The Internet Society Foundation, an organisation that supports and promotes the development of the Internet as a global technical infrastructure, a resource to enrich people’s lives, and a force for good in society, has announced the launch of its Community-Centred Connectivity (CCC) Grant Programme. The programme is part of its mission to help communities bridge the digital divide and increase Internet access in digitally excluded areas, particularly remote, rural, low-income, and isolated communities worldwide.
The CCC Grant Programme is designed to support organisations to develop and expand Internet access in collaboration with local communities.
Community-centred connectivity means solutions are built for, with, or by local communities themselves, rather than being imposed externally, ensuring that the people who will use and maintain the infrastructure are actively involved in its design and implementation. The programme offers three funding tracks, Catalyst, Scaling, and Systems, supporting organisations of various sizes and expertise to deliver context-specific solutions.
The CCC Grant Programme aims to supports connectivity solutions that address barriers of availability, affordability, and adoption, strengthens digital literacy and local capacity, fosters collaborative partnerships with communities and stakeholders, and builds the organisational capacity of grantee partners to scale their work, and a preference for projects serving refugees/displaced communities, Indigenous communities, and women and girls.
The CCC Grant Programme welcomes eligible organisations to apply to one of three funding tracks based on their capacity, experience, and the scale and duration of their proposed project. The Catalyst Track offers up to USD $50,000 to build at least one new connectivity solution or expand an existing one in a community for projects up to 12 months, the Scaling Track provides up to USD $200,000 to support deployment of proven solutions to improve or expand connectivity across multiple communities for projects up to 18 months, and the Systems Track, which is invite-only, supports large-scale replication of proven community connectivity solutions above USD $200,000 at regional or multi-country levels for projects up to 24 months, available only to applicants invited by an ISOC Foundation staff member.
Eligible applicants must be a legally registered non-profit organisation or social enterprise in their country with an official bank account in their name that can receive funds from a US-based foundation, be well-positioned to implement the project with relevant experience, technical skills, and other capacities, and have demonstrated support from the local community or communities that will benefit from the connectivity solutions. The Catalyst and Scaling Tracks are open to the public with a preference for organisations that have managed grants over USD $20,000 for the Catalyst Track and a demonstrated record of managing grants of at least USD $50,000 for the Scaling Track.
Projects will be reviewed based on alignment with the programme’s objectives, the ability to address the three connectivity barriers, availability, affordability, and adoption, organisational capacity, community support, and clearly defined goals and outcomes.
In addition to meeting eligibility requirements, applications will be reviewed by internal and independent external reviewers based on whether the proposed project supports the CCC Grant Programme’s objectives, delivers a community-centred connectivity solution addressing barriers of availability, affordability, and adoption, demonstrates that the applicant and partners have the necessary knowledge, relationships, and experience, and presents clearly defined goals, outcomes, key milestones, and a coherent work plan.
Applications will be accepted from March 17 to May 7, 2026, at 21:00 UTC. Submissions are reviewed by the Internet Society, the Internet Society Foundation, and external experts to ensure they meet eligibility requirements and align with the programme’s focus areas. Please note that this review process may take up to fourteen (14) weeks.
Applicants are expected to submit proposals in English, French, or Spanish, and are encouraged to register their organisation in advance. For full details on eligibility, selection criteria, and examples of project applications, visit the Community-Centred Connectivity Grant Programme page.
Applicants must register their organisation in the Foundation’s grants management system before the application window opens. Registration in Fluxx is required, and only applications submitted through the system before the deadline will be considered for funding. Submissions via email will not be accepted.
For any questions regarding the programme or application process, applicants can contact the Foundation at foundation@isocfoundation.org.
View a sample of the application form by clicking here.
For detailed application guidelines, please click here.
Click here to access the full programme details.
