If just one EU country was involved, bilateral assistance from that country's Government would be more appropriate. However, this does not mean that the programme is irrelevant to the private sector, consideration is also given to projects that intend to strengthen the IT infrastructure for business. The programme is also happy to consider proposals from Chambers of Commerce and industrial or commercial associations and federations. The divide is within, as well as between, countries, and not simply in the developing world. However, the internal gap is more dramatic in developing countries.
Poverty can make a terrible mockery of the information revolution.
The point was made forcibly in May 1998 by the distinguished Indian scientist Dr M.S. Swaminathan, whose role in introducing dwarf wheat varieties to India in the 1960s was a key part of the Green Revolution. Examples of results cited include finding a local veterinarian to cure a sick cow, to downloading a local map from the US Navy website, showing wave heights and wind directions in the nearby Bay of Bengal. State-owned corporations of which small shares are held by the private sector may also be eligible, provided there are no payments of dividends to shareholders. In line with the spirit of the programme, applicants must be part of a consortium of partners from at least two EU member states and one from Asia. This is a minimum.