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Applications open for glasses and lenses to help support vision

Published: 23.05.2022
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The Vision Catalyst Fund in partnership with EssilorLuxottica aims to donate up to 200 million pairs of lenses by 2030. Following the successful pilot phase of the partnerships we are now opening up applications to all eligible partners.

The VCF will provide successful partners with donations of any combination of the following (depending on the needs of each programme) over a multi-year period:

  • Reading glasses (ready made with frames and lenses)

  • Finished Single Vision lenses (FSV lenses)

  • Ready2Clip (frames and lenses).

No financial grant will be available with the glasses and lenses at this stage, although the VCF may offer this in the future. In the interim we invite partners to share their funding needs, in case we are able to make connections to possible funding opportunities.

We have published guidance online for potential partners to review to see if you are eligible. Simply APPLY NOW on our website and we will be in touch to discuss your application further. Applications are rolling with decision making meetings taking place quarterly. There is no limit to the number of lenses and glasses organisations can apply for. Requests for millions of glasses and lenses for a single project are within scope.

We are delighted to see a shipment of lenses for CBM International and its partners, which landed in Pakistan at the end of March (learn more here). Shipments in support of the Liberian government’s school eye health and community health programmes are being prepared. This work involves a collaboration between the Liberian Ministries of Health and Education, the L V Prasad Eye Institute, Sightsavers, EYElliance, New Sight Eye Center, and OneSight.

This landmark in-kind donation’s aim is to enable 100s of millions of children and adults in low-and-middle income countries to see clearly and realise their full potential. The VCF will deploy these glasses to the most promising organisations and solutions catalysing access to eyeglasses at scale, with a particular focus on those who cannot afford to pay.