Apply for Microsoft grant to accelerate the delivery of affordable Internet access

The Microsoft Affordable Access Initiative Grant fund seeks to support, grow and scale innovative businesses that are developing technologies and business models that have the potential to help billions more people affordably get online. Areas of interest include last mile access technologies, off-grid renewable energy solutions, and alternative payment mechanisms, as well as verticals such as healthcare, education, and agriculture.

The initiative supported Nigeria’s Ekovolt in the past.

Ekovolt is on a mission to simplify everyday life and connect people, places, and things with technology. With Affordable Access Initiative grant support, this wireless broadband and cloud services provider is expanding its solutions to small- and medium-sized enterprises in Nigeria.

Eligibility criteria

Solution should:

• Leverage low-cost forms of last-mile internet connectivity, off-grid energy solutions, and/or alternative payment mechanisms
• Demonstrate innovative approaches to utilizing and/or selling cloud services

Applicants must:

• Be a commercial organization with two or more full-time employees (we will not accept applications from non-profits, government agencies, or academic institutions)
• Have a working solution and paying customers
• Demonstrate potential to scale to new markets
• Be free of any legal or regulatory encumbrances

Proposals due

Proposals are due byMidnight US Pacific Standard Time January 31, 2017

Apply now