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Local Impact Mini‐Grants
The most effective financial inclusion work often happens within a single neighborhood, a village cooperative, or a local market. The Interledger Foundation's Local Impact Mini-Grants put funding directly into the hands of the people doing that work.
The grants are designed to support local community groups and individual leaders running initiatives that work to expand digital financial access from the inside out. If you understand your community's barriers firsthand, this program is built for you.
Grants range from 00 to ,000 USD. Applications open July 6, 2026, with rolling review through November 11, 2026.
Community organisations, nonprofits, cooperatives, civil society groups, local fintech startups, social enterprises, and individual practitioners with a concrete project plan
Meetups, workshops, hackdays, community conversations, research, storytelling, and content
Activities must have focus on open payments and digital financial access
Grants of $500 to $3,000 USD.
Rolling applications from July 6 to November 11, 2026.
Projects must be completed within 6 months from accepting the grant.
- Funding of 00 to ,000 USD for direct project activities
- Flexible support for community-led learning, events, and local ecosystem building
- Access to Interledger resources and the broader open payments community
- Connection to a global network of practitioners working on digital financial access
Strong proposals come from people with direct knowledge of the communities they are serving. We want to work with individuals and organisations who can bring local communities together around open payments and digital financial access, create space for learning, discussion, and hands-on experimentation, and share what they find with the broader Interledger community.
Projects serving communities in the Global South, rural areas, or peri-urban regions with limited access to formal financial services are a priority for this funding cycle.
Review the eligibility criteria, complete the application form via Submittable, and submit any time between July 6 and November 11, 2026. Our team will follow up within two weeks of submission. Submitting early improves your chances of receiving an award within this cycle.
Before applying, review the Local Impact Mini-Grants Factsheet and check out the grant Resource Folder.
Local Impact Mini-Grants FAQs Who can apply?
The program is open to registered and unregistered organisations as well as individuals. Eligible applicants include community organisations, nonprofits, cooperatives, civil society and advocacy groups, local fintech startups, social enterprises, and individual practitioners with a concrete project plan. Applications are welcome from any geography.
NOTE: The Interledger Foundation must comply with the economic and trade sanctions program administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. These sanctions have been imposed on specific countries, individuals, and entities that appear on OFAC's List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (the "SDN List").
The Interledger Foundation is prohibited from providing most goods or services to residents of sanctioned countries or their governmental entities or to SDNs without an applicable U.S. government authorization or exemption. What activities are eligible?
The grants cover work across four areas:
Open payments and digital financial access
Open source and open innovation
Financial inclusion and fintech ecosystems
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI/DPG) and related themes
Eligible activities include meetups and community conversations, workshops and demos, hackdays and participatory learning sessions, local ecosystem gatherings, research, storytelling, and awareness campaigns, and content.
Activities can be hosted independently or in collaboration with existing local groups, such as coworking spaces, open-source communities, hacker spaces, universities, incubators, accelerators, or civil society networks. This list is not exhaustive: if your activity creates space for local learning and connection around open payments or digital financial access, it is worth applying. What can grant funds be used for?
Grant funds must go toward direct project activities. Eligible uses include:
Meetups, community conversations, and local ecosystem gatherings
Workshops, demos, hackdays, and participatory learning sessions
Research, storytelling, and awareness campaigns
Content and materials on open payments and digital financial infrastructure
Facilitator compensation and organizer stipends
Travel and logistics tied directly to project delivery
General operating expenses, such as compensation for the organisers, and capital expenditures, are not eligible. The intention of the Local Impact Mini-Grants is to primarily provide flexible community activation mini-grants to support local events where communities are already doing such initiatives in their locale. What are the application requirements?
Applicants submit a short application via Submittable that includes a completed application form, a 2-page concept note, and a budget and timeline document outlining key milestones. What is the timeline?
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis between July 6 and November 11, 2026, with priority review given to projects completing before December 31, 2026. Applications are reviewed as they come in; you don't need to wait for the window to close. Submitting early improves your chances of receiving an award within this cycle.
Projects must be completed within 6 months from accepting the grant. Are there geographic restrictions?
Applications are welcome from any geography. Projects serving communities in the Global South, rural areas, or peri-urban regions are a priority for this funding cycle. As a US-incorporated foundation, ILF is required to comply with sanctions administered by OFAC. Applicants from countries subject to US sanctions are not eligible. Can individuals apply, or only organisations?
Both individuals and organisations can apply, registered or unregistered. What matters is a concrete project plan and direct connection to the community the project is serving. What deliverables are expected from grantees?
Successful applicants will typically be required to provide the following:
Project Introduction Blog: a blog post introducing the project and initiative to the community. This post may also outline ways the community can support the successful implementation of the project.
Final Summary Blog: a blog submitted summarizing the activities carried out. The blog should include key performance metrics, such as the number of participants who benefited from the program, project outcomes, and feedback or lessons learned during implementation.
Applicants are also encouraged to include photos, documentation, or event materials in their submission. These contributions help the Interledger community learn from and build on each initiative. Do applicants need prior experience with Interledger?
No prior experience is required. However, applicants should demonstrate:
Interest in learning about Interledger technologies
A plan to introduce local members to the ecosystem
Willingness to explore open payments concepts
Can multiple projects from the same city/region be funded?
Yes, on a case-by-case basis. To promote diversity across geographic regions and communities, priority will be given to underrepresented regions. Where can applicants learn more about Interledger technologies and the work of the Interledger Foundation?
Before starting your application, applicants can explore Interledger documentation, developer resources, community events, online discussions, and educational materials on open payments. Links to these resources are generally available on the grant application guideline and the grant application resources. Where can I get more information?