Innovation Grant Winners Unveiled in Svaneti: GITA and USAID Support Regional Development
The Georgian Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA), in conjunction with USAID's Strong Rural Program, recently announced the recipients of their regional grant initiative titled "Innovation Grants up to 25,000 GEL for Regions.
The program, hosted in Svaneti, will finance three inventive projects, with two receiving GITA grant funding and the third receiving USAID backing.
The winners of the grant program are:
- Archimarket, a digital platform that intends to trade ready-to-use architectural designs and provide necessary customization services.
- Svan Board Games with Digital Elements, a project that will leverage OpenAI's DALL-E to craft board games. This initiative aims to amplify awareness of Svan culture and traditions and merge them into engaging, enjoyable games.
- Outdoor Hobbies, a comprehensive online platform for renting sports equipment, aiming to simplify the process of locating, renting, or leasing such equipment.
The objective of this regional grant program is to bolster local innovation and foster a robust technological ecosystem throughout Georgia. The program emphasizes the development of innovative products, services, technologies, and processes to inspire the creation of new, technology-driven startups through exploration and commercialization.
Working in partnership with USAID's Strong Village Program, grant beneficiaries from Zugdidi, Tsalenjikha, Oni, and Mestia municipalities will have access to supplementary resources to expedite their project implementation. The program collaboration spans three primary areas: pre-acceleration programs, technology weeks, and regional grant program components, across multiple Georgian regions.
The programs are designed to assist young entrepreneurs in transmuting their ideas into tangible products, thereby enhancing the region's socio-economic resilience. As part of this initiative, residents in communities adjacent to the administrative dividing line will receive training to identify alternative financing sources, fostering sustainable economic development in the face of dynamic change.
Applications were accepted through the electronic portal www.grants.gov.ge from May 15. Participants, both individuals and legal entities registered in Samegrelo, Svaneti, and Racha-Lechkhumi, had their grant proposals assessed by a panel of relevant experts. Shortlisted startups then underwent a training program focused on market research, market entry strategies, scaling, and pitching. Successful candidates, including unregistered individuals, are required to register their businesses in the respective region before finalizing the grant agreement.
This initiative follows previous successful rounds of the grant program conducted in the Adjara, Imereti, and Guria regions.