Application Deadline: March 1st 2021
The Google.org Impact Challenge Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is an open call for grant applications to provide €2m in grants to support initiatives that put digital inclusion at the heart of economic recovery. We want to empower nonprofit organisations, for-profit organisations and academic institutions with charitable initiatives that use technology and innovation to help individuals and communities gain new skills for the future. Let’s build a digital economy for everyone.
To help ensure an inclusive digital future, we’re calling on organisations across 11 countries to develop innovative and inclusive solutions that will support individuals and communities in need through economic recovery.
The participating countries are: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The boldest and brightest ideas will be selected by a regional panel of experts and will be provided a total of €2 million in funding and support from Google.
Application criteria
- AmbitionWe’re looking for innovative ideas that will improve people’s lives. Ideas that demonstrate vision and have a clear mission. You should clearly explain how your initiative brings positive change to your local community, country or region by levelling the digital playing field.
- ImpactThe proposal should explain the issues your project is tackling and to what extent it is helping resolve them. It should provide details of how your idea will impact the economy of your country or region, and promote inclusion of underprivileged groups and individuals facing significant social and economic barriers.
- FeasibilityThe proposal should have well-developed and realistic plans to execute. We are looking for promising projects and also early-stage ideas that could take off through catalytic funding. Taking on big, scalable ideas with technology at their core is difficult, and we look for teams that are both strong and flexible enough to implement the proposed project.
- ScalabilityWe seek ideas that have potential for scale. Ideas that can be implemented effectively and sustainably across your country and beyond with the grant for multi-year efforts. It’s fundamental that your project supports economic recovery or economic development at scale.
- InnovationThink about what makes your initiative stand out from the rest, whether it’s in execution, methodology, team dynamic, or philosophy. Include the factors that make your idea different or unique in terms of how it contributes to the broader economic recovery and how it closes the digital divide in an inclusive way.
How it works
- ApplicationNonprofit organisations, for-profit organisations and academic institutions submit their grant applications for funding charitable projects that will help rebuild the digital economy with social inclusion at its core. Opens in early 2021.
- SelectionGoogle.org, our partner INCO Group and our panel of experts will provide input to help Google.org select organisations that will receive grant funding.
- Funding & supportSelected organisations will receive grant funding between €50,000-€250,000 and possible customised support from Google to help with their project.
Applications may only be submitted in English, as reviews will be conducted in English and if grant project support is provided for selected organisations, it will be provided in English. We are willing to work with organisations with varying levels of English ability throughout the review and selection process.
Official Website: Google.org Impact Challenge Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) 2021
