Safe Online 2021 Open Call
End Violence Partnership launches two Safe Online open calls for funding for US$ 15 million to make the internet safe for children - #safeonline
Today, The End Violence Partnership is announcing the 2021 Safe Online investment round of US$ 15 million focused on strengthening systems and technology solutions to enable more effective and coordinated efforts to tackle online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA).
This investment round will be implemented through two open calls for proposals:
These calls for proposals will be open from today until midnight Eastern Time on November 15, 2021. Click on the tap for Regional Call and Global Call to learn more about the eligibility criteria, general conditions, how to apply, etc.
Since 2017, the Safe Online initiative at the End Violence Partnership has invested $48 million into 60 projects with impact in over 70 countries. Funds are deployed across four interrelated areas to build stronger systems, evidence, models and solutions to make the internet safe for children. This approach builds on existing evidence, lessons and progress that the Safe Online portfolio of grantees, partners and the wider ecosystem have made in recent years to develop stronger and more coordinated response to online CSEA.
Learn more about our grantees by exploring the Safe Online tab of our Grantee Directory, or sign up to the End Violence Newsletter.
Enhancing capacity, networks, and systems in Eastern and Southern Africa and Southeast Asia
For its fifth funding round, Safe Online is leveraging the emerging evidence from the research project Disrupting Harm by investing in projects poised to make ground-level change in the two regions where Disrupting Harm was implemented.
The primary focus of this Regional Open Call for proposals is to strengthen country level capacity, cross-sector collaboration and international cooperation based on existing multi-stakeholder frameworks and networks, and in alignment with national efforts to tackle other forms of violence against children to enable more effective and coordinated prevention and response to online CSEA. This funding round also builds off the Safe Online first two rounds of investment in 2017 and 2018, all of which focused on strengthening systems at the local, national and regional levels in line with the Model of National Response developed by the We Protect Global Alliance.
In 2019, the End Violence Partnership invested $7 million in Disrupting Harm, a large-scale research project to better understand how digital technology facilitates the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. Through this project, the implementing partners (ECPAT International, INTERPOL, an UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti ) gathered evidence from 13 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa and Southeast Asia, identifying practical, actionable solutions to protect children both on and offline.
How much?
Each organization or consortia can apply for a maximum of US$ 1 million for a project with a duration of maximum 3 years.
Who can apply?
For this open call we are actively seeking submissions of proposals from nonprofit organisations, such as civil society organisations (CSOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), international organisations, research institutes and academic institutions. For-profit organisations will also be eligible to apply. Consortia of organizations with different strengths and expertise are highly encouraged.
This is a regional call for Eastern and Southern Africa and Southeast Asia. Building on the groundbreaking research of the large-scale project Disrupting Harm, proposals are invited from the following countries:
What should proposals address?
Proposals are invited for projects aimed at strengthening national systems to prevent and respond to online child sexual exploitation and abuse through targeted measures to achieve one or more of these three objectives:
- Strengthen national infrastructure, including law enforcement, criminal justice and social care capacity to prevent and respond to online offending against children
- Improve early intervention to prevent victimisation of children, and victim support to assist in recovery
- Engage families and caregivers in preventing the sexual exploitation and abuse of children, and responding to harmful or otherwise unwanted experiences online
How to design your proposal?
Make sure you read this document to learn more about the three objectives and required initiatives and other examples to better understanding how to design your proposal.
The Safe Online initiative has a clear preference for proposals that can demonstrate:
- Active involvement of local partners and authorities in the design and delivery of activities including strengthening of local capacity through the project
- Alignment with End Violence initiatives such as Pathfinding Countries and Safe to Learn, and strategic partnerships with Safe Online grantees and partners across levels
- Cross-sectorial and holistic approach including interlinkages between online violence and other forms of abuse
- Availability to match the funding and strong evaluation and impact assessment component
How to apply?
To learn more about the general conditions and eligibility criteria, explore the Guidelines, and to access all the documentation needed including the application form see the Invitation Pack.
Proposal applications must be submitted through the Online Form. All submissions must be made in English, submissions in other languages will not be accepted. Please attach the required annexes with your application form.
The last day for submissions of applications is 15 November 2021 midnight EST. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted and may be requested to provide additional clarification, as applicable.
Do you have any questions?
Please check this FAQ (updated weekly) or submit questions through this form. Answers to all questions submitted will be shared publicly.
Technology solutions to make the internet safe for children
In October of 2020, Safe Online invested US$10 million into projects seeking to advance new, groundbreaking technological tools to prevent – and end – online child sexual exploitation and abuse. With this new Open Call, we are seeking to expand on this work by continuing to create, adapt and scale technologies to deter online child sexual abuse. These technological tools could incorporate artificial intelligence, machine learning, augmented reality, virtual reality, Internet of Things, blockchain, and more.
Specifically, we are looking for projects that will achieve one or more of the following objectives:
- Detect, remove, and report images and videos of child sexual abuse material in a way that facilitates action, assists victims, and persecutes offenders
- Block adults’ exploitative or inappropriate access to children on digital platforms, deterring grooming, soliciting and other offending behaviours
- Stop livestreaming of child sexual abuse performed in-front of a camera (typically referred to as live-streaming of child sexual exploitation and abuse)
- Prevent online sexual abuse of children before it happens, including prevention and deterrence solutions that directly target online child sexual offenders and adults with a sexual interest in children
How much?
The open call for this funding stream falls under two modalities: project grants, and equity-free seed investments. Non-profit organisations and private companies can apply for a project grant of up to US $750,000; private companies can apply for seed investments up to US $250,000 for projects with a duration of maximum 2 years.
Who can apply?
For this open call we are actively seeking submissions of proposals from nonprofit organisations, such as civil society organisations (CSOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), international organisations, research institutes and academic institutions. For-profit organisations will also be eligible to apply. Consortia of organizations with different strengths and expertise are highly encouraged.
What should proposals address?
Importantly, for this funding call, Safe Online will give preference to projects that are open access, and those that seek to create tools, research and outputs that will be made available to the widest range of actors possible.
To learn more about the general conditions and eligibility criteria, explore the Guidelines, and to access all the documentation needed including the application form see the Invitation Pack.
How to apply?
Proposal applications must be submitted through the online form. All submissions must be made in English, submissions in other languages will not be accepted. Please attach the required annexes with your application form.
The last day for submissions of applications is 15 November 2021, midnight EST. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted and may be requested to provide additional clarification, as applicable.
Do you have any questions?
Please check this FAQ (updated weekly) or submit questions through this form. Answers to all questions submitted will be shared publicly.
