Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0008973
The grant opportunity titled "Safeguarding Freedom of Expression from Coercive Legal Pressure" is a U.S. Department of State funding program designed to help protect free speech and open information environments outside the United States from legal and quasi-legal pressure linked to the People's Republic of China (PRC) and/or the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The core idea is to strengthen the ability of foreign researchers, journalists, and other civil society actors to recognize, document, and explain how coercive legal tools are used to intimidate or silence speech beyond China's borders. In addition to raising awareness, the program aims to help these communities push back in practical ways by providing training, support, and resources that reduce the real-world impact of such tactics and help correct the broader destabilizing effects they can have on media and public discourse.
This opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically means the U.S. government expects to have an active role in working with the recipient during implementation rather than simply issuing a hands-off grant. The State Department office involved is the Bureau of Global Public Affairs. The total funding available is up to USD 2,500,000, with the expectation of making one award. The planned period of performance is 24 months, meaning the recipient would generally have two years to carry out the proposed activities and deliver results.
The target beneficiaries and participants are foreign-based or internationally focused actors who shape public understanding and information integrity, including journalists, independent researchers, and civil society organizations. The project is specifically framed around countering coercive legal instruments, which can include tactics such as lawsuits or threats of legal action, regulatory pressure, harassment through legal complaints, and other law-based measures that create chilling effects on reporting, commentary, academic work, or public advocacy. The State Department describes these tactics as affecting freedom of speech and expression abroad and as having a destabilizing influence on foreign information environments, which signals a focus not only on individual cases but also on broader systemic impacts like self-censorship, reduced investigative reporting, and distorted public debate.
Eligibility is listed as "unrestricted," meaning it is open to a wide range of applicant types as a general rule, subject to any additional clarifications in the full notice. The program is categorized as discretionary funding, and it is associated with CFDA number 19.040. The opportunity was created on May 27, 2022, and the original closing date for applications was July 11, 2022. The legal authority for the funding comes from FY2021 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act (Division K, Public Law 116-260) and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, which are standard statutory bases for U.S. foreign assistance and related public diplomacy efforts.
In practical terms, a competitive proposal under this opportunity would likely emphasize capacity building and tangible support mechanisms. That could include training programs that help journalists and researchers understand and respond to legal intimidation, resources that strengthen resilience against strategic lawsuits or legal threats, networks that connect affected actors with expertise, and initiatives that improve public awareness of how coercive legal pressure is being used to influence speech internationally. The overall outcome the funder is seeking is a stronger, better equipped community of information actors who can both expose these coercive practices and limit their ability to undermine open discourse.Apply for SFOP0008973
- The Department of State, Bureau of Global Public Affairs in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Safeguarding Freedom of Expression from Coercive Legal Pressure" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 27, 2022.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 11, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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FAQs: Safeguarding Freedom of Expression from Coercive Legal Pressure (U.S. Department of State)
What is the purpose of the "Safeguarding Freedom of Expression from Coercive Legal Pressure" grant opportunity?
This U.S. Department of State funding opportunity is designed to help protect free speech and open information environments outside the United States from legal and quasi-legal pressure linked to the People's Republic of China (PRC) and/or the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The program focuses on strengthening the ability of foreign researchers, journalists, and other civil society actors to recognize, document, and explain how coercive legal tools are used to intimidate or silence speech beyond China's borders, and to reduce the real-world impact of those tactics.
Which U.S. government office is offering this program?
The opportunity is associated with the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Global Public Affairs.
What kinds of threats or tactics does the program focus on?
The program is framed around coercive legal instruments and related pressure that can chill speech. Examples described include lawsuits or threats of legal action, regulatory pressure, harassment through legal complaints, and other law-based measures that intimidate or silence reporting, commentary, academic work, or public advocacy.
Who is the program intended to benefit?
The target beneficiaries and participants are foreign-based or internationally focused actors who shape public understanding and information integrity, including journalists, independent researchers, and civil society organizations.
Is this program focused on the United States or outside the United States?
The program is explicitly focused on protecting freedom of speech and expression outside the United States and on addressing impacts on foreign information environments.
What outcomes is the funder trying to achieve?
The stated outcomes include stronger capacity among journalists, researchers, and civil society to expose coercive legal pressure and to limit its ability to undermine open discourse. The description also signals an interest in reducing broader destabilizing effects in information environments, such as self-censorship, reduced investigative reporting, and distorted public debate.
What types of activities would a competitive proposal likely include?
Based on the opportunity description, competitive approaches would likely emphasize capacity building and tangible support mechanisms. Examples mentioned include training programs to help journalists and researchers understand and respond to legal intimidation; resources to strengthen resilience against strategic lawsuits or legal threats; networks connecting affected actors with expertise; and initiatives that raise public awareness of how coercive legal pressure is used to influence speech internationally.
What type of award is this?
This opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement, which generally means the U.S. government expects to play an active role working with the recipient during implementation rather than issuing a hands-off grant.
How much funding is available?
The total funding available is up to USD 2,500,000.
How many awards are expected?
The opportunity description indicates an expectation of making one award.
What is the period of performance?
The planned period of performance is 24 months, meaning the recipient would generally have two years to implement activities and deliver results.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as "unrestricted," meaning it is open to a wide range of applicant types as a general rule, subject to any additional clarifications in the full notice.
Is this mandatory or discretionary funding?
The program is categorized as discretionary funding.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 19.040.
When was the opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity was created on May 27, 2022. The original closing date for applications was July 11, 2022.
What legal authority supports this funding?
The legal authority listed includes the FY2021 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act (Division K, Public Law 116-260) and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.
Does the opportunity focus only on documenting coercive tactics, or also on practical responses?
It covers both. The description emphasizes helping communities recognize, document, and explain coercive legal tools, while also supporting practical pushback through training, support, and resources intended to reduce the real-world impact of these tactics.
What larger problem in information environments is the grant trying to address?
Beyond individual incidents, the grant is positioned as addressing broader systemic impacts on foreign information environments, including chilling effects that can lead to self-censorship, reduced investigative reporting, and destabilized or distorted public discourse.
Is the focus specifically linked to the PRC and/or the CCP?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly ties the relevant legal and quasi-legal pressure to the PRC and/or the CCP and is designed to counter those coercive practices beyond China's borders.
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