Giga

Build the Future of School Connectivity with Giga​

Do you have an innovative product that can help in bridging the gap in school connectivity? 

Join the Giga Accelerator Programme to access funding, mentorship, and global partnerships that help you scale up your product and position you to contributing to connecting schools to the Internet worldwide.

APPLY NOW

About the Giga Accelerator Programme

The Giga Accelerator is a programme under the Giga initiative, anchored at the Giga Technology Centre in Barcelona and delivered primarily in a virtual format. It supports products that advance economically sustainable and inclusive school connectivity, helping innovators refine and scale their solutions while building strategic relationships across the digital connectivity ecosystem.

The Accelerator Program has three main goals:

  • Support product development and sustainability through financial backing and mentorship.
  • Enhance the potential for commercial viability and ensure interoperability of solutions.
  • Foster relationships with high-potential partners in the telecom sector.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Legal Registration: The applicant must be legal entity, duly registered in one of the ITU Member States.
  • Compliance: The applicant shall be required to confirm in writing that the entity nor its owners are not  subject to any major ongoing litigation related to prohibited practices as defined by ITU.
  • Financial Stability: Proof of financial solvency is required to demonstrate the entity is a going concern.
  • Stage of Development: The product that is the subject of the application must be at a minimum Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 4 or higher, meaning it should be at least in the proof of concept or prototype phase.
  • Open-Source Commitment: The product that is the subject of the application must be an existing open-source project or the applicant must commit to one of the open-source contribution models before the end of their participation in the Accelerator Programme. Please review the Commitment to Open Source form.

Selection Criteria

Focus Areas

  • Connecting Communities in Infrastructure-Constrained Environments: Solutions for communities where traditional connectivity infrastructure may be insufficient, unavailable or unviable, requiring alternative network configurations or designs that function effectively even in such areas.
  • Affordable and Sustainable Business Models & Financing Mechanisms: Approaches that address the need for creative business models, pricing approaches or financing mechanisms that ensure digital connectivity remains financially viable, accessible, and affordable to underserved communities.
  • Viable Internet Provision for Underserved Areas: Solutions that enable sustainable, commercially viable internet provision at community scale, especially in locations with population density typical of peri-urban and rural areas.
  • Optimizing Internet Provision for the Underserved Areas Context: Solutions that use the latest technologies to foster reliable performance adaptability and ease of deployment in underserved and unserved areas.
  • Reducing Operational Barriers for Connectivity Providers: Solutions that ease the operational complexity, cost, and technical skill/manpower requirements involved in delivering connectivity in remote or unserved areas.

Why Apply

Each selected organization receives a USD 50,000 non-dilutive grant, tied to clear, jointly defined milestones. This flexible funding can support activities such as adapting your solution for new markets, independent testing, type approval/conformity assessment and/or acquiring essential tools to help your team move faster without giving up equity.

Participants join a structured online programme that combines business strategy with deep technical insight. Each organization is matched with experienced mentors and benefits from ongoing, one-on-one support with subject matter experts throughout the programme. Sessions cover topics such as fundraising; go-to-market planning; regulatory pathways; and practical technical guidance to help strengthen each startup’s solution and prepare it for real-world implementation.

Gain entry into a curated network of global stakeholders, including mobile network operators, connectivity initiatives, industry leaders, and policy influencers. The programme fosters meaningful relationships and opportunities for partnership—both during and beyond the cohort period.

The programme concludes with an in-person Demo Day, where participating organizations are introduced to a select group of industry stakeholders, including mobile operators, public connectivity programmes, and aligned investors. Giga will select leading teams to present at international events such as Mobile World Congress and the Giga Connectivity Forum, positioning their solutions for high-level collaboration.

The programme prepares organizations to align their solutions with the needs of emerging markets through hands-on support, local input, and collaboration with governments and development agencies. Participants will be positioned for future pilot opportunities and scalable implementation.

Application Process
& Timeline

Required Materials

  • Application form
  • Proof of legal registration & compliance documentation
  • TRL self-assessment
  • Open-source commitment declaration
  • Organization’s Pitch Deck (highly recommended)
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Find Terms & Conditions here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs)

The Giga Accelerator is mainly virtual and anchored in the Giga Technology Centre in Barcelona, Spain. All participants will also gather in person at two events in Barcelona, Spain — one in December 2025 and another in March 2026.

Commercial and not-for-profit organizations that have a tested and validated solution (TRL of 4 or higher). We’re looking for scalable, tech-based innovations that tackle school connectivity or related infrastructure challenges, with strong potential for deployment in underserved or unserved regions. Organizations based in Spain and women-owned enterprises are encouraged to apply.

Yes! The Giga Accelerator is global by design—we welcome all applicants.

The programme runs for 5 months. While primarily virtual and designed to provide flexibility, participants are expected to stay actively engaged throughout the duration of the programme, joining key sessions and consistently progressing on their project. The programme will cover travel expenses for the two in-person events in Barcelona for which attendance is expected.

Yes, organizations must be a legally registered entity at the time of application, and must be based in or have operations in an ITU Member State. A full list of ITU countries can be found here. Organizations will also need to have a business bank account to receive the grant.

Application will close on September 21st, 2025. Participants will be selected by a panel of eminent industry stakeholders against the selection criteria outlined. The cohort will be announced early October.

Grants are to be disbursed in two tranches based on agreed milestones towards eligible project-related costs such as product development, testing, conformity assessment/type approval and operational expenses directly tied to the proposed solution.

Contact & Support

Contact email for questions: giga.accelerator@itu.int