Agency: Microsoft Corporation

Theme: Supporting & scaling innovative businesses that help bridge the digital divide

Eligible Caribbean & Latin America Countries: ALL

Field: Information & Communication Technology

Deadline: 31st January 2017

Overview:

The Microsoft Affordable Access Initiative Grant Fund seeks to support, grow and scale innovative businesses that are developing technologies and business models that have the potential to help billions more people affordably get online.

Areas of interest include:

• last mile access technologies
• off-grid renewable energy solutions
• alternative payment mechanisms
• verticals such as healthcare, education, and agriculture.

Eligibility:

Applicants must:

• Be a commercial organization with two or more full-time employees (we will not accept applications from non-profits, government agencies, or academic institutions)
• Have a working solution and paying customers
• Demonstrate potential to scale to new markets
• Be free of any legal or regulatory encumbrances

Proposed Solutions should

• Leverage low-cost forms of last-mile internet connectivity, off-grid energy solutions, and/or alternative payment mechanisms
• Demonstrate innovative approaches to utilizing and/or selling cloud services

For further details or to apply visit here