The Digital Freedom Fund (DFF) has opened its latest grant cycle for the 2025/2026 period, offering vital financial support to individuals, organisations, and advocacy groups working within the digital rights landscape. The application window runs from 1 December 2025 to 17 February 2026, giving prospective applicants ample time to prepare well-structured, strategic proposals aimed at advancing freedom, justice, and equity in the digital sphere.
About the Digital Freedom Fund
The Digital Freedom Fund is a leading organisation dedicated to strengthening human rights in the digital environment. The Fund supports strategic litigation and related initiatives that address emerging challenges in technology, governance, and online participation. DFF’s work spans a broad spectrum of digital rights concerns, including online privacy, freedom of expression, access to information, algorithmic discrimination, digital security, and the rights of marginalised communities navigating digital spaces.
Through its grantmaking efforts, DFF aims to empower civil society actors, legal practitioners, and grassroots movements to address structural injustices and strengthen legal protections for digital freedoms. The organisation has supported numerous impactful cases and continues to foster an ecosystem where digital rights advocates can pursue complex, precedent-setting work.
Types of Funding Available
To accommodate the diverse needs of digital rights work, Digital Freedom Fund (DFF) provides two main forms of financial support:
1. Litigation Support
This funding is designed for cases already prepared to move into formal legal proceedings. It covers activities such as filing claims, advancing cases through multiple court stages, hiring expert witnesses, and handling appeals. Litigation support may also include post-judgment advocacy or follow-up work required to ensure that legal victories translate into real-world change.
2. Pre-Litigation Research Support
This stream focuses on the groundwork necessary before litigation begins. It funds activities like legal research, collecting evidence, identifying suitable plaintiffs, analysing jurisdictional issues, and building alliances with relevant advocacy groups. This support is ideal for organisations and legal teams who are exploring the feasibility of a case or preparing to challenge harmful digital practices.
The level of financial support varies depending on the scope and complexity of each proposal. DFF prioritises projects that demonstrate strategic value, long-term impact, and a clear potential to influence digital rights protection across broader populations.
Who Can Apply?
Digital Freedom Fund (DFF) welcomes applications from a wide range of actors working on digital rights and intersecting social justice issues. Eligible applicants include:
- Civil society organisations
- Public interest lawyers
- Human rights groups
- Grassroots movements
- Digital rights advocates
- Academic or policy researchers
- Community-based organisations
The Fund recognises the interconnected nature of social justice and digital rights, and encourages applications from groups working on related themes such as racial justice, gender equality, migrant rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, economic fairness, and other forms of equity work.
While applications may come from anywhere globally, the proposed litigation or activity must focus on issues affecting countries within the Council of Europe. Projects led by teams outside the region remain eligible if their work substantively impacts digital rights within these countries.
Ethical and Inclusion Standards
Digital Freedom Fund (DFF) upholds a strict Code of Conduct that requires all applicants and grantees to commit to principles of non-discrimination, equality, and respect for all individuals. Applications that promote or tolerate sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, ableist, or otherwise exclusionary practices will not be considered. This commitment ensures that all funded work strengthens human rights in ways that are inclusive and socially responsible.
Why This Grant Opportunity Matters
As societies increasingly rely on digital platforms for communication, civic engagement, economic activity, and public services, the protection of digital rights has become more critical than ever. Threats such as mass surveillance, online censorship, algorithmic bias, and data exploitation disproportionately affect individuals and groups already facing systemic inequalities. By supporting strategic litigation and research, Digital Freedom Fund (DFF) helps to challenge these harms and build stronger legal frameworks that safeguard freedoms in the digital age.
Preparing a Strong Application
Prospective applicants should begin by clearly defining the digital rights issue they aim to address and determining whether their project requires immediate litigation support or pre-litigation research. Applications should include a detailed description of objectives, potential impact, methodology, and an itemised budget. Proposals that demonstrate strategic vision, clarity, and potential for systemic change are most likely to be successful.
