Legal Support for Kazakh Media

Closed Posted

Opportunity number
DOS-KAZ-AST-AEECA-25-004
Agency
Applications due
Award size
$50,000 to $100,000

Opportunity facts

Assistance listings
Funding instrument
Grant
Category
  • Other
Eligible applicants
Not on record
Points of contact

Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .

About this opportunity

The Department of State's U.S. Consulate Almaty is seeking proposals to provide legal support, ethics training, and management training to journalists, content creators, law students, practitioners, judicial officials, and law enforcement in Kazakhstan. The key objectives are to enhance knowledge of media laws, advocate for press freedoms, and improve independent media management practices. The program aims to train over 100 participants on media laws, provide legal consultations to 30-100 journalists, publish 5-10 reports on media freedom violations, and improve management practices at 10+ independent media organizations. Applicants must have experience providing legal support to journalists and will be evaluated on their ability to achieve the stated goals.

The funding opportunity (DOS-KAZ-AST-AEECA-25-004) has a deadline of March 14, 2025 and anticipates awarding 2-4 grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 each, for a total of $200,000 in available funding. Projects should be completed within 18 months, with an anticipated start date of October 1, 2025. Eligible applicants include U.S. and Kazakh non-profit organizations and educational institutions, and the program is funded under the AEECA/ESF PD Programs (CFDA 19.900).

Synopsis

The United States of America and the Republic of Kazakhstan maintain a strong and extensive partnership in both bilateral and regional matters, including efforts to support Kazakhstan's commitment to protecting media freedoms and enhancing journalistic professionalism.

Legal protection is essential for creating a safe environment for journalism, ensuring the safety of journalists and their ability to fulfill their duties. It is equally important for journalists and content creators to understand their rights and responsibilities as defined by law. With the implementation of the new Mass Media Law, there is an increased need for legal literacy within the Kazakh media landscape. This encompasses not only journalists and content creators but also groups such as law students, practitioners, judicial officials, and law enforcement (see note below on Leahy vetting requirement) who need to understand the best practices for working with journalists. Additionally, internet freedom is crucial, as many independent journalists and bloggers face the threat of account hacking, which undermines their ability to operate freely and safely.

In addition to protecting media freedoms, enhancing ethics and management practices of media professionals is vital for maintaining a robust and well-functioning media landscape. The main focus is to create an equitable environment for independent media outlets and provide them with the necessary skills to navigate economic challenges, such as financial management and maintaining resilience during economic downturns.

To achieve these goals, the U.S. Embassy aims to facilitate collaboration among various stakeholders by partnering with qualified organizations to implement one or multiple programs aimed at providing essential legal support to Kazakh media outlets and journalists. This initiative seeks to provide legal support, as well as ethics and management training, to journalists, content creators, law students, practitioners, judicial officials, and law enforcement in Kazakhstan, thereby bridging the gap between legal expertise and the media landscape.


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