reduce poverty. Almost 5 million population for betterment.

  8. Christina Moss says:

    Would this grant help my children to carry on studying

  9. I’m an Orphan and I want a grant to support orphans, widows, old men and women, street boys to realize their dreams and disability. My organization will help them to brighten their future. Working for charity is working for God.

  10. iam orphan with children can this help support me

  11. My organization runs charitable activities which range from helping the orphanage house, widows and education for young children in order to better up their lives and become responsible in the society.
    How do I get or key into this program for support from your esteemed organization in order to continue with these activities?
    While awaiting your response in this regard, I remain.

    Thanks and regards.