Over the years there has been need for the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) to widen their financial base to ensure continuity and growth of their operations in the wake of various challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the strategic areas of focus is the relationship with the Funding Partners. To foster this relationship, NRENs need to gain in-depth understanding of how to come up with successful Funding Proposals that can instantly appeal to funding partners. It is against this backdrop that, under the AfricaConnect3 capacity building plan, UbuntuNet Alliance organized for a workshop on “Developing NRENs Funding Proposal to Attract International Funding Support.” The workshop was open to both the NREN CEOs and the Community at large.
The workshop was facilitated by industry expert Dr. Florence Mayega Nakayiwa who is currently the Deputy Executive Secretary: Planning, Resource Mobilisation and Management, at the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM). The discussion touched on key areas namely, what international funding proposal entails, basics of funding proposal writing, considerations for successful international funding proposals and how to identify reliable development partners.
Overall, the workshop resonated well with the needs of the Community of NRENs. The knowledge and candid discussions put the NRENs in a better position to rethink their future by ensuring that they forge stronger ties with their funding partners. Despite the workshop being a success, the clarion call still remains: can the NRENs ensure that they continually review their value propositions and anchor themselves well to ensure sustainability?