Deadline: 03-Jun-21
The Venezuela Affairs Unit (VAU) Public Affairs Section (PAS) is pleased to announce an open competition for applicants to submit proposals to carry out grant projects as part of their Media Training & Development (MT&D) and Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program.
Purpose
VAU PAS invites proposals to fund projects that will infiltrate that desert with access to accurate information — projects that support the strengthening of the Venezuelan independent press, use accessible technologies to ensure the free flow of non-biased information, and execute on innovative ways to inform, and keep informed, Venezuelan citizens while maintaining their security under an oppressive environment.
Grant projects take any number of forms, including leveraging technological innovations, analog information campaigns, workshops, courses, trainings, public debates, guerilla media, virtual camps, conferences, creative public interventions, think tanks, online projects, or other activities.
The best proposals will have significant activities focused on reaching audiences inside Venezuela with news and independently-vetted information, but that does not preclude applicants from considering putting together regionally-focused proposals that include participants or partners from neighboring nations.
Note: In light of social distancing measures, and to limit the spread of COVID-19, they welcome creative proposals that navigate the health and security concerns.
Program Themes
VAU is seeking applications that focus on the following themes:
- Reaching Audiences Where They Are: Be that on digital or traditional media, in a gas station queue, on tshirts or television, or via graffiti on a wall, projects should recognize where audiences are and how they might be able – at no cost to them- to consume and distribute information, then propose ways to effectively message in that space.
- Journalism Training & Education: Projects might aim to: increase the professional skills of professional journalists; strengthen the investigative journalism skills of media professionals; train journalists on new techniques and approaches to make the transition to digital journalism; strengthen university programs for journalism students; organize virtual summer camps for aspiring young journalists; teach individuals how to become citizen journalists; offer mentorship programs for the newest generation; and/or promote regional collaboration among professional journalists and journalism students.
- Managing News Outlets And Financing: Projects might aim to: strengthen the ability of owners and managers to operate their independent news outlets and deal with the challenges they face in the 21st century media space. A component could include ways to monetize or create revenue at a time when Venezuela is in economic crisis.
- Expanding Public Debate: Projects might aim to: increase and deepen reporting on community issues and public policy questions at the local, regional, or national levels; increase reporting, including production of content, on role of U.S. assistance to Venezuela and importance of expanded economic, political, and cultural ties between Venezuela and its neighbors; and/or support reporting projects that examine the evolution of bilateral ties between the U.S. and Venezuela.
- Countering Disinformation: Projects might aim to: educate students, journalists, and other media consumers how to recognize, respond to, and combat disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda in the news and on the internet
- Media Freedom / Role Of The Free Press In A Democracy: Projects might aim to: build up understanding within Venezuelan society of the importance of freedom of the press, a prerequisite for a future free and democratic Venezuela, a key value shared by Venezuela and the United States.
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: 3 to 12 months
- Number of awards anticipated: 1-10 awards (dependent on amounts)
- Award amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $100,000
- Total available funding: $150,000 or more pending availability
- Type of Funding: Fiscal Year 2021 Public Diplomacy Funding
- Anticipated program start date: July 3, 2021
Participants and Audiences
- Programs should focus on Venezuelan population between the ages of 16-65.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible Applicants The Public Affairs Section encourages applications who are:
- Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/nongovernmental organizations with programming experience
- Individuals
- Non-profit or governmental educational institutions
- Governmental institutions For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.
- Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.
For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Venezuela.
For more information, visit https://ve.usembassy.gov/notice-of-funding-opportunity-on-access-to-information-media-training-development-mtd/