Building Opportunities/Leveraging Technology (BOLT) program

Internet Society Foundation

The Internet Society Foundation takes a futurist approach to support the development of innovative methods, technologies, and infrastructure that seek to enhance Internet connectivity and access. The Foundation aims to support teams of creatives, technologists, researchers, and social/cultural workers to design and build prototypes and pilots that will bring into reality innovative solutions to Internet connectivity particularly among communities where current technologies are unavailable or not readily accessible. By focusing our funding in this way, the Foundation will create opportunities to expand the vision of the Internet Society, that The Internet is for everyone.

BOLT Program Objectives

• Advance Internet development
• Improve Internet access and connectivity around the world
• Promote responsible innovation

Program Overview

The Internet Society Foundation believes that innovation is at the core of providing better opportunities for people to transform and enrich their lives. The Foundation also believes that teamwork and collaboration are the cornerstone of forging new ideas, new realities, new systems and new ways of working.

The Building Opportunities/Leveraging Technologies (BOLT) Grant Program is designed to support teams of innovators working to expand the possibility of Internet connectivity and access globally through the development of prototypes and pilots. Teams may include creatives, artists, technologists, researchers, social or cultural workers and must be housed in a relevant non-profit organization or institution.

Teams should be focused on building technical and social innovations related to Internet connectivity that strive to be:

• Cost-reducing
• Environmentally sustainable
• Trust-enhancing
• Relevant to users and community
• Imaginative and engaging in experimentation and play
• Accessible

Grants of USD$300,000 will be awarded for 18-month projects.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

• Organizations must:
  • Be a legally registered 501(c)(3) OR equivalent. (Before awarding funds to any organization, the Foundation will verify this equivalency)
  • Possess mission alignment with both the Internet Society Foundation and the Internet Society (ISOC), the Foundation’s supported organization
  • Have an official bank account in their name (based on their legal registration)
• Therefore, our grantees’ missions and purposes must also further ISOC’s mission in some way. These include:
  • Facilitate or support the technical evolution of the Internet as a research and education infrastructure
  • Stimulate the community in the evolution of the Internet or educate them in its use and application
  • Promote educational applications of the Internet
  • Help to promote open development, evolution, or use of the Internet to benefit people
  • Connect unconnected communities and individuals to the Internet
  • Advocate for policy that is consistent with ISOC’s view of the Internet
  • Advance the development and application of Internet infrastructure, technologies, or open standards, etc.

Ineligibility

• What we don't fund
  • Projects that provide personal monetary gain
  • Political campaigns, voter registration, lobbying efforts or other attempts to influence legislation
  • Endowments, buildings, or capital campaigns
  • Projects that exclusively serve religious purposes
  • Activities completed or costs incurred prior to the award, without prior approval
  • Tuition assistance
  • Transactions or grants prohibited by the Internet Society Foundation’s Bylaws, Conflict of Interest Policy, or other governing document.