On 20th March 2007, in Geneva, the Global Digital Solidarity Fund awarded the digital solidarity label to nine companies, two institutions, two local councils and one nation state. In the presence of representatives of the founding members, the DSF was keen to publicly acknowledge those actors’ commitment to narrowing the digital divide.

Seven companies received the digital solidarity label for responding to invitations to tender launched by the City of Geneva for ICT-related goods and services. The City of Geneva is the first public authority to have introduced the “1% digital solidarity” principle in its invitations to tender. As a result, the companies in question paid 1% of the value of their contracts, deducted from their profit margins, to the DSF. They are: Coris SA, Ilem SA, Sopra Informatique SA, Telecom System, Bechtle-Comsoft Direct SA, E-Secure SàRL and Dimension Data (Switzerland) SA.

The Republic of Senegal, the City of Geneva, the City of Lausanne, CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research), the Cantonal Hospital of Geneva, Hotel Intercontinental (Geneva) and the companies BCom and StratXX have also been awarded the label for directly adopting the “1% digital solidarity” principle.