The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the nonprofit organization that coordinates the Domain Name System (DNS), announced today that the application window for the first cycle of the ICANN Grant Program is officially open. This initial phase of the global program will include the distribution of up to 10 million in funding to develop selected projects that support the growth of an open, resilient, and globally interoperable Internet.
 
The World Economic Forum estimates that 70% of new value created in the economy over the next decade will be based on digital platform business models. However, 3.2 billion people are unable to access the Internet, meaning that nearly one-third of the world cannot access the benefits of these transformational platforms. The ICANN Grant Program seeks to fund creative and innovative solutions that support ICANN’s mission. It will consider projects that will advance innovation and open standards for the benefit of the Internet community; benefit the development, distribution and evolution of the services and systems that support the Internet’s unique identifier systems; and contribute to diversity, participation, and inclusion across stakeholder communities and geographic regions.
 
“From banking and health to e-commerce and transport, the Internet has become indispensable to our daily lives,” said Sally Costerton, Interim President and CEO, ICANN. “But there are still far too many people, particularly in less developed countries, who remain offline or who face barriers that prevent them from fully experiencing the benefits that the Internet can bring. Through the ICANN Grant Program we will support ideas that advance the evolution and innovation of the Internet's unique identifier systems for the benefit of a growing, more inclusive Internet community.”
 
The application window will remain open until 24 May 2024 and the tentative timeline to announce the grantees of the first cycle is in January of 2025.
 
For more information on the program, including eligibility and submission requirements, the ICANN Grant Program Applicant Guide is available at https://icann.org/grant-program.