Funding Guidelines: Innovation for Rural Development Programme
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INNOVATION FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
FUNDING APPLICATION GUIDELINES
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Funding Guidelines: Innovation for Rural Development Programme
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Table of Contents
1.
Purpose of the Guidelines……………………………………………………………3
2.
Background of the Programme……………………………………………………..3
3.
Funding Aim……………………………………………………………………………4
4.
Funding Criteria………………………………………………………………………..5
5.
Key Consideration……………………………………………………………………..5
6.
Application Process………………………………………………………………..…8
7.
Proposals……………………………………………………………………………...09
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Funding Guidelines: Innovation for Rural Development Programme
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1.
Purpose of the Framework
This document provides guidelines on applying for funding to Department of Science
and Technology (DST) in respect of the Innovation Partnership for Rural Development
funding. It provides an overview of the programme’s objectives, funding criteria,
activities excluded from funding, the application process and who may apply. It
furthermore provides detailed considerations, questions and prompts for Applicants in
completing an application for funding, using the Funding Application Template, and
these guidelines must therefore be read and fully understood in completing such
application.
2.
Background of the Programme
The Innovation Partnership for Rural Development programme is an initiative of the
Department of Science and Technology aimed at value addition to the targeted 23
District Municipalities in responding to some of their prioritised needs. The Programme
will be implemented over a period of two (2) years with a total budget of R143, 5 million.
The bulk of the budget available for the initiative will be targeted at support between 815 technology demonstrators within selected districts the diverse and extensive needs
for social and economic infrastructure within the targeted 23 District Municipalities. This
will be complemented by a set of knowledge, learning, and communication interventions
that will be targeted to all 23 District Municipalities and support capacity building for
technology and innovation management. The objectives of the Programme are:-
1. To demonstrate, pilot and evaluate the suitability of a selection of potential
technology-based options for delivering essential social and economic infrastructure
in the priority rural District Municipalities.
2. To contribute to the generation of practical knowledge and evidence (in the form of
policy briefs, technical briefs, decision-support systems, and learning interventions)
that can be used to build the capacity of rural municipalities and stakeholders to
manage science, technology and innovation.
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Funding Guidelines: Innovation for Rural Development Programme
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3. To build a stronger two-way partnership between rural communities and knowledge
and technology partners within the National System of Innovation to facilitate both
technology transfer as well as to influence the work and priorities of knowledge and
technology partners.
4. Finally, to support the development of a more enabling policy environment that
facilitates the diffusion of good practices as well as the scaling-up of successful
pilots and demonstrators.
3.
Funding Aim
Funding is aimed at value addition to the targeted 23 District Municipalities in
responding to some of their prioritized needs, taking into account the limited resources
available and extensive needs for social and economic infrastructure within the targeted
District Municipalities.
The funding will prioritise the support of 8-15 technology
demonstrators within the selected districts which falls within the following target
Clusters:1. Water (with a focus on both access to water as well as water quality)
2. Sanitation
3. Housing and human settlements development
4. Access to electricity and energy
5. ICT and communication services
6. Ecological or green infrastructure
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Funding Guidelines: Innovation for Rural Development Programme
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4.
Funding criteria
The Innovation Partnership for Rural Development Funds will provide financial
support to proposals based on merit. All promising applications will be evaluated
according to:
The current stage in the innovation chain and the planned path for
innovation. Projects must be at an advanced stage of the innovation chain
and not R&D.

Alignment with the Programme objectives, DST policy objectives and
national priorities.

The technical viability of the proposed technology. A fact-based indication
of the possible commercial availability will be an added advantage.

The ability of the municipality to implement the proposed technology.

The extent of partnership providing funding and other resources.

Investment risk and expected outcomes.
Please note that all municipalities will be expected to make some level of
financial or in-kind contribution alongside the funding received from DST.
Approval of applications is always subject to availability of funding.
5.
Key Considerations in the selection of interventions
In order to be eligible for possible funding, the projects should be set against the
following key considerations:
Due diligence: Municipality must comply with all applicable legislations

Linked to the core business of the municipality: The technology must be
directly relevant to the Municipality’s business. It should be about leveraging
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Funding Guidelines: Innovation for Rural Development Programme
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the business to develop, adapt, and test new ideas and models aimed at
enhancing service delivery within the municipality.

Matched funding: Municipalities are expected to share risk and costs. To
ensure full buy-in and commitment, municipalities must commit to providing
co-funding or valid in-kind contribution.

Explicit link to job creation: all applicants should describe an explicit,
credible link between the proposed technology and the potential for job
creation i.e. clearly demonstrate the technology will lead to job creation, the
number of jobs that will be created and the assumptions used to determine
the number of jobs to be created

Innovation: Initiatives must be innovative in nature, or should aim to take
existing, proven approaches and models to scale or into new areas. The
emphasis is on encouraging risk taking around new, more inclusive ways of
doing business which leverage good ideas and experimentation. Only
innovation that has been proven elsewhere shall be considered in this
project and no proposals at early stages of Research and Development
shall be considered.

Additionality: Applicants must show that the proposed technology is
unlikely to take place without support from DST. This implies that the
proposed funding will enable the initiative to happen in a manner and at a
scale which is likely to yield significant additional ‘bang for buck’ in terms of
job creation, innovation and learning.

Sustainability beyond the funding requested: Initiatives should be able
to convincingly demonstrate their on-going sustainability beyond the 2 year
term of the DST Fund.

Capacity to implement: The Fund aims to leverage existing, proven
capacity and resources.
Applicants should therefore demonstrate they
have both the institutional and practical capacity to implement their
proposals without relying on significant outside resources. A key
consideration in awarding funding will be the strength and credentials of the
applicant and the team associated with the initiatives implementation.
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Funding Guidelines: Innovation for Rural Development Programme
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
Contribution to systemic change: Applications should, as far as possible,
have relevance and contribute to learning beyond the confines of their
specific project. Thus, they should involve testing and demonstrating new or
path-breaking approaches to established business models; and/or have the
aim of adapting or replicating an existing model in new circumstances;
and/or be about significantly scaling up a proven model to broaden its
impact. Systemic change may be less about creating large numbers of
immediate jobs than testing new approaches which, once proven, could
transform existing models and their impact. Systemic change is only likely
to be realised in a minority of funded projects, but it is important for
applicants to try and develop a vision for this.

Value for Money: Applicant must demonstrate value for money in
implementing the technology.

Contribution to local economic development through ‘spill over
effects’: The extent to which the proposed infrastructural investment will
unlock additional investment, economic activity and job creation beyond the
value chain(s) or sub-sector(s) being targeted is an important additional
consideration.
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Funding Guidelines: Innovation for Rural Development Programme
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6. Application Process and Timelines
Application to involve the process depicted below, which provides indicative
timelines for steps in the process.
The process is initiated on receipt of an
application. Application screening involves checking the application in respect of
the funding criteria, thereafter it is assessed by the GBS Selection Committee.
The GBS Selection Committee will always cite reasons for rejection, and where
possible provide inputs on how an application may be improved .
Guidelines Document for Technology Innovation Agency Funding Applications
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Application received by the
GBS Office
Acknowledgement of
Receipt
Preliminary Screening by the
GBS Office
Feedback Letter
(Rejected / Accepted for
Assessment)
Screening
(+ 1 week)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Assessment
(+ 2 weeks)
Assessment and
Recommendation by the GBS
Selection and Evaluation
Committee
Feedback Letter
(Rejected / Proceeding to
Evaluation)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------
Evaluation
(+ 5-7 weeks)
Evaluation involving:
• Opportunity Evaluation
(Market, technology
readiness, intellectual
property position etc)
• Due diligence (as applicable)
Various interactions
with Applicant
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Approval
Decision by DST EXCO
(+ 2 weeks)
Feedback letter
(Rejected / Approved /
Recommended to InvestCo)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Contracting
(+ 4-10 weeks)
Contracting
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Funding Guidelines: Innovation for Rural Development Programme
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7.
Proposals
All proposals to be submitted must include the following information:
 Title Page
 Table of Contents
 Introduction
 Executive Summary
 Project description and background
 Overview of the project concept
 Scope of work and deliverables
 Economic and social impact
 Risk Assessment
 Sustainable and exit plan
 Project costs and budget projections
Completed applications are to be e-mailed to the address specified in a call for
proposals,
or
if
not
in
response
to
a
specific
call,
then
to
[email protected] .
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