Meta, in collaboration with Data Science Africa, has announced the launch of the Llama Impact Grant, aimed at empowering startups and researchers in Sub-Saharan Africa. This initiative is part of Meta’s global Llama Impact Grants program, designed to promote innovative solutions that leverage Llama, the company’s cutting-edge open-source large language model (LLM).
The grant aims to address various social and economic challenges unique to the region, with a particular focus on sectors like health, science, and agriculture. Successful applicants will receive a grant of $20,000 to develop and launch their solutions.
According to Balkissa Ide Siddo, Meta’s Public Policy Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, “We’re still in the early days, but AI is likely to fundamentally change every aspect of our lives – spurring innovation, turbo-charging growth, and driving an explosion in learning and productivity. At the forefront of this transformation are open-source AI models like Meta’s Llama, which are available for free for organizations to use, modify, and build upon.”
A Broad Push for AI Innovation
Meta’s Llama model, including the latest version Llama 3.3, has already been downloaded over one billion times globally. By making this powerful AI tool accessible to all, Meta aims to inspire the creation of impactful products and services, particularly in areas where conventional solutions have proven inadequate.
The Llama Impact Grant will support projects that harness AI to boost productivity, creativity, and socio-economic growth in the region. Meta has emphasised its commitment to fostering ethical and practical solutions that contribute to real societal progress.
Successful Use Cases and Future Plans
Meta’s Llama Impact Grants program launched globally in October 2023, has attracted over 800 applications from more than 90 countries. Past winners include:
Digital Green’s Farmer Chat Project: A multilingual AI chatbot offering tailored agricultural advice to small-scale farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. With Llama’s assistance, the chatbot provides comprehensive, region-specific responses in multiple languages like Hindi, Swahili, and Kikuyu.
Jacaranda Health: An AI-enabled clinical helpdesk designed to provide timely care to new and expecting mothers in Kenya, Ghana, and Eswatini via SMS behavioural nudges and accessible health information.
Applicants for the Llama Impact Grant will be assessed based on their project’s relevance, potential impact, team expertise, ethical considerations, and feasibility of budget and timeline.
The submission deadline is April 18, 2025, and interested innovators can apply through the online application portal.
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2 replies on “Meta Launches AI Grant for African Innovators”
[…] Meta, in partnership with Data Science Africa, has launched the Llama Impact Grant to empower startups and researchers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative aims to support AI-driven solutions across various sectors like health, science, and agriculture, offering $20,000 grants to successful applicants. […]
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