Microsoft · AI · Instrument: Grants
LINGUA Africa Open Call for Inclusive AI Language Projects
LINGUA Africa is an open call launched by Microsoft AI for Good Lab, the Gates Foundation, the Masakhane African Languages Hub and Google.org to strengthen the language foundations needed for inclusive AI in Africa. It funds open speech, text, multimodal and sign-language datasets, automatic speech recognition and text-to-speech technology, and practical AI tools for underserved communities in areas such as health, agriculture, education and justice. Projects fall into three funding categories, data creation, model or tool development and sectoral applications, and awards come as cash plus compute or compute only. The call closed on 15 June 2026 after more than 800 applications in the Hub's RFP cycle. Twenty-six projects covering more than 50 African languages, dialects and sign languages across 47 African countries were selected and announced in August 2026.
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Funding classification
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Round history
| Round | Window | Size | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| LINGUA Africa Open Call | Deadline: June 15, 2026Closed | 26 selected projects | linkedin.com |
Past rounds stay on the page, so you can see how often this program opens.
Funding evidence
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Read the program’s recorded facts and sourcesSources
Awards
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