Funding opportunities need to get to us all the fastest, as we usually struggle with the deadlines of the calls, so I thought it would be valuable to everyone to have ha thread were we let each other know about opportunities that might be out there the earliest, so we can all be well prepared for them.
I will be posting the ones I find, I hope we can all do the same!
Starting with this thread, Bluelink shared with us that there is a call for solar energy projects in the global south, and as we all know energy is a prerequisity for connectivity, so projects could go hand-to-hand to provide energy and connectivity.
Deadline: March 7th.
Funding opportunity
NGI POINTER Open Call 2: Funding The Next Generation Ecosystem of Internet Architects
Deadline on 1st of April 2021: https://ngi-pointer-open-call-2.fundingbox.com/
FRIDA is a LACNIC fund that supports initiatives to strengthen the Internet in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The program provides funding under three thematic categories:
Project proposals will be received until Friday 11 June 2021.
Find out more: Programa FRIDA | FRIDA Funding Opportunities
ISIF Asia call for grant proposals will open from 3 June to 19 July 2020 midnight UTC.
The ISIF Asia Grants support projects in different stages of development that contribute to Internet development in the APAC region around Inclusion, Infrastructure and Knowledge.
Applications are now open for the 2021 ISIF Asia Grants and Awards program:
Deadline due to 19 July 2020 midnight UTC.
Community networks can apply. Award numbers and amounts are subject to the discretion of the selection committee and available funding. Find out more:
https://ctu.ieee.org/submissions/
Application deadline due to 16 July.
Cloudflare announced Project Pangea to offer its network services for free to eligible non-profit community networks and local networks, including a free on-ramp to internet connectivity for eligible communities.
The project website brings more information about the services and the requirements to apply:
If you are developing open source tools, documentation, hardware and the like, this can be of your interest:
Communities can benefit from this funder that supports organizations preserving endangered culture and promoting open access.
They have funded the offline internet consortium in the past: https://www.offline-internet.org/
Cisco Global Impact Cash Grant Program
Cisco welcomes applications for Global Impact Cash Grants from community partners to help nonprofits apply digital technology to have the broadest impact in the most economically underserved parts of the world. Programs should identify a significant unmet need exists due to a gap in funding or a need for innovative approaches. The program should address a problem that affects many lives within one of Cisco’s investment areas, and which has severe effects on the lives of individuals and communities within the target area.
$75,000 cash grants are given to proposals that clearly articulate the planned result of their efforts, as well as the metrics to measure that result.
The program needs to use the Internet or Internet-based communications technology to improve the efficiency and reach of program services to the target audience. The design of the program should be easily and cost effectively able to be replicated in communities around the globe, and to meet the needs of the target population. The long-term plan for the program enables it to flourish significantly beyond the resources provided by Cisco.
Here is another one:
NEW INTERNET SOCIETY GRANT PROGRAM TO CONNECT THE UNCONNECTED
Nearly 3 billion people worldwide remain unconnected to the Internet and its possibilities. At the Internet Society, we’re committed to growing the Internet, by empowering unserved and underserved communities to build and maintain their own Internet connections. To that end, our new “Connecting the Unconnected” (CTU) program awards funding to support communities in building or improving community networks or other access solutions.
Today we’re excited to announce that the CTU program is now open for applications. A total of eight grants are available, with more to come later in 2023, and funding will be awarded as follows:
· USD $15,000-$40,000 to build new complementary access solutions to connect the unconnected
· USD $5,000-$20,000 to expand or improve existing complementary access solutions to connect the unconnected
The CTU funding program will be open for applications from 14 Feb.
Please note a change in the application process; all applications for funding must be submitted online through the Internet Society Foundation’s grant management platform, and only applications submitted online will be considered.
Learn more about the program and apply.
If you have questions about this program or the application process, please email [email protected].
The Local Networks (LocNet) initiative is inviting host institutions that are already working with community networks in different regions to apply and nominate candidates for different positions, as follows:
The regional gender coordinators will be expected to co-design and lead a strategy for gender integration in each of the three regions where the project operates: Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
The regional capacity-building coordinators are responsible for following up on the capacity-building actions promoted and/or facilitated by LocNet in their regions, with an emphasis on a contextualised and participatory approach.
The Asia policy coordinator is responsible for following up on the policy-related actions promoted and/or facilitated by LocNet in the region, with an emphasis on a contextualised and participatory approach.
The deadline for applications is 9 February 2024, 23:00 UTC. All positions are part of the project “Meaningful community-centred connectivity”, carried out under the Local Networks (LocNet) initiative, a collective effort led by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and Rhizomatica in partnership with people and organisations in Africa, Asia and LAC.
LocNet aims to directly support community networks and other community-centred connectivity initiatives, while contributing to an enabling ecosystem for their emergence and growth. It is part of a multi-year, multi-donor strategy envisaged to address the human capacity and sustainability challenges, along with the policy and regulatory obstacles, that limit the growth of community-based connectivity initiatives.
To keep up to date on this project, subscribe to the Community Networks and Local Access Monthly Newsletter.
The 2024 Connecting the Unconnected Funding Program is Now Open
Over 2.6 billion people worldwide remain unconnected to the Internet and its possibilities. At the Internet Society, we’re committed to building an Internet for everyone. We empower unserved and underserved communities to develop and maintain their own connectivity. To that end, our “Connecting the Unconnected” (CTU) program awards funding to support communities in building or improving community networks or other access solutions.
Today we’re excited to announce that the CTU program is now accepting applications during two windows this year: between 1 February-15 March, 2024 and 16 July-30 August 2024.
Communities and local organizations can apply to either build a new complementary access solution to connect the unconnected, or to expand an existing one. The funding requested for each application is expected within, but not limited to, the following ranges:
The CTU funding program will be open for applications from 1 Feb.
Please note that all applications for funding must be submitted online through the Internet Society Foundation’s grant management platform, and only applications submitted online will be considered.
Learn more about the program and apply.
If you have questions about this program or the application process, please email [email protected].