US State Department announces a tender to promote Internet freedom in Ukraine
The US Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Affairs published tender requirements for programs that promote Internet freedom in Ukraine.
US authorities have yet specified the exact amount of the grant, though the department’s press service says it could range anywhere from $500,000 to $1.18 million US dollars. The winner or winners will enter into a one-to-three-year contract with the government and will receive a grant or a cooperation agreement. The winner will be announced in three to six months.
According to the project description, the “the program should have a strong focus on consensus-building among Ukrainian stakeholders on freedom of expression during conflict, specifically addressing the issues of self-censorship and the intersection of national security concerns with freedom of expression online”.
The State Department also stated that the program should “connect domestic [Ukrainian] Internet freedom champions with international experts”.
Generally, the program "should bring together technology experts, lawyers, civil society, media, and private sector representatives to discuss and debate Internet freedom trends, challenges, and policies", as the US Department's website states.
“The program should build the knowledge and advocacy capacity of these groups in order to support cross-sector engagement on domestic Internet freedom issues and to combat regional and domestic threats to freedom of expression online,” the department noted.
The program was organized as part of the USA’s National Cyber Strategy.