Microsoft and ChangeX Launch First Sustainability Fund in Busan

Busan, South Korea — Microsoft and ChangeX have opened applications for a new sustainability fund in Busan. The program offers local nonprofits the chance to launch original environmental projects or replicate proven initiatives that have succeeded elsewhere.

The Busan Microsoft Sustainability Program, the first of its kind in South Korea, is open to legally registered nonprofit organizations operating in the city, including Gangseo-gu and nearby districts. Applications close on September 5, 2025.

The fund is structured around two tracks. In the Proven Idea track, applicants choose from a list of pre-vetted community projects and receive a fixed grant based on the resources each requires.

Examples include Solar Play Blocks, a renewable energy education project funded at ₩240,000 because the building blocks are provided at no cost. Another, Books for Bright Futures, distributes children’s books on sustainability themes and receives ₩4,200,000 to cover printing and distribution.

Proven Idea projects follow a 30-day onboarding process that includes a short video, an introductory call, forming a team, and submitting an action plan before the first tranche of funding is released. The final 30 percent is paid after the project is implemented and an impact report is submitted. Personnel costs are not covered under this track.

The Own Idea track invites proposals for new projects that align with the fund’s sustainability focus, with grants capped at ₩14 million per project. Final amounts are set according to each project’s scope and budget.

Applications are reviewed by three independent scorers using a rubric that considers alignment with the program’s theme, feasibility, potential impact, and sustainability. In this track, part of the funding may be used for personnel costs.

Funding from either track may be applied to direct project expenses such as venue rental, insurance, materials, tools, and training. It may not be used for work already completed, costs unrelated to the project, or—under the Proven Idea track—any personnel expenses. The fund also excludes activities promoting religious causes, non-charitable purposes, or any form of violence, discrimination, or illegal acts.

This local focus is not incidental. By naming both Gangseo-gu and the wider Busan area, the program underscores the connection between Microsoft’s presence in the district and its community initiatives. The company operates a data center campus in Gurang-dong, and this fund reflects an effort to ensure that its local footprint benefits the surrounding community. In practice, that means directing support to nonprofits and projects that address environmental priorities close to where the company is based.

ChangeX, which manages the fund, is an international nonprofit founded in 2015 in Ireland to address what it saw as a common barrier to community action: the need to “reinvent the wheel” for each new idea. Its platform is designed to put funding and resources directly into the hands of local teams, helping them start impactful projects quickly and effectively.

The organization launched its first pilot in Ireland, starting over 100 community projects, and expanded to Minnesota in 2016 with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. By 2017 it had introduced an “Impact as a Service” model combining funding with proven ideas to empower communities worldwide.

Today, ChangeX operates in more than 30 countries, has launched about 300 community funds, started over 34,000 projects, and directly impacted nearly two million people. Its partners include Microsoft, the LEGO Foundation, Amazon Web Services, ServiceNow, Paramount, Nickelodeon, PwC, and Accenture.

Applications and all required documents can be submitted entirely in Korean or in English, and more information, including a list of eligible Proven Ideas, is available at https://bit.ly/3F9u0ad.