Applications Invited for Infrastructure Grant Program 2021

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About the Organization:

The Information Society Innovation Fund (ISIF Asia) is dedicated to empowering organizations that research, design and implement technical solutions that support Internet development and facilitate human and economic development in the Asia Pacific region, with a focus on Inclusion, Infrastructure and Knowledge from a technical and operational perspective.

Infrastructure Grant Program 2021

The Information Society Innovation Fund (ISIF Asia) is currently seeking proposals for the 2021 Infrastructure Grant Program to focus on Internet Infrastructure refers to efforts to increase Internet speed, reduce maintenance and operational costs, improve reliability and/or security from a technical and operational perspective, and in support of the Internet industry in the Asia Pacific region.

The funding will support efforts to improve Internet infrastructure on one or more of the following areas:

• Adoption and documentation of best practices in operational Internet security by network operators, enterprises and service providers
• Hardware and software development and deployment required to design, deploy and operate low-cost connectivity solutions that use wireless technologies, GSM and/or fibre connections for unserved and underserved communities
• Hardware and software development and/or deployment to support Internet network monitoring and management
• Hardware and software development and/or deployment to improve security and privacy online
• Hardware and software development and/or deployment to understand and address the environmental impact of Internet infrastructure
• Hardware and software development and/or deployment to support peering and interconnection
• IPv6 adoption by enabling network, computing devices, business applications and services
• Provision of efficient, reliable power for Internet infrastructure, particularly in challenging situations such as off-grid, intermittently supplied, or disaster afflicted environments
• Disaster preparedness for Internet networks operations

Type of Grants:

Interested organizations will have three types of grants to apply depending on the scope, scale and reach of the proposed projects:

Small Grants: Targeted for pilot projects, proof of concept ideas, or narrow/concrete interventions around the Inclusion program focus areas to be implemented over six, nine or twelve months in the Asia Pacific region. Two grants of USD 30,000 each will be available in 2021 through a defined competition period.

Scale-up Grants: Targeted for projects that have already a completed proof of concept or business case structured and have a clear growth strategy around the Inclusion program focus areas to be implemented over twelve to eighteen months in the Asia Pacific region. One grant of USD 85,000 will be available in 2021 through a defined competition period. Organizations receiving this grant will have to include on their budget requests a minimum of USD 15,000 to improve their staff skills and other organizational development around the areas that the organization has identified they need support to be able to cope with growth.

Impact Grants: Targeted for projects that have already achieved scale and stabilize after their first expansion and that have concrete plans to maximize the impact of their work around the Inclusion program focus areas to be implemented over twelve to eighteen months in the Asia Pacific region. One grant of USD 125,000 will be available in 2021 through a defined competition period. Organizations receiving this grant will have to include on their budget requests a minimum of USD 25,000 to improve their staff skills and other organizational development around the areas that the organization has identified they need support to be able to cope with growth.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Project proposals from Asia Pacific-based organizations will be considered.
• Applications from public, private sector, academia (such as universities or research and development institutions), non-profit and social enterprises are welcome to all grant categories.
• The names, academic background and relevant experience of the people having relevant technical and administrative participation in the implementation of the project must be stated.
• Individuals are not eligible to apply.
• No self-nominations for the Awards are accepted.
• When submitting an application, the applicants acknowledge that any grant funding and, indeed, the application and evaluation process, is entirely at the discretion of the funding partners and they may choose to determine the process at any time up to the time of actual payment.

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