1/23/2018 Notice of Funding Opportunity: Cultural/Alumni/English-Language Small Grants Program

PROGRAM: Cultural/Alumni/English-Language Small Grants

Program

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Language Small Grants Program

Notice of Funding Opportunity

PAS-CHISINAU-FY18-04

U.S. Department of State

Embassy of the United States of America in Chisinau,

Moldova

Public Affairs Section

Funding Opportunity Number: PAS-CHISINAU-FY18-04

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Number: 19.900 and 19.040

CFDA Title: AEECA PD Programs and Public Diplomacy

Programs

Program: Cultural/Alumni/English-Language Small

Grants Program

Announcement Type: Open Competition

Announcement Date: January 11, 2018

Deadline for submission of proposals: February 15,

2018 18:00 and May 15, 2018 18:00

Agency Contact: Various, See Below for Program

Contacts.
This funding opportunity is authorized by the Foreign Assistance Act
of 1961.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Cultural Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in the Republic of

Moldova works to build mutual understanding between Moldovans
and Americans. We do this through professional and academic
exchanges, cultural programming (music, sports, and the arts),

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support of English-language instruction, and collaboration with our

network of over 4,000 U.S. government exchange program alumni.

The U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Moldova supports one

American Resource Center and four American Corners throughout
Moldova, including in Chisinau, Balti, Ungheni, Tiraspol, and Ceadir
Lunga.

Our programs aim to a) encourage Moldova’s European trajectory by

supporting real reforms and tangible economic development for the
Moldovan people; b) bridge divides in Moldovan society by promoting
civic engagement and demand for accountable governance; and c)
support a whole and secure Moldova.

We offer small grants for programs and activities that support these
goals in the following categories:

1. Cultural Small Grants Fund (music, sports, and the

arts)

2. Alumni of U.S. Government Exchange Programs

3. English-language programs

4. U.S. Speakers/Experts Program

Eligible applicants: Moldovan non-profit NGOs,

International non-profit NGOs which will partner with a
Moldovan NGO or will benefit the Moldovan audience,
individuals, Moldovan public institutions. Find specific
guidelines under each program

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

Strategic Priorities for the 2018 financial year are:

1. Promoting civic engagement and citizen participation in

democratic processes
2. Promoting women in leadership roles
3. Empowering the next generation of Moldovan leaders (ages
14-25) to prosper in a global economy
4. Reaching regional audiences outside the capital
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5. Anti-Corruption
6. Combating Trafficking in Persons

PROGRAM FUND DESCRIPTIONS AND ELIGIBILITY

Cultural Small Grants Fund

CFDA: 19.040 Public Diplomacy Programs

The Cultural Small Grants Fund is available for projects that promote
mutual understanding and strengthen cultural ties between the U.S.
and Moldova through programs in music, sports, and the arts.

Programs and activities may include, but are not limited to: coaching
workshops, exhibits, performances, and creative collaborations.
There should be a distinctly U.S. component to the program.

Commercial organizations are not eligible under this program.

Contact for Program Coordinator: leancaai@state.gov

Alumni Small Grants Fund

CFDA: 19.900 AEECA PD Programs

PAS Chisinau invites proposals for programs that enable alumni of

U.S. government exchange programs to share the ideas that they
learned during their exchange programs and apply their skills and
knowledge to improve their communities in Moldova.

Eligibility is limited to alumni of U.S. government-sponsored

exchange programs, who are citizens or residents of the Republic of
Moldova, and to organizations where alumni of U.S. government-
sponsored exchange programs fill at least one senior leadership role
(president, director, executive director, board member, or the
equivalent).

Contact for Program Coordinator: alumnimoldova@state.gov

English-Language Small Grants Fund

CFDA: 19.900 AEECA PD Programs

The English-Language Small Grants Fund supports activities related

to improving English-language instruction in Moldova.

Possible activities include, but are not limited to: promoting

innovative teaching methods; encouraging educators to promote and
exchange ideas that increase the quality of English teaching; training
new generations of English-language teachers; developing initiatives
that will encourage new and soon-to-be graduating English teachers

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to stay and teach in Moldova; and generating projects that help

teachers and students to become community leaders.

Contact for Program Coordinator: education-moldova@state.gov

U.S. Speakers/Experts Small Grants Fund

CFDA: 19.900 AEECA PD Programs

The U.S. Speaker Program promotes an understanding of U.S.

policies and institutions and the political, economic, social, and
cultural context from which they arise. PAS Chisinau invites
proposals for programs that engage speakers and experts from the
United States in programs including but not limited to: seminars,
workshops, conferences, and media engagements. The program
should build and consolidate knowledge and skills essential to the
development of communities in Moldova.

Covered Costs: The U.S. Embassy will cover economy-class airfare

ticket (approx. $2,000), per diem ($73 per day, including travel days),
lodging costs (up to $161), and honoraria ($200 per work day).
Please include these numbers in your budget outline. It is the
applicant’s responsibility to identify the relevant expert and ensure
that he/she agrees to these conditions and states this in their letter of
intent. We also can help identify speakers if you have a clear idea of
objectives and subject matter expertise. Allowable costs are limited
to immediate program needs, such as translation services, in-country
transportation, conference room rentals, relevant supplies, and
meals. The program cannot cover overhead or staff salaries.

Contact for Program Coordinator: speakersmoldova@state.gov

The following types of projects are not eligible for funding:

Projects relating to partisan political activity: Charitable or

development activities; Projects that support specific religious
activities;Fund-raising campaigns: Lobbying for specific legislation or
project: Scientific research;: Building renovations: Projects intended
primarily for the growth or institutional development of the
organization; or Projects that duplicate existing projects.

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

The application process is essentially divided into two phases and

occurs twice a year, once in the spring and once in the summer.
Phase one is the preliminary assessment of a concept while Phase
Two is a full assessment and evaluation of a full proposal. Only
those who pass the preliminary assessment will be asked to submit a
full proposal.

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Phase One: Please submit an executive summary (250 words

maximum) of your proposal to the corresponding email address for
consideration. The executive summary should describe the activities
or program and identify the strategic priority it addresses. It should
also identify the U.S. element of the program and an estimated
period of performance (e.g. 6 months).

Please include an estimated budget, as well.

If your preliminary proposal fulfills these technical criteria, we will ask

you to submit a full proposal and provide you with complete
instructions on how to do so.

All materials must be written in English.

a) Applicant Submits Summary Proposal

b) Program Coordinator Acknowledges and Reviews for

Technical Compliance

Embassy requests full proposals from Technically Compliant

Applicants

c) Applicant Submits Full Proposal

d) Panel Review and Notification (within 30 days of full proposal

deadline)

Approved Declined Approved with conditions

Important Deadlines and Date

There will be at least two separate calls for proposals and review
rounds, one in the spring and one in the summer.

Spring Call:
February 15: Deadline for Executive Summary

March 10: Deadline for Full Proposal (only for those solicited)

April 10: Embassy notifies applicants of decisions.

Summer Call:
May 15: Deadline for Executive Summary

June 10: Deadline for Full Proposal (only for those solicited)

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July 10: Embassy notifies applicants of decisions.

Note: Pending funding availability, there might be a third round in July

2018.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

Project selection is competitive. Proposals are judged by a review

panel on a combination of the following criteria:

1) Relevance to Mission Goals and Key Themes: 30%

Proposals should exhibit relevance to the aforementioned Mission

Goals and Priority Themes. There should be a U.S. component to the
program.

2) Sustainability and Communications: 20%

Objectives should be measurable and achievable. Applicants should

provide a monthly timeline of project activities.

If applicable, proposals should address garnering other donor

support, or demonstrating capacity-building results. A media or
communications element of the project should be included.

3) Program Evaluation Plan: 10%

Programs should include impact assessments and goals with

measurable outputs and outcomes. Applicants should also identify
long and short-term project goals. Projects that propose an
independent evaluation will be deemed highly competitive in this
category.

4) Applicant’s Record and Capacity: 25%

The Embassy will consider the past performance of prior recipients

and the demonstrated potential of new applicants. Proposals from
organizations should demonstrate an institutional record of
successful program administration, including responsible fiscal
management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for
past grants. Any paid staff should play an essential role and have
clearly-defined responsibilities.

5) Cost Effectiveness 15%

The overhead and administrative components of the proposal,

including salaries and honoraria, should be reasonable and
correspond to local market norms for full-time/part-time duties. The
U.S. Speakers/Experts Small Grants Fund does not cover overhead.
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Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I send a full proposal anyway? No. Applicants must first submit
an executive summary unless told otherwise by an embassy
representative.

Do I have to send an executive summary proposal in order for my

application to be considered? Yes.

Will I receive a response if my executive summary proposal is

declined? Yes, but you will not receive direct feedback. The
embassy might issue general feedback to all applicants based on a
preliminary assessment if applicable.

What happens if my executive summary proposal is accepted?

Applicants whose executive summary proposals fulfill technical
criteria will receive an email from the Program Coordinator including
a request for a full proposal along with instructions on how to submit
a full proposal.

What are the technical criteria for executive summary

proposals? The executive summary proposal (250 words maximum)
should describe the activities or program and identify the strategic
priority it addresses. It should also identify the U.S. element of the
program and an estimated period of performance (e.g. 6 months).

Please include an estimated budget as well.

If my executive summary proposal exceeds 250 words, will it be

acceptable? We strongly encourage you to abide by the 250-word
limit. The ability to explain a concept clearly and concisely is a direct
reflection on the quality of the idea and the applicant’s capacity to
implement it.

Can I submit extra documents to support my application? The

Program Coordinator will provide applicants with specific instructions
on which documents to submit. We generally discourage submission
of documents beyond what is specifically required or requested.

If I received a grant previously, will that affect my chances at

receiving another grant? It may. We refer you to evaluation criteria
number

Applicant’s Record and Capacity.

What if I miss the deadline, can I still submit my application? We

strongly encourage you to abide by all deadlines, as this directly
reflects on an applicant’s capacity.

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What if I have a great idea but it doesn’t address a strategic priority?

We refer you to evaluation criteria #1 Relevance to Mission Goals
and Key Themes.

Thank you for your interest. Please address any questions to the
relevant program coordinator for the grants fund you are applying to
(section III).

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