Microgrants policy

MICROGRANTS FOR MEDIA, NGO, AND ACTIVIST INITIATIVES RESISTING INTERNET CENSORSHIP IN RUSSIA

Grants Policy

  1. Applicants can be individuals, online communities, or organizations, either officially registered or unregistered.
  2. Projects submitted for the grant must have a technical focus, meaning they should involve the development or improvement of a technical solution with an emphasis on digital security.
  3. Grant projects must align with eQualitie’s values and be aimed at protecting freedom of communication in the Russian internet and/or have an anti-war focus.
  4. eQualitie considers applications with budgets ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 and execution periods of 1-3 months.
  5. The requested budget can be allocated for:
    1. Payment for the services of an implementer provided by eQualitie. This may include specialists such as developers, consultants, analysts, or security experts.
    2. Payment for the services of an implementer proposed by the applicant. For the purposes of this document, any such specialist shall hereafter be referred to as “the implementer”.
  6. 6. The areas of work covered by the grant budget for projects aimed at ensuring the digital security of organizations and/or their target audiences include:
    1. Adoption and installation of web platforms and CMS;
    2. Database development and optimization;
    3. Data parsing and analytical processing;
    4. Digital security audits;
    5. Penetration testing for software and web systems;
    6. Professional consultancy for organizational security policy setup;
    7. Implementation of secure communication processes and systems;
    8. Creation of technology strategies for projects or organizations;
    9. Training staff in secure and effective use of digital tools.
  7. The requested budget can be used to cover the work of an implementer provided by the grantor for the duration of the project. The grants are designed to support teams, helping them address development, or project improvement needs by engaging experts from the professional community.
  8. Payment for the work of an implementer proposed by the applicants themselves is also possible; however, preference will be given to projects that actively leverage the community’s expertise and resources to address technical tasks.
  9. If the applicant only has a project idea and no implementer, eQualitie will assist in finding one. In the corresponding section of the application, the applicant can describe the qualifications and skills required.
  10. In the application form, the applicant can indicate whether to choose the most qualified implementer from all applicants or only from the verified eQualitie candidates. The applicant should consider that specifying more criteria for choosing an implementer will extend the search time and result in fewer candidates.
  11. Intellectual property for a grant-supported project may belong to the applicant or the implementer. However, eQualitie will prioritize applications that utilize open-source code and free licenses.
  12. Applications are accepted until January 31, 2025, through the form available at https://hypha.equalit.ie/.
  13. How we evaluate applications. All applications will be assessed equally based on the following criteria:
    1. Does the proposed project fit the goals and scope of eQualitie work?
    2. Has the team demonstrated that their project is needed and will be relevant and beneficial for specific groups?
    3. Is the project unique, or is it duplicating an existing solution already available for use?
    4. Is the project schedule appropriate for the level of project complexity? Are milestones clearly described?
    5. Does the team have the organizational resources to manage the project? If not, has the team openly requested eQ mentorship?
    6. Has a needs assessment for the technical task been conducted? Are the results of this analysis available?
    7. Has the team analyzed and described potential risks and backup strategies?
  14. We will select 5 to 10 projects for funding based on the review results and independent voting by a panel of experts selected by eQualitie. The results will be announced by February 5, 2025, via email from grants[at]equalitie.org.
  15. If the applicant disagrees with any of the grant competition rules, they can write about it in the special field of the application form. eQualitie undertakes to consider each such appeal.
  16. 16. For communication with the eQualitie Grant competition’s program committee, send an email to: grants[at]equalitie.org.

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