U.S. EMBASSY WARSAW PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S. EMBASSY WARSAW PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION
SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM

Annual Program Statement for Fiscal Year 2016 ending September 30, 2016.

Funding Opportunity Title: U.S. Embassy Warsaw

CFDA Number:  19.040 – Public Diplomacy Programs

Email:  grantspoland@state.gov

I. Funding Opportunity Description

The U.S. Embassy Warsaw Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce funding is available through the Embassy’s public diplomacy grants program.  Please follow all instructions below carefully.

Purpose of Grant:  Grants are intended for local representatives of civil society, including non-governmental organizations and universities, and schools.  They support projects to:

1. Reinforce U.S.-Polish Shared Values – Projects which promote U.S. culture, including music, art, sports, and education, including American Studies and promotion of studying in the United States, and which support diversity, human rights, acceptance and empowerment of minority groups, and other areas of mutual interest that promote freedom and democracy.
2. Strengthen Economic Prosperity – Projects which encourage trade and investment between the United States and Poland, and support entrepreneurship and innovation. Projects which support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) among Polish youth.
3. Promote Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability – Projects which promote investment in renewable energy, build support for global initiatives to combat climate change, and encourage good stewardship of the planet.
4. Enhance International Security – Projects which strengthen NATO and transatlantic security commitment, promote the rule of law, etc.

Activities that are typically funded include, but are not limited to:

• bringing an American expert speaker or performer to Poland
• conferences, workshops, forums, panel discussions, and master classes on American themes or issues of mutual interest
• exhibitions of works by Americans or on American themes
• youth engagement, leadership, and education programs, including initiatives that establish exchanges between Polish and American youth
• cultural programs, and particularly those that target youth and underserved communities
• radio, television, and social media programming in support of the above four objectives

Activities that are not typically funded include, but are not limited to:
• ongoing salary costs
• office equipment
• paying to complete activities begun with other funds
• projects that are inherently political in nature or that contain the appearance of partisanship/support to individual or single party electoral campaigns
• citizen exchange programs that involve countries other than the United States
• social welfare projects
• political party activities
• projects that support specific religious activities

II. Award Information
Funding Instrument Type:  Cooperative Agreement or Grant.  Cooperative agreements are different from grants in that PAS staff are more actively involved in proposal execution and anticipate having moderate to substantial involvement once the award has been made.

Floor of Individual Award Amounts:  No floor
Ceiling of Individual Award Amounts: $25,000

The U.S. Embassy reserves the right to award less or more than the funds described in the absence of worthy applications or under such other circumstances as it may deem to be in the best interest of the U.S. Government.

Project and Budget Periods:  Local grants projects generally must be completed in one year or less.  The Public Affairs Section 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 applicants, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the Department of State.

Applicants should consider their budgets carefully and submit a budget commensurate with their project goals. While the Public Affairs Section will consider proposals up to $25,000, projects that are smaller in scope are more likely to be awarded. Typical grants range from $5,000 – $10,000.

III. Eligibility Information:  

The U.S. Embassy encourages applications from all sectors: committed and organized civil-society organizations, local representatives of civil society, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and individuals.  We seek proposals for geographically and demographically diverse audiences within Poland, as well as proposals that involve cross-border cooperation between Poland and Eastern Partnership countries.  U.S. NGOs and individuals may apply, but preference is given to Polish NGOs or to partnerships that develop capacity with Polish NGOs or employees and include plans to transfer programs to sustainable local management in Poland.  The Embassy encourages applicants to provide cost-sharing from additional sources in support of projects, and also encourages projects that use highly skilled volunteers as an element of cost-sharing.  Applications should explain clearly other likely sources of funding and how the volunteers will be used.

IV. Application Submission and Deadline 

To apply, please complete this form: Application Form (PDF 76.11 Kb) 
and submit it in electronic format to:  grantspoland@state.gov

Proposals must include the following information:

• Name of the organization, address, phone number, e-mail, website address, name and title of director (or person who is to sign the grant) and project coordinators, particularly those who will be involved in the project and budget specifics.
• Title of Project and Description. The proposal should contain sufficient information so that anyone not familiar with the project would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do and what the project components are.  Please do not exceed one page.
• Project Objectives. Please provide clear objectives for what your project will achieve. What are the expected results and how they will be measured? Why do they matter in the short run? What impact is expected in the long run?
• Who is your target audience?  Please provide numbers, age ranges, gender, geographic location, and other information to help us understand who will benefit from the proposed project.  Explain why it is important to address the audience(s) with the project.
• Project Justification.What are the unique merits of the project? What difference does it make for Polish understanding and knowledge of U.S. culture and society?   If applicable, how were U.S. experts identified?  Please do not exceed one page.
• Proposed dates and venues. Please include precise dates and locations of performances or events planned.  Maximum project duration should not exceed 12 months.
• Detailed Budget. The applicant should prepare a line-by-line list of expenses that will be generated by this project. The budget should be prepared in a logical manner and offer enough detail that a reviewer will be able to understand exactly what the figures mean and how they were determined.  Please indicate in separate columns which costs would be covered by the U.S. government, and which would be cost-shared.  Please list all funding from all sources that your organization has received for the current project.  Please also include all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies. Budgets must be calculated in U.S. dollars.

The Public Affairs Section will also support inviting U.S. citizen experts to Poland. Such proposals may include the name of a speaker with a brief justification and the topic(s) the speaker will present or a description of the type of speaker required.  The travel costs may include economy class airfare, stipend for meals, honorarium of maximum of $250 per day and local transportation.  The application should offer a proposed daily schedule for the expert (minimum of two program days excluding travel time). If participation in a conference is expected, please provide its description (organizer, topics, goals and objectives, audience, other sponsors and other expected speakers and participants).  Please note that the Fly America Act http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html requires that anyone whose transatlantic air travel is financed by U.S. Government funds must utilize the economy class services of a U.S. flag carrier.

Please also note that PAS grants may NOT be used to fund partisan political activity; trade activities; fundraising campaigns; commercial projects; scientific research; construction projects; projects whose primary aim is the institutional development of the organization itself; or representational expenses (food, alcoholic beverages, etc.).

PAS will notify you upon receiving your application.  Proposals (in English only) will not be considered until all information is received.  Questions should be addressed to grantspoland@state.gov.

Eligibility Requirements

IMPORTANT:  Organizations applying for assistance awards must obtain a Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) DUNS number prior to being eligible to receive an award:  For details go to: http://www.dnb.com.pl/ODNB.aspx?id=DUNS  Obtaining a DUNS number in support of submitting a grant proposal to the USG is to be at no cost to the applicant. Any additional services offered during the registration process are not necessary and the applicant is under no obligation to sign up for them.

NATO Commercial and Governmental Entity (NCAGE) Code must be assigned to applicant organization. Applicants need to go to the following web address and request an NCAGE code:https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx

All applicant organizations must also be registered in System for Award Management (SAM) prior to receiving an award from the State Department: www.sam.gov

Note:  All grantee organizations must also have non-profit status.  Awards to individuals are exempt from DUNS, NCAGE and registration in SAM requirements.

1. Review and Selection Process

The Embassy will accept proposals on a rolling basis throughout the year, and will review proposals on a quarterly basis subject to the availability of funds on/around:

• March 1
• June 30

Each application submitted under this announcement will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the following evaluation criteria.  The criteria are designed to assess the quality of the proposed project, and to determine the likelihood of its success.  The criteria are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application.  Applications will be reviewed on the basis of their fullness, coherence, clarity, and attention to detail.  In evaluating proposals, the Grants Committee will give preference to:

• Programs with strong U.S. content and connection to American culture and values
• Individuals and institutions with a proven track record of executing outstanding projects
• Programs that create new ties between U.S. and Polish peer institutions, new connections between Americans and Poles, or present American culture and society in an innovative manner
• Programs that promote diversity and acceptance of minority groups, including persons with disabilities and the LGBTI community
• Programs targeting young audiences – particularly high school and university students and young professionals
• Programs with a strong social media component
• Programs that involve American Spaces (American Corners, America@YourLibrary, Young Learners Resource Centers) in Poland. More information about American Spaces and their locations can be found here:

American CornersAmerica@YourLibraryYoung Learners Resource Centers

Successful applicants will receive official written notification and detailed information on further administrative procedures to finalize grant awards.  Grant awards are contingent upon availability of U.S. Government funding and signing of official grant documents.  Verbal or other informal communications cannot be considered official notification of an award, and applicants may not obligate expenses for a proposed project until all required administrative procedures have been completed in the awards process.

1. Award Administration
   Award Notices: The grant award or cooperative agreement shall be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer.  The Grants Officer is the U.S. Government official delegated the authority by the U.S. Department of State Procurement Executive to write, award, and administer grants and cooperative agreements.  The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document and it will be provided to the recipient.

If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding in connection with the award.  Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the total discretion of the Department of State.

Reporting Requirements:  All awards issued under this announcement will require both program and financial reports on a frequency specified in the award agreement. The disbursement of funds may be tied to submission of these reports in a timely manner.  All other details related to award administration will be specified in award agreement as well.  Final programmatic and financial reports are due 90 days after the close of the project period.  Progress reports at a minimum should be submitted via electronic mail to an address to be provided in the award.

A word on requests for “Honorary Patronage”: The Public Affairs Section frequently receives requests from individuals or institutions seeking “honorary patronage” by the U.S. Embassy or the Ambassador (including the use of U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate General in Krakow’s logo or seal) for projects or events.  Due to ethics guidelines, we are not able to issue “patronage” or letters of support to institutions that do not receive funding from the United States government.  Permission to use the U.S. logo is granted on a per-case basis and strictly limited to projects in which the U.S. government makes a significant contribution.