Deadline: 6 December 2019
The End Violence Fund is currently accepting Expressions of Interest focused on solutions that leverage existing and new technologies to prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse (online CSEA). Total funds to be awarded through this open call is approximately US$13 million.
The Fund will explore scaling/adapting existing solutions and developing new technologies, using tools such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, blockchain, virtual reality and other innovative solutions that have the potential to enhance detection and response to online child sexual exploitation and abuse and prevent known and emerging threats.
Funding is not necessarily limited to the above. They are interested in solutions that apply technology in innovative, groundbreaking ways that are scalable and globally applicable, enhancing the capacity of all stakeholders to address online CSEA and make children safe online.
Objectives
The Fund is looking for solutions that can help achieve one or more of the four specific objectives below:
- Detect, remove and report images, videos with sexual content involving children and adolescents (often referred to as child sexual abuse material, or CSAM)
- Block adults’ access to children on digital platforms intended to sexually abuse them (usually referred to as online sexual grooming or solicitation)
- Stop live-streaming of child sexual abuse performed in front of a camera (usually referred to as live-streaming of CSEA)
- Prevent online sexual abuse of children before it happens, including prevention and solutions that directly target online child sexual offenders and adults with a sexual interest in children
General Criteria
The End Violence Fund invites nonprofit organizations (CSOs, NGOs, international organizations, research institutes and academic institutions) and private companies to respond to this Expression of Interest (EoI).
Please note that most of the available funds (~US$10 million) aim to support solutions which will benefit countries eligible for ODA (Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti , Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Zimbabwe, Armenia, Bolivia, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, El Salvador, Eswatini, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tokelau, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, West Bank and Gaza Strip, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, China (People’s Republic of), Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Grenada, Guyana, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Montserrat, Namibia, Nauru, Niue, North Macedonia, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Helena, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Serbia, South Africa, Suriname, Thailand, Tonga, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Wallis and Futuna). The remaining funds (~US$3 million) are not subject to this restriction and can support work in non-ODA countries.
Funding Modality
The 2019 End Violence Open Call funding will be available through two modalities:
- Project grants
- Funding Focus: Strengthen the use, adaptation and scale-up of existing technology solutions
- Total funds available: Up to $12 million
- Who can apply: NGOs, CSOs, academic institutions, research institutes and international organizations
- Max duration: 2 years
- Allocation amount: Up to $750,000
- Equity-free seed investments
- Funding Focus: Design and test new technology solutions
- Total funds available: Up to $1 million
- Who can apply: Private companies
- Max duration: 2 years
- Allocation amount: Up to $250,000
Under the 2019 Open Call, eligible submissions to this Request for Expressions of Interest will be invited to submit a full project proposal under one of two funding modalities, as follows:
- In the case of funding modality A, and upon rigorous assessment of the full project proposal, the successful proposal will result in signing of a Grant Confirmation Letter for a period of up to two years and up to US$750,000; and
- In the case of funding modality B, and upon rigorous assessment of the full project proposal, the successful proposal will result in signing of an institutional corporate contract with the successful vendor for a period of up to two years and up to US$250,000.
Considerations of Expressions of Interest with solutions that require more funding than the indicated amount will be considered by the Fund at its sole discretion and only if this is in the best interests of achieving the goals of the funding round.
Eligibility Criteria
End Violence Fund is looking to provide project grants to nonprofits and investment-style, equity-free seed funding to private companies. Only entities that fulfill these mandatory requirements will be considered eligible:
- legally registered entity, either as nonprofit or private company
- the tech solution addresses one or more of the four objectives of the 2019 Open Call
- organization has a safeguarding policy in place (including data privacy) or is willing to develop a policy *
- the proposed solution responds to a clear need/gap, does not duplicate existing tools, and builds upon and/or interacts with existing solutions
- at minimum, an existing prototype of the open source solution with promising results from initial pilots
* The Partnership is committed to supporting organizations to improve their safeguarding capacity and practice. As part of this, the fund asks all grantees to complete the Grantee Self-assessment, which can be found on the materials sidebar. While this is not required as part of expression of interest, please note all shortlisted organizations and companies will be expected to complete this as part of the proposal.
How to Apply
- Applicants should submit their expressions of interest online via given website.
- All submissions must be made in English.
For more information, visit http://bit.ly/2lVYqUI