Public Diplomacy Small Grants - EDUCATION

Description

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONThe U.S. Embassy Kyiv announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a Public Diplomacy Small Grants – EDUCATION Program. This Program is subject to availability of funding from the U.S. Government.Priority Region: UkraineProgram Objectives: The U.S. Embassy Kyiv announces the 2022 Public Diplomacy Small Grants Education Program to support projects in educational area. Pending availability of funds, the U.S. Embassy will award small grants to Ukrainian non-governmental, not-for-profit organizations (NGOs) to advance educational reform in Ukraine through the U.S–Ukraine collaboration. Specific thematic priorities for the projects:1. Professional development of college and university administrators to enhance their skills necessary to promote institutional autonomy in the competitive environment. 2. Collaboration between educational institutions, local administrations, and businesses to support regional development and decentralization.3. Career advising services creation and implementation at Ukrainian educational institutions.4. Professional skills development for using modern methodologies by university and college instructors.5. Inclusive environment development at secondary schools and higher education institutions.Projects’ specific requirements are:• The project must be tailored towards Ukrainian audiences at the secondary and higher education levels; • All project activities supported by the U.S. Embassy grant should take place in Ukraine;• The projects should incorporate a substantive U.S. component; • The length of the project may be up to one year.Possible activities or programming components Activities may include but are not limited to: courses and curriculum creation; promoting collaboration between educational institutions and local administrations, educators and employers, researchers and businesses; institutional strategies development and implementation; summer schools and other skill building events; career advising activities and services.Registration requirements All organizations applying for federal assistance must register at the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) portal and have an active registration before an award can be made, and through the entire length of the project.Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.Participants and Audiences:While NGOs administer the projects, educational institutions serve their partners in project implementation, but there may be other partners as well. The project beneficiaries may be school teachers and administrators, university instructors and administrators, members of Supervisory Boards at educational institutions, local administration, employers, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, students.APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATIONThe application form, basic instructions on how to draft the budget and FAQ can be found at https://ua.usembassy.gov/education-culture/current-programs-grants/. A complete application package consists of the following documents: an application form with relevant attachments and a separate budget spreadsheet calculated in USD (Excel document).Providing false or misleading information in an application or failure to furnish all information, or comply with stated requirements will result in disqualification from the competition. Applicants must set forth full, accurate, and complete information in English only. Application Instructions Project Description, Timeline/Activities Plan: A clear overview of the project, as well as project focus, need and objectives, should be indicated in the proposal. The Embassy Public Diplomacy Grants Committee will closely consider whether the overall objectives lead to attaining educational reform goals in Ukraine. Applicants should describe what they propose to do, how they will do it and how they will measure activities’ effectiveness (see below). The Grants Committee will evaluate the activities planned in terms of their relevance to project focus and objectives, the feasibility of the proposed activities, and the sustainability of the project.Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: Proposals should have a clear monitoring and evaluation plan to ensure proper implementation of the project. Proposals should identify specific measurable objectives and include a plan for gathering data before and after the project to illustrate whether objectives were met. Organizational Capacity: Proposals must include a clear description of the project management structure and previous experience with similar projects. Besides general organization information, this section must also identify the proposed managerial structure and staffing plan for the project. Applicants must demonstrate the ability and commitment to complete the project.Project outcome and sustainability: Proposals should clearly state what results they expect to attain and how it will change their institution, field, community, society. It is expected that the projects have a short-term outcome (result of the project itself) and a long-term impact. Applicants are expected to provide their vision for the period when the project funding ends through the period when the long-term outcome becomes visible, which will illustrate how sustainable the project and its concept are without an external funding. It should not be expected that the U.S. Embassy continues the project funding in the future.Budget Justification: All applicants are required to provide a separate file in excel format to describe each of the budget items in detail. Costs should be reasonable and realistic in relation to the project activities: • Allowable costs are those directly related to the project activities, and do not include the regular operational costs of the applicant. • Requests for equipment may be under 30% of the overall proposal budget. • The project encourages but does not require organizations to provide cost-share and/or coordinate funding with other donors. • Costs incurred before the official grant period begins (pre-award costs) will not be reimbursed.Funding Restrictions:Proposals may not include funding requests for the following:• Office rent and utilities;• Capital improvements, such as construction and renovation;• Purchase of vehicles;• Activities that convey the appearance of partisanship or support for electoral campaigns;• Social welfare activities;• Academic or analytical research (if not part necessary to accomplish a larger project);• Scholarships;• Entertainment, including receptions, social activities, ceremonies, cocktail parties, guided tours;• Travel to the United States and activities in the United States;• Writing novels or non-fiction books;• Alcoholic Beverages.Guidelines for Budget JustificationPersonnel and Fringe Benefits: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the project, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the project.Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this project, for project staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. If the project involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the project, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the project), and costs at least $5,000 per unit. Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the project. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under ‘Equipment’.Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor (outsourcing). Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the project activities. Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the project, which do not fit in the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials and equipment, bank fees or applicable taxes. All ‘Other’ or ‘Miscellaneous’ expenses must be itemized and explained. Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the project activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating. If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68. “Cost Sharing” refers to contributions from the organization itself, partner organizations or other sponsors. It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues.

Eligibility

Grants.gov lists this opportunity under eligibility category code 25. These codes correspond to applicant types (state/local government, tribal organization, nonprofit, educational institution, individual, small business, etc.) defined in Grants.gov's own eligibility reference. See the current Grants.gov eligibility categories or check the official listing below for this opportunity's exact eligibility statement.

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Key Dates

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