For Caribbean innovators, funding makes a world of difference. Regional entrepreneurs know that access to financing can differentiate a profitable business venture from hundreds of other similar ideas that simply never made it.
A programme from the Internet Registry for Latin America and the Caribbean (LACNIC) is bringing that much-needed resource to the innovators who need it.
LACNIC is offering a total of $235,000 in awards, grants and scale-ups, through its Regional Fund for Digital Innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean (FRIDA) programme. The call for proposals will remain open until May 13.
FRIDA awards acknowledge innovative practices that have made concrete contributions to the region’s social and economic development.
FRIDA grants provide funding to projects that seek to explore the potential of information and communications technology for promoting the region’s social and economic development and Internet access. This year, FRIDA will allocate $145,000 to support six projects, each of which will receive between $20,000 and $30,000 in the form of small grants.
FRIDA Scale-Ups seek to strengthen social enterprises that have developed successful technological solutions by allowing them to gain scale. Two $40,000 scale-up grants will be offered to initiatives in line with FRIDA’s areas of focus. In addition, the two selected projects will benefit from institutional strengthening and capacity building activities valued at an additional $10,000.
More information is available from the official website http://programafrida.net or via carolina@lacnic.net.
