The U.S. Embassy Pristina and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Cultural Heritage Center (“the Center”) are pleased to announce the 2018 notice of funding opportunity for the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) 2018 Small Grants Program.
Program Objective: The Center requests applications for funding in FY 2018 for projects to preserve cultural heritage in less developed countries through the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP). The projects recommended by a review panel for funding under this program should advance U.S. foreign policy objectives and demonstrate American leadership in the preservation and protection of cultural heritage in support of prosperity and stability around the world. The deadline for submitting proposals in English is Friday, January 19, 2018 at 12:00 noon.
Award Information:
- Funding Instrument Type: Grant
- Program Authorization: “Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961” (P.L. 87-256 Sec 102(b)(5), as amended)
- CFDA Number: 19.025
- Floor on Amount of Individual Awards: US $10,000 per project
- Ceiling on Amount of Individual Awards: US $200,000 per project
In FY 2017, awards ranged from US $24,000 to US $174,000.
Funding Areas: AFCP will recommend for funding those applications that include project activities that adhere to the following guidelines and to international standards for the preservation of cultural heritage. These activities may include:
- Cultural Sites: conservation of an ancient or historic building, preservation of an archaeological site, or documentation of cultural sites in a region for preservation purposes
- Cultural Object and collections: conservation treatment for an object or collection of objects from a museum, site, or similar institution—that include, but are not limited to, archaeological and ethnographic objects, paintings, sculpture, manuscripts, and general museum conservation needs; needs assessment of a collection with respect to its condition and strategies for improving its state of conservation; inventory of a collection for conservation and protection purposes; the creation of safe environments for storage or display of collections; or specialized training in the care and preservation of collections
- Forms of traditional cultural expression: documentation and audiovisual recording of traditional music, indigenous languages and dance forms for broad dissemination as the means of teaching and further preserving them, or support for training in the preservation of traditional applied arts or crafts in danger of extinction
Eligible project applicants: The Center defines eligible project applicants as reputable and accountable non-commercial entities, such as non-governmental organizations, museums, ministries of culture, or similar institutions and organizations, including U.S.-based organizations subject to Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, that are registered and active in SAM.gov and able to demonstrate that they have the requisite experience and capacity to manage projects to preserve cultural heritage. Embassies must vet applicants for eligibility, suitability, and reputable performance in cultural preservation or similar activities.
Special note regarding sites and objects that have a religious connection: The establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution permits the government to include religious objects and sites within an aid program under certain conditions. For example, an item with a religious connection (including a place of worship) may be the subject of a cultural preservation grant if the item derives its primary significance and is nominated solely on the basis of architectural, artistic, historical, or other cultural (not religious) criteria.
Ineligible activities and unallowable costs: AFCP will NOT support the following activities or costs, and applications involving any of the activities or costs below will be deemed ineligible:
- Preservation or purchase of privately or commercially owned cultural objects, collections, or real property, including those whose transfer from private or commercial to public ownership is envisioned, planned, or in process but not complete at the time of application
- Preservation of natural heritage (physical, biological, and geological formations, paleontological collections, habitats of threatened species of animals and plants, fossils, etc.)
- Preservation of hominid or human remains
- Preservation of news media (newspapers, newsreels, radio and TV programs, etc.)
- Preservation of published materials available elsewhere (books, periodicals, etc.)
- Development of curricula or educational materials for classroom use
- Archaeological excavations or exploratory surveys for research purposes
- Historical research, except in cases where the research is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project
- Acquisition or creation of new exhibits, objects, or collections for new or existing museums
- Construction of new buildings, building additions, or permanent coverings (over archaeological sites, for example)
- Commissions of new works of art or architecture for commemorative or economic development purposes
- Creation of new or the modern adaptation of existing traditional dances, songs, chants, musical compositions, plays, or other performances
- Creation of replicas or conjectural reconstructions of cultural objects or sites that no longer exist
- Relocation of cultural sites from one physical location to another
- Removal of cultural objects or elements of cultural sites from the country for any reason
- Digitization of cultural objects or collections, unless part of a larger, clearly defined conservation or documentation effort
- Conservation plans or other studies, unless they are one component of a larger project to implement the results of those studies
- Cash reserves, endowments, or revolving funds (funds must be expended within the award period [up to five years] and may not be used to create an endowment or revolving fund);
- Costs of fund-raising campaigns
- Contingency, unforeseen, or miscellaneous costs or fees
- Costs of work performed prior to announcement of the award unless allowable per 2 CFR 200.458 and approved by the grants officer
- International travel, except in cases where travel is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project
- Travel or study outside the host country for professional development
- Individual projects costing less than $10,000
- Independent U.S. projects overseas
Ineligible project applicants: AFCP does not award grants to individuals, commercial entities, or to past award recipients which have not fulfilled the objectives or reporting requirements of previous AFCP awards.
Cost sharing and other forms of cost participation: There is no minimum or maximum percentage of cost participation required for this competition. When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its application and later included in an approved agreement. The applicant will be responsible for tracking and reporting on any cost share or outside funding, which is subject to audit per 2 CFR 200. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs.
Performance and deliverables: AFCP 2018 award recipients must submit performance progress, federal financial status reports, and final reports on time as specified in the Notice of Award
To apply, please submit your full proposal by Friday, January 19, 2018 at 12:00 noon. Please refer to the following documents and the additional information below:
All documents below must be submitted in English.
- Full and complete Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) (PDF 229 KB), including Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A) (PDF 324 KB), Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B) (PDF 86 KB), and, if applicable, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (PDF 209 KB).
- Project basics, including title, project dates, and AFCP focus area
- Project applicant information, including contact information, DUNS Number, and SAM registration status
- Project location
- Proof of official permission to undertake the project
- Project purpose that summarizes the project objectives and desired results
- Project activities description that presents the project tasks in chronological order
- Project time frame or schedule that lists the major project phases and milestones with target dates for achieving them (NOTE: Applicants may propose project periods of up to 60 months [five years]; projects must begin before September 30, 2018, and conclude no later than September 30, 2023)
- Project participant information, specifically an estimated number of non-US and US participants and estimated number of primary and secondary participants, as well as resumes of the proposed project director and other primary project participants
- Statement of importance highlighting the historic, architectural, artistic, or cultural (non-religious) values of the cultural site, collection, or form of traditional expression
- Statement of urgency indicating the severity of the situation and explaining why the project must take place now
- Statement of sustainability outlining the steps or measures that will be taken to maintain the site, object, or collection in good condition after the AFCP-supported project is complete; or, in the case of forms of traditional cultural expression, to preserve and disseminate the documentation, knowledge, or skills gained from the project
- Detailed project budget, demarcated in one-year budget periods (2018, 2019, 2020, etc.), that lists all costs in separate categories (Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel [including Per Diem], Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Other Direct Costs, Indirect Costs, Cost Sharing); indicates funds from other sources; and gives a justification for any anticipated international travel costs (templates available upon request from the Center)
- Budget narrative explaining line by line how costs are estimated (quantity x unit cost, annual salary x percentage of time spent on project, etc.) and unique budget line items
- Attachments and supporting documents including, at a minimum and REQUIRED, five (5) high quality digital images (JPEGs) or audiovisual files that convey the nature and condition of the site, object, or form of expression and, in the case of a site or object, show the urgency or need for the proposed project (collapsing wall, water damage, worn fabric, broken handle, etc.), any historic structure reports, conservation needs assessments, and other planning documents compiled in preparation for the proposed project
Register for DUNS number and SAM registration: Applicants requesting $25,000 or more in federal assistance must have a Dun & Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code, and be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to submitting applications. NOTE: This process can take weeks/months, especially for non-U.S. applicants. Applicants may acquire DUNs numbers at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNs number request line at 1-866-705-5711 or by requesting a number online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform . Non-U.S. based applicants may request a NCAGE code at https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx . SAM is the official, free on-line registration database for the U.S. government. SAM.gov replaced the Central Contractor Registration (CCR), the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), and the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in July 2012. SAM.gov collects, validates, stores, and disseminates data in support of federal agency acquisition and grant award mission. Registration in SAM is free: https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/
DISCLAIMER: Explanatory information provided by the Center that contradicts published language is not binding. Issuance of this Notice of Funding Opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government. The Center reserves the right to waive program formalities and to reduce, revise, or increase application budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements as specified above and in the Notice of Award.
Application to be submitted to Enis Rexhepi, Cultural Assistant, rexhepieh@state.gov
Information on previous awards is available from the Center and the AFCP website: http://exchanges.state.gov/heritage/afcp.html .
