Awards Frequently Asked Questions
Who do you give awards to? Who can apply?
Many Mozilla Award tracks are open to individuals, teams of individuals, non-profit organizations, and even for-profit companies. Please review the application guide for the specific track to which you’re submitting an application for eligibility requirements.
Can I apply as an individual?
Many Mozilla Award tracks are open to individual applicants. Please review the application guide for the specific track to which you’re submitting an application for specific eligibility requirements.
Can I apply as a group?
Groups of individuals or organizations are eligible to apply for many Mozilla Award tracks. Please review the application guide for the track to which you’re applying for specific eligibility requirements. Please note that one individual or organization must be selected as the applicant on your award application. If awarded, this applicant will be programmatically and fiscally responsible for the award.
Am I required to openly license my work?
To ensure the widest possible distribution of award-funded materials and to ensure that they remain generally available to the public, we require awardees to release any project-related content under a Creative Commons license and any project-related code under an open source license.
What is meant by "Internet health"?
Awards administered by Mozilla are designed to support diverse approaches to addressing the most pressing threats to Internet health. Awards celebrate a variety of targeted solutions, not a one-size-fits-all silver bullet. They spotlight the technologies, art, and other work being done by leaders across the globe in order to amplify these promising approaches and to help make the Internet healthier for all.
How do I use Fluxx?
Mozilla's awards are managed through Fluxx. To submit an application consult the guidelines for the awards track to which you are applying, and visit https://mozilla.fluxx.io to submit your application. If you need help using Fluxx, please contact [email protected]
If I submit confidential or proprietary information to the Challenges, will Mozilla honor the confidentiality of that information?
Judges and Committee Members will be required to sign confidentiality agreements with Mozilla, which will preclude them from disclosing any confidential information they review as part of the judging process.
Is there someone I can talk to about my project idea?
Please consult the application guide for the appropriate Program Officer contact information. You may also contact [email protected]
Can Mozilla funds be used to support indirect costs of a project?
Yes, but not all applicants are eligible to include indirect costs. Please see Mozilla's Indirect Cost Policy for details.
Do you accept applications that are not related to an existing awards program (like Mozilla Technology Fund, Responsible Computer Science Challenge, etc.)?
Outside of the active requests for proposals, Mozilla does not accept applications for project or general operating support unless invited by a staff member.
If I am an individual or non-exempt organization, can I use award funds to purchase equipment?
Individuals and non exempt organizations using grant funds to purchase single pieces of equipment in excess of $5,000 USD must usually donate that equipment at the conclusion of the funded project to either (1) an organization that is exempt from tax under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code (IRC); or (2) a nonprofit organization organized under the laws of another country and complying substantially with the laws governing organizations exempt under 501(c)(3) of the IRC. The recipient of the equipment should make sense in light of the purposes of the project funded by Mozilla, and Mozilla has the ultimate right to determine whether the recipient is acceptable.
Should the awardee wish to retain the equipment and materials beyond the grant term, the awardee must get prior approval from Mozilla for an exception, which will typically be given only if the awardee commits to using such equipment and materials exclusively for work substantially similar to the funded project, or otherwise demonstrates that Mozilla has only paid for the portion of the equipment costs reasonably allocable to the equipment’s use during the grant term. Awardee must also provide any additional reporting on the use of the equipment as requested by Mozilla.