The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) has launched the second round of its Investment Innovation Fund in India, focusing on enhancing capital deployment in the waste management and circularity sectors.
Key Details:
- Open Date: April 5, 2025
- Proposal Submission Deadline: May 7, 2025
- Awards Announcement: Mid-June 2025
- Project Duration: Up to 18 months
- Funding Available: Up to US $100,000 per project
Objective:
The fund aims to empower selected entrepreneurship support organizations (ESOs) to develop supplementary programs or interventions in collaboration with investors. These initiatives are expected to enhance capital deployment in waste and circularity businesses. The proposed projects should pilot, test, or expand scalable solutions to support Waste and Circularity in Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs) in India, generating valuable insights for the wider SGB sector.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs): Only ESOs with programs in India are eligible to apply. Programs conducted outside of India will not be considered.
- Government Approvals: ESOs must possess all necessary government approvals, such as the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), to receive direct funding from the U.S. ANDE
Application Timeline and Process:
- April 5, 2025: Request for Proposals (RFP) released
- April 23, 2025: Office hours to answer questions
- May 7, 2025: Submission deadline
- Mid-June 2025: Winners notified ANDE+2ANDE+2ANDE+2
Proposal Submission:
- Structure: Proposals should be concise, not exceeding 10 pages, including a cover sheet. They must clearly follow the provided template, detailing the theory of change, monitoring and evaluation plans, and dissemination strategies for learnings.
- Submission: Completed proposals should be sent via email to Ananya Saini at Ananya.Saini@aspeninstitute.org by 11:59 PM IST on May 7, 2025.
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL):
- Proposals must embed impact measurement as a core component, identifying common themes and learnings regarding the effectiveness of the interventions.
- Standard indicators to be included are:
- Revenue data from supported SGBs in the prior calendar year and following the grant period.
- Amount and type of investment capital raised by supported SGBs in the prior calendar year and following the grant period.
Evaluation Criteria:
Proposals will be assessed based on:
- Clarity: Understanding of the problem, well-defined roadmap, and clear articulation of solution objectives.
- Feasibility and Internal Capacity: Realistic timing, sequencing, resourcing, demonstrated ability to achieve milestones, and appropriate staffing.
- Impact: Addressing barriers to financing for waste and circularity SGBs, credible rationale for success, and potential for sustainability and scalability.
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning: Clearly articulated theory of change, comprehensive MEL plan, and strategies for disseminating learnings.
Office Hours:
ANDE is offering a virtual session to address questions regarding eligibility, project scope, and the application process:ANDE
- Date & Time: April 23, 2025, 3:00 – 4:00 PM IST
- Location: Virtual
- Registration: Register Now
About ANDE:
The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) is a global network of organizations that propel entrepreneurship in developing economies. ANDE members support “the missing middle”—the small and growing businesses that are the engines of growth in developing economies and have the potential to address critical social and environmental challenges.
For more detailed information and to access the Request for Proposals, please visit the ANDE Investment Innovation Fund India 2025 page.
