The Foundation manages a variety of funding mechanisms available to organizations and initiatives that support Internet development in the Asia Pacific.
These are:
- Information Society Innovation Fund (ISIF Asia)
- Foundation Community Assistance
- Trust Discretionary Funding
ISIF Asia is the Foundation’s grant and awards fund. Applications for funding can be made by organizations legally registered in the Asia Pacific region, based on funding available from our funding partners.
Announcements of when applications periods are open are made on this page, as well as via our blog, social media (Linkedin, Facebook) and mailing list. Assessments of applications and announcement of successful applicants are made based on timeframes published at the time the call for proposals is made public.
See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
Foundation Community Assistance and Trust Discretionary funding are available by invitation only.
Foundation Community Assistance is structured to support community building through the development of IXPs, CERTs and Internet governance initiatives such as conferences and events, fellowships, and emerging research topics. The Trust Discretionary Fund provides targeted support to organizations identified by the Asia Pacific Internet Development Trust as requiring timely assistance.
Infrastructure
Our 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.
Applications under this program can be submitted across three grant types supporting projects in different stages of development: Small grants (USD 30,000), scale-up grants (USD 85,000) and impact grants (USD 150,000).
Our 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 (if your project is primarily about this focus area, you could apply for the Ian Peter Grants for Internet and the Environment)
- 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
IPv6 Deployment
The IPv6 Deployment Grants are part of the Infrastructure program. They are targeted to support concrete IPv6 deployment plans from network operators in the Asia Pacific region at different stages of development.
The grants are open to all industry types and stakeholder groups and prioritize support to proposals that maximize community benefit, in particular those seeking funding to deploy IPv6 in unserved or underserved communities, in rural or remote areas. The grants range between USD 30,000 and USD 250,000.
The grants will be open to all industry types and stakeholder groups and will prioritize support to proposals that maximize community benefit, in particular those seeking funding to deploy IPv6 in unserved or underserved communities, in rural or remote areas.
Organizations holding an IPv6 block will be eligible for the grants, which will range between USD 30,000 and USD 250,000. A total pool of USD 800,000 is available.
Interested applicants will be required to submit a detailed proposal through the APNIC Foundation grants and awards portal.
The grants will have an implementation period of twelve to eighteen months, depending on the complexity of the proposal presented.
Applicants from developed economies will be required to confirm matching funding to be eligible to apply.
The grants will be allocated through a competitive selection process.
Inclusion
Our focus on online Inclusion refers to efforts to ensure that everyone has meaningful and efficient access to the Internet, online applications and services, from a technical and operational perspective, and in support of the Internet industry in the Asia Pacific region.
Applications under this program can be submitted across three grant types supporting projects in different stages of development: Small grants (USD 30,000), scale-up grants (USD 85,000) and impact grants (USD 150,000).
There are many reasons why communities might not have equal opportunity to make the most out of what the Internet has to offer and many of those require structural and cultural changes outside of the APNIC Foundation scope. Our funding will support efforts for a more inclusive Internet on one or more of the following areas:
- Support organizations committed to increase Internet availability in unserved and underserved communities in the Asia Pacific region by expanding coverage of existing infrastructure and/or deploying new Internet networks (if your project supports increased Internet availability for Indigenous and grassroots organizations working on environmental issues, you could apply for the Ian Peter Grants for Internet and the Environment)
- Improve Internet affordability through innovative network deployments and creative organizational/partnership arrangement(s) and incentives for established ISPs and mobile operators to support local access networks and expand connectivity to underserved areas, including support for registration and licensing of Internet access providers serving specific unserved or underserved communities (such as community networks)
- Improve accessibility to the Internet through adoption of standards for people with disabilities across Internet networks and online services and applications as well as exploring and scaling innovative solutions to improve interactivity and participation for people with disabilities online.
- Reduce online inequality and promote online safety through targeted capacity building efforts to address diversity on the Internet industry (network management and operations, security and IPv6) as well as increase online participation and representation (along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, language, literacy, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, etc) on network infrastructure deployment to expand Internet access and adoption.
Ian Peter Grants for Internet and the Environment
Ian Peter was a visionary, environmental activist, and pioneering founder of Australia’s first public internet service. Offered in his memory, these grants will reflect Ian’s vision for environmental activism through meaningful connectivity.
Applications for Ian Peter Grants can be submitted across all three of ISIF Asia’s program areas: Inclusion, Infrastructure and Knowledge. Two grant types are available: Small grants (USD 30,000) and scale-up grants (USD 85,000).
These grants will support innovative solutions to one or more of the following focus areas:
- Support for Indigenous and grassroots organizations working on environmental issues to enhance their work through increased Internet availability
- Hardware and software development, and/or deployment to understand and address the environmental impact of Internet infrastructure
- Technical research that supports policy development around Internet technologies and climate change
Learn more about Ian Peter.
Knowledge
Our focus on Knowledge refers to efforts to develop technical capacity and/or research around Internet network operations, from a technical and operational perspective, and in support of the Internet industry in the Asia Pacific region.
Applications under this program can be submitted across three grant types supporting projects in different stages of development: Small grants (USD 30,000), scale-up grants (USD 85,000) and impact grants (USD 150,000).
Our funding will support efforts to improve Internet infrastructure on one or more of the following areas:
- Technical research and capacity building efforts on network operations and security with a focus on practical solutions around IPv6, Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) standard and Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP)
- Technical training, mentoring, fellowships, exchange programs and other innovative mechanisms that support capacity building and professional development across the Asia Pacific region focusing on network operations, security, regulatory frameworks or other related issues.
- Translation to Asia Pacific languages of relevant technical documentation and training materials focusing on network operations and security
- Strengthening knowledge sharing across communities of practice such as Network Operators Groups and Computer Emergency Response Teams
- Digital literacy efforts from technical organizations targeting non-technical audiences focused on awareness of network operations and security
- Diagnosis, monitoring, measurement and/or analysis of live or historical datasets related to Internet infrastructure and its security
The Foundation has two other funding mechanisms that are available by invitation only to support Internet development in the region. To learn more about what those mechanisms support, please explore the Supporting our Community page. These projects are categorized as “Foundation Community Assistance” and “Trust Discretionary Funding”.
Before submitting a funding application it is very important to read the Frequently Asked Questions.
