Questions

Is it possible for a nonprofit to submit a proposal while also one of its fiscally sponsored projects a different proposal?

Yes

In the section about what is not being funded, you stated that "Generally addressing the cybersecurity needs of civil society through training, capacity building" However in the Areas of work that may qualify for funding include: you state that;
"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."

could you please clarify on this.

Thank you. This has now been clarified in the full text of the open call. All proposals should focus specifically on spyware. General training or capacity building that is NOT focused on countering spyware or targeted surveillance will not be considered for this round of funding.

At this stage, when it comes to the total grant amount and timeframe, and the organization’s anticipated budget for 2023, would you require just the ballpark figure?

Please be as accurate as you can be. At this stage, round figures within about 20% of the actual amounts should suffice. If invited to submit a full proposal you’ll have the opportunity to provide specific figures.

Is it possible for two civil society organisations to submit a joint proposal? If yes, what is the best way to submit?

Grantees may subgrant to another organization if such activity was clearly described in the grantee's proposal. Please note that grantees will be required to comply with New Venture Fund's reporting requirements which include a description of how grant funds were used. In all cases, a single organization should be the applicant, though the applicant may describe their intended collaboration and subgrant in the concept note (probably in response to the question, "Tell us about your funding request"). If invited to submit a full proposal, you will have more space to elaborate on the intended collaboration between the two organizations.

Is developing a software system for spyware analysis in the scope of this fund?

Please refer to the listed areas of work that may qualify for funding under the "Scope" section of the request for concept notes.

Is building of an incident response system in the scope this fund?

Please refer to the listed areas of work that may qualify for funding under the "Scope" section of the request for concept notes.

Where is the link for the application process?

https://fordfoundation.forms.fm/spyware-accountability-initiative-spring-2023-request-for-concept-notes/forms/9600/responses/new

Can for profit research/consulting firms apply for this grant

Organizations (nonprofit and for-profit), and academic institutions are eligible but we anticipate the bulk of grants going to nonprofit civil society organizations. The use of nonprofit fiscal sponsors is also acceptable.

Are there any volunteer opportunities available to help contribute to this cause?

There are currently no volunteer opportunities associated with this initiative.

Is work to develop a normative/regulatory agreement on the assessment of export licenses for spyware on human rights grounds within the scope for this round of funding?

Yes.