The Interledger Foundation has opened applications for its Local Impact Mini-Grants, providing funding of between US$500 and US$3,000 to individuals and community-led organizations working to expand open payments and digital financial access. The funding opportunity is open globally and is particularly interested in projects serving communities in the Global South, rural areas and peri-urban communities where access to formal financial services remains limited. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis, with the current application window running through 11 November 2026. What Are the Interledger Local Impact Mini-Grants? The Local Impact Mini-Grants are designed to put small-scale funding directly into the hands of people and organizations working within their communities to address barriers to digital financial access. The Interledger Foundation recognizes that meaningful financial inclusion initiatives can often begin at the local level, including within neighborhoods, villages, cooperatives, community groups and local markets. Rather than focusing on large institutional programmes, the mini-grants are intended to support practical community-led activities that create opportunities for people to learn about, experiment with and engage in open payments and digital financial technologies. For grassroots organizations and individual practitioners that may not have access to large grants, the funding can provide resources to organize targeted activities and test locally relevant ideas. How Much Funding Is Available? Successful applicants can receive between US$500 and US$3,000. The funding is intended for direct project activities rather than general organizational costs. Projects must also be completed within six months of accepting the grant. In addition to financial support, grantees will gain access to Interledger resources and the wider community of practitioners working on open payments and digital financial access. This combination of funding and community connections can provide applicants with an opportunity to share experiences, learn from other innovators and potentially build partnerships beyond their local project. Who Can Apply? The opportunity is open to a broad range of individuals and community-based organizations. Eligible applicants can include: Individual practitioners and community leaders Registered or unregistered community organizations Nonprofit organizations Cooperatives Civil society groups Local fintech startups Social enterprises Applicants should have a concrete project plan focused on the programme’s areas of interest. The Foundation is particularly interested in applicants who have direct knowledge of the communities they intend to serve. This makes the opportunity potentially valuable for grassroots leaders who understand local financial access challenges and are already connected to the communities where their projects will take place. What Types of Projects Are Supported? The Local Impact Mini-Grants can support a range of community-led activities related to open payments and digital financial access. Potential activities include: Community workshops Local meetups Hackdays and innovation events Community conversations Research Storytelling Educational content Learning activities Local ecosystem-building initiatives Projects should have a clear connection to open payments, digital financial access, financial inclusion, open-source innovation or digital public infrastructure. Applicants should demonstrate how their proposed activity responds to a real challenge or opportunity within their community. Priority for Global South and Underserved Communities One of the notable features of the 2026 funding cycle is the emphasis on communities that are often underserved by existing financial systems. Projects serving Global South communities, rural populations and peri-urban areas with limited access to formal financial services are identified as a priority. This could make the opportunity particularly relevant to community organizations, technology innovators, researchers and social entrepreneurs working in Africa, Asia, Latin America and other underserved markets. Applicants should clearly explain the local context of their project and the barriers faced by the communities they intend to support. What Can the Grant Funding Be Used For? The funding is intended to support direct project activities. Applicants should therefore present a specific project with defined activities, objectives and expected outcomes rather than requesting general financial support for their organization. The Foundation’s focus is on activities that bring communities together around open payments and digital financial access, create opportunities for learning and experimentation, and generate knowledge that can potentially be shared with the broader Interledger community. Applicants should carefully review the official grant guidance to determine whether their proposed expenses are eligible. What Is Not Covered? The funding cannot be used for general operating expenses or capital expenditures. Applicants should therefore distinguish between costs directly connected to the proposed project and broader organizational expenses. Projects must also be completed within six months after the grant is accepted. In addition, applicants located in countries subject to applicable U.S. sanctions are not eligible for the programme. Prospective applicants should review the official eligibility requirements before preparing their application. Why This Opportunity Matters Digital financial access can play an important role in enabling people and businesses to participate in increasingly digital economies. However, communities can face barriers related to infrastructure, affordability, knowledge, trust and access to appropriate financial services. Local organizations and community leaders are often well positioned to understand these barriers because they work directly with the people affected by them. The Local Impact Mini-Grants provide an opportunity for these actors to develop practical, community-level initiatives rather than waiting for large-scale interventions. For example, a community organization could use the funding to organize a workshop that introduces local entrepreneurs to open-payment technologies. A civic technology group could organize a hackday focused on financial inclusion, while researchers could investigate local barriers to digital financial access and share findings with the wider ecosystem. How to Apply Applications can be submitted through the Interledger Foundation’s online application system. The application period opened on 6 July 2026, and proposals are being reviewed on a rolling basis until 11 November 2026. Applicants are encouraged to submit early because the Foundation indicates that early submission can improve the chances of receiving an award within the current funding cycle. Before applying, prospective applicants should review the official programme information, eligibility criteria and factsheet and ensure that their proposed project meets the funding requirements. A strong application should clearly communicate: The community or population being served The financial access challenge being addressed The proposed activities Why the project is locally relevant How the funding will be used Expected results and community benefits How the project can contribute to broader learning around open payments What Grantees Receive Beyond Funding The value of the programme extends beyond the US$500–US$3,000 grant. Successful grantees will receive access to Interledger resources and the broader open-payments community. This can provide opportunities to connect with other practitioners, exchange knowledge and learn from initiatives taking place in different parts of the world. For emerging organizations and individual innovators, participating in an international community can also help strengthen visibility and create opportunities for future collaboration. Final Takeaway The Interledger Foundation Local Impact Mini-Grants 2026 offer a relatively accessible funding opportunity for individuals and grassroots organizations seeking to address digital financial inclusion at the community level. With grants of US$500 to US$3,000, the programme is particularly relevant to locally led initiatives working on open payments, financial inclusion, digital public infrastructure and open-source innovation. The focus on the Global South, rural communities and underserved peri-urban areas makes this an opportunity worth considering for community leaders and organizations addressing digital financial access challenges in these settings. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through 11 November 2026, although early applications are encouraged. 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