UNLEASHING TECH
FOR DEMOCRACY
Welcome to Digital Action Lab (DAL), an initiative empowering civil society actors in countries facing restricted civic space, with the skills, resources and confidence to take effective action for inclusive democracy.
DAL'S MISSION:
To cultivate real-world pilot projects that strengthen the organising, advocacy, and campaign capacities of participating civil society groups in the Global South, including via enhanced collaboration with local allies. By doing so, we will develop the knowledge, approaches, and tools needed to support even more pro-democracy organisations.
HOW IT WORKS:
We will use an open nomination and application process to select DAL cohorts of up to ten civil society organisations. Over a nine month period, these participants will work with the CIVICUS team, technical experts, and each other to develop a fully funded project which will be delivered in their local setting. Grants will range from $10,000 to $30,000 USD. Participants will also receive extensive coaching and additional non-financial support throughout the process, along with opportunities for engagement with wider networks and events. There will be three DAL cohorts between 2024 and 2026.
WHY YOU SHOULD APPLY
Create and control your DAL experience:
Participate in an initial in-person co-creation workshop to define your DAL cohort’s joint priorities and ways of working together, along with a discovery process to identify the focus of your specific pilot project.
Tailored skill enhancement and confidence building:
Seize the chance to improve your skills through tailored workshops and training plans which address the unique needs and challenges of your organisation. DAL is committed to building your confidence, empowering you with the knowledge and expertise to leverage new digital opportunities for your work.
Take existing work to the next level:
Rather than start from scratch, DAL projects will focus on enhancing your current strategies and approaches, to maximise impact and sustainability. You already know what is needed to deliver real change for inclusive democracy. The DAL will simply help you to unlock your digital potential.
Explore and test digital solutions:
Receive funding and support to find the digital tools and approaches you need to overcome persistent challenges or turbo-charge your existing practices. This could be directly related to enhancing your organising, advocacy, and campaign work, or strengthening the organisational systems and capacities these activities depend on.
Financial support for participation and implementation:
Access a grant ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 USD to fund both your costs of participating in the DAL and the implementation of your DAL pilot project.
Structured format for meaningful engagement:
Participate in the DAL via online collaboration platforms, virtual workshops, localised implementation activities, and at least one in-person workshop. This combination of settings and formats aims to maximise opportunities for engagement with the DAL team, peer-learning, and community building.
Documentation and knowledge sharing:
Contribute to the creation of case studies, infographics, videos and other knowledge products that document your approaches, successes, and lessons learned. Your experiences will be shared through the DDI knowledge hub and broader CIVICUS strategic networks, aiding other civil society actors in their efforts to expand civic and democratic freedoms.
Showcase progress and networking opportunities:
Participate in a DAL achievement summit at the end of the initiative, along with additional opportunities for engaging wider networks, including communities and events like I4C, Vuka!, RightsCon, and more. Connect with like-minded peers, share successes and challenges, and foster collaborations to further enhance your work.
Help us reach the right people
Nominate!
The DAL is a unique opportunity for pro-democracy groups in challenging contexts to receive funding and non-financial support for using digital technologies to strengthen their work. We are placing a specific emphasis on ensuring participation from underrepresented or marginalised actors, including women, youth, and informal civil society. So we need your help to identify the civil society actors who could benefit the most from the initiative.
This could be a group doing amazing work but is struggling with achieving scale or greater visibility, or you see as having real potential but which needs to be unlocked with the right guidance and support. Please use this form to nominate an organisation you think would be a good fit for the first DAL cohort, keeping in mind the eligibility criteria listed below.
Your suggestions are hugely important for making the DAL participant selection process more targeted and inclusive - thank you for your support!
Eligibility Criteria
The Digital Action Lab (DAL) is open to civil society organisations from the Global South, that are actively involved in advancing inclusive democracy civic space. Organisations representing historically excluded groups, such as rural communities, indigenous peoples, women, youth, and the LGBT+ community, are encouraged to apply or be nominated, and will make up at least 50% of each cohort. We will also be prioritising organisations from countries with restricted civic space. The programme seeks collaborators who are committed to shaping and testing digital interventions to strengthen their organising, advocacy, and campaign capacities, or other organisational systems and capabilities which underpin this work.
Read the full list of eligibility criteria to see if you qualify
Your Journey Begins Here
Apply Now for Digital Action Lab
Submit your application for a place in the DAL, or nominate another organisation to apply.
The application form will ask you about the nature of your organisation, including its mission, the communities you work with and for, and the approaches you use to promote inclusive democracy and civic space. It also asks about how you currently use technology, why you want to be a part of the DAL, and any specific accessibility requirements you may have.
Our current application cycle for DAL is closed, but we look forward to welcoming new applicants in the fourth quarter of the year when we reopen for submissions for Cohort 2.
Duration and schedule
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The first DAL cohort will run for nine months
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Organizations will be notified about the results of their applications by mid-January 2024
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Partnership agreements will be in place with all organisations by January 2024, followed by a full onboarding process
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The in-person codesign event will tentatively take place in February 2024
Location to be confirmed.
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Development of the program
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Achievement summit
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End of the first cohort in September 2024
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Do you have any questions?
Find the answers to all of our most frequently asked questions
Mailing List
If you want to receive update and engagement opportunities from the Digital Democracy Initiative, please join our mailing list:
Contact information
For inquiries or further information, contact the DAL team
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