The Innovation Fund

Management Structure

The Innovation Fund started within the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology  as a trial run in the 1997/1998 financial year. This trial run had only one focal area, that of Crime Prevention. This trial run was managed as a project inside the Department.

Round 1 of the Innovation Fund started as a full blown round in 1998/1999 financial year and a call was made for proposals in three focal areas. The Department's personnel, under the Directorate: System Evaluation and Resourcing, managed the intake, registration, evaluation, selection and progress monitoring of this first round, as well as for the subsequent two rounds.

To cope with the exploding amount of work, it was decided in 1999/2000 financial year to establish a Trust (The Innovation Fund Trust) with directive powers, as well as a separate management unit to handle the day-to-day aspects of the Fund.

Innovation Fund Trust

The Innovation Fund Trust was established by Act in April 2000, with the following persons as Trustees:

• Dr RM Adam (Chairperson);

• Dr S Sibisi;

• Dr RD Marcus;

• Prof C Abrahams;

• Prof B Khoapa;

• Dr S Lennon;

• Prof MW Makgoba;

• Dr M Mandela;

• Mr T Mhlongo;

• Mr T Setiloane;

Operational Management

The operational management of the Innovation Fund is being transferred from the Science and Technology Branch of the Department,  to the National Research Foundation (NRF), during the processing of Round 4. This transfer process has started on 1 Sept 2001 and was completed by the end of March 2002. The Management unit consists of the following persons:

• CEO: Innovation Fund - Dr Eugene Lottering.;

• Deputy Director: Public Liaison - vacant;

• Deputy Director: Finance and Administration - Mr Mnyamezeli Mbadlisa;

• Deputy Director: Information and Communication Technology focal area - vacant;

• Deputy Director: Value Adding Drive focal area - Mr Sphetho Siyengo;

• Deputy Director: Biotechnology focal area - Mr Delon Mudaly.

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