Girls Education Challenge

The Girls’ Education Challenge is looking for non-state organisations, including the private sector, with fresh ideas and projects which can be robustly evaluated for their potential impact on providing the world’s poorest girls a real chance to improve their future.The Innovation Window will provide £250,000 - £2m of funding for the most innovative, effective pilot projects that support marginalised girls, at both primary and secondary level, to succeed in their education.

Which are the target countries?
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

What do we mean by innovation?
This funding window will support cost effective projects that improve marginalised girls’ learning by:

• Offering new ways of applying, adapting or developing an existing initiative
• Applying a proven approach, for the first time, in a particular country or area
• Developing ideas that come from girls and involving them in project implementation
• Using different partnership models to work across sectors and improve results in particular payment by results models
• Finding sustainable solutions that lead to long-lasting change
• Demonstrating the impact of new and existing innovative models so the results can be shared.

Successful projects will have the potential to scale up and will contribute them to learning on what could work and how they can better meet the needs of many girls who are currently not benefitting from a quality education. Measuring and tracking the success and long-term viability of new projects will therefore be crucial.
You have to be fast because the deadline for the receipt of all concept notes is 29 August 2012.
To receive a concept note form and accompanying guidance, please email the Fund Manager at girlseducationchallenge@uk.pwc.com or phone the team on +44 (0)20 7213 5969.

Source: Departement of International Development (DFID)