Questions

Have finalists been notified already?

This has begun but not completed. We expect emails to go out this week and next.

Hi! can a non profit Association apply?

Yes.

What date and time is deadline for the RFP?

Proposals are due this Friday at midnight EDT. You can view this information on the main RFP page.

Hi,
Is there a limit to the overhead to be requested?
Thank you.

Not at this stage. We may have this conversation with applicants selected to submit full proposals.

Can you please send me the list of questions for the application so I can see it before hand.

Also list of supporting documents needed along with the application?

Many thanks

Noha

Please click “respond” to see all of the questions needed.

Hi,
There does not seem to be a way to include hyperlinks in the RFP responses. Would you prefer that applicants include the URL of the resources that they have relied on?
Thank you

Yes.

Two questions—the first is easy: I assume projects with a US-only focus will be acceptable (as well as international projects)?

Second, would the reviewers be open to studies of critical digital infrastructure maintained by government groups that currently is largely *not* open source, with an eye to attitudes from policymakers and procurers that might be keeping open source options off the table, and the social impacts of the software not being open-source?

1) Yes.
2) We can’t determine whether projects are in or out of scope at this time.

Hi,
Is it ok for an applicant to provide hyperlinks as references when completing their response to the RFP?
Thank you

Yes.

Hi,
Some grants carry the condition that researchers who are named in the grant application are not eligible to draw salaries from the grant money. Does the present RFP have this condition?
Thank you

It does not.

Hi,
Is it acceptable that more collaborators are added to the project once the RFP has already been submitted? I am referring to addition of collaborators at the stage of submission of the full proposal, or once an applicant successfully receives a grant?
Thank you

Yes. There are no constraints on adding additional collaborators later.

Hi,
Is 'digital infrastructure' to be understood in the manner it has been explained in the report, 'Roads & Bridges'? Can one instead formulate a meaning of digital infrastructure to include e-governance projects, or in the way that other literature defined 'digital infrastructure'?
Thank you

We ask that all submissions follow the definition of digital infrastructure outlined in the report and the RFP itself. While there are many other ways to define digital infrastructure, they are out of scope of this specific RFP.

Are educational programs within scope for implementation grants? My university is working with a local community center to pilot an open source platform as part of their digital inclusion strategy. We are creating a framework through which students would contribute toward an initial implementation as part of a new educational program in response to Covid-19.

Whether or not this is in scope will depend on the details and on the reviews of the advisory board. We can't make definitive scope determinations here, but I can say that the focus is on the open source ecosystem, and impacts on that ecosystem in general. Projects that are simply about utilizing an open source platform to achieve a goal are generally not within scope, no matter how important that goal might be.

Hi,
My question is similar to Question No. 7. The 2020 RFP states, "we invite proposals that would move findings from the first funded research cohort into practice." Will a brief summary of the findings from the first funded research cohort be made available? If yes, by when can one expect the summary to be published online?
Thank you

You can find some of the research findings of the first cohort at www.fordfoundation.org/digitalinfrastructure. Unfortunately due to constraints placed by the pandemic and financial constraints to launch this RFP in 2020, not all research will be available before the deadline of September 4th.

Are the previous research projects or summaries from the 2018 portfolio available to view?

Links to research, one pagers and videos of the previous 2018 portfolio will be available soon at www.fordfoundation.org/digitalinfrastructure - stay tuned!

Are NGOs, operating within Lebanon, eligible to apply?

There are no restrictions at this time for submitting concept notes. All final applications will need to go through a legal review compliance process and any potential conflicts or eligibility issues will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

I run an NGO in Karnataka, India. We want to develop appropriate technology for achieving the following. Am I eligible for grant
- Remote tracking and monitoring of on field activities.
- Effectively leverage captured data for continuous and efficient process improvement
- Transparently and on time reporting with feed back to the key stakeholders
- Gather data centrally for effective actionable insights to support the last mile transactions for the farmers

We are not making determinations on specific project ideas before submission. I strongly recommend reviewing the RFP and attached materials. I believe it will be clear whether your suggested project falls within the scope of the RFP.

Hi--I work at a university. Can an institution submit more than one application? Thank you.

Yes - organizations are welcome to submit more than one application.

Where can i download the full RFP application for 2020 digital Infrastructure research

Please click the "respond" button and you will be brought to the submission form.

Which costs are billable within the scope of project financing? Can direct costs (remuneration for collaborators) be claimed? By which means would these costs be disbursed?

All costs should be included in the total amount including overhead, direct expenses, salaries, materials, etc. If a concept note is invited for a full proposal we will request more information about budget lines.

Are there more details about this RFP - concept note requirements, budget templates, and where to send application to?

When you click "respond" you will be brought to the form to submit your concept note with all of the information in your question. Thanks!