The UK Government has announced CSSF call for bids 2022/23 for Gender-transformative interventions in Cybersecurity programming.
The Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) is a unique cross-government fund that tackles conflict, stability and security challenges overseas, which pose the greatest threat to UK national security.
Objectives
Improve gender equality/secure the rights of women, girls and marginalised groups
Make cybersecurity interventions more effective by adopting a gendered approach
It will seek to address or explore the prevailing power relations, gendered patterns and how marginalised communities are impacted differentially by discriminatory practices that may perpetuate cyber threats.
All projects should aim to work towards a cyberspace that reflects their values and influence the global environment to ensure a safe and beneficial digital future for all.
Priorities
The UK’s National Cyber Strategy sets out the UK’s priorities in cybersecurity, including to:
Improve the understanding of cyber risk to drive more effective action on cyber security and resilience
Shape global governance to promote a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace
Strengthen the structures, partnerships and networks necessary to support a whole-of-society approach to cyber
Strengthen the cyber security and resilience of international partners and increase collective action to disrupt and deter adversaries
Funding Information
Maximum budget limit: £400,000 (4 hundred thousand pounds sterling) per financial year
Projects will be funded initially between October 2022 to March 2023
Multiyear funding to March 2025 will be considered in exceptional cases, each project will be subject to annual break clauses in March each year
Successful implementers must receive project funding in GBP
Proposals should not be crafted to reach the budget ceiling, but to specifically meet the objectives in pursuit of demonstrable impact and value for money
The funding will be available as a mixture of Official Development Assistance and non-Official Development Assistance
Bids where possible should not exceed 30 pages
Bids must be in English
Sub Themes
The implementer may pilot interventions under the following suggested sub-themes at the intersection of gender and cybersecurity:
Research
Capacity building and systems strengthening
Women’s influence and participation
Competencies
The implementer will have:
Experience and familiarity of gender and cyber programming and strong working knowledge on the WPS agenda
Strong operational experience of working in the country or region in which the project is based
The ability to source appropriate expertise to support any capacity building and advocacy components, both in-country and if necessary, from outside
Project and budget management skills
Appropriate cyber security controls to protect participants, the organisation and U.K. funding
Robust approaches to risk management, conflict sensitivity, and safeguarding policies and implementation plans in place that ensure the protection of beneficiaries and to safeguard against sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH).
