OTF Internet Freedom Fund

Who can apply

• advances internet freedom for people in repressive environments: circumvention, safe communication or access to blocked information

What the form asks

• Project Title: a project title
• Describe your project in 1-3 sentences.: the project in 1-3 sentences
• What problem will your project address?: the problem the project addresses
• If this project is funded, what form will it take?: the project category
• Give a brief overview of the activities in this project.: key milestones and activities
• Are there similar projects that exist already? How is your project different or complementary to those projects?: similar projects and the difference
• How long do you estimate activities will take?: the estimated duration
• How much funding do you estimate you will need? (In US Dollars): the USD amount needed
• Who would benefit from this project?: who benefits and how
• Where are your intended users, or audiences located?: where your users are located
• What is your name?: your name or a pseudonym
• What email address should we use to contact you?: your email
• Why are you, and your team members, the right people to work on this project?: why your team fits
• What is your proposed start date for this project?: optional

Rules

• Rolling: concept notes are accepted any time. The guidebook says notes submitted in one month are reviewed at the start of the next and every applicant gets a reply by email; the fund page says to expect a reply about 6 to 8 weeks after submitting.
• Awards run from $10,000 to $900,000 for up to 24 months; the target support ceiling is $300,000, and ideal requests are $50,000 to $200,000 for 6 to 12 months.
• For efforts that advance internet freedom for people in repressive environments: circumvention, safe communication, access to blocked information, and research on censorship and surveillance.
• Individuals 18 or older and for-profit or nonprofit organizations of any nationality can apply. Applicants in countries under U.S. trade restrictions or OFAC sanctions cannot be supported.
• OTF does not support internet connectivity, ICT4D, legal analysis or policy advocacy projects.
• A strong concept note is invited to a full proposal, then reviewed by the Advisory Council, legal and finance. Payments are made only once deliverables are satisfactorily completed.
• Preference goes to applicants without prior support who understand censorship and surveillance in Global South repressive environments; cost sharing is viewed favorably.
• The concept note form is behind an OTF Apply account (log in or sign up with an email address).

What they want now

OTF Internet Freedom Fund wants Censorship circumvention tools, Secure communication for at-risk users, Applied research on censorship and surveillance