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Welcome to August'25 Edition of GIGinsights!
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This summer continues to buzz with innovation and cross-cultural partnerships! ☀️
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From inspiring discussions at FAB25 in Czechia to circular craft explorations in Milan, the GIG network showcases how makers worldwide are building something extraordinary together.
We're also delighted to welcome new members to our growing community. With our upcoming make-a-thek community call exploring motifs and biomaterials, there's never been a more exciting time to immerse yourself in this global maker movement.
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Ready to dive into all the incredible work happening across our network? Let's explore what's been brewing! 🌱💡
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General Updates From the GIG Community and Team Members 📰
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Fab25 Czechia: Building global connections
The GIG community had a lovely time at FAB25! Fadia, GIG's community lead, gave an inspiring talk at the conference on how the GIG community gathers annually at re:publica to bring the unique Makerspace to life, where people from different backgrounds come together not just to talk, but to build and collaborate.
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It was wonderful catching up with GIG members and learning about the amazing projects they've been working on. The whole experience reminded us why we love this community so much. Can't wait for the next gathering! 🛠️
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make-a-thek in action: Milan libraries + healing crafts
Last month, the make-a-thek project came to life through two vibrant happenings! In Milan, OpenDot and the Milan network of libraries hosted a community activation event focused on circular making in libraries. Participants explored public service ideas—such as fabric sharing walls, tool lending, and intergenerational craft storytelling—positioning libraries as catalysts for sustainable fashion and cultural preservation.
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Meanwhile, we explored the intersection of heritage crafts, sustainability, and healing in our second make-a-thek community call with speakers Salih Mahmod (Iraq) and Natalia Viter (Ukraine), who shared how heritage crafts support mental health, identity, and post-conflict healing—reinforcing making as a deeply human act of repair.
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[INVITE] Community call: Crafting futures with motifs & biomaterials
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Join us on Wednesday, August 20th at 14:00 CEST for an inspiring make-a-thek community call where we will explore the intersection of craft, narrative, and material innovation with two innovative voices from Egypt and Portugal. Amar Elzaman Abdelhalim from Chagara, Egypt and Rafael Calado from Bio Lab, Lisboa will share how traditional printing techniques and emerging biomaterials are reshaping fashion, design, and self-expression in their communities, inviting us to understand how regenerative approaches are transforming contemporary creative practice. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Subscribe to 12 years of GIG's best conversations
Curious about what drives the GIG community? Check out our freshly updated YouTube channel packed with 12 years of brilliant minds sharing ideas across borders.
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Deep dives into topics that actually matter: sustainability, open hardware, circularity, and inclusive education and be inspired. Start with our community calls playlist, which offers an excellent overview of what our members have been working on.
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Remember to subscribe to stay in the loop - we're regularly adding new content, and you won't want to miss the ongoing exciting conversations that matter to this community!
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Special dedication: Newly nominated members 🌍
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We are happy to welcome new members to our global community—each of them has been nominated by fellow GIG members for their outstanding contributions and alignment with our mission. Let's say a warm hello 👋
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K4os
C-base
(Berlin, Germany)
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Events:
B-NOMAD permaculture initiative is hosting their yearly festival of workshops related to nomad permaculture and regenerative conscience.
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This summit is a four-day international leadership summit aimed at bringing together forward-thinking young leaders, innovators, policymakers, and SDG advocates from across the globe.
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Fixfest is a global gathering of repairers, activists, policy-makers, thinkers, educators and companies who work together to nurture, expand and advocate for repair around the world.
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Gather with curious and creative minds for three days of workshops, debates, and hands-on collaboration to reimagine the role of technology in our lives.
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Opportunities:
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The Zendesk Foundation grant focuses on fostering community, promoting resilience in crisis, and creating career pathways into tech. Open to U.S. 501(c)(3) organisations and foreign charitable organisations that demonstrate how technology will serve beneficiary communities directly.
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Deadline: 15th August 2025
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This fund provides up to $45,000 USD plus mentorship and technical support to organisations led by forcibly displaced or stateless people. Open to refugee-led organisations (registered or unregistered) recognized in their communities, with special attention to women, LGBTIQ+, disability, and indigenous-led groups.
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Deadline: 22nd August 2025
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This challenge offers grants up to $15,000 for young social impact founders aged 18-30 leading projects or startups. Focused on social or environmental problem-solving initiatives with scalable potential and measurable community impact.
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Deadline: 29th August 2025
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CJIFA provides grants ranging from $5,000-$8,000 for community-based organisations focusing on climate resilience and environmental sustainability. Open to registered NGOs, CBOs, and civil society organisations in 26 eligible African countries that have operated at grassroots level for 1-3 years.
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Deadline: 29th August 2025
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This accelerator program supports newly started knowledge-intensive growth companies with sustainable and innovative business ideas. Open to early-stage companies seeking business development and scaling support in Sweden's tech ecosystem.
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Deadline: 30th August 2025
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Africa's biggest engineering innovation prize awards up to £60,000 total prize money plus eight months of training and mentoring to African innovators. Open to engineers and entrepreneurs developing scalable engineering solutions to local challenges, with citizens of sub-Saharan Africa eligible to lead applications.
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Deadline: 23rd September 2025
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Support GIG 🎯
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We invite you to join us in driving innovation for social impact worldwide as a supporting member.
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Why Support GIG? 🤝
- Drive long-term growth and sustainability for a global network of innovators.
- Promote inclusive, sustainable innovation through knowledge exchange and learning.
- Advance open hardware research and distributed manufacturing.
- Strengthen grassroots climate resilience efforts worldwide.
Ways to Support 🌟
Here are the suggested annual contributions:
Small Organisations: €300
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For organisations with fewer than 50 employees or under €1 million budget
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Large Organisations: €3,000+
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For organisations with 50+ employees or €1 million+ budget
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Contribute now or contact us to learn how your support can help social innovators create lasting change in communities worldwide.
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👀 Stay tuned for more exciting updates next month! 💌
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