GrantRadar

Open Technology Fund (OTF)

Internet Freedom Fund

The Open Technology Fund's main, rolling fund for technology-focused internet freedom projects: open-source censorship-circumvention and anti-surveillance tools, applied research, digital security ecosystem work and community convenings. It is aimed at people living under the world's most repressive censorship and surveillance, and OTF prefers first-time applicants, under-represented groups and people with Global South experience. OTF is funded by the US Congress through the US Agency for Global Media. It awards performance-based contracts, not grants, paid in US dollars when agreed deliverables are completed. Awards run from US$10,000 to US$900,000 for up to 24 months, with a target ceiling of US$300,000 and most between US$50,000 and US$200,000.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Amount not specified
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Heavy
budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

  • Individuals aged 18+ and organisations, for-profit or non-profit, of any nationality, creed or sex
  • OTF cannot support applicants in countries subject to US trade restrictions or OFAC export sanctions; the UK is not one, so a UK charity is technically eligible
  • The work must fit OTF's remit: technology-focused internet freedom work that benefits people living in the world's most repressive censorship and surveillance environments
  • OTF gives preference to organisations and individuals without prior OTF support, those under-represented in the field, those working in underfunded areas, and those located in or with direct experience of the Global South, repressive environments, or targeted minority groups (human rights, LGBT, journalism, media, activism)
  • Contracts include standard US Government-funded agreement provisions
  • In practice, only UK charities working on digital rights, circumvention or security technology for people in repressive countries are relevant; general UK community work is out of scope

What it funds

Technology-focused projects within OTF's mission of increasing free expression, circumventing censorship and obstructing repressive surveillance. Four categories:

  1. Technology development, from prototype to deployment: new open-source circumvention tools; improving the security, usability, accessibility and adaptability of existing open-source internet freedom tools; ways to redistribute content behind government firewalls; next-generation tools; and security standards and quality assurance for core infrastructure projects
  2. Applied research that feeds directly into technology development: real-time monitoring of threats to internet freedom, research on circumvention methods, and user research on people living under repressive surveillance and censorship
  3. Improving the digital security ecosystem: system-wide investments that help practitioners, threat-intelligence researchers and community actors counter censorship and surveillance
  4. Events and community convenings: R&D gatherings and community-organised events on privacy, circumvention and digital security

Funding covers direct project costs tied to agreed objectives and deliverables.

What it will not fund

  • Basic internet connectivity (except in limited cases around politically instigated internet shutdowns)
  • ICT4D / civic technology projects using technology for societal development
  • One-off training, training of trainers, or organisational capacity building as the primary outcome
  • Standalone overhead, operational or administrative costs (exceptionally allowed, capped at 10% of direct costs)
  • Lump-sum funding: payment follows completion of agreed deliverables
  • Applicants in countries under US trade restrictions or OFAC export sanctions

OTF strongly prefers open-source, freely available tools; commercial or proprietary projects are a low priority

How to apply

  1. Read the Internet Freedom Fund page and the OTF Applicant Guidebook (https://docs.opentech.fund/otf-application-guidebook), especially the Concept Note Guide and review process
  2. Create an account and submit a short Concept Note online at https://apply.opentech.fund/internet-freedom-fund-concept-note/ (a walkthrough video explains each question)
  3. Concept notes are reviewed at the start of the following month; OTF may ask clarifying questions, then emails you an invitation to submit a full Proposal (with a due date) or a decline with feedback
  4. If invited, submit a full Proposal with detailed activities, deliverables, timeline and budget; OTF usually sends follow-up questions
  5. At least two Advisory Council members review the proposal, then OTF decides
  6. Approved proposals go through executive, legal and financial review, then a contract is issued to sign
  7. An OTF Program Manager oversees the contract; payments are made only after deliverables are satisfactorily completed

English is the language of record; applications in other languages are translated

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Have ready

  • Concept Note (online form)
  • Full Proposal with objectives, deliverables, timeline and budget (if invited)

Attachments are optional; include one only if it strengthens the application and cannot be added as a link

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