PDS Annual Program Statement 2024

Description

Overview Small Grants Program - Annual Program Statement The U.S. Mission to France Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit a Statement of Interest (SOI) to carry out programs aligned with the Embassy funding priorities, the strategic themes we focus on, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding. Proposed programs should strengthen bilateral ties between the United States, promote increased understanding of the United States among the French public, and include a clear connection with the United States. All programs must include a U.S. element or a connection, which could include collaboration/cooperation with experts, private or public organizations, or institutions from the United States in a one of our priority fields. Priority programmatic themes for the U.S. Mission to France include: Security and Defense: Activities that promote transatlantic security; combat transnational, regional, and global challenges, such as terrorism, racially, ethnically, and/or religiously motivated violent extremism, or cyber threats; and encourage resistance to malign influence and disinformation. Foreign Policy: Activities that promote understanding of U.S. foreign policy priorities and Franco-American foreign policy cooperation among the French public and influencers. Civic Education and Media Literacy: Activities that support involvement of young people in the civic life of their country and building a sense of shared values and responsibilities of citizenship, especially across ethnic, religious, and socio-economic divisions. Activities that build media literacy and resilience to misinformation. Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability: Activities that encourage understanding of climate change, promote civic activities supporting environmental sustainability, promote innovation and economic opportunity related to climate change, and demonstrate how America and France can work together to achieve our climate goals. Prosperity, Trade, and Investment: Activities that encourage a nuanced understanding of U.S. agricultural practices and industries, support the expansion of U.S. exports and investments, improve the connections between U.S. and French businesses, and/or expand economic opportunities, entrepreneurship, and financial independence among women, youth, and underserved populations. Health, Technology and Innovation: Activities that support cooperation in such areas as health, space exploration, agricultural technology, cybersecurity, and entrepreneurship. This could include promoting the use of new technologies for social, academic, or economic development. Shared Democratic Values and Interests: Non-partisan activities that promote the long history of the U.S.-France relationship and build people-to-people ties based on our shared history and democratic values, promoting human rights and bringing to the forefront issues facing minority and disenfranchised communities. This could include but is but not limited to commemorations of key historic events such as the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of France. Cultural Diplomacy: Activities promoting U.S. culture, building on shared U.S.-French appreciation for cultural excellence through culinary traditions, art, film, sports, fashion, literature, and other cultural forms. The following registered U.S. or French organizations are eligible to apply: • Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience. • Non-profit educational institutions. • Governmental institutions. • Applications from organizations that include alumni of U.S. Government exchange programs are highly encouraged. For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply. The submission of a SOI is the first step in a two-part process. • Applicants must first submit a SOI, which is a concise, two-page concept note designed to clearly communicate a program idea and its objectives before the development of a full proposal application, and a detailed budget. • The purpose of the SOI process is to allow applicants the opportunity to submit program ideas for U.S. Mission to France Public Diplomacy Section to evaluate prior to requiring the development of full proposal applications. Upon review of eligible SOIs, U.S. Mission to France Public Diplomacy Section will invite selected applicants to expand their ideas into full proposal applications. • Full proposals will go through a second merit review before final funding decisions are made. The time for the whole process may take 2 to 3 months. Applicants are encouraged to apply 3 to 6 months before the start date of the proposed activity. Please follow instructions carefully. SOIs that do not meet the requirements of the announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible. Please ensure: • The SOI clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity. • All documents are in English. • All pages are numbered and do not exceed two pages. • All budgets are preferably submitted as an Excel document, in U.S. dollars. Deadline to apply: April 29, 2024, at 17:00 CET (UTC+1:00) The Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) at U.S. Mission to France will review and analyze the quality and feasibility of the project and whether it aligns with the Embassy's priorities, and will select eligible and qualified applications based on the following criteria: • Strategic Priorities (30%) • Project Activities (30%) • Quality and Feasibility of the Program or Project Idea (20%) • The Organizational Capacity and Previous Record (20%) Applicants whose statements of interest are selected will receive a notification and invitation to submit a full proposal application within 3 to 4 weeks of the notification. Qualified full applications will go through a second merit review. Each proposal will be evaluated by an internal Embassy committee to determine the project’s potential to advance U.S. policy priorities. In general, it takes up to 30 days to complete the review process, panel discussion, and selection. For more information, eligibility, and deadlines please read the Notice of Funding Opportunity PDS-France-FY2024-03 APS SOI and/or refer to the U.S. Embassy in France website (Grants Programs). Questions can be directed to GrantsFrance@state.gov. Please note: We do not provide any pre-consultation for application related questions that are addressed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Eligibility

Grants.gov lists this opportunity under eligibility category codes 06, 12, 13, 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.

Parent Grant Program

Agency Contact

Key Dates