Interledger Foundation is Accepting Letters of Intent (LOI) from Institutions Seeking to Shape the Future Digital Financial Inclusion Leaders
Interledger Foundation is interested in collaborating with a diverse set of higher education institutions that are well-positioned to create or build on existing institutional structures that will provide students with real-world opportunities that support open source practices, open payments technologies and inclusive digital financial systems.
To do this, Interledger Foundation is welcoming Letters of Intents (LOIs) from educators in higher education institutions to build campus and classroom programs that expose students to emerging open payment technologies with the potential to disrupt the economic landscape. Via its Interledger-NextGen Higher Education program, grants of up to $50,000 USD are available to selected higher education institutions to execute a 12-month project that will produce diverse pathways for undergraduate and graduate students, creating a future where people build fairer, inclusive, and interoperable payment networks.
At the Interledger Foundation, we aim to adequately prepare tomorrow’s open-source, open-payment, and digital financial inclusion workforce by inspiring their students to become future leaders who advocate, champion and innovate solutions for inclusive digital financial systems. Visit here to learn more about the Interledger-NextGen Higher Education Grant and the work done by pilot initiatives with Bowie State University and the University of Cape Town.
Through the Interledger-NextGen Higher Education Grant, Interledger seeks to support projects that are not limited to, but plans to:
- Enable Faculty Initiatives: Implement forward-thinking programs that promote digital financial literacy and inclusion.
- Increase Student Engagement: Enhance student interaction with open-payment technologies and digital financial inclusion, with a focus on the Interledger Protocol.
- Showcase Career Pathways: Highlight careers in open payments, open-source development, sustainable development, and fintech.
If this program aligns with the vision and interest of your institution, please submit your letter of intent via Submittable. For further details on the grant opportunity, process and applicable resources, please download/review the Grant Application Guidelines.
Interested universities must submit an electronic copy of their Letter of Intent (LOI) via Submittable on or before Friday, October 3, 2025, at 11:59 pm (ET).
About the Letter of Intent
Universities will be asked to upload a 2-page PDF outlining the overall proposed project’s objectives, its intended impact, and the estimated budget/grant amount being sought with an indication of what the majority of the budget will be spent on. A summary overview of the proposed program, including a high-level description of the activities to be undertaken, e.g., course offering, curriculum reboot/development, etc. The project should indicate some level of investigation, integration, student exposure to the Interledger Protocol, and engagement with the ILF ecosystem. The proposed initiative should focus on developing skills in open payment technologies, social impact, entrepreneurship, and international development research. Successful projects must have a theory of impact.
Interested universities must align the proposed initiative with their undergraduate or graduate departments of computer science, information technology, business, sustainable development, or related fields. The proposed project/initiative should be built on diversity, equity, and inclusion principles and support the Interledger Foundation's goal to foster an empowering ecosystem for digital financial inclusion.
We invite you to connect with us via our various communication channels, Community Forum, and Interledger Slack for more details on this grant opportunity.
About The Interledger Foundation
The Interledger Foundation was established in 2020 as a U.S. based global nonprofit grantmaking foundation. Our aim is to increase access to digital financial services by advocating for the adoption of an open-source currency network, powered by the Interledger Protocol (ILP), working directly with underrepresented groups.
Website: https://interledger.org/
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