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Grant · United Kingdom

GSMA Innovation Fund

Equity-free grants and technical help for startups and small businesses using mobile and digital technology in low- and middle-income countries, awarded through themed funding rounds. The 2026 round offered GBP 100,000 to 200,000.

Closed Run by GSMA (Mobile for Development)

Apply on the programme's site Programme website

Verified 19 October 2026 · From the programme's own pages

Terms

Funding
not published 2026 Green Transition for Mobile round: grants of GBP 100,000 to 200,000, paid against milestones; applicants must add a matching contribution of at least 25% of the requested grant
Instrument
Grant
Equity taken
None (equity-free)
Programme fee
not published
Duration
not published
Cohort size
not published
Cohorts
not published
Delivery
not published
Stages
Seed, post-seed
Sectors
Social impact, Climate, Energy
Open to founders from
Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Saint Helena, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam
Perks
  • Technical assistance tailored to each grantee
  • Introductions to mobile network operators, investors and technical partners
  • Regional bootcamps
  • Profiling at GSMA events such as Mobile World Congress

Each round has its own theme; the 2026 round funded digital energy access and mobile device circularity, and did not fund new hardware prototypes. Shortlisted applicants pitch virtually to a panel and go through due diligence with an in-person visit. Projects in several countries must finish within 15 to 18 months.

Application dates

ClosedGreen Transition for Mobile fund (2026)

Usual timing: No funding round is open. The last round, the Innovation Fund for Green Transition for Mobile, closed on 6 April 2026; GSMA posts new rounds on its Innovation Fund page and email list.

Who can apply

  • Small and growing enterprises, startups, social enterprises and non-profits with a project in an eligible country in Africa, Central and South America, or South and Southeast Asia
  • Small and growing enterprises must show some commercial revenue to date; idea-stage products are not competitive
  • Unqualified audited financials for the applying entity are needed before contracting
  • Organisations with an active GSMA grant cannot apply
  • Stage: seed, post-seed

What founders should check

  1. The programme says it takes no equity. Still read the agreement for warrants, revenue shares or rights in a later round.
  2. It does not publish a fee. Ask whether you pay for desks, services or the programme itself.
  3. It does not say whether it runs in person or remotely. Ask before you plan a move.
  4. The last window we track closed on 6 April 2026. No funding round is open. The last round, the Innovation Fund for Green Transition for Mobile, closed on 6 April 2026; GSMA posts new rounds on its Innovation Fund page and email list.

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