Tbilisi: The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre of Caucasus University won the 2024 Democracy Commission Small Grants Program. The University will now organise a ten-week pre-acceleration program.
It is worth noting that “Within the framework of the small grants program of the Democracy Commission the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center of the Caucasus University will implement a ten-week intensive pre-acceleration program. Moreover, under this ten-week program up to 12 startups (50 participants) from across the country will attend. These participants will be selected based on preliminary applications.”
It is noted that “The program will further include intensive training, workshops and individual mentoring sessions. These Sessions will be led by active local and international representatives of the country’s startup ecosystem.”
The main purpose of the Democracy Commission’s small grants is to finance projects that promote democracy, strengthen the process of building democratic institutions and care for the education of citizens in Georgia.
The project is funded by a grant from the United States State Department. The United Nations announced this program in 1994. It aimed to promote democratic initiatives in countries of central and eastern Europe and post-Soviet states.
Assistance is also provided to ensure free media in these countries for spread of free information. Financial assistance under this program also supports the protection of civil society’s rights and the promotion of economic growth.
Aid is also provided to the institutes of higher education for the upliftment of educational standards. This year applications were called from the following eligible organisation:
- LEPL, also called Legal Entities of Public Laws (LEPL organisation)
- Higher education institution
- Georgian not-for-profit organisations, this includes think tanks as well as member of the non-government organisation
At the same time there are certain programs which have not been includes in providing funding:
It includes:
- Scientific research.
- Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization or Programs that duplicate existing programs
- Programs relating to partisan political activity
- Charitable or development activities
- Fund-raising
