FRIDA announces new funding for ICT projects in Latin America and the Caribbean

Casa de Internet for Latin America and the Caribbean, Montevideo, 24 February.

Today, the Regional Fund for Digital Innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean (FRIDA) announced the opening of two of this year's three calls for proposals: 2015 FRIDA Grants and 2015 FRIDA Start-Ups.

Both programs provide funding for ICT-related projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, either for proposal that are already underway or for new activities.

The call for proposals for the 2015 FRIDA Grants program will accept projects under two basic, mutually exclusive categories: ICT research projects or ICT development projects. Applicants may request up to USD 20,000 (twenty thousand US dollars) to be executed in a maximum period of one year (12 months).

Each project must choose one of the specific topics listed within their selected category: a) Devices, infrastructure, and technologies. Accelerating and expanding access; b) Creating and developing skills and content for sustainable human development; c) Mobile Internet for social inclusion, growth, political participation, and active citizenship; d) Internet for promoting, guaranteeing, and exercising Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

To make it easier to prepare the proposals, in the months of March and April we will be offering online workshops. For more information, please go to http://www.programafrida.net/grants

As to FRIDA Start-Ups, this is the second edition of this program which seeks to continue strengthening and supporting innovative initiatives so that they can achieve greater impact and extend beyond the projects from which they originated. To apply for these start-up funds, projects must to be the result of a partnership between two or more organizations, one of which must have already received funding as a result of a previous FRIDA call for proposals. Each project may apply for a maximum of USD 14,000 (fourteen thousand US dollars). The program's terms and conditions and corresponding application form are available at www.programafrida.net/startup

Both calls for proposals will remain open until 20 May 2015 at 20.00 UTC.

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