Internet Access

Approximately a third of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean still doesn’t have access to the Internet. The most persistent access divides are observed between the rural and the urban populations and among the persons of different income levels, both of which represent penetration and affordability challenges.

According to the United Nations, access to the Internet has become a fundamental aspect for the full exercise of our human rights. The Internet enables greater access to information and sources of knowledge, expands the exercise of rights and freedoms, and allows access to opportunities and services such as employment, government services and others.

This line of funding provided by FRIDA seeks to support alternative and innovative strategies to expand Internet access among populations of Latin America and the Caribbean. Funding will be provided for projects addressing the four topics below: 

Alternative Access Models. Small and medium-sized companies, cooperatives or civil associations seeking to bring connectivity or access to content to underserved communities by means of intranets, community management networks and the assembly of small and medium ISPs.

Interconnection. Projects to promote the interconnection of small Internet providers such as WISPs, small and medium ISPs, intranets and community networks. 

Technologies for Connectivity. Development of low-cost hardware (e.g. routers, tablets, processors, etc.) and/or open-source software to facilitate the assembly of networks and reduce cost barriers for connection. 

Energy to Power Connectivity. Hardware and software solutions with innovative approaches to powering Internet infrastructure in remote areas or during natural disasters.

Application Requirements

Under the Internet Access category, applications will be accepted from small and medium-sized companies, cooperatives or civil associations seeking to bring connectivity or access to content to underserved communities, universities, research centers and government entities based in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Any project carried out with the support of FRIDA must use open-source software and/or open-source hardware. 

Proposals submitted in reply to the call for projects must focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Projects applying for a FRIDA grant must have a maximum duration of twelve months. Each project may request between USD 10,000 and USD 40,000. 

The FRIDA Award will be presented to an ongoing initiative or completed project that submits concrete evidence of its impact. This means that projects pending execution or that have not yet started will not be accepted. The Award consists of USD 10,000 plus a full fellowship to attend the awards ceremony that will take place in the next LACNIC presencial event. 

Special consideration will be given to initiatives originating in countries that face greater challenges for Internet deployment and with gender diversity in their working groups and women in leadership positions. 

We encourage the submission of proposals that address issues related to gender diversity, inclusion and integration of marginal communities as part of their approach to the challenge of Internet access.

Evaluation Criteria 

In the case of the Awards, proposals will be evaluated based on seven criteria: their quality and consistency; how the projects align with the FRIDA thematic categories; the relevance of the problems they seek to solve; the merits of the initiatives; the innovative nature of the projects; the impact achieved by the initiatives; and the replicability and sustainability of the projects.

In the case of the Grants, proposals will be evaluated based on eight criteria: their quality and consistency; the relevance of the problems they seek to solve; the inclusion of achievable and measurable goals; the innovative nature of the projects; their expected impact; the implementation capacity of the proposing entities; the consistency of the budget with respect to the proposed activities; and the sustainability and replicability of the projects.

Selection Process 

Projects must be submitted via FRIDA’s Application Platform. Proposals will be accepted until Friday, 11 June at 23:59 (UTC-3), Uruguay time.

The call for projects is divided into two stages. In the first stage, applicants must submit a summary of their projects by completing a form on FRIDA’s Application Platform. Only shortlisted projects will move on to the second stage of the process, during which the submission of a more extensive proposal will be required. The Selection Committee responsible for evaluating the projects submitted under the Internet Access category will be made up by Antonio Moreiras, Arturo Servin and Erika Vega.

Important dates:

Call for projects opens: Monday, 26 April 2021

Deadline for submitting project summaries: Friday, 11 June 2021 at 23:59 (UTC-3)

Announcement of shortlisted projects: Monday, 2 August, 2021

Submission of detailed proposals for shortlisted projects: Tuesday, 3 August to Tuesday, 17 August, 2021

Announcement of results: Monday, 20 September 2021

We recommend you read our frequently asked questions before submitting your proposal. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at: frida@lacnic.net.

How to apply

Once you’ve identified your topic of interest, the next step is to select the type of support for which you wish to apply and complete the application form. For more information, click on apply.