The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Board has approved a $12.55 million investment in two Strategic Innovation Centers (SICs) aimed at supporting medical technology and maternal health startups. The New Jersey Accelerator for Innovation in Medtech (NJ AIM), located in Camden and Mullica Hill, will facilitate the research, development, and commercialization of advanced medical… [Read More]
Business
When Systems Meet People: Transforming Everyday Life in India in 2025
In 2025, everyday life in India reflected the power of systems that worked closely with people, connecting health, livelihoods, climate action, and governance in ways that improved both resilience and opportunity. In Nagaland, digital health reminders ensured that children received timely immunizations, while in Odisha, women planting mangroves combined environmental protection with income stability and… [Read More]
U.S. Intervention in Venezuela Sparks Rights Crisis and International Alarm
The Trump administration’s recent military assault on Venezuela has raised serious concerns about a potential human rights disaster, according to Human Rights Watch. In the early hours of January 3, 2026, US forces conducted strikes in Venezuela, taking President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, into custody. They have since been arraigned in a… [Read More]
$152,000+ in Grants Awarded to Tackle Hunger and Food Insecurity in Northern New York
The Northern New York Community Foundation has awarded $152,175 in grant support during 2025 to 67 food pantries, soup kitchens, and school-based backpack programs across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. This funding includes $55,000 approved as year-end aid by the Foundation’s Board of Directors, aimed at strengthening local programs and stocking shelves with essential… [Read More]
30 Local Art Projects Receive Grants from Tacoma Arts Commission
The Tacoma Arts Commission has awarded $147,000 in Community Arts Projects funding to 30 Tacoma organizations, groups, and businesses to support public outreach projects in 2026. The funding aims to make arts experiences accessible, community-centered, and reflective of Tacoma’s diverse cultures, bringing dance, music, theater, visual, and cross-disciplinary arts directly into neighborhoods and fostering connection,… [Read More]
Driving Climate Innovation: Adaptation Fund Accelerator Impact 2020–2025
The Adaptation Fund (AF) launched the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA) in 2019 to promote locally led climate adaptation innovation in developing countries. In 2020, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) were selected to implement two US$5 million AFCIA programmes. In 2021, the European Union contributed €10… [Read More]
UK LGBTQ+ Charities Face ‘Hostile Environment’ as Donations Decline, Experts Warn
LGBTQ+ charities in the UK are facing a significantly more “hostile environment,” with experts warning that financial pressures are intensifying amid a global backlash on equalities programmes. Stonewall, the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ charity, reported that corporate donations more than halved in the last financial year, dropping from £348,636 in 2024 to £143,149 in 2025, while… [Read More]
Scotland Invests £140m in Local Growth Fund to Stimulate Jobs and Economy
The UK Government has launched a £140 million Local Growth Fund (LGF) aimed at driving economic prosperity across Scotland. Announced by Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander on 8 January, the programme will allocate funding across five regions over the next three years (2026/27 – 2028/29), with Glasgow City receiving £60.9 million, Edinburgh & South East £37.8… [Read More]
Submit Your Proposals: Take-Off Phase 2 Spring 2026 Introduces Exciting Changes
The 2026 spring round of Take-off Phase 2 Vroegefasetrajecten is now open for proposals. Take-off, funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and managed by NWO, supports innovative business activities based on scientific research. Researchers and early-stage entrepreneurs can apply for funding to launch a business and… [Read More]
How I Went From Brussels to Kabul and Landed at the UN
My journey into multilateralism began during my university years while traveling across Europe. Having studied law in Japan, a summer camping trip sparked a question that would shape my future: how could countries that had once fought wars now share a currency, a parliament, and a common future? Crossing borders by bus and observing languages… [Read More]
Junk Food Advertising Ban Falls Short as Businesses Continue Targeting Kids
The UK has introduced a landmark junk food advertising ban aimed at protecting children’s health, representing a major step forward in curbing exposure to unhealthy food marketing. While the regulations are a milestone, critics warn that big food companies are finding ways to continue targeting young audiences, particularly through outdoor and brand advertising. Corporate lobbying… [Read More]
Michigan Businesses Can Access $260,000 to Support New Employee Transportation Initiatives
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) has opened applications for a $260,000 pilot funding opportunity aimed at helping manufacturers and their workforce or nonprofit partners develop transportation programs that improve employee access to work, retention and productivity. The initiative targets small and medium-sized manufacturers in Michigan, as well as workforce organizations partnering… [Read More]
£1.5 Million WorkWell Funding to Support Six Digital Businesses
Six digital companies are set to share £1.5 million in WorkWell funding under a programme led by NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB, in partnership with Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, local councils and combined authorities, the Department for Work and Pensions, and voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations. The North East… [Read More]
Bloemteknik Secures £2.5 Million Investment from Foresight
Foresight Group has invested £2.5 million into Bloemteknik Limited, a Cardiff-based provider of precision LED lighting systems for commercial greenhouses and vertical farms. The investment was made through the British Business Bank’s Investment Fund for Wales and Foresight’s Growth VCTs. The Fund was launched in November 2023 to boost early-stage finance for small and medium-sized… [Read More]
The Rise of Transition Plans in Indonesia Driving Sustainable Development
Corporate transition plans are gaining momentum as essential tools to support a credible and orderly shift toward a low-emissions and climate-resilient future. Indonesia is among the countries actively setting standards and requirements for these plans, which aim to align business models and activities across both the financial sector and the real economy with environmental objectives…. [Read More]
Greater Sudbury Economic Development Gets $150,000 Boost from Canadian Government
Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury, announced a FedNor investment of $149,364 to support three local organizations in creating paid youth internship positions. The initiative aims to help recent graduates gain on-the-job experience and pursue their career paths in Greater Sudbury. The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of… [Read More]
Six Lessons from Internet Governance Forums Shaping the Future of the Internet
The Internet underpins modern life by enabling access to education, healthcare, commerce, and civic participation, raising critical questions about how it is governed and who ensures it remains open, secure, and inclusive. The Internet Governance Forum (IGF), convened by the United Nations, addresses these questions by providing a global, multistakeholder platform where governments, civil society,… [Read More]
Private Finance for Sustainable Development: Preparing for Uncertain Times
In 2018, Vietnam launched its first industrial-scale solar power plant on 300 hectares of hard-to-farm land in the country’s poorest province. With initial donor support of about $20 million from Switzerland and others, the project attracted an additional $147 million in private investment, supplying electricity to 200,000 homes and cutting 240,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions… [Read More]
Labour Rights, Supply Chains, and Trade: Essential Terms Guide
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has released a practical, user-friendly publication designed to clarify the often complex terminology connecting labour rights, trade, and supply chains. Titled Understanding Rights at Work: A Guide to Key Terms Related to Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, Trade and Supply Chains, the guide provides accessible explanations of critical concepts… [Read More]
Libya Economic Diversification: The Role of Public-Private Dialogue
The EU-OECD project on Promoting Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) in Libya (2020–2023) demonstrated how structured dialogue between public and private actors can underpin economic transition. By engaging over 200 institutions across four major cities—Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata, and Sebha—the initiative helped reduce fragmentation, build trust, and identify priority reforms to foster diversification and private sector development. Inclusive… [Read More]
Finance Solutions for Women Entrepreneurs: Bridging the Gap
This report, prepared by the OECD and the Global Women’s Entrepreneurship Policy Network, examines the barriers women entrepreneurs face in accessing finance for creating and growing businesses, and explores the policy reforms governments can introduce to address them. The report provides international data on the rate and nature of entrepreneurship by women compared with men,… [Read More]
Croatia’s Future of Farming and Food: Policy Reforms for Sustainability and Resilience
Croatia’s agricultural policy and legal framework has undergone substantial transformation over the past three decades, shaped largely by its accession to the World Trade Organization and the European Union. These milestones prompted reforms that shifted agricultural support away from production-linked subsidies, reduced market-distorting measures, and expanded policy objectives to include rural development, environmental protection and… [Read More]
Climate Mitigation in Intermediary Cities: Pathways to Sustainable and Resilient Growth
Intermediary cities are emerging as key drivers of Africa’s urban future, with cities such as Nakuru and Kiambu in Kenya and Beira and Quelimane in Mozambique experiencing rapid population growth and spatial expansion. These cities play an increasingly important role in national economies and service provision, yet their development trajectories are still being shaped. Unlike… [Read More]
