Civil Society Program to Counter Disinformation in Ukraine

A. Project Description The U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy Kyiv announces an Open Competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that support combatting disinformation and malign narratives spread via social and traditional media in Ukraine. A.1 Background The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv announces a call for institutional partners with extensive experience and capacity in training and outreach among Ukrainian non-governmental and media organizations in the field of countering disinformation to submit proposals for sustaining the efforts of such Ukrainian organizations by conducting and funding a small grants competition. The grants competition would provide funds to successful applicants to combat disinformation and malign narratives spread via social and traditional media in Ukraine. Subject to availability of funds, the Embassy will award a grant as described below to an organization. The successful applicant must have previous experience managing the award amount in Section A or greater and must demonstrate capacity to manage a nation-wide grants competition in countering disinformation. The criteria for the competition should ensure that proposals be tailored toward Ukrainian audiences, and all project activities supported through these funds should take place in Ukraine. Proposed projects should demonstrate sustainability after their completion and include monitoring and evaluation plans. The length of the project may be up to two years. Individual projects may be funded at a range between $40,000 and $150,000. A.2 Goals Projects should Empower citizen activists engaged in the broad effort to combat malign narratives and disinformation. Analyze information identified via data analytical tools and open-source digital research and disseminate that analysis to the public, media/journalists, government bodies, international partners, and other relevant groups. Conduct outreach to specific Ukrainian audiences in an effort to reduce their vulnerability to disinformation, misinformation, and malign narratives. Projects should be designed to achieve the following: Objective 1: Support the work of established activists, media, volunteers, and civil society organizations to assertively combat disinformation. Objective 2: Collect and analyze data on disinformation campaigns via both open source and data analytical tools to inform target audiences (media, activists, volunteers, and civil society organizations) and award implementer. Objective 3: Identify relevant information that will be disseminated to the media/journalist. A.3Main Activities To achieve the goals and expected results, the program should include the following: Active coordination with other organizations including, but not limited to, activists, media, volunteers, and civil society organizations engaged in similar efforts, relying on existing networks (Note: Projects could provide support to smaller organizations already involved in combating disinformation to continue their work. Projects that use data analysis and digital forensics from their own or other existing organizations active in Ukraine will be viewed favorably.). Conduct and coordinate outreach events via the dissemination of information to specific Ukrainian audiences including but not limited to Ukrainians located in areas most susceptible to malign Russian influences (eg. Eastern Ukraine, areas under active or potential threat from war) in an effort to reduce their vulnerability to disinformation, misinformation, and malign narratives. Provide resources, including in online format. Empower and support activists, possibly through trainings and other methodology. Support subawards to established and effective grassroots-level organizations. Research and analysis of open-source materials regarding disinformation campaigns targeting Ukraine. Development and/or use of existing data analytical tools to collect and analyze data on disinformation efforts in Ukraine. Development of informational products to be shared with media/journalists to reduce their vulnerability to disinformation, misinformation, and malign narratives. Information sessions specifically for media/journalists on combatting disinformation, misinformation and malign influences and the role of media in this effort. A.5 Performance Indicators # of organizations, media representatives and volunteers reached. # of subgrants issued. # of people reached via outreach events. # of data sources used in data collection and analysis # of reports generated # of media representatives/journalists receiving training # of media representatives/journalists reached with informational products. Competitive proposals must demonstrate the applicant’s ability to: tailor proposals toward Ukrainian audiences. implement all project activities, supported through these funds, in Ukraine. manage the award amount listed under Total Funding, page 1, or a greater amount based on previous experience managing federal awards. implement a Ukrainian-wide grants competition in countering disinformation. support sustainability of the award. create and include monitoring and evaluation plans. All applicants will be required to address A. Project Description in the Scope of Work attachment (see Section D.2.1.6). B. Federal Award Information Organizations can submit one application in response to the NOFO. If more than one application is submitted by an organization, only the first application received will be reviewed for eligibility and funding. The U.S. Government may: (a) reject any or all applications, (b) accept more than one application, and (c) waive irregularities in applications received. The U.S. Government may make award(s) based on initial applications received, without discussions or negotiations. Therefore, each initial application should contain the applicant's best terms from a cost and technical standpoint. The U.S. Government reserves the right to enter discussions with one or more applicants in order to obtain clarifications, additional detail, or to suggest refinements in the project description, budget, or other aspects of an application. U.S. Embassy Kyiv anticipates awarding a grant. The authority for this funding opportunity is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA). [To maximize the impact and sustainability of the award(s) that result from this NOFO, U.S. Embassy Kyiv retains the right to execute non-competitive continuation amendment(s). The total duration of any award, including potential non-competitive continuation amendments, shall not exceed 54 months, or four and a half years. Any non-competitive continuation is contingent on performance and pending availability of funds. A non-competitive continuation is not guaranteed, and the Department of State reserves the right to exercise or not to exercise this option.] C. Eligibility Information U.S. Embassy Kyiv welcomes applications from U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations subject to section 501(c) (3) of the U.S. tax code; foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO). Please see 2 CFR 200.307 for regulations regarding program income. C.2 Cost Sharing or Matching Providing cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not an eligibility factor or requirement for this NOFO and providing cost share will not result in a more favorable competitive ranking. C.3 Other Eligibility Criteria Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with local in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders and have successfully administered similar projects. Applicants must have the ability to: focus efforts for Ukrainian audiences. implement all project activities in Ukraine. manage the award amount listed under Total Funding, page 1, or a greater amount based on previous experience managing federal awards. implement a Ukrainian-wide grants competition in countering disinformation. support sustainability of the award. create and include monitoring and evaluation plans. Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and/or has a current debt to the U.S. government is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR,1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR,1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity or person listed on the Excluded Parties List System in SAM.gov can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Excluded Parties List System in SAM.gov to ensure that no ineligible entity or person is included in their application. To be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (UEI), as well as a valid registration on SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations. Applicants, including U.S. affiliates of international organizations must provide a valid Unique Entity Identification (UEI), and completed SAM.gov registration when submitting application on GRANTS.gov and U.S. Embassy Kyiv’s website (https://ua.usembassy.gov/) in response to this NOFO. Applicants that do not have a valid UEI and completed SAM.gov registration will NOT be eligible for consideration. Implementing partners/sub-recipient organizations are required to have a valid UEI number. D. Application and Submssion Information D.1 Address to Request Application Package Applicants can find application forms and other materials needed to apply on GRANTS.gov (www.GRANTS.gov) and U.S. Embassy Kyiv’s website (https://ua.usembassy.gov/) under the announcement title “Ukraine: Civil Society Program to Counter Disinformation in Ukraine,” funding opportunity number “PAS-Ukraine-2022-12.” Please contact the U.S. Embassy Kyiv point of contact listed in Section G if requesting reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or for security reasons. Please note that reasonable accommodations do not include deadline extensions. See https://ua.usembassy.gov/uk/education-culture-uk/media-development-fund-eng/ for more information regarding the process to obtain required registrations.