Public Affairs Abuja Annual Program Statement

Description

Funding Opportunity DescriptionThe U.S. Embassy Abuja Public Affairs Section (PAS) is pleased to issue this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for its Public Diplomacy (PD) small grants program. This annual program statement outlines PAS’ funding priorities and the procedures for submitting applications for funding. Please carefully read through and follow all instructions below. Implementation of this program remains subject to the approval and availability of U.S. government fiscal year 2020 (FY2020) funds.Purpose of PAS Grants: PAS awards a limited number of grants to individuals, nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions, and other civil society entities that further the Embassy’s policy goals and strengthen relations between the American and Nigerian peoples.PAS will prioritize grant program proposals that:1. Promote Nigeria’s democratic governance, unity and stability by improving governmenttransparency and accountability, the rule of law, civil society capacity and engagement;2. Strengthen human capital to promote inclusive economic growth and development viaentrepreneurial initiatives, STEM education, women’s empowerment, and cultural exchange;3. Protect against security threats and foster peace and stability through measures tocounter violent extremism, mitigate rural violence, and encourage peaceful dialogueand non-violent conflict resolution;4. Improve and expand English language learning through curricular development andteacher training, in partnership with U.S. education institutions where possible.Activities that are not funded include, but are not limited to: Social welfare projects; Tuition assistance; Individual travel to conferences; Construction projects; Completion activities for projects begun with other funds; Projects that are inherently political in nature or that convey partisan support toindividual or single party electoral campaigns; and, Political party activities.Authorizing statutes for the funding opportunity are:1) Fulbright-Hays Act, which allows the Department of State to use funds for the purpose ofsupporting international exchanges that address issues of mutual interest to the United Statesand host nations: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/iegps/fulbrighthaysact.pdf2) Smith-Mundt Act that outlines the terms by which the U.S. government engages globalaudiences: http://www.state.gov/pdcommission/library/177362.htmAward InformationFunding Instrument Type: Grant or Cooperative Agreement. The large majority of successfulproposals will be supported via a grant instrument. In rare instances a Cooperative Agreementmay be used in cases requiring a higher level of involvement from PAS staff in managing theaward. The PAS Abuja or PAS Lagos grants management team will provide further informationregarding Cooperative Agreements as needed.Floor of Individual and/or Organizational Award Amounts: $5,000Ceiling of Individual and/or Organizational Award Amounts: $50,000Project and Budget Periods: Grant projects generally must be completed in one year or less.PAS will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a noncompetitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the bestinterest of the U.S. Department of State. A project’s sustainability beyond the funding period is a key criterion in evaluating applications. Applicants must carefully draft their budgets for the full duration of the proposed project and commensurate with their project goals. Budget submissions should include a narrative to explain specific line items as needed.Eligibility Information:PAS encourages applications from individuals or organizations located in Nigeria, the UnitedStates, or abroad including: Not-for-profit and civil society/non-governmental organizations with at least two yearsof programming experience and with evidence of required registrations; Individuals with two years of not-for-profit, project management, or educationexperience; and, Registered educational institutions.PAS encourages applicants to provide cost-sharing from additional sources in support ofprojects, but this is not a mandatory requirement.Application Submission and DeadlineProposals should be submitted online to U.S. Embassy Abuja at the following email address: PASAbujaGrants@state.gov or LagosPASGrants@state.gov. Applications and all supporting documents are accepted in English only. While budget figures may be calculated in Naira before converting to U.S. dollars, final budget figures must be stated in U.S. dollars as this is the currency in which awards are made irrespective of the exchange rate in effect at the time of award.PAS Abuja (for the states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nassarawa, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, and the FCT), will accept proposals in two tranches and review them according to the following schedule: Proposals received by March 16, 2020 will be reviewed in March-April with resultsissued by April 30; Proposals received from March 17 through July 15, 2020 will be reviewed in July-Augustwith responses issued by September 21.PAS Lagos (for the states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, and Rivers), will also accept proposals in two tranches and review them according to the following schedule: Proposals/applications for funding focused on the areas of media capacity building, entrepreneurship, and cultural programs aligned with our Mission Goals will be received from February 3, 2020 to February 28, 2020; reviewed in March; and results issued by April 15; In addition, PAS Lagos offers an annual Notice of Funding Opportunity. The call for applications will be issued in March 2020 and last through April 2020. All interested grantees may take advantage of this opportunity. April 30 will be the firm deadline for the receipt of applications for funding. All applications will be reviewed by the Consulate Grants Committee during May and June 2020. Final determinations will be issued by July 1, 2020.Applicants must submit a full project description, including a detailed narrative that outlines the plan of action, describes the scope of the proposed work, and a timeframe including key benchmarks within which the work will be accomplished. The narrative should be submittedusing the template of the application form provided and must be accompanied by a detailed budget that clearly indicates all program costs, including the individual applicant’s or organization’s cost share and/or in-kind participation if applicable.In addition to the project proposal, applicants must also complete and submit: Unique Identity Identifier [Currently the DUN and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (aka DUNS Number), unless the applicant has an exemption]: DUNS Number assignment is free for organizations required to register with the federal government for grants. Begin the process here: https://iupdate.dnb.com/iUpdate/viewiUpdateHome.htm. Active registration in the U.S. government’s “System for Award Management” (aka SAM): To register please to: https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/ NOTE: Individual applicants are exempt from the DUNS and SAM requirements, which apply only to organizational applicants. Standard Form 424 (SF-424) - Federal Assistance Application (for organization or individual as appropriate) SF-424A – Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs Project proposal Budget document on the template provided including a narrative (as needed) Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (included in the application form)PAS will not consider individual or organizational proposals that do not meet the aforementioned mandatory requirements. Additionally, applicants are permitted to submit only one proposal per cycle.Review and Selection ProcessEach application submitted under this announcement will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below, which are designed to assess the quality of the proposed project and to determine the likelihood of its success. They are holistically applied in judging the overall quality of an application, with particular emphasis on a given application’s completeness, coherence, clarity, and attention to detail. Organizational Capacity: The organization has expertise in its stated field and PAS is confident of its human and technical resource capacity to implement the project. Goals and Objectives: Goals and objectives are clearly stated and the project approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results. Embassy Priority: The applicant has clearly described how stated goals are related to and support U.S. Embassy Abuja’s priority areas as described in Section I above. Sustainability: Project activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the project, including the ability to become self-sustaining after the end of the award period. Feasibility: The project is economically and technically feasible with respect to approach, budget items requested and the organization’s resource capacity. Budget: The budget justification is both reasonable and realistic in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. Successful proposals will ensure the maximum impact per dollar spent. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: The applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provide benchmarks against which to gauge progress toward its goals. The indicators should allow f

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