U.S. Embassy Belgrade ECON - Building Capacity in the Western Balkans to Understand and Promote Responsible Trade and Investment

Description

This notice is subject to availability of funding. A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy Belgrade, announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a project that will establish a network of researchers, analysts, business leaders, and/or journalists in the Western Balkans, who promote responsible trade and foreign direct investment. This includes considerations for stewardship of the environment, development of human capital, advancement of long-term prosperity built on a market- and rule of law-based system, and engagement with Euro-Atlantic commercial and analytical partners. This network of diversified stakeholders will investigate the current effects of trade and FDI on economic growth in the six Western Balkan states (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia), evaluate free trade agreements, promote Euro-Atlantic trade, and create mechanisms to maintain this network to promote economic reform that interests key stakeholders, including governments, civil society, the private sector, and academia.Please follow all instructions below. A.1 BackgroundThe six Western Balkan countries – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia – can be considered small, open economies that have varying degrees of reliance on trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) for growth.The qualities that allow a country to trade and to attract FDI, however, do not always promote long-term prosperity. Economic reforms aimed at (i) improving resource allocation by eliminating market-distorting policies, (ii) minimizing the regulatory burden on business, (iii) reducing FDI volatility by increasing political and economic stability, and (iv) removing natural resource dependence by diversifying the economy can benefit the Western Balkan countries and induce growth in the long run. Moreover, continued integration with Euro-Atlantic commercial and academic institutions, including through trade and investment, often can enhance long-term prosperity in the Western Balkans.A.2 GoalsThe first goal of this project is to establish a network of researchers, analysts, business leaders, and/or journalists in the Western Balkans, who promote Euro-Atlantic trade, responsible foreign direct investment, stewardship of the environment, development of human capital, long-term prosperity built on a market- and rule of law-based system, and engagement with Euro-Atlantic commercial and analytical partners. This network of diversified stakeholders will investigate the current effects of trade and FDI on economic growth in the six West Balkan states and promote Euro-Atlantic integration through a trade and investment forum as well as through public discourse. A second goal is to create mechanisms to maintain this network, which will promote economic reforms that interest key stakeholders, including the government of Serbia, the Serbian civil society and private sector, in addition to the Serbian academic society.A.3 Expected ResultsIllustrative examples of anticipated program outcomes include:· Publicly accessible information on the current effect of free trade agreements and FDI on economic growth in the six West Balkan states. In particular, this should emphasize the positive impacts of Euro-Atlantic trade and investment in the Western Balkans,· A significant trade and investment forum to promote Euro-Atlantic commercial relations with the Western Balkans,· Greater public awareness of and expert attention to the environmental effects of FDI,· Greater public awareness of and expert attention to FDI’s effects on human capital, for example the creation of jobs overall as well as the creation of high-level, high-wage employment in leadership and management positions of foreign-owned companies in the Western Balkans,· Development and/or implementation of local, national, or European Union-led strategies to mitigate risks associated with existing FDI in infrastructure, mining, auto and battery production sectors. These risks might include the potential for exploitation of cheap labor and resources and the risk of cultural clashes and political instability.A.4 Main ActivitiesIllustrative examples of program activities include:· Development of a public trade and FDI portal and creation of a mechanism to ensure it continues beyond the two-year program of the grant,· Organizing and hosting a trade and investment forum in the Western Balkans and creation of a mechanism to ensure the forum has long-lasting spillover effects, commercial, political, and/or analytical,· Articles and op-eds published in local languages and/or English discussing trade and FDI and emphasizing, when possible, the positive impact of Euro-Atlantic investment and trade,· Roundtable discussions in covered countries, organized by local partners, to publicize findings and galvanize responses.A.5 Performance IndicatorsThe project should aim to have an impact that leads to measurable increases in public awareness of trade and FDI, increased public attention regarding the positive impacts of EU and transatlantic commercial ties and investment, and evidence of continuing networking on relevant issues in the Western Balkan region. A catalog of the number of media stories with such an emphasis could be an indicator of success. New and widely publicized data regarding positive impact of Euro-Atlantic trade and investment on job creation, especially high-wage managerial positions, would be another indicator as would an increase in such job creation, though the latter would take several years to produce. In accordance with the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Underserved Communities, programs should implement strategies for integration and inclusion of individuals/organizations/beneficiaries that can bring perspectives based on their religion, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, national origin, age, genetic information, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, political affiliation, or veteran’s status. Programs should be demand-driven and locally led to the extent possible. All programs should be non-discriminatory, and implementers should include strategies for nondiscrimination of individuals/ organizations/beneficiaries based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, marital status, parental status, political affiliation, or veteran’s status.Priority Region: Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia)B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION Length of performance period: Up to 36 monthsNumber of awards anticipated: 1Award amount: $500,000Total available funding: $500,000Type of Solicitation: Open CompetitionType of Funding: FY23/24 AEECA Funds under the Foreign Assistance ActAnticipated program start date: Your project should start no earlier than October 1, 2024, and no later than September 30, 2025.Funding Instrument Type: GrantProgram Performance Period: Proposed program activities should be completed in 36 months or less. (This includes the time for assessment and evaluation, as well as the drafting of the final report.)The Department of State may entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION 1. Eligible Applicants: The following entities, from one of the six Western Balkan countries or from the United States, are eligible to apply:· Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks, business associations, universities, and civil society/non-governmental organizationsIndividuals may not apply for this program.2. Cost Sharing or Matching.Cost sharing is allowed but not required and will not impact funding decisions.While filling out the application, you will be required to tell us whether you are also receiving funding from other donors for your project. Please be aware, however, that you must be able to carry out all the activities described in your application with the funding you receive, even if the contributions from other donors or other funding sources fail to materialize.3. Other Eligibility Requirements.In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via www.SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for more information. Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov.If an applicant has already received a grant from the U.S. Embassy the grant period for the new project will overlap with the existing one, or if an organization has submitted more than one project proposal, please use section “y” in the application form to explain how you will manage more than one project and describe your capacity to do so.4. Funding Restrictions.You may NOT apply for this grant if your project:• involves partisan political activity;• involves charitable activities and/or the distribution of humanitarian aid;• is a fundraising campaign;• is commercial in nature, i.e., you or a project partner are making money from this project, or the activity supports a current or future business or entrepreneurial venture.• involves the provision of health care or services, childcare, food subsidies, or other social services to populations.This funding opportunity aims to support specific projects with objectives which can be achieved within a set timeframe. We will not accept applications

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