Deadline
11 June, 2021
A free and open Internet allows information to be available to all Internet users, without the risk of censorship or surveillance. This principle has important implications for the exercise of our rights in the digital environment, such as the right to information, freedom of expression and privacy.
This line of funding provided by FRIDA seeks to support alternative and innovative strategies to protect the free and open nature of the Internet and defend the digital rights of vulnerable populations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Topics of interest include:
Online freedom of expression. Innovative initiatives that seek to protect freedom of expression and civic activity in the online environment, or that counteract restrictions on digital content such as blackouts, blocks, arbitrary leaks and the criminalization of legitimate discourse.
Privacy and data protection. Strategies to prevent privacy violations and allow Internet users in the region to control their personal data.
Digital rights and diversity. Innovative initiatives that promote the digital rights and online presence of women, the LGBTQI+ community and minorities, including actions to combat online gender violence and digital security projects.
Application Requirements
Civil Society Organizations, universities, research centers and teams of experts based in Latin America and the Caribbean may apply under the Free and Open Internet category
Any project implemented with the support of FRIDA must use open-source software and/or open-source hardware.
Proposals submitted to this call for projects must focus on Latin America and the Caribbean.
Projects applying for a FRIDA grant must have a maximum duration of twelve months. Each project may request between USD 10,000 and USD 40,000.
The FRIDA Award will be presented to an ongoing initiative or completed project that submits concrete evidence of its impact. This means that projects pending execution or that have not yet started will not be accepted. The Award consists of USD 10,000 plus a full fellowship to attend the awards ceremony that will take place in the next LACNIC presencial event.
Special consideration will be given to initiatives originating in countries that face greater challenges for Internet deployment and with gender diversity in their working groups and women in leadership positions.
We encourage the submission of proposals that address the challenges surrounding the freedom of expression and digital rights of women, the LGBTQI+ community and minorities. If a project proposes the development of software or hardware, this software or hardware must be open-source. Projects that do not meet this requirement will not receive funding.
Evaluation criteria
In the case of the Awards, proposals will be evaluated based on seven criteria: their quality and consistency; how the projects align with the FRIDA thematic categories; the relevance of the problems they seek to solve; the merits of the initiatives; the innovative nature of the projects; the impact achieved by the initiatives; and the replicability and sustainability of the projects.
In the case of the Grants, proposals will be evaluated based on eight criteria: their quality and consistency; the relevance of the problems they seek to solve; the inclusion of achievable and measurable goals; the innovative nature of the projects; their expected impact; the implementation capacity of the proposing entities; the consistency of the budget with respect to the proposed activities; and the sustainability and replicability of the projects.
Selection Process
Projects must be submitted via FRIDA’s Application Platform. Proposals will be accepted until Friday, 11 June at 23:59 (UTC-3), Uruguay time.
The call for projects is divided into two stages. In the first stage, applicants must submit a summary of their projects by completing a form on FRIDA’s Application Platform. Only shortlisted projects will move on to the second stage of the process, during which the submission of a more extensive proposal will be required. The Selection Committee responsible for evaluating the projects submitted under the Free and Open Internet category will be made up by Carolina Aguerre, Amparo Arango and María Paz Canales.
Important dates:
Call for project proposals opens: Monday, 26 April 2021
Deadline for submitting project summaries: Friday, 11 June 2021 at 23:59 (UTC-3)
Announcement of shortlisted projects: Monday, 2 August, 2021
Submission of detailed proposals for shortlisted projects: Tuesday, 3 August to Tuesday, 17 August, 2021
Announcement of results: Monday, 20 September 2021
We recommend you read our frequently asked questions before submitting your proposal. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at: frida@lacnic.net.
How to apply
Once you’ve identified your topic of interest, the next step is to select the type of support for which you wish to apply and complete the application form. For more information, click on apply.