PDS Belgrade - BOLD Workshop on Civic Engagement (FY2023)

Description

This notice is subject to availability of funding. The Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications for the BOLD Workshops on Civic Engagement. The BOLD (Balkanski omladinski lideri, Young Balkan Leaders in English) network is a project of PDS that seeks to develop the leadership capacity of young Serbians by empowering them to implement projects for positive change in their communities in two thematic areas: civic engagement and economic development. Anyone age 18-35 in Serbia can join the BOLD network where members have access to three main types of competitive opportunities: 1. BOLD Academic Fellowships: Two in-depth leadership training experiences in the United States for 4-6 weeks, one on each BOLD theme. 2. BOLD Workshops: Four workshops, one week to 10 days long, on leadership and project management, two each on one of the BOLD themes.* 3. BOLD Small Grant Competition: An annual competition, open to all BOLD members, for funds up to $15,000 to implement projects in the areas of the BOLD themes over the course of a year. *This NOFO is for the two Workshops on Civic Engagement. Priority Region: Serbia PDS Belgrade strongly urges potential applicants to consider recruiting qualified participants for these workshops from cities and towns outside of capital cities. Program Objectives: Two BOLD Action Workshops on Civic Engagement must take place in Serbia, each for one week to 10 days on the theme of civic activism. The workshops should be scheduled in accordance with school/academic calendars, one in each academic semester. The proposal should contain a detailed day-by-day schedule for each workshop, and other necessary information that makes it clear to anyone not familiar with it how the program will meet the stated objectives and projected outcomes. The primary outcome desired by PDS is for workshop participants, either individually or in groups, to design civic projects to be implemented in their communities over the course of the following year. By the end of each workshop, participants should complete a basic draft of their project designs in the form of a project proposal or business plan, which will be competitive for funding from the Embassy or other donors. Workshop participants will be eligible to submit their grant proposals in a BOLD small grant competition that will take place later in the year (there is a separate NOFO to implement this competition). To prepare them for this opportunity, a representative from the PDS grants team should be invited to present during the workshops on the basics of applying for a grant with the U.S. Embassy. In accordance with the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Underserved Communities, proposals should demonstrate how the program advances equity with respect to race, ethnicity, religion, income, geography, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability. The proposal should also demonstrate how the program will further engagement in underserved communities and with individuals from underserved communities. Proposals should demonstrate how addressing racial equity and underserved communities will enhance the program’s goals and objectives, as well as the experience of participants. It is the obligation of the applicant to ensure that workshop participants’ information about themselves, their experience in a workshop, and/or their project ideas are shared and publicized on social media platforms of the BOLD network so that others can see their leadership examples and be motivated by their experience in a BOLD workshop. Participants and Audiences: Each workshop should be designed for at least 15 participants, who will be derived from the membership of the BOLD Network as well as from the recruiting efforts of the applicant. Different individuals should participate in each workshop. The workshops should be composed of at least 60% participants from across Serbia, and the remaining participants coming from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Montenegro. Priority should be given to qualified applicants from outside the capital city in each country. The age range of BOLD members is 18-35, but the applicant may limit the age range of participants in the workshops, to best fit the workshop’s theme and objectives. The applicant should propose a regionwide recruitment plan to reach workshop participants from all parts of the three countries that goes beyond a public call for applications to include targeted outreach to appropriate youth audiences. PDS will coordinate with Embassies in BiH and Montenegro to assist with recruitment through BOLD networks there. The applicant should select and vet workshop participants and present the final list of participants for each workshop to PDS for review before they are notified of their selection. Length of performance period: 12-18 months (including the evaluation period). Number of awards anticipated: 1-2 awards (dependent on capacity of applicant) Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement Requesting the Application Package: Application forms required below are available at https://rs.usembassy.gov/grants-programs/. We do not send out hardcopy versions of the application packages. Content and Form of Application Submission : Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible. Please ensure that: · The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity. · All documents are in English. · All budgets are in U.S. dollars. · All pages are numbered. · All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper. · All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, in 12-Calibri font, with 1-inch margins. The following documents are required: a. The following two forms: · SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) and · SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) b. If the applicant is an organization whose registration in SAM.gov is still pending, the SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) is also required. c. Grant Application Form for FY2023 (Fiscal Year 2023). Note: Detailed directions for filling out the grant application are included with the form. d. Budget Justification Narrative: After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use the Excel spreadsheet template to describe and explain each of the budget expenses in detail. See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information. e. Attachments: · 1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program · Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner, if applicable. · If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file. · Official permission letters, if required for program activities. · If you still have not completed SAM.gov registration, a screenshot from SAM.gov reflecting that you have started the process. Submission Dates and Times: Applications are due no later than September 4, 2023. All application materials must be submitted by email to BOLDSerbia@state.gov. If PDS does not receive a complete project proposal at the above address by the deadline, it will be considered technically ineligible and will not be considered for funding. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates: PDS anticipates that final funding decisions will be made by September 15, 2023. For detailed information please see the full text of the Notice of Funding Opportunity in the Related Documents tab and on the Embassy’s website: https://rs.usembassy.gov/grants-programs/. Please check for information on other PDS funding opportunities on the U.S. Embassy website at: https://rs.usembassy.gov/education-culture/grants-programs/.

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