$250,000 Grants Available for African Language AI Projects

Africa is home to more than 2,000 languages, yet only a small fraction are adequately represented in modern artificial intelligence systems. Recent research shows that just 42 African languages currently receive meaningful support in large language models, while nearly 88% remain severely underrepresented or entirely absent from computational linguistics. As AI-powered tools increasingly support farmers, patients, students, and small business owners, this language gap risks excluding millions of Africans from the benefits of digital innovation.

To help address this challenge, the LINGUA Africa program is funding initiatives that develop the data, models, and applications needed to strengthen African language representation in AI. The initiative aims to help deliver locally relevant AI tools to one billion Africans by 2029.

The program is offering funding across three categories:

• Data Creation: Projects focused on building, curating, translating, or licensing language datasets can receive up to $50,000 in cash and $50,000 in compute credits.
• Model and Tool Development: Initiatives developing or adapting AI models, benchmarks, and infrastructure for African languages are eligible for up to $100,000 in cash and $100,000 in compute credits.
• Sectoral Applications: Projects deploying language technologies in real-world settings with measurable impact can access up to $250,000 in cash and $400,000 in compute credits.

Priority sectors include agriculture and food security, education, healthcare and public health, financial inclusion, and government and civic services. All funded projects are required to contribute openly licensed resources that can benefit the wider ecosystem.

Eligible applicants include nonprofits, universities, research institutions, social enterprises, cultural organizations, startups, and public-interest consortia. Organizations based outside Africa may also apply, provided they demonstrate strong partnerships with African institutions or communities.

In addition to funding, selected projects will receive Azure and Google Cloud Platform credits, as well as technical support from Microsoft AI for Good Lab.

Application Deadline: June 15, 2026.