Apply for the LINGUA Africa Open Call 2026. Funding, cloud credits, and technical support are available for African language AI projects to promote inclusive access and real-world impact.
LINGUA Africa Open Call is a collaborative initiative by Microsoft AI for Good Lab, the Gates Foundation, Masakhane African Languages Hub, and Google.org. It aims to strengthen language foundations for inclusive AI across Africa.
Many African languages remain underrepresented in AI systems, limiting access to education, healthcare, financial services, and civic resources. LINGUA Africa provides funding, compute resources, and technical support to address this gap while promoting community-led, inclusive AI solutions.
Who Should Apply
The open call invites proposals from:
- Nonprofits, universities, research institutes
- Social enterprises and startups
- Cultural organizations and consortia
- Organizations outside Africa partnering with African institutions or communities
Applicants are encouraged to submit collaborative proposals that demonstrate cross-domain expertise and deep community engagement.
Funding and Support
Selected projects will receive:
- Cash grants ranging from $50K to $250K depending on project type
- Azure and Google Cloud compute credits
- Technical collaboration with Microsoft AI for Good Lab
- Opportunities for ecosystem collaboration via LINGUA Africa
Grant Categories
- Data Creation: Building, curating, documenting, translating, validating, or licensing datasets and language resources.
- Support: up to $50K cash + $50K compute credits
- Model or Tool Development: Creating or adapting models, benchmarks, tooling, or technical infrastructure for African languages.
- Support: up to $100K cash + $100K compute credits
- Sectoral Applications: Deploying or piloting language technologies in real-world settings with measurable social or economic impact.
- Support: up to $250K cash + $400K compute credits
Projects spanning multiple activities may apply under the primary objective category. Exceptional proposals with strong justification may be considered beyond suggested limits.
Priority Areas
Projects demonstrating strong community engagement, cross-institutional collaborations, and credible impact paths are prioritized. Examples include:
- Agriculture and food security
- Education and literacy
- Healthcare and public health
- Financial inclusion
- Government and civic services
All supported projects are expected to share openly licensed resources to ensure African languages are represented and accessible in AI applications.
Application Deadline
- Deadline: 15 June 2026
- Apply via the official portal to submit proposals for funding, compute credits, and collaboration opportunities.
Submit application here: LINGUA Africa Open Call
Conclusion
The LINGUA Africa Open Call 2026 is a unique funding opportunity for organizations seeking to advance AI inclusivity for African languages. By supporting data creation, model development, and real-world sector applications, this initiative promotes equitable access to AI tools while driving measurable community impact.
Apply now to contribute to Africa’s inclusive AI ecosystem and help bridge the digital language gap.
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