2018 Anniversaries Special Grant Competition

Call for applications is now: CLOSED

Deadline: November 3, 2017

As part of its Public Affairs Grants Program, the U.S. Embassy in Bratislava is pleased to announce a special competition for projects to celebrate the U.S.-Slovak relationship in 2018.

Next year marks the 100^th anniversary of Czechoslovak independence (1918) and the 25^th anniversary of Slovak independence (1993). Competitive projects will leverage these anniversaries to tell the story of U.S.-Slovak relations, emphasize the strong ties between the American and Slovak people, and stress the importance of Slovakia’s western orientation. They will focus on the enduring bonds between Americans and Slovaks, highlight key events over the course of the relationship, and stress the mutual benefits both countries have realized because of their partnership and alliance. Projects should cover the overall history of U.S.-Slovak relations with a special emphasis on the period beginning with Slovak independence in 1993 to the present.

Grant proposals should range from USD 5,000 to USD 20,000 and may last up to one year. This program does not require cost sharing.

Proposals for this competition must be received by November 3, 2017 for consideration.

Applicants

The U.S. Embassy Bratislava Public Affairs Section encourages applications from committed and organized civil-society organizations, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions. We seek proposals that aim to reach geographically and demographically diverse audiences within Slovakia and that use various tools, including traditional and digital/social media, to maximize their reach.

Proposal Guidelines

Proposals should be submitted via the online grant application (see below), include a written narrative in English, and follow these guidelines:

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?
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.
Project Justification. What are the unique merits of the project? What difference does it make for Slovak understanding and knowledge of U.S. culture and society? 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.

Budgets must be calculated in U.S. dollars.

The Public Affairs Section will also support inviting U.S. experts to Slovakia. Such proposals may include the name of a speaker or request a speaker with a description of desired expertise. 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 schedule for the expert for each day. If participation in a conference is expected please provide its description (organizer, topics, goals and objectives, audience, other expected speakers and participants). Please note that the Fly America Act requires that anyone whose air travel is financed by U.S. Government funds to 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.).

Eligibility Requirements

If your proposal is selected for funding these criteria must be met in order to receive an award: Organizations must obtain a Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) DUNS number, an NGCAGE number and register in SAM (System for Award Management) prior to being eligible to receive federal assistance funding.

As this can be a somewhat lengthy process we advise that organizations initiate the registration as soon as a project proposal has been approved. Funding will be contingent upon successful completion of registration of the organization with SAM.

Some tips for SAM registration:

All of the your organization’s information (name, address, etc.), must be an exact match in each system (DUNS, NCAGE, and SAM websites). This matching requirement includes spaces, parentheses, capitalization, small letters, punctuation, etc. You may that a template/screen shot with your organization information to be sure that you enter the information in the same way in each registration site. SAM.gov will verify the information in the DUNS and NCAGE registrations and the information is not a perfect match SAM.gov will reject the registration.
Registrations are free on all the websites and complete each of the website as indicated below.. DUNS… NCAGE CODE and SAM.gov
Each website provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for completing the required forms:

DUNS: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do

NGCAGE: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx

SAM: https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/

Note: Awards to individuals are exempt from the requirement to obtain a DUNS number and register with SAM.

How to Apply

The Embassy will accept grant proposals from September 9 to November 3, 2017.

To apply: Please complete the Embassy’s application form (DOC, 795 KB) and send this document in electronic format to Bratislava_GrantsSlo@state.gov.

After submitting your application, you will receive an automatic reply from the Embassy. Grant proposals should include all of the information requested in the application guidelines. Proposals will not be considered until all information is received in electronic form. Proposals must be in English or accompanied by an English translation. Supporting documents may be in Slovak. Questions should be addressed to Bratislava_GrantsSlo@state.gov

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.