The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has established a global Grant Programme through which Kenyan innovators will have access to a $10 million fund.

The grant money is intended to fund projects that promote an inclusive and transparent approach to building robust, user-friendly, secure Internet infrastructure solutions that support the Internet's unique identifier systems.

This will be the first phase cycle of grants that will distribute a total of $210 million.

“With the rapid evolution of emerging technologies, businesses and security models, it is critical that the Internet’s unique identifier systems continues to evolve,” said Sally Costerton, Interim President and CEO, of ICANN.

“The ICANN Grant Program offers a new avenue to further those efforts by investing in projects that are committed to and support ICANN’s vision of a single, open and globally interoperable Internet that fosters inclusion amongst a broad, global community of users.”

The application cycle for the first $10 million in grants will open in March 2024. ICANN will begin accepting grant applications on 25th March 2024. The application window will remain open until 24th May 2024.

An Independent Application Assessment Panel will review admissible and eligible applications and the tentative timeline to announce the grantees of the first cycle is in January 2025.