OTF regularly compiles upcoming deadlines for funding opportunities relevant to Internet freedom, including those from both OTF and alternative funding sources.
If you’d like to receive this announcement directly in your inbox, you can sign up for our low traffic OTF-announce mailing list here. In addition, you can find our compiled list of alternative funding sources here. The opportunities listed below are those with approaching deadlines, while a number of funders accept applications on a rolling basis.
OTF Funding
OTF – Internet Freedom Fund
Next deadline: November 1, 2019
The Internet Freedom Fund is OTF’s primary way to support projects and people working on open and accessible technology-centric projects that promote human rights, Internet freedom, open societies, and help advance inclusive and safe access to global communications networks. Successful applicants are awarded monetary support up to $900,000 and no less than $10,000, with preference given to projects and people who are new to the Internet freedom community, directly serving those living within repressive environments, and are requesting less than $300,000 for a duration of 12 months or less.
Apply: https://www.opentech.fund/requests/internet-freedom-fund
OTF – Core Infrastructure Fund
Next deadline: November 1, 2019
The Core Infrastructure Fund supports the development, improvement, and increased adoption of foundational ‘building block’ technologies that are relied upon by digital security and circumvention projects. This may include efforts focused on sustaining or improving PGP, SSL, SSH, Tor, OTR, pluggable transports, code libraries, or other technologies, infrastructures, and standards that make up the core building blocks of everyday Internet freedom technologies and which are used by people throughout the world to increase their access, privacy, and security online.
Apply: https://www.opentech.fund/requests/core-infrastructure-fund
OTF – Community Prototype Fund
Deadline: Ongoing
The Community Prototype Fund (CPF) is OTF’s newest fund, focused on supporting the rapid development of innovative Internet freedom technology prototypes that serve the immediate needs of the human rights and Internet freedom communities. The CPF works from an idea pool populated with ideas sourced from the Internet freedom community. Activists, journalists, and human rights defenders with urgent technology needs can submit their ideas to this pool. Technologists (applicants) can then view eligible ideas and apply to build them. Alternatively, if you have an idea and want to build it yourself, you can also apply to do that. Focusing on short-term seed funding to jumpstart good ideas, the CPF offers up to $6,000 USD for a maximum duration of 12 weeks. Applications will be reviewed by the OTF community, consisting of current and former fellows and projects, the Advisory Council, and OTF staff. You can learn more in this announcement blog post, or click the link below to apply.
Apply: https://www.opentech.fund/funds/community-prototype-fund/
OTF – Rapid Response Fund
Deadline: Ongoing
The Rapid Response Fund is part of a broader OTF initiative which aims to facilitate the development of a strong digital emergency response community that can work together to resolve threats in a timely and comprehensive manner. OTF offers both direct financial support as well as technical services from trusted service partners to resolve digital emergencies experienced by high-risk Internet users and organizations, such as bloggers, activists, journalists. and human rights defenders.
Apply: https://www.opentech.fund/requests/rapid-response-fund
OTF – Labs
Deadline: Ongoing
For more specific, one-off support needs and services, check out OTF’s Labs: Localization, Community, Engineering, Usability, Red Team, Learning, and Legal.
Learn more about OTF’s Labs here: https://www.opentech.fund/labs
Alternative Funding
Internet Society Foundation – Beyond the Net Small Grant Programme
Deadline: October 30, 2019
The Internet Society’s Beyond the Net Small Grant Programme is available to Internet Society Chapters and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) for “projects such as learning opportunities, skill development, networking events, and membership and marketing campaigns” with a goal of “contribut[ing] to the development of the Chapter and local community” or “strengthen[ing] the impact of the Internet Society’s mission and global initiatives with complementary local activities,” for example. Grants of up to $3,500 per Chapter are available. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and must be completed at least 60 days in advance of the proposed effort.
More information: https://www.isocfoundation.org/grant/beyond-the-net-small-grants/
Counterpart International – Short-Term Technical Assistance (STTA) CertainTLS Developer
Deadline: November 15, 2019
“Counterpart International is an NGO working in the international development sector. One of Counterpart International’s projects, the ISC, enhances internet freedom by improving the defensive cybersecurity capabilities of local partners in developing countries.” The goal of this project is to address security and trust issues in TLS certificates: “The objective of this assignment is to develop and deliver to Counterpart International a fully functional multi-platform trusted-cert-checking application along with its back end…This assignment is expected to begin o/a 1 Dec 2019 and be completed by o/a 31 May 2020.”
More information: https://www.counterpart.org/rfq-short-term-technical-assistance-stta-certaintls-developer/
NLNet Foundation – Privacy & Trust Enhancing Technologies
Deadline: December 1, 2019
NLNet is seeking proposals requesting between €5,000 and €50,000 for projects for Privacy and Trust projects “aimed at providing people with new instruments that allow them more agency – and assist us with fulfilling the human need of keeping some private and confidential context and information private and confidential.” This effort is part of the EU’s Next Generation Initiative (NGI), which seeks to “re-imagine and re-engineer the internet for the third millennium and beyond to shape a value-centric, human and inclusive society for all.”
More information: https://nlnet.nl/PET/
Next Generation Internet Initiative – NGI_TRUST Open Call
Deadline: December 1, 2019
The NGI_TRUST will support projects working on “Better management of consent, to give more control to the user of their data when accessing and using services,” “Technical innovation in privacy enhancing technologies, such as cryptography, federated identity, security and privacy for IoT, privacy-enhancing data transports and data at rest,” and “the application of artificial intelligence/machine learning/neural networks to serve the user’s interests,” among other topics. Projects may specifically focus on “DNS-based security of the Internet Infrastructure,” “Services and technologies that enhance transparency, user intervenability, and accountability in data processing,” or “Quantum-resistant cryptography and methods towards mitigating quantum computing attacks,” for example. Projects are expected to last 6-12 months in duration and support of up to €200,000 is available. Please note that applicants “…may be legal entities or natural persons and should be registered (for organisations) or resident (for individuals) in an EU Member State or a Horizon 2020 associated country.”
More information: https://www.ngi.eu/opencalls/ngi_trust-open-call/
Counterpart International – Short-Term Technical Assistance (STTA) CertainTLS Developer
Deadline: December 31, 2019
Counterpart International has issued an Annual Program Statement (APS) “seeking proposals from prospective partners to implement activities that propose creative and effective approaches to improving the regulatory environment that will enable national, regional and global actors to defend against censorship, surveillance, and legal developments that threaten digital rights…[Counterpart International] anticipates awarding approximately 6-12 grants to fund successful applications submitted in response to this APS. The total amount of funding currently available for proposals is approximately $10,000 to $90,000…Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis.”
More information: https://www.counterpart.org/internet-governance-freedom-grants/
Next Generation Internet Initiative – Decentralized Technologies
Deadline: January 31, 2020
The Next Generation Internet (NGI) Initiative’s Ledger Open Call is accepting submissions from applications looking to “shift data management, leveraging on decentralised algorithms based on blockchains, distributed ledger technology (DLT) and/or peer-to-peer (P2P) technologies to address Privacy-by-Design, reliability, trustworthiness and openness to build human centric solutions.” Ledger plans to accept 16 proposals for up to €150K in funding for each, with the top eight receiving an additional €50K. Ledger is financed by the European Commission and applicants should be registered (for organizations) or residents (for individuals) in an EU Member State or a Horizon 2020 Associated country.
More information: https://www.ngi.eu/opencalls/ledger/
State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) – Internet Freedom Annual Program Statement
Deadline: March 6, 2020
The State Department’s Internet Freedom program has issued its annual program statement detailing its desired criteria for applicants interested in submitting a Statement of Interest (SOI). There are four funding themes: 1) “Technology: Uncensored and Secure Access to the Global Internet,” 2) “Digital Safety,” 3) “Policy and Advocacy,” and 4) “Applied Research,” with preference given to open source technologies and projects that include a long-term sustainability model, feature collaborative partnerships, and which benefit at-risk and marginalized populations. Eligible SOIs should not request “less than $500,000” or “more than $3,000,000.” Organizations may submit no more than two SOIs per deadline.
More information: https://www.state.gov/request-for-statements-of-interest-drl-internet-freedom-annual-program-statement/
Library Freedom Project – Library Freedom Institute
Application Opening Soon
“Library Freedom Institute (LFI) is a privacy-focused training program for librarians to teach them the skills necessary to thrive as Privacy Advocates; from educating community members, to installing privacy software, to influencing public policy…Participants will spend 5 hours per week on a combination of readings, webinars, exercises, class discussion, and assignments. LFI is a free online course with one in-person requirement, which will take place on a weekend in New York City…There is no cost to this program; including the weekend in NYC. LFI is primarily seeking public librarians, but we welcome applications from all librarians who do outreach in their communities.”
More information: https://libraryfreedom.org/index.php/lfi/
FireEye – FireEye Outreach
A new program launched by FireEye aims to provide security assistance to “vulnerable organizations”:“FireEye is launching Outreach to consolidate and strengthen our efforts around providing security expertise and capabilities to those most in need of it. FireEye Outreach is a unique program that can offer qualifying organizations with support through training, intelligence, and technology…This program is designed to serve organizations and individuals most at risk with a demonstrated need for support. Outreach primarily supports think tanks, journalists, NGOs, and non-profits.”
More information: https://www.fireeye.com/blog/products-and-services/2019/10/fireeye-outreach-program-to-assist-vulnerable-organizations.html
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In addition to the open application windows listed above, you can always check our compiled list of alternative sources of support: https://guide.opentech.fund/appendix-iv-alternative-sources-of-support
To receive this and other funding or OTF-related announcements, sign up for our low-traffic OTF-announce mailing list here: https://groups.google.com/a/opentech.fund/forum/#!forum/otf-announce/join