AFCP Announcement_2024 revised_Nov 3.docx

AMBASSADOR'S FUND FOR CULTURAL PRESERVATION

Deadline for applications: December 13, 2023

The U.S. Embassy in Armenia announces a call for proposals for the 2024 Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP). The program will be implemented through the Cultural Heritage Center in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The application process involves two rounds: In Round 1, we will collect project ideas in the form of concept notes, due December 13, 2023. In Round 2, we will invite applicants with promising ideas to submit full project applications, due March 29, 2024.

AFCP supports preservation projects in the following categories, pending available funding. A priority focus area for the 2024 cycle will be on proposals that contribute to the preservation of intangible heritage of ethnic Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh.

1. A CULTURAL SITE OR SITES - Conservation of an ancient or historic building, preservation of an archaeological site, or documentation of cultural sites in a region for preservation purposes.

2. AN OBJECT OR COLLECTION OF OBJECTS - Conservation treatment for an object or collection of objects; 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.

3. INTANGIBLE FORMS OF TRADITIONAL CULTURAL HERITAGE EXPRESSION - Preservation may include documentation and audiovisual recordings of oral histories, language, traditional music and dance, traditional art, culinary, and rituals, etc., for broad dissemination as a means of teaching and further preserving them, or support for training in the preservation of traditional applied arts or crafts in danger of extinction.

Types of Project Activities In all three categories, appropriate project activities may include:

· Documentation (recording in analog or digital format the condition and salient features of an object, site, or tradition). Note: This type of activity particularly applies to preservation of intangible forms of heritage.

· Preventative Conservation (addressing conditions that threaten or damage a site, object, collection, or tradition). Note: This type of activity could also be applied to preservation of intangible heritage.

· Anastylosis (reassembling a site from its original parts).

· Conservation (addressing damage or deterioration to an object or site).

· Consolidation (connecting or reconnecting elements of an object or site).

· Inventory (listing of objects, sites, or traditions by location, feature, age, or other unifying characteristic or state).

· Restoration (replacing missing elements to recreate the original appearance of an object or site, usually appropriate only with fine arts, decorative arts, and historic buildings).

· Stabilization (reducing the physical disturbance of an object or site).

All submitted applications must be in English. Applicants may propose project periods of up to 60 months [five years]; projects must begin after September 30, 2024, and conclude no later than September 30, 2029. Funding instrument type: Grant. Funding amount: $10,000 per project (minimum) to $500,000 per project (maximum).

WHO CAN APPLY: Reputable and accountable non-commercial entities, such as non-governmental organizations, museums, state non-profit organizations, or similar institutions and organizations that are able to demonstrate that they have the requisite experience and capacity to manage projects to preserve cultural heritage. We encourage proposals that include non-U.S. government cost-sharing (including in-kind). Please keep fluctuations in exchange rates in mind when calculating project costs.

The AFCP will not award grants to individuals, commercial entities, or past award recipients that have not fulfilled the objectives or reporting requirements of previous awards.

Potential implementers must be registered and active in the U.S. government’s System for Award Management (SAM) to receive U.S. federal assistance. If a project idea is advanced to Round 2 and the anticipated implementer is not registered in SAM, the organization should initiate the registration process immediately so that it is in place in the event the project is ultimately selected for an award (please contact the embassy). Information on how to register is provided. The registration process can take several weeks to complete so it is important to avoid any delay.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

There is no application form. Please provide the required information, with the exception of photo/audio/video files, in MSWord format.

Round 1 Concept Note Requirements (Deadline: December 13, 2023):

For the 1st round concept notes are submitted, which must include:

a. Project basics, including working title, anticipated project length (Note: Applicants may propose project periods of up to 60 months), location/site, and project cost estimate (amount requested from AFCP; in U.S. dollars).

b. Project implementer.

c. Scope of work summarizing (1) the preservation goals and the activities planned to achieve those goals; and (2) any broader host country or community goals and the activities planned to achieve those goals; (i.e., what they hope to gain from the project beyond the preserved heritage and how they plan to get there; 2,000 characters maximum).

d. Rationale for AFCP support, explaining why it’s in the interests of the U.S. government to fund the project.

e. Five (5) high quality digital images (JPEGs) or audiovisual files that convey the nature and condition of the form of expression and show the urgency or need for the proposed project.

Round 2 Full Application Requirements (Deadline: March 29, 2024): The embassy will invite applicants selected in Round 1 to submit full applications by no later than Monday, March 13, 2024. The applications must fully satisfy the program objectives, funding areas and priorities, and eligibility requirements. Furthermore, to be considered complete, they must include:

a. Project dates (maximum of 60 months [five years]).

b. Statement of importance highlighting the historical, artistic, or cultural (non-religious) values of the cultural heritage.

c. Revised/detailed scope of work with (1) clear preservation goals and activities for achieving those goals, and (2) the host country or community’s intended broader goals and activities for achieving those goals (Note: When describing and ordering the activities for (1) and (2) above, highlight any major milestones and target dates for achieving them. Each set of activities should clearly lead to their corresponding goals with no gaps. The overall presentation should make a compelling case that the implementer has a clear and comprehensive sense of how to achieve the preservation and other goals).

d. Proof of official permission to undertake the project from the office, agency, or organization that either owns or is otherwise responsible for the preservation and protection of the site or collection.

e. Implementer’s public awareness plan describing how the applicant intends to highlight and amplify AFCP-supported activities through print, electronic, social media, and other means.

f. Maintenance plan outlining the steps or measures that will be taken to preserve and disseminate the documentation, knowledge, or skills gained from the project.

g. Résumés or CVs of the proposed project director and key project participants.

h. Detailed project budget, demarcated in one-year budget periods (2023, 2024, etc.), that lists all costs in separate categories (Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel [including Per Diem], Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Other Direct Costs, Indirect Costs); indicates funds from other sources; and gives a justification for any anticipated international travel costs; (Note: budget worksheet is provided as part of the announcement package.

i. Budget narrative explaining how the costs were estimated (quantity x unit cost, annual salary x percentage of time spent on project, etc.) and any large budget line items.

j. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424), including Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A), Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B), and, if applicable, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (all forms are part of the announcement package).

k. Relevant supporting documentation, such as historic reports, restoration plans and studies, conservation needs assessments and recommendations, records, etc., compiled in preparation for the proposed project.

l. As requested by the Center or as appropriate, additional high quality digital images (JPEGs) or audiovisual files that convey the nature and condition of the heritage and show the urgency or need for the proposed project. **Please note that the embassy does NOT accept files vie WeTransfer and Google.doc, as well as RAR files.

Cost Sharing and Other Forms of Cost Participation: There is no minimum or maximum percentage of cost participation required. When an implementing partner offers cost sharing, it is understood and agreed that the partner must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the budget of the application and later included in an approved agreement. The implementing partner 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.

Ineligible Activities and Unallowable Costs: AFCP does not support the following activities or costs:

a. 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.

b. Preservation of natural heritage (physical, biological, and geological formations, paleontological collections, habitats of threatened species of animals and plants, fossils, etc.) unless the natural heritage has a cultural heritage connection or dimension.

c. Preservation of hominid or human remains.

d. Preservation of news media (newspapers, newsreels, radio and TV programs, etc.).

e. Preservation of published materials available elsewhere (books, periodicals, etc.).

f. Development of curricula or educational materials for classroom use.

g. Archaeological excavations or exploratory surveys for research purposes.

h. Historical research, except in cases where the research is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project.

i. Acquisition or creation of new exhibits, objects, or collections for new or existing museums.

j. Construction of new buildings, building additions, or permanent coverings (over archaeological sites, for example).

k. Commissions of new works of art or architecture for commemorative or economic development purposes.

l. Creation of new or the modern adaptation of existing traditional dances, songs, chants, musical compositions, plays, or other performances.

m. Creation of replicas or conjectural reconstructions of cultural objects or sites that no longer exist.

n. Relocation of cultural sites from one physical location to another.

o. Removal of cultural objects or elements of cultural sites from the country for any reason.

p. Digitization of cultural objects or collections, unless part of a larger, clearly defined conservation, documentation, or public diplomacy effort.

q. Conservation plans or other studies, unless they are one component of a larger project to implement the results of those studies.

r. 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).

s. Costs of fund-raising campaigns.

t. Contingency, unforeseen, or miscellaneous costs or fees.

u. Costs of work performed prior to announcement of the award unless allowable per 2 CFR 200.458 and approved by the Grants Officer.

v. International travel, except in cases where travel is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project or to provide project leaders with learning and exchange opportunities with cultural heritage experts.

w. Individual projects costing less than US $10,000 or more than $500,000.

x. Independent U.S. projects overseas.

Award Announcement: The embassy will announce the results of the AFCP 2024 Grants Program via email letters once the Department’s 2024 funding levels are established and a congressional spend plan is approved.

SAM Registration: An implementing partner must be registered in the U.S. government’s System for Award Management (SAM) prior to receiving U.S, federal assistance. The SAM registration process, which requires either a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) or a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code, can take weeks or months, especially for non-U.S. applicants. Non-U.S. based applicants may request a NCAGE code at https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx. SAM will assign a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) automatically to any entity registering or renewing its record in the system. Registration in SAM is free: https://sam.gov/.

Disclaimer: Issuance of this funding opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the AFCP program or the U.S. government. The Center reserves the right to waive program formalities and to reduce, revise, or increase project scopes and budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds.

Please submit your applications to: yerevanafcp@state.gov by the deadline, December 13, 2023. **Note that the embassy does NOT accept files vie WeTransfer and Google.doc, as well as RAR files. For questions that have not been covered in this announcement please contact the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy at: yerevanafcp@state.gov.

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