The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the nonprofit organization that coordinates the Domain Name System (DNS), has announced a global Grant Program that will enable innovators in Kenya to access a fund worth $10 million (KSh 1.6 billion).
The ICANN Grant Program will support projects that foster an inclusive and transparent approach
to developing stable, easy to use, secure Internet infrastructure solutions that support the
Internet’s unique identifier systems. This will be the first phase cycle of grants that will distribute a
total of $210 million (KSh 33.6 billion).
Internet connectivity continues to increase worldwide, particularly in developing countries like
Kenya. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an estimated 5.3 billion of
the world’s population use the Internet as of 2022, a growth rate of 6.1% over 2021.
“With the rapid evolution of emerging technologies, businesses and security models, it is critical
that the Internet’s unique identifier systems continue to evolve,” said Sally Costerton, Interim
President and CEO, ICANN. “The ICANN Grant Program offers a new avenue to further those
efforts by investing in projects that are committed to and support ICANN’s vision of a single, open
and globally interoperable Internet that fosters inclusion amongst a broad, global community of
users.”
The application cycle for the first $10 million in grants will open in March 2024. ICANN will begin
accepting grant applications on 25 th March 2024. The application window will remain open until 24 th
May 2024. A complete list of eligibility criteria can be found at: https://icann.org/grant-program.
Once the application window closes, all applications are subject to admissibility and eligibility
checks. An Independent Application Assessment Panel will review admissible and eligible
applications and the tentative timeline to announce the grantees of the first cycle is in January of
2025.
Potential applicants will have several opportunities to learn more about the Call for Proposals and
ask ICANN Grant Program staff members questions through question-and-answer webinar
sessions in the coming months. For more information on the program, including eligibility and
submission requirements, the ICANN Grant Program Applicant Guide is available at
https://icann.org/grant-program.
