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Organization Profile

Open Technology Fund

aka OTF, Free and Open Source Software Sustainability Fund, Open Tech Fund, open technology
NonprofitInternet Freedom & Digital Rights, Sovereign Tech & Public-Interest Digital InfrastructureActivewww.opentech.fundX ↗
Open Technology Fund (OTF) is an independent non-profit organization, funded through annual appropriations passed by the United States Congress, that supports projects countering repressive censorship and surveillance so people can exercise their human rights online. It funds individuals and organizations through the Internet Freedom Fund, Rapid Response Fund, Surge and Sustain Fund and FOSS Sustainability Fund, runs the Information Controls Research Program, and offers services through its resource labs. It reports supporting more than 450 projects.1,2,3,4
Apply on apply.opentech.fund

Open & upcoming

1 deadline ahead

Programs

4 active
  • Free and Open Source Software Sustainability FundGrants

    OTF's fund for the sustainability of free and open source software used for internet freedom, making targeted awards (from $7k/month up to $400k over 24 months) for maintenance, interoperability, security, and resilience of FOSS tools. Awards run through a two-stage competitive process (concept note, then proposal with advisory council review) as deliverable-based performance contracts; supported projects include F-Droid, DEfO, and Mailvelope, and an application round ran March-May 2026.

  • Internet Freedom FundGrants · USD 10,000 to USD 900,000 for up to 24 months

    OTF funds internet-freedom technology, applied research, digital-security ecosystem work and convenings through performance-based contracts. Rolling applications use a concept-note and full-proposal process. Awards range from USD 10,000 to USD 900,000 for up to 24 months; preferred requests are USD 50,000-200,000 for six to twelve months. Payments follow agreed deliverables.

  • OTF Rapid Response Service Provider RFP 2026RFP · Up to $150,000 per contract for the initial period

    OTF is procuring digital emergency support services through time-and-materials contracts. Each initial one-year contract has a ceiling of USD 150,000; work and payment are not guaranteed. This procurement is separate from applications for emergency assistance.

  • Rapid Response FundGrants · Direct financial support typically up to USD 50,000 for six months or less

    The Open Technology Fund's Rapid Response Fund provides short-term, urgent digital security support for at-risk users facing clear, time-sensitive, state-sponsored digital emergencies. Applications are rolling.

2026 timeline

Free and Open Source Software Sustainability Fund
March-May 2026 round: Closed, deadline 2026-05-07
OTF Rapid Response Service Provider RFP 2026
2026 service-provider proposals: Deadline ahead, deadline 2026-11-23

Awards

58 on file
Showing 51-58 of 58, newest dated evidence first
  1. Tails
    ProgramFree and Open Source Software Sustainability Fund
    AmountFunding to date $972,620 (cumulative; most recent grant 2023)
    DateNot recorded
    Source ↗
  2. Tella
    ProgramInternet Freedom Fund
    AmountFunding to date $811,314 (cumulative; most recent grant 2024)
    DateNot recorded
    Source ↗
  3. Terali: East and Southeast Asia Civil Society Resilience
    ProgramInternet Freedom Fund
    AmountFunding to date $971,763 (most recent grant 2024)
    DateNot recorded
    Source ↗
  4. The Geopolitics of Communication Infrastructures – Conflict, (Dis)Connection, and Control
    ProgramInternet Freedom Fund
    AmountFunding to date $303,514 (most recent grant 2024)
    DateNot recorded
    Source ↗
  5. Tor – Building a Unified Signaling Framework
    ProgramInternet Freedom Fund
    AmountFunding to date $317,380 (most recent grant 2026)
    DateNot recorded
    Source ↗
  6. Transitioning Tor Browser to Firefox ESR 140
    ProgramFree and Open Source Software Sustainability Fund
    AmountFunding to date $398,382 (most recent grant 2025)
    DateNot recorded
    Source ↗
  7. WARD
    ProgramInternet Freedom Fund
    AmountFunding to date $397,781 (most recent grant 2026)
    DateNot recorded
    Source ↗
  8. Zeroth Cloud
    ProgramInternet Freedom Fund
    AmountFunding to date $229,736 (most recent grant 2026)
    DateNot recorded
    Source ↗
Focus Areas

internet freedom, censorship circumvention, digital security, privacy, anti-surveillance, secure communications, applied research, human rights tech.

Typical sizeInternet Freedom Fund USD 10,000 to 900,000 (ideal 50,000 to 200,000); Rapid Response Fund direct support typically up to USD 50,000; FOSS Sustainability Fund up to USD 400,000
CadenceInternet Freedom Fund and Rapid Response Fund applications are rolling; the FOSS Sustainability Fund, Surge and Sustain Fund and Information Controls Research Program open once a year