The goal of the Spyware Accountability Initiative (SAI) is to address the harms of the global spyware industry on civil society through regulation, litigation, research and investigation, and other means to ensure that governments and corporations cannot use spyware to harm or unjustly surveil the civil society organizations that aim to keep them in check. SAI’s funding strategy will evolve over time. For this round of funding, we invite proposals to help build and sustain the capacity of organizations working on spyware accountability. This is a broad remit and future rounds of funding may be more targeted.

• Threat intelligence and research capabilities focused on cyberweapons used offensively against civil society and social movements.

• Building the organizational capacity of both existing and emergent civil society cybersecurity research and advocacy groups, and increasing field coordination.

• Building the capacity of human rights defenders and journalists - individuals, organizations, and networks - to identify and respond to spyware attacks.

• Coordinated sharing of information, research, and best practices to confront advanced threats among response organizations.

• Advocacy or litigation strategies and interventions focused on the global spyware trade, use of advanced cyberweapons against civil society, and accountability of corporations responsible for the proliferation of these technologies.

• Increasing awareness among investors, journalists, policymakers, and the general public about the global mercenary spyware industry.

• Enabling civil society to more effectively partner with device manufacturers, software developers, commercial security firms, and other relevant companies to identify and address vulnerabilities as well as the design and implementation of protections that directly address the risks and harms of spyware.

• Implementation, management, and use of technical infrastructure that takes advantage of threat intelligence to identify and contain targeted incidents, and that facilitate the sharing of intelligence across the field.

• Investigation into, and support for the harms and consequences of, spyware. This may include: developing psychosocial support programs for high-risk individuals and organizations, understanding the longer-term harms that are experienced by individuals and organizations following targeted spyware attacks, and researching the impact of spyware technologies on democratic societies.

• Support for additional safety and security measures directly related to proposed work in any of the areas of work listed above.

What is not being considered for this round of funding:

• New end-user technology development (e.g., new secure messaging applications)

• General training or capacity building that is not focused on countering spyware or targeted surveillance.

To submit a concept note, in the link above please click "Respond" and fill out the form. You are also welcome to upload supplemental materials but please ensure that the most important information in your proposal is included in the written answers as we cannot guarantee a review of all supplemental material. We strive to keep the concept note submission short as we anticipate a large number of responses. Applicants that move forward will be asked to provide additional information such as a full proposal.

Concept notes will be reviewed by a committee that includes the technical advisory council for SAI. New Venture Fund will make final grantmaking decisions based on recommendations from the Ford Foundation.

The final number of grants and grant amounts will depend on a variety of factors. We anticipate funding 10-20 proposals at $50,000-$200,000 each. Grant terms may be from 12 to 24 months. These ranges are subject to change. You are welcome to indicate flexibility around your budgets or timelines in your submission. Grants must be directly related to the work in the aforementioned scope and may be requested as project-specific, core, or general support.