Посольство США в Києві оголошує Програму малих грантів громадської дипломатії для підтримки проектів у сфері освіти. Дедлайн - 21 червня 2020 р.

Program: Ukraine: U.S. Government Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program – Academic and Educational Programs

SUMMARY: The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv announces the 2019-2020 Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program to support projects in academic and educational affairs. Subject to availability of funds, the Embassy will award small grants as described below to Ukrainian and U.S.-based non-governmental, not-for-profit organizations. Specific thematic priorities and program requirements are described in detail below. The project must be tailored towards Ukrainian audiences, and all project activities supported by the U.S. Embassy grant should take place in Ukraine and incorporate a substantive U.S. component.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:                               

Ukrainian and U.S. registered non-profit, non-governmental organizations are eligible to apply. Third country organizations are not eligible.

The eligible themes are described below:

• Projects that support Ukraine’s ongoing educational reform process, drawing on some substantive component of the U.S. educational system, to include the professional enhancement opportunities for teachers of secondary and post-secondary institutions.
• Projects that create or develop collaboration between educational institutions and civil society organizations, local administrations, and businesses to support regional development and decentralization.
• Projects designed to create or enhance career counseling services at Ukrainian secondary and post-secondary educational levels.
• Projects focused on developing youth leadership in the fields of entrepreneurship, finance, innovation, and civic education.
• Projects that utilize U.S. experience to develop and reinforce values of tolerance, diversity, and inclusive education among secondary school and/or post-secondary institutions.

Participation of U.S. educational experts is strongly encouraged. All the projects should highlight U.S.-Ukrainian academic collaboration or advance Ukrainian educational goals by featuring significant U.S. research, educational approaches, and practical experience. Collaborative, sustained projects, and partnerships between U.S. and Ukrainian educational institutions, are preferred.

This competition does not support proposals focused on kindergarten and primary education.

ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ORGANIZATIONS:

All organizations applying to receive Federal assistance must have a Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS) before the application is submitted, and both a CCR (NCAGE) number and an active account with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) before an award can be made. Please refer to https://ua.usembassy.gov/education-culture/current-programs-grants/ for more information regarding the process to obtain required registrations.

FUNDING LEVELS AND ALLOWABLE EXPENSES:

Subject to availability of funds, organizations may apply for grants up to $50,000. The program encourages but does not require organizations to provide cost-share and/or coordinate funding with other donors. Allowable costs are those directly related to the project activities. Requests for equipment may be no more than 20% of the overall proposal budget.

Costs incurred before the official grant period begins (pre-award costs) will not be reimbursed.

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 projects
• 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

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION:

Timeline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis between November 5, 2019 and June 21, 2020. Any proposal sent before or after those dates will not be considered.

Notification of awards should occur approximately three weeks after the review dates identified below (barring delays related to availability of funds).

Grant proposals will be evaluated according to the following timeline:

• January 20, 2020: The grants committee will begin reviewing proposals received by January 19, 2020, 11:59 P.M. Eastern European Standard Time. The projects that begin February 2020 – May 2020 will be considered.
• April 20, 2020: The grants committee will begin reviewing proposals received by April 19, 2020, 11:59 P.M. Eastern European Standard Time. The project that begin May-July 2020 will be considered.
• June 22, 2020: The grants committee will begin reviewing proposals received by June 21, 2020, 11:59 P.M. Eastern European Standard Time. The projects that begin July – October 2020 will be considered.

Note: An organization is allowed to submit only one application during each calendar year. Any applications received after the review dates listed above will be considered in the following review cycle. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Educational institutions and individuals are not eligible to participate in this competition.

Application Content and Format: Applicants must follow the instructions and conditions contained herein and supply all required information.

Failure to furnish all information or comply with stated requirements will result in disqualification from the competition.

Applicants must set forth accurate, and complete information in English only. Providing false or misleading information in an application will result in disqualification from this and other U.S. Embassy grant competitions.

Application Instructions: A complete application consists of two documents: an application form and a separate budget spreadsheet (Excel document).

The 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/.

Your application form and budget spreadsheet must be submitted in English only by email to [email protected]. Please do not send hard copies by mail.

AUTHORITY:

Overall grant-making authority for this program is contained in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, Public Law 87-195, as amended.  The purpose of the Act is “to enable the Government of the United States to promote the foreign policy, security, and general welfare of the United States by assisting peoples of the world in their efforts toward economic development and internal and external security, and for other purposes.” The funding authority for the program above is provided through legislation.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

The Embassy Public Diplomacy Grants Committee will use the following criteria to evaluate proposals received in response to this funding opportunity:

Program Goals and Objectives/Activities Plan: A clear overview of the project, as well as goals and objectives, should be indicated in the proposal. The Embassy Public Diplomacy Grants Committee will closely consider whether the overall objectives lead to implementing reform goals in Ukraine. Applicants should describe what they propose to do and how they will do it. The proposed activities must directly relate to meeting proposed goals and objectives, and applicants should include information on how they will measure activities’ effectiveness (see below). The Grants Committee will evaluate the activities planned in terms of their relevance to project goals and objectives, the feasibility of the proposed activities, and their timeline for completion.

Program Monitoring & Evaluation Plan: Proposals should have a clear monitoring and evaluation plan to ensure proper implementation of the project. Projects 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: Applications must include a clear description of the project management structure and previous experience with similar programs. Besides general organization information, this section must also identify the proposed management structure and staffing plan for the proposed 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 funds the continuation of the funded project in the future.

Budget: Costs should be reasonable and realistic in relation to the program activities. Applicants are encouraged to provide as much detail as possible so that the committee may determine the extent to which the request represents an efficient use of U.S. government resources. The budget should be consistent with the narrative description of the program and should reflect the applicant’s understanding of the allowable cost principles established by Title 2 CFR 200.306 (part 230) on cost principles for non-profit organizations.

Cost Sharing: Cost sharing is encouraged; however, it is not a requirement of an application in response to this funding announcement.

DISCLAIMER:

Issuance of this funding opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the United States Government (USG). It does not commit the USG to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. The USG reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received. The U.S. Embassy does not provide detailed explanations of why the grant proposal was not funded. If a proposal is selected for funding, the U.S. Embassy Kyiv has no obligation to provide any additional future funding in connection with the award. The USG reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the project implementation.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Should additional information be required, please contact the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine at [email protected].

• Application Form (DOCX 247 KB)
• Budget (XLS 42 KB)
• FAQ (PDF 137 KB)

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