Practical Insights on Grant Funding

grant funding usaid

ICT4D Grant Funding

Do you want to use information and communication technologies to improve social and economic development? Do you need grant funding for your ICT4D startup business idea? Here are two popular international donors that provide seed funds for innovative humanitarian aid programs.

USAID Grant Funding

USAID generally undertakes direct assistance programs to benefit developing countries through competitive grants and cooperative agreements. This ensures that all activities are concentrated on specific objectives to maximize impact and that they are consistent, mutually reinforcing, and draw support from the best available sources.

Check to see if USAID and your organization are currently working in the same country and to ensure that your organization’s goals align with the USAID priorities for that country. Establish a relationship with the USAID Mission in the countries where you work; set up meetings with them and invite them to see your operation.

Gates Foundation Grant Funding

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation fosters innovation to solve key health and development problems. They offer two grant types: Seed Grants and Scale-Up Grants.

  • Seed Grants: $250,000 to be implemented up to 12 months. Seed Grants should leverage digital technology innovations with the potential to scale by utilizing a proven technology from another sector.
  • Scale-Up Grants: $1,500,000 to be implemented up to 24 months. Scale-Up Grants demonstrate ability and sufficient evidence to have positive impact by using digital technology innovations with demonstrated readiness to scale and proven ability to bundle with other services.

More Grant Funding Opportunities

Apply Now: £2.5 million for Mobile Internet Adoption and Digital Inclusion

Apply Now: £2.5 million for Mobile Internet Adoption and Digital Inclusion

Published on: May 04 2020 by Wayan Vota - 4 Comments
Mobile networks have become the primary way of accessing the internet in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), driving economic growth, enabling access to life-enhancing...
Apply Now: £500,000 DFID Grant Funding for COVID-19 Digital Response

Apply Now: £500,000 DFID Grant Funding for COVID-19 Digital Response

Published on: Apr 28 2020 by Wayan Vota - 4 Comments
Governments and civil society in low- and middle-income countries often lack the digital infrastructure to capture, share, and use data in the timescales and distance...
Apply Now: $500 Million for COVID-19 Digital Response from IsDB Group

Apply Now: $500 Million for COVID-19 Digital Response from IsDB Group

Published on: Apr 20 2020 by Wayan Vota - 6 Comments
The coronavirus pandemic has shown us that our survival depends on how much we invest in science, technology and innovation. We need the necessary tools to be more...
Apply Now: $5 Million from Gates Foundation for Digital Health Projects

Apply Now: $5 Million from Gates Foundation for Digital Health Projects

Published on: Mar 31 2020 by Wayan Vota - 6 Comments
Many countries use behavior change campaigns to educate their citizenry on immunization, neglected tropical diseases, nutrition, malaria, and polio to manage the...
Apply Now: 10 Million CHF to Improve Adolescent Wellbeing with Technology

Apply Now: 10 Million CHF to Improve Adolescent Wellbeing with Technology

Published on: Mar 02 2020 by Wayan Vota - 1 Comment
Young people between the ages of 10-24 should be central actors in shaping the world they live in. They are  early adopters of new digital applications, and could...
Apply Now: $750,000 Grant Funding for Education Technology in Uganda

Apply Now: $750,000 Grant Funding for Education Technology in Uganda

Published on: Feb 17 2020 by Wayan Vota - 3 Comments
As we’ve seen in our continued coverage of educational technology solutions across the African continent, there are multiple strategies that use ICT solutions...
Apply Now: 1,500,000€ in African Digital Literacy Project Grant Funding

Apply Now: 1,500,000€ in African Digital Literacy Project Grant Funding

Published on: Jan 27 2020 by Wayan Vota - 5 Comments
Digitalisation will affect how people live and interact, but also learn and work. It will accelerate the changes in our society at a higher speed than ever before,...
Apply Now: $100 Million for Digital Health Informatics in PEPFAR Countries

Apply Now: $100 Million for Digital Health Informatics in PEPFAR Countries

Published on: Jan 20 2020 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on Apply Now: $100 Million for Digital Health Informatics in PEPFAR Countries
PEPFAR 3.0 focuses on achieving sustainable control of the global HIV epidemic through a focus on transparency, accountability, and impact aligned with the UNAIDS...
Apply Now: €180,000 for Digital Solutions on Gender, Climate, EduTech

Apply Now: €180,000 for Digital Solutions on Gender, Climate, EduTech

Published on: Jan 13 2020 by Wayan Vota - 8 Comments
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) describe the greatest challenges and needs of our time and define clear goals for addressing them. Achieving these goals...
3 Tips for Bridging Technology and International Development

3 Tips for Bridging Technology and International Development

Published on: Dec 19 2019 by Guest Writer - 1 Comment
At the recent MERL Tech 2019 conference in Washington, DC, the panel “Technology Adoption and Innovation in the Industry: How to Bridge the International Development...