Vodafone opens applications for second round of Innovation Fund

Vodafone NZ's Vodafone Foundation, which is allocating $20 million grants over 10 years to help communities access digital technology, has opened applications for the second round of grants from its Innovation Fund.

The fund offers three tiers of support: seed funding of up to $10,000 to explore early-stage ideas and concepts, pilot funding of up $50,000 to turn ideas into practice, and scale funding of up to $200,000 for organisations with a proven project to increase the scale of their work to enhance outcomes for young people.

The first round of funding saw 10 successful applicants take up innovation funding for five seed, three pilot and two scale programmes, spokeswoman Kiri Coughlan says.

The Dunedin-based social service agency, Methodist Mission Southern, was one of the first 10 community organisations to receive pilot funding. It had already created a virtual reality learning programme prototype (with assistance from the University of Otago and Animation Research Ltd) for adult learners in prison settings.

Mission business development leader Jimmy McLauchlan said the groundbreaking programme was developed from years delivering literacy and numeracy programmes.

“A key area of interest for many of our learners is working on cars and engines – but until now we’ve been unable to effectively build learning programmes around these interests. This is largely because of the cost, complexity and logistics of doing hands on learning with real cars and engine parts – especially in places like prisons and youth justice facilities,” Mr McLauchlan says.

They’re now using their Vodafone Foundation funding to create and pilot a bespoke youth version, tailored specifically to the experiences, barriers, skills and goals of high-priority youth learners.

“We will explore opportunities for youth learners who may not be succeeding in mainstream education, and who need to develop their foundation level literacy and numeracy skills. Many are dealing with complex issues that impact on their ability to learn.

“We know how exciting it can be to pull on a headset for the first time, and be instantly immersed in a realistic looking warrant of fitness testing station in South Dunedin. We plan to get future learners heavily involved in the ongoing programme design process."

Other first-round recipients included Te Ora Hou Otautahi and the Henwood Trust.

The Innovation Fund is now open for applications until 5pm on January 31^st 2018, with recipients to be announced in late March.