Call for Proposals: Advancing Inclusive AI for African Languages (Africa)

Deadline: 25-Jan-2026

The Masakhane African Languages Hub addresses the underrepresentation of African languages in AI by supporting open-source datasets, models, and use cases. Grants prioritize community-driven, ethical AI development that enhances sectors like healthcare, education, and agriculture, while promoting linguistic equity, gender inclusivity, and long-term sustainability across Africa.

Overview of the Initiative

The Masakhane African Languages Hub aims to advance linguistic equity and increase African languages’ representation in artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The Hub focuses on:

• Developing community-driven AI projects

• Building open-source datasets, models, and use cases

• Supporting sectors such as healthcare, education, and agriculture

• Empowering over one billion Africans by 2029

The initiative emphasizes Ubuntu-inspired values, transparency, and open access, ensuring outputs are shared as digital public goods under licenses like CC-BY. Ethical safeguards, conflict-sensitive approaches, and environmental sustainability are central to all projects.

Who is Eligible

Eligible applicants must:

• Be based in Africa or maintain a local presence

• Have legal registration as a non-profit, social enterprise, or research institution

• Demonstrate experience in NLP, ASR, or AI model evaluation

• Show community engagement and focus on social, cultural, or environmental impact

• Have national approvals and comply with data protection regulations

• Demonstrate technical capacity or the ability to develop it

• Present sustainability plans beyond the funding period

Partnerships with local organizations are strongly encouraged.

Key Focus Areas

• Linguistic equity: Ensure African languages are represented in AI systems

• Community-driven AI development: Projects must engage local communities and reflect their needs

• Gender inclusivity: Promote equitable participation in AI initiatives

• Environmental sustainability: Minimize environmental impact in AI development

• Conflict-sensitive approaches: Address potential socio-political sensitivities

• Transparency and open access: All outputs shared as digital public goods

• Long-term impact: Solutions should have measurable benefits beyond the funding period

How to Apply

Step 1: Prepare Application

• Demonstrate technical and organizational capacity

• Outline community engagement strategies

• Include sustainability plans for post-funding continuation

• Highlight partnerships and collaborations, especially with local organizations

Step 2: Submission Requirements

• Provide proof of legal registration

• Detail experience in AI, NLP, or ASR

• Describe alignment with social, cultural, or environmental objectives

• Ensure compliance with data protection laws

Step 3: Review and Selection

• Applications evaluated for:

  • Alignment with Hub objectives

  • Potential for linguistic and social impact

  • Technical feasibility and innovation

  • Community engagement and inclusivity

  • Sustainability and ethical safeguards

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Lack of local presence or registration

• Insufficient demonstration of community engagement or impact

• Poor alignment with linguistic equity or ethical principles

• Missing technical expertise in AI, NLP, or ASR

• Inadequate plans for sustainability or scalability

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Who can apply?
Non-profits, social enterprises, or research institutions based in Africa or with a local presence.

2. What experience is required?
Expertise in Natural Language Processing (NLP), Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), or AI model evaluation.

3. Are partnerships required?
Not mandatory, but collaborations with local organizations are encouraged.

4. What types of AI projects are prioritized?
Projects that advance linguistic equity, community-driven AI, gender inclusivity, and ethical, sustainable practices.

5. Are outputs open-access?
Yes, all datasets, models, and resources must be shared as digital public goods under open licenses like CC-BY.

6. Is sustainability beyond funding important?
Yes, applicants must demonstrate how projects will continue impact post-funding.

7. Are there compliance requirements?
Yes, projects must comply with national approvals and data protection regulations.

Conclusion

The Masakhane African Languages Hub empowers African communities by promoting linguistic equity and ethical AI development. By supporting open-source datasets, models, and locally-driven initiatives, the Hub strengthens sectors like healthcare, education, and agriculture, while fostering gender inclusivity, environmental responsibility, and sustainable long-term impact. This initiative represents a transformative opportunity to ensure African languages and communities are represented in the global AI landscape.

For more information, visit Masakhane .