Media-related small grants to bolster Kazakh language online content
Agency: U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan
Posted: 2024-03-20 | Closing date: 2024-05-20
Estimated total program funding: 150000
Award ceiling: 50000
Award floor: 20000
Expected number of awards: 5
Cost sharing or matching requirement: No

The U.S. government's support for Kazakhstan's efforts in promoting Kazakh-language and media reflects a commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, promoting cultural exchange, and supporting democratic values and freedoms. In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of supporting online Kazakh-language content creators through small grants. This initiative is crucial for several reasons, particularly considering Kazakhstan's efforts to promote its national language and culture while fostering a competitive and professional media landscape. With the number of Kazakh speakers on the rise, there is a growing demand for online content in Kazakh. By facilitating the proliferation of Kazakh-language content online, this assistance award contributes directly to the economic prosperity of Kazakhstan through the promotion of a competitive, professional, and free media landscape. Applicants are encouraged to align their project proposals with one or more of the objectives below, demonstrating how their initiatives will contribute to the advancement of Kazakh-language media. Applicants are welcome to propose projects that innovate in content creation in various forms, including animation, documentaries, apps, reporting, podcasts, and video content, leverage emerging technology, and uphold integrity and accuracy in media production. Project Goal: The primary goal of this assistance is to increase access to high-quality, reliable content for Kazakh-speaking audiences through support for Kazakh online content creators. Project Audience(s): Kazakh-language content creators, social media content creators, as well as technology professionals promoting innovation in the media space. In addition to individual creators, academic or cultural institutions and organizations promoting Kazakh language, history, and culture could form part of the audience. Project Objectives: Project proposals may address one or more of these objectives, or other objectives within the above policy priorities. Objective 1: Supportive ecosystem for content creators: Equip Kazakh-language content creators with necessary knowledge and skills to produce accurate, reliable, and fact-based content. Topics may include fact-checking techniques, critical thinking and analysis, audience engagement strategies, visual storytelling, etc. Objective 2: Technological advancement through Kazakh-language content creation: Develop content creator’s abilities to integrate new and emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the content creation process. Objective 3: Integrity and accuracy in Kazakh-language media: Increase production of high-quality content that combats disinformation/misinformation and historical manipulation among Kazakh-language content creators. 

Eligibility: • Not-for-profit organizations dedicated to promoting Kazakh language and culture through online media.• Non-governmental organizations, including media-related organizations.• For-profit organizations or small businesses focused on developing innovative technologies or platforms to support Kazakh language content creation and distribution online.• Individual content creators producing Kazakh language educational or informative content for online platforms.• Independent journalists or writers creating content in Kazakh language for online publicationFor this announcement, only Kazakhstan-based organizations are eligible to apply.
U.S. Mission Kazakhstan’s Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) is pleased to announce an open competition for assistance awards for one or a series of programs to support Kazakhstan’s Kazakh-language content creators.  The objective of the assistance is to strengthen and develop the local production capacity of independent online content creators and increase the quality of domestically produced Kazakh-language media in Kazakhstan.  It also aims to help increase the level of professionalism of independent journalists.