OTF seeking Applications for Community Prototype Fund
Deadline: Ongoing
The Open Technology Fund (OTF) is seeking applications for the Community Prototype Fund (CPF) to support the rapid development of innovative, viable and open Internet freedom technology prototypes that serve the immediate needs of the Internet freedom and human rights communities.
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Through short-term support, technologists and activists can bring to life nascent ideas that help advance inclusive and safe access to global communications networks, counteract censorship and surveillance, and mitigate digital security threats to Internet freedom, specifically in repressive environments.
The Community Prototype Fund (CPF) is designed to empower the community of activists, technologists and front line human rights defenders by providing seed funding for the initial development of ground-breaking technologies and applied research.
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The CPF will connect folks with good ideas to researchers, designers, and developers eager to contribute their energy and talents to such projects, which should generally focus on addressing technological and political developments affecting global Internet freedom.
Open Technology Fund (OTF) prioritizes projects coming from individuals or organizations who are new to the Internet freedom community. This allows to empower a new pool of technology and development talent that may not have been otherwise supported.
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Funding Information
Successful applicants are awarded monetary support up to $6,000 for a duration of less than 12 weeks.
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Duration
OTF’s Community Prototype Fund awards are generally 1 to 12 weeks in duration.
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Ideal Applications for this Fund would Include:
Exploratory research into novel approaches to address specific needs of Internet users in repressive environments.
Short-term low-cost efforts focused on testing a clear set of assumptions or to prove particular concepts.
Executing ideas that come from and are grounded in the realities of activists on the ground.
Enhancing open and collaborative approaches that enrich the community of open source Internet freedom projects.
Criteria
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Relevant to Mission
Proposals should exhibit originality, substance, and relevance to the fund’s mission as stated above.
Ability to Achieve Objectives
Objectives should be ambitious, yet measurable and achievable within the boundaries of the proposed funding. You should not include items that require additional funding beyond the life of the effort. For complete proposals, applicants will have to provide a weekly timeline of project activities.
Applicant’s Record and Capacity
OTF will consider the past performance of prior OTF funding recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants. Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the project’s objectives.
Eligibility Criteria
Ideal applicants are proposing efforts within the scope of this fund and OTF’s mission, values, and principles. In addition, the following criteria must be met:
Individuals of all ages irrespective of nationality, residency, creed, gender, or other factors, with the exception that OTF is not able to support applicants within countries that the United States has trade restrictions or export sanctions as determined by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC);
Non-profit organization/non-government organization, including U.S.-based NGO, PIO, or foreign NGO;
Non-profit university or research institution in any country;
For-profit organization or business in any country;
Consortia of multiple people or organizations with one individual or organization designated as the lead applicant;
Have demonstrated experience administering successful projects, preferably targeting the requested program area, or similarly challenging program environments where OTF reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations;
Ideal applicants should not duplicate or simply add to efforts supported by other USG funding programs;
Ideal applicants must not reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated terrorist organization, whether or not elected members of government.
For more information, visit https://www.opentech.fund/funds/community-prototype-fund/