ILF Grant Opportunities
At the Interledger Foundation, we believe in open, interoperable payment solutions as a key driver to digital financial inclusion. The Interledger Foundation is the steward of Interledger, a suite of Open Standards designed to enable seamless payments across different currencies and economic systems.
Through our grant-making, we support the adoption of Interledger to increase access to digital financial services for the 1.4 billion people currently excluded. To this end, we support organizations and individuals that seek to advocate for, innovate with, and build with Interledger to empower and enable access to underserved and vulnerable communities. To date, Interledger Foundation has issued some 188 grants across 40 countries valued at US$18 million to organizations interested in building with Interledger and individuals advocating for an expansion of equitable and inclusive open-source communities.
Below are our core grant program offerings, available at various times throughout the year. Visit the ILF Website for details on the opportunities as they open.
Fellowship Program
The Interledger Fellowship Program is a 12-month initiative supporting individuals who are researching, advocating for, and building solutions to help underserved populations access and meaningfully engage with digital financial systems. The 2026 Interledger Fellowship Program is now open.
Applications will be accepted until June 15th, 2026, 11.59 EDT.
Open Payments SDK Program
Software development kits (SDKs) reduce the time and effort required to integrate an API like Open Payments into an app. However, creating bespoke SDKs in many programming languages requires broad expertise and duplicative maintenance effort. Tools exist to automate the creation and maintenance of SDKs, but do not yet support the latest security features used by Open Payments.
This grant is open from April 1st, and applicants will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
Education Grants- The Interledger Foundation backs universities and students working on the future of open payments.
Interledger on Campus - Mini-grants for student-led projects: Applications are open on a rolling basis between March 16, 2026 - July 31, 2026. Projects are expected to run for no longer than 3 months and must be student-led, with required institutional support for fund management and project oversight.
NextGen Higher Education Program- The Interledger-NextGen Higher Education Program advances research, curriculum development, and hands-on training, equipping students and educators with expertise in open-payment technologies and inclusive digital finance while exploring emerging fintech career pathways.
The 2025 NextGen Higher Education Program application window has closed. Stay tuned for new opportunities in 2026.
Digital Financial Services
We are building a global, open payments network designed to empower financial service providers, fintech innovators, and businesses to create an inclusive financial ecosystem. By building on Interledger, organizations are unlocking the potential of frictionless, global transactions, enabling micropayments, cross-currency interoperability, and seamless financial access for everyone—regardless of identity, geography, or income.
The 2025 application window has closed. Stay tuned for new opportunities in 2026.
