Cybersecurity Improvement Grants for Сentral Governmental Authorities and Сapacity Building Institutions of Ukraine / Гранти на поліпшення кібербезпеки центральних державних установ та інституцій із розбудови потенціалу України

The U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF Global) is currently accepting proposals from Сentral Governmental Authorities and Capacity Building Institutions of Ukraine for a competition for Cybersecurity Improvement Grants, utilizing funding provided by the U.S. Department of State. Grant awards of up to $35,000 USD per applicant are subject to the availability of funding from program sponsors.

For the purposes of this Competition, applicants should propose projects in the following areas:
(1) Cybersecurity and improvement of the material-technical base for its provision.
(2) Data protection and threat analysis.
(3) Coordination and enhancement of access to international analytical resources for information exchange.
(4) Legislative work and standardization in the cybersecurity field.

Given the areas outlined above, project activities may include, but are not limited to:
(1) Provision of necessary resources (equipment, services, hardware, and software).
(2) Optimization and improvement of processes/systems of cybersecurity for the grantee in the aforementioned areas.
(3) Implementation of recommended updates and/or security measures in Central Governmental Authorities and Capacity Building Institutions of Ukraine.
(4) Enhancement of qualification skills in the field of cybersecurity for employees of Сentral Governmental Authorities and Capacity Building Institutions of Ukraine.

Proposed solutions/project activities need to address/include the following:
• Provide a detailed description of the problem statement and potential solutions that will help to reduce the risk of cyber incidents and enhance cybersecurity systems.
• Identify which critical resources and/or confidential information will be protected as a result of implementing activities under this grant and provide justification for the necessity of protection.
• Provide the expected outcomes of the grant implementation.
• Provide a breakdown of equipment/services/software/materials, specifically: key specifications and quantities of each product with references to similar models and brands of equipment.
• Specify cost breakdowns, justifying the suitability of this brand and product model (calculations in Ukrainian Hryvnia with the equivalent amount in US dollars, including value-added tax (VAT), shipping costs, and installation expenses).
• Provide at least one (1) commercial offer from a potential vendor who is ready to supply the services and /or equipment within the requested items as specified in your application.
• Submit a resume (CV) of the Principal Investigator (project coordinator).

* If potential applicants require a specific brand and model of equipment based on their experience and understand that only this model can meet their technical needs, they should provide substantive and detailed justification for this requirement. Provide examples of the technical advantages of this equipment specifically for accomplishing the tasks outlined in the applicant’s project

All applicants and proposals must meet each of the following eligibility criteria:
(1) Applications are accepted from Сentral Governmental Authorities and Capacity Building Institutions of Ukraine which may be vulnerable to potential cyber threats or other cyber incidents.
(2) Applicants have provided a clear formulation of the problem statement and justified the necessity of acquiring equipment/services/software.
(3) Applicants have presented a clear breakdown of the necessary equipment/services/software.
(4) Applicants have submitted at least one commercial offer from a potential vendor who is ready to supply the services and/or equipment as specified in your application.
(5) Applicants have submitted a complete set of required documents in English only.

NOTE: CRDF Global reserves the right to decline review and evaluation of the applications which do not meet eligibility requirements stipulated above.

All proposals must be submitted no later than July 31, 2025.

All proposals must be submitted electronically, using CRDF Global’s proposal package
template via email: nonpro-grants@crdfglobal.org

Email’s subject line should indicate RFP# and name of the applicant in the following format provided with an example:
“DE-05-2025_RedCrossAssociation”.

At the conclusion of the electronic submission process, applicants will receive a confirmation message from CRDF Global. Proposal application materials submitted to CRDF Global must be prepared in English and the proposal package should consist of the following documents:

Required:
I. Proposal Application (PA) Form (Excel spreadsheet) that includes:
(1) Proposal Cover Page
(2) Institutional Data Form
(3) Project Proposal Overview
(4) Scope of Work
(5) Workplan
(6) Budget
(7) Budget Narrative

II. CV of Principal investigator (project coordinator responsible for project implementation).

III. One Commercial Offer from potential vendor.

For questions about the submission process, please contact the CRDF Global Staff at: nonpro-grants@crdfglobal.org