KOICA Digital Solidarity Grants 2025: How to Win up to 900k for Digital Inclusion Projects in Africa Asia and Latin America

If your organization spends its days wrestling with the digital divide — getting real connectivity, skills, and tools into the hands of people who have effectively been shut out of the digital world — this is one of the biggest tickets in town.

The KOICA Digital Solidarity Grants offer up to ₩1.2 billion per project — roughly USD 900,000 — for serious, multi‑year digital inclusion and ICT4D initiatives in KOICA partner countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

This is not a “small pilot” grant. It’s the level of funding that lets you move from tinkering at the edges to building infrastructure, training thousands of people, and embedding digital systems into public services. Think: national e‑government pilots, networks of community digital hubs, accessible edtech for entire school districts, or disability‑inclusive telehealth systems that actually reach rural clinics.

Even better, KOICA isn’t just wiring you money and wishing you luck. The program combines grant funding, technical support, Korean tech partnerships, and knowledge exchange with other grantees. If your project has real promise and you manage it well, KOICA can become a long‑term ally rather than a one‑off donor.

It’s a demanding program, make no mistake. The success rate is usually 10–15 percent, and the application process has two phases (concept note, then full proposal if shortlisted). But if your organization already has solid ICT4D experience and you’re ready to operate at serious scale, this is absolutely worth the work.

Let’s break down how it works — and how to give yourself a real shot.

At a Glance: KOICA Digital Solidarity Grants 2025

What This Opportunity Really Offers

A lot of grants talk big about impact but only cover six months of activity and a handful of laptops. This is different.

With up to ₩1.2 billion over three years, you’re looking at a budget that can support full project teams, serious infrastructure, and real monitoring and evaluation.

In practical terms, KOICA funding can cover:

• People: Project managers, trainers, field staff, M&E officers, local coordinators — the human backbone that makes any digital initiative work.
• Equipment and technology: Servers, routers, tablets, assistive devices, solar kits for off‑grid sites, software licenses, and maintenance costs (within reason).
• Training and capacity building: Curriculum development, training‑of‑trainers, workshops for teachers, civil servants, or community leaders, plus stipends or materials for trainees.
• Infrastructure and connectivity: Community internet hubs, Wi‑Fi in schools or health centers, last‑mile solutions in remote areas — as long as you’re not trying to build an entire national telecom backbone.
• Monitoring, evaluation, and learning: Baseline and endline surveys, external evaluations, data systems to understand what’s actually changing on the ground.
• Project management and coordination: Travel, meetings, partnership management, translation, community engagement.

The real value, though, sits beyond the budget line items.

KOICA brings relationships and expertise. You can be connected to Korean technology firms, universities, and experts who have deep experience in areas like e‑government, broadband solutions, or edtech. These aren’t symbolic partnerships — KOICA expects them to add actual value, from tailored platforms to deployment know‑how.

You also join a community of grantees across regions. KOICA tends to invest in learning: sharing models that work, inviting grantees to exchanges, and encouraging adaptation of proven approaches in new contexts. If you design for scale, this kind of ecosystem can dramatically amplify what your project achieves in three years.

And because the typical duration is 36 months, you’re not stuck racing to show superficial results in 12 months. You have time to pilot, adapt, stabilize operations, and work seriously on sustainability and policy integration before the grant winds down.

What KOICA Will Actually Fund

KOICA is interested in the full spectrum of digital inclusion — from basic connectivity all the way to sophisticated public service platforms — but always through a development and equity lens.

Expect strong proposals to combine at least two or three of these strands:

1. Connectivity and Community Infrastructure

Projects at this level move communities from “barely online” to “reliably connected” in a way that ordinary people actually feel.

This might look like:

• Setting up community digital hubs with internet, devices, and trained staff in rural towns.
• Deploying last‑mile solutions — wireless mesh networks, TV white space, or other tech that stretches connectivity into hard‑to‑reach villages.
• Installing Wi‑Fi networks in schools, clinics, or municipal offices and pairing that with strong usage plans.
• Adding renewable power solutions (like solar) so that digital equipment in off‑grid areas doesn’t become expensive furniture.

They’ll support infrastructure at the community level, not national backbones or massive telco builds.

2. Digital Literacy and Skills

KOICA knows that a Wi‑Fi signal is meaningless if people don’t know what to do with it.

Fundable activities include:

• Digital literacy classes for women, youth, older adults, rural farmers, or informal workers.
• ICT skills for jobs and entrepreneurship — think coding bootcamps, digital marketing, basic data skills, online freelancing preparation.
• Teacher training to integrate ICT in classrooms in realistic ways, not just tossing PowerPoint into the mix.
• STEM and tech pathways for girls and young women, from after‑school clubs to mentorship and internship pipelines.
• Media literacy and critical thinking around online misinformation, privacy, and safe internet use.

The stronger proposals connect training to tangible outcomes: employment, incomes, learning gains, business growth, or civic participation.

3. Accessibility and Inclusion

KOICA is explicitly interested in projects that ensure people with disabilities and other marginalized groups are not left on the wrong side of the digital line.

Good fits here include:

• Deploying assistive technologies (screen readers, adapted devices, alternative input methods) and training people to use them.
• Developing accessible content — sign language resources, local‑language interfaces, simplified interfaces for low‑literacy users.
• Creating inclusive services for the elderly, people with disabilities, or people with low literacy who are typically excluded from digital services.

If your project reads like “we deliver one generic training for everyone,” you’ll be less competitive than organizations that show specific, thoughtful inclusion strategies.

4. E‑Government and Digital Public Services

KOICA has a long history supporting governments to digitize services in useful ways, not just building fancy portals no one uses.

You might design:

• Digital platforms for birth registration, licensing, or social protection payments.
• Tools for citizen engagement — reporting local issues, giving feedback on services, participating in planning.
• Open data initiatives that improve transparency and support communities or journalists.
• E‑health (telemedicine, referrals, health information systems) or e‑education (learning platforms, digital homework systems) tailored to local realities.

These projects tend to be strongest when there is clear government buy‑in, visible policy hooks, and real capacity building for civil servants.

5. ICT4D Solutions for Key Sectors

KOICA is also interested in sector‑specific digital tools that clearly improve lives:

• Agriculture: mobile advisory services, market price information, weather alerts.
• Health: teleconsultations, community health worker apps, referral systems.
• Finance: responsible digital financial services that help unbanked people save, borrow safely, or receive payments.
• Environment and disaster response: early warning systems, environmental monitoring, local reporting tools.

The unifying question is always: How does this change something concrete for people who are currently excluded? If you can answer that clearly, you’re in the right territory.

Who Should Apply (and Who Probably Should Not)

KOICA is not looking to teach brand‑new organizations how to run digital projects. They want partners who already know what they’re doing and are ready to scale or deepen.

You’re a strong fit if:

• You are a non‑profit organization or social enterprise legally registered in Korea or a KOICA partner country.
• You have at least 2–3 years of real experience implementing digital inclusion or ICT4D projects.
• You can point to previous results: numbers trained, systems built, services delivered, policies influenced.
• You already work closely with local partners — community groups, government agencies, schools, clinics, or private‑sector allies.
• You have the internal systems to manage a multi‑year, multi‑hundred‑thousand‑dollar grant: finance, HR, procurement, M&E.
• You can put together 15 percent co‑financing, whether in cash, staff time, facilities, or complementary funding.

A good mental test: if KOICA gave you the full ₩1.2 billion tomorrow, could you start responsibly within six months without burning down your organization? If the answer is “yes, with some stretching,” you’re in the right league.

You’re probably not a good fit if:

• You’re a for‑profit company without a clear social mission and impact model.
• You have no prior track record in digital inclusion or ICT4D.
• Your idea is basically “buy devices and hand them out” with no training, content, or sustainability plan.
• You cannot demonstrate real community roots or meaningful local engagement.
• Your project is in a country that is not on KOICA’s partner list.

The most competitive applicants tend to be organizations that are already deeply embedded in a place or sector and have pilots that worked — but now need real capital and technical backing to take them to the next level.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application

This is a thoughtful donor with experienced reviewers. Generic development‑speak will not carry you. Here’s what actually helps:

1. Start with the community’s diagnosis, not your favorite solution

Show that you did the hard work before writing: community meetings, user interviews, baseline assessments, stakeholder workshops.

Instead of “we believe rural youth need coding training,” write:

“In a survey of 400 rural youth, 76 percent reported they had never used a computer, but 62 percent own basic smartphones. Local employers reported that inability to use basic productivity tools was a key hiring barrier.”

That kind of specificity immediately signals seriousness.

2. Treat connectivity as one ingredient, not the whole meal

KOICA has seen hundreds of “we will connect villages” proposals. They’re tired of ones that stop there.

Strong projects explain:

• Who will use the connection.
• For what purposes.
• With what skills, content, and support.
• How that translates into measurable changes: incomes, school completion, health outcomes, participation in government processes.

If your logframe doesn’t go beyond “1000 people connected,” it’s not ready.

3. Go deep on local ownership and sustainability

A three‑year grant can disappear fast. KOICA wants to see:

• Where local budgets will eventually cover some costs (for example, a municipal ICT line item for maintaining the platform you built).
• How community groups or cooperatives will manage centers or services.
• Where private‑sector revenue can legitimately support operations without excluding the poorest.

Spell out who pays for what the day after KOICA funds end — and why that’s realistic.

4. Show Korean partnerships that actually matter

If you bring in a Korean tech company or university, be precise about what they’re doing:

• Are they customizing a learning platform for your country’s curriculum?
• Are they providing discounted equipment and long‑term maintenance?
• Are they mentoring local developers to eventually take over the system?

KOICA can smell a cosmetic partnership a mile away. Make sure yours passes the sniff test.

5. Put numbers on everything

Replace “many,” “some,” and “significant” with actual targets:

• 5,000 women trained,
• 20 hubs established,
• 500 youth supported into internships,
• 70 percent of trained teachers regularly using digital tools in class by year 3.

And tie those numbers to how you’ll reach them — not just wishful thinking.

6. Treat monitoring and evaluation as a core workstream

Do more than “we will monitor progress.”

Explain your data plan: baseline survey design, routine tracking (attendance, usage logs, service statistics), qualitative feedback, outcome indicators, and who is responsible.

If you’re not comfortable writing a basic theory of change and M&E framework, bring in someone who is. KOICA will notice.

7. Be ambitious but technically believable

This is big money, but it’s still a finite budget over three years. If you propose country‑wide transformation with tiny unit costs and no staffing, reviewers will roll their eyes.

Pick a clear geographic or demographic focus, define what “success” looks like there, and design a plan that your team — not a superhero squad — can actually implement.

Application Timeline: Working Back from 18 April 2025

You cannot throw this together in a week. A realistic approach looks more like this:

• December 2024 – January 2025:
  Validate your concept with partners and communities. Confirm country eligibility and alignment with national strategies. Start lining up government counterparts and potential Korean partners.

• Late January – mid‑February 2025:
  Draft the concept note: problem statement, objectives, approach, budget envelope, expected results, and your credentials. Aim for a strong, coherent 5–8 pages.

• Late February 2025:
  Circulate the concept note internally and to trusted external reviewers. Get feedback from at least one person who is not a tech specialist to see if the narrative is understandable.

• Early March 2025:
  Refine the concept note, tighten your logframe, and confirm co‑financing commitments and government letters of interest where possible.

• By early April 2025:
  Register on KOICA’s application portal (don’t leave this to the last week) and upload all required attachments.

• No later than 16 April 2025:
  Submit your concept note at least 48 hours before the official 18 April deadline. That buffer is your insurance policy against power cuts, slow uploads, or last‑minute document snags.

If you’re shortlisted, you’ll typically have several weeks to develop the full proposal — but those who do best often start preparing key building blocks (detailed budget, M&E framework, partnership agreements) before they get the official invitation.

Required Materials and How to Prepare Them

Exact formats will be in the KOICA guidelines, but you can count on needing:

• Concept Note (first phase)
  A concise but compelling document describing the problem, target groups, proposed solution, approach, results, and indicative budget. Treat it like the executive summary of a full proposal — it has to stand on its own.

• Organizational Profile
  Short narrative plus key facts: founding year, legal status, staff count, previous ICT4D projects, annual budget, existing donors. Pick relevant experience; don’t paste your entire institutional CV.

• Proof of Legal Status
  Registration certificates, tax documents, or equivalent from your country or from Korea.

• Partnership Documentation
  Letters of support from government entities, local partners, and any Korean organizations you plan to work with. These should be specific (“will assign two IT staff,” “will co‑fund teacher training”) rather than generic cheerleading.

• Co‑Financing Evidence
  Letters or agreements indicating where your 15 percent cost share comes from — your own resources, other donors, private sector, or in‑kind contributions.

If you’re invited to submit a full proposal, expect to add:

• A detailed project narrative (30–40 pages).
• A line‑by‑line budget and justification.
• A monitoring and evaluation framework, with indicators and data sources.
• Risk analysis and mitigation measures.
• More extensive organizational documents (policies, audits, etc.).

What Makes an Application Stand Out to Reviewers

Put yourself in the reviewer’s chair. You’re reading dozens of proposals. Which ones rise to the top?

They almost always share a few traits:

1. Sharp problem definition tied to real data
   The proposal clearly describes who is excluded, what barriers they face (cost, skills, gender norms, disability, lack of services), and backs that up with stats and field evidence.

2. Coherent theory of change
   It’s obvious how activities lead to outputs, outputs to outcomes, and outcomes to impact. You can almost draw the logic flow while reading.

3. Serious inclusion thinking
   Gender, disability, rurality, and poverty are not afterthoughts. They’re baked into targeting, outreach, design, scheduling, venues, and tech choices.

4. Visible government and community ownership
   Local actors are not “beneficiaries” — they’re partners. Letters from ministries, MOUs with municipalities, roles for community structures: these all tell reviewers the project has a real home.

5. Realistic budgeting and scale
   The budget and ambitions match. There are enough trainers to handle the number of trainees, enough hardware to support the planned hubs, and a believable cost structure.

6. Credible team and previous results
   The organization can show that it has done something similar before and learned from it. Staff bios line up with what the project needs.

If your draft reads like a generic digital buzzword salad, pause and rewrite. Strong KOICA proposals sound grounded, specific, and technically literate — but still understandable to a smart non‑specialist.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A few patterns knock otherwise promising ideas out of contention:

1. Treating the community as passive recipients
If communities have not helped shape the project and do not have defined roles in implementation or governance, reviewers will worry about sustainability and relevance.

2. Underestimating operational complexity
Rolling out a digital platform across three countries with a tiny team and a vague M&E plan? That’s an easy “no.” Be honest about what it takes to run training, support users, maintain systems, and handle procurement.

3. Fuzzy co‑financing
“Additional funds will be sought” is not enough. KOICA wants commitments or at least clear, plausible sources identified with timelines.

4. Over‑reliance on shiny tech
If your solution requires perfect connectivity, expensive devices, or skills that are rare in your target communities, reviewers will question feasibility. Start from the constraints on the ground, not from the latest tech headline.

5. Ignoring gender and disability
A proposal that doesn’t clearly show how women, girls, and people with disabilities will participate and benefit is almost certainly going to be downgraded.

6. Weak or copy‑paste M&E
If your indicators don’t match your activities, or you promise “rigorous evaluation” with no plan, reviewers will doubt your management capacity. Take this section seriously.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can for‑profit companies apply?
Purely commercial companies cannot apply. Social enterprises with a clear social mission and measurable development impact are eligible, as long as they meet KOICA’s criteria and are registered in Korea or a partner country.

Do we need a Korean partner to be competitive?
No, it’s not mandatory. However, a Korean partner that adds specific value — say, providing a customized platform, technical mentoring, or discounted equipment — can strengthen your proposal.

Can Korean NGOs apply for projects abroad?
Yes. Korean NGOs working in KOICA partner countries are eligible. Just be sure your proposal shows strong local partnerships and not just a fly‑in model.

Can we design a multi‑country project?
You can, but only if you have the capacity to operate in those countries and a solid reason for a regional approach (shared markets, cross‑border systems, complementary pilots). Multi‑country for its own sake looks messy.

Can we work in any developing country?
No. Your project must take place in KOICA’s partner countries. You’ll need to check KOICA’s official list to confirm your target country’s status.

What if we don’t use the full grant amount?
Unspent KOICA funds don’t become a bonus. They generally have to be returned. Plan conservatively and monitor your burn rate.

Can we change the project after implementation starts?
Minor adaptations are usually allowed with KOICA’s approval. Major shifts in objectives, budget structure, or geography require a formal amendment to your grant agreement.

What language are reports submitted in?
Reporting is generally accepted in English or Korean. If you’re unsure, confirm the latest requirements in the official guidelines.

How to Apply and Next Steps

Ready to test your idea against one of the most substantial digital inclusion funds out there?

Here’s how to move forward:

1. Study the official guidelines carefully
   Go to the KOICA Digital Solidarity Grants page and download all relevant documents:
   Official opportunity page: https://www.koica.go.kr/koica_en/3451/subview.do

2. Check your eligibility and alignment
   Confirm your legal status, country eligibility, co‑financing capacity, and thematic fit. If you’re trying to stretch into ICT4D for the first time, consider partnering with an organization that already has that experience.

3. Lock in key partners early
   Talk to government agencies, local NGOs, community groups, and any Korean organizations you want involved. Get agreement on roles now; don’t improvise partnership letters at the last minute.

4. Draft a sharp concept note
   Focus on a clearly defined problem, a well‑reasoned solution, concrete targets, and a believable budget range. Make sure a non‑tech colleague can understand it.

5. Register and submit before the crunch
   Create your account on KOICA’s application portal, upload all required documents, and aim to submit at least two days before 18 April 2025.

6. If shortlisted, treat the full proposal as a design project, not just paperwork
   Use the full proposal phase to refine your theory of change, sharpen your M&E, and pressure‑test your operations and budget. Involve your finance, M&E, and field teams — not just one overworked proposal writer.

Ready to go deeper and see the exact requirements for this cycle?

Visit the official KOICA Digital Solidarity Grants page here:
https://www.koica.go.kr/koica_en/3451/subview.do

If your organization already knows how to make technology work for people who have been sidelined, this program gives you the resources to do it at scale — and to prove, with data and real stories, that digital inclusion can change lives far beyond a single pilot.