Under the Internet Society Africa Grant, two Grants of US$ 25,000 each are available for two projects aligned with the criteria outlined below. This Grant is for projects that will be implemented within a 10-12 month period.

Funding Categories

 The Internet Society Africa Grants are designed to support  projects that focus on practical solutions to one or both of the following issues:

• Internet Security and Collaborative Security:

  The open and global nature of the Internet, built on fundamental principles of open standards, voluntary collaboration, reusable building blocks, integrity, permission-free innovation and global reach, has enabled remarkable social and economic innovation in ways that we could never have imagined. At the same time, using the Internet is not without risk. Malicious actors also see opportunities to gain benefit through fraud, thwart the activities of others or cause other damage. Closing the Internet is not the solution. We are actively seeking to fund established projects that seek to solve issues on Internet security. Projects should focus on one or both of the following pillars:
  • Naming: through innovative approaches to DNSSEC that enhance user confidence in Internet-based services
  • Routing: explore options for deployment of a secure routing standard – RPKI and BGP

• Access: We believe that the Internet can help improve the quality of your life and the lives of people everywhere. We are actively seeking to fund established projects that focus on access to promote and sustain an Internet that’s open and has a universally accessible platform for innovation, creativity, and economic opportunity. Projects should be focused on one or more of the following:
  • Infrastructure: Contributing to the development of infrastructure in your town, village, or community is in place in order to support community access to the Internet
  • User experience: Making sure that everyone – regardless of their age, language they speak, or their physical or mental abilities – can access the Internet
  • Cost: Breaking down the financial barriers to Internet access on a community, regional or national level.

Requirements

There is a strong emphasis on the documentation of impact and knowledge sharing through papers, videos, and other communication materials. Successful applicants must include realistic project time frames, a detailed budget and a clear communication strategy that details plans for dissemination of project outcomes. Successful applicants will be invited to attend the 2016 Internet Governance Forum (IGF) taking place in Mexico to participate in the discussions about the future of the Internet. Project details, results and outcomes will be shared on the FIRE Africa website, theInternet Society website, with the AFRINIC community and global RIR community, on social media and on the Seed Alliance partners' websites for the benefit of the Internet as a whole. Grant Recipients are encouraged to share “behind the scenes” lessons learned during the project cycle as well as make them selves available for interviews and other promotional activities around the dissemination of project results.

Who should apply?

Public and private sector organisations working on Internet development, security, access or governance are encouraged to apply. Individuals are not eligible to apply. Individual ISOC members are welcome to apply through their ISOC Chapter. Only those organizations that are located in the African and Indian Ocean region (as defined by the AFRINIC Service Region) may apply.

Eligibility criteria

Applications accepted for full review will be assessed based on the following criteria. FIRE Africa reserves the right to decide to partially fund a project.

The project proposal:

• Is aligned with the specific Grant's purpose and scope.
• Has a clearly demonstrated benefit for the community.
• Has cleary objectives and well structured methodology.
• Must be managed by organisations based in the Africa or Indian Ocean region (as defined by the AFRINIC Service Region) with funds allocated to be invested within this region.
• Shows demonstrated capacity to manage funds, conduct project activities and document outcomes effectively, within the specified budget and time limits.
• Is submitted by a public or private sector organizations, university, or research and development institutions or non-government organizations. Individuals are not eligible to apply.
• Has potential for growth or further development and has demonstrated scalability.
• Outlines engagement within the community relevant to the project proposed.
• Has an innovative approach to addressing issues that that have been clearly identified and defined as part of the proposal.
• Has a relationship with other existing projects at a regional/global level
• Provides a realistic budget and time frame proposal. Please note that administrative overheads will not be funded. Project proposals that exceed the maximum Grant amount and timeline must specify where the additional funds will be obtained to bring the project to completion.

 

Key dates for 2016

Key dates for 2016