Deadline: 15-Jul-21
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv announces a call for grant proposals for non-governmental organizations to combat disinformation and malign narratives spread via social and traditional media in Ukraine.
Subject to availability of funds, the Embassy will award small grants as described below to Ukrainian, U.S. and other non-governmental, not-for-profit organizations.
Projects must be tailored towards Ukrainian audiences, and all project activities supported by the U.S. Embassy grant should take place in Ukraine.
Proposed projects should demonstrate sustainability after their completion and include monitoring and evaluation plans.
Focus Areas
Funded projects will cover the following areas:
- Empowering citizen activists, non-governmental organizations, media, and others to combat malign narratives and disinformation. Projects could involve recruiting, training and facilitating the work of activists, media, volunteers and civil society organizations to more assertively combat disinformation. Projects should, where possible, propose active coordination with other organizations engaged in similar efforts and use data analytical tools to guide their engagement when possible.
- Increasing the use of data analytical tools to identify, monitor and respond to disinformation. Such tools are increasing in use, though many organizations are still relying on manual, Internet search-engine based methods of identifying disinformation. Tools could be used to speed identification of malign narratives and disinformation, geographically and temporally identify narratives and pieces of disinformation, and map networks by which narratives are propagated. Proposals could also propose training others in the use of such tools, describe innovative ways of using data analytical tools, propose ways of sharing information, train others in the use of data analytical tools, or provide access to such tools by the public, media, government, or other organizations. Proposals should also demonstrate that organizations have capacity to analyze information identified via data analytical tools and explain how dissemination to organizations, media, government bodies, international partners, the public or others will take place.
- Coordinating the actions of volunteers, activists, media, non-governmental organizations and others. The number of organizations in Ukraine engaged in combatting disinformation has proliferated recently. Proposals could assist in the coordination of these organizations with each other and with media, government and donor organizations. Organizations with proven track records and credibility in the field will be more favorably reviewed.
- Providing training, technical assistance and advisory services to government bodies.
- Conducting outreach to specific Ukrainian audiences in an effort to reduce their vulnerability to disinformation, misinformation, and malign narratives. Such audiences should be carefully and explicitly defined in the proposals. Outreach should rely on relevant narratives, where possible defined by data analysis provided by organizations involved.
Project proposals may include sub-grants for additional organizations. Organizations that propose sub-granting should demonstrate strong capacity (human resources and technical) that would make this project component effective.
Organizations with a strong track record working in Ukraine will be more favorably reviewed. Proposed projects should also demonstrate sustainability after their completion.
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: 6-12 months
- Number of awards anticipated: 1-10, pending availability of funds
- Award amounts:
- Award Floor: $40k,
- Award Ceiling: $150k.
- Total available funding: $700,000
Eligibility Criteria
- Non-governmental organizations.
- Eligible organizations and their members may not represent any political party or serve as appointed or elected public officials at the time of application or for the duration of the grant. Non-governmental organizations, which belong to and/or are financially supported by any political party, are not eligible to apply.
- Eligible organizations may not make any expenditures with their own funds on behalf of candidates, political parties, party coalitions, or their representatives.
- Grant money cannot contribute to any political campaigns or offset the expense of contributing to any political campaign.
- Eligible organizations may not publish or communicate anything that explicitly favors or opposes any political candidate, political party, or party coalition.
- Application to or receipt of funds from this competition does not disqualify any organization from competing for other U.S. government funds.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=333988