ACE to provide support to young idealists and activists

To identify and support individuals and organizations that promote liberal ideas and policies in Asia, Atlas Economic Research Foundation and Centre for Civil Society are launching a social change seed fund.
The fund, Asia Centre for Enterprise (ACE) will play the role in Asia that Atlas Foundation plays globally, acting as a mentor and intellectual angel investor.

The main objective of ACE is to provide encouragement to young idealists and activists who are able to take or develop projects under their leadership and are able to execute them. Grants will be awarded to promote liberal philosophy as well as solutions to the social and economic problems, including in the fields of Education, Livelihood, Environment and Governance.

ACE will act as an angel investor offering training and guidance to liberal intellectual entrepreneurs to build and scale their organizations. By building a network of liberal idea leaders, ACE will foster a platform that leverages global experience and expertise to mobilize Asian social entrepreneurs to become change agents.

Depending on the project, the grant would be anything from Rs 50,000 to Rs 500,000 ($1000 to $10,000) for the term up to 18 months. The intellectual entrepreneurs that may be incubated and supported by ACE don’t all have to be think tanks or policy activists; they could be documentary makers, playwrights, or indeed teachers and professors that use other forms of discourse through which they can take the message of free minds and free markets to a larger audience.

Through an active search and educational agenda, ACE will:

Search for young people who could be candidates for intellectual entrepreneurship, committed liberals who have good ideas and willingness to implement projects; Organise programs to develop their understanding, capacity and skills through seminars/ colloquia/ training workshops/ freedom fests; and identify who among them are talented, enterprising and committed and award them ongoing support and bring the successful achievers to the Atlas global network.

ACE will encourage students, faculty, and young professionals in journalism and media, economics and humanities, as well as various forms of art to promote liberal initiatives across India and Asia.