AFCP NOFO - Lebanon 2024.docx

2024 AMBASSADORS FUND FOR CULTURAL PRESERVATION (AFCP)

LBN-PDS-FY24-AFCP

The U.S. Embassy Beirut, Lebanon’s Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) announces the call for proposals for the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) 2024. The Embassy seeks project ideas that meet all program eligibility requirements listed in this notice. The application process involves two rounds. Interested applicants should submit their proposals for Round One by Tuesday, January 2, 2024. to PDBeirutGrants@state.gov.

Selected applicants will be invited to submit full project applications for Round Two, by Thursday April 25, 2024.

A- PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND FUNDING AREAS:

The U.S. Department of State established the AFCP in 2001 at the request of Congress in Conference Report 106-1005 accompanying H.R. 4942 (October 26, 2000). The Senate report on this bill noted that the preservation of cultural heritage “offers an opportunity to show a different American face to other countries, one that is non-commercial, non-political, and non-military.”

The AFCP Grants Program supports the preservation of archaeological sites, historic buildings and monuments, museum collections, and forms of traditional cultural expression, such as indigenous languages and crafts. Appropriate project activities may include:

1. Anastylosis (reassembling a site from its original parts);

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

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

4. Documentation (recording in analog or digital format the condition and salient features of an object, site, or tradition)

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

6. Preventive Conservation (addressing conditions that threaten or damage a site, object, collection, or tradition);

7. 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);

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

Sites and Objects Having 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.

Funding Priorities: Some of the most impactful AFCP projects have been designed as part of a greater PD programming arc promoting specific U.S. policy goals and host country or community objectives. Accordingly, in FY2024, ECA will give preference to projects that do one or more of the following:

1. Directly support U.S. treaty or bilateral agreement obligations.

2. Directly support U.S. policies, strategies, and objectives.

3. Support disaster risk reduction for cultural heritage in disaster-prone areas or post-disaster cultural heritage recovery.

4. Partner, connect with, or feed into other ECA or public diplomacy programs.

B. PROGRAM INFORMATION:

Closing date for Round One (concept notes): Tuesday January 2, 2024.

Expected size of individual awards: $10,000 to $500,000 Closing date for Round Two: Thursday April 25, 2024

C- ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION:

Eligible Project Implementers must be reputable and accountable non-commercial entities that can demonstrate they have the requisite capacity to manage projects to preserve cultural heritage. Eligible implementers may include non-governmental organizations, museums, educational institutions, ministries of culture, or similar institutions and organizations, including U.S.-based educational institutions and organizations subject to Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. 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.

All project activities must take place in Lebanon.

D- APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION:

ROUND ONE (Deadline Tuesday January 2, 2024):

Submitted concept note must include:

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

2. Project implementer information, including name and SAM registration.

3. Project Scope of work (3,000 characters maximum) summarizing:

· The preservation activities and goals,

· related host country or community goals (i.e., what you hope to gain from the project beyond the preserved heritage and how these goals will be achieved) and,

· anticipated strategic outreach activities to build awareness and engage communities and stakeholders.

4. Rationale for AFCP Support, explaining why it is in the interest of the U.S. Government to fund the project, specifically:

1) How the project relates to specific Integrated Country Strategy (ICS) goals, existing bilateral agreements, or other U.S. foreign policy objectives (1,000 characters maximum).

2) The projected public diplomacy benefits and impacts of the project (1,000 characters maximum).

5. Five (5) high quality digital images (JPEGs) or audiovisual files that convey the nature and condition of the site, collection, or tradition and show the urgency or need for the proposed project (collapsing walls, water damage, etc.).

ROUND TWO (Deadline Thursday April 25, 2024):

a) Project Activities Description and Timeframe that present the project tasks in chronological order and list the major milestones with target dates for achieving them.

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

c) 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.

d) Implementer Public Outreach Plan describing how the applicant will build awareness and engage communities and stakeholders. Awareness-building activities typically include social media posts, ribbon cutting events, and news stories. Community and stakeholder engagement activities may include community-led or community-produced workshops, short videos, documentary films, oral histories, storytelling, or interpretive exhibits, and educational or enrichment events tailored for specific audiences, such as young people.

e) Maintenance Plan 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.

f) Data and Media Access Plan outlining how the implementing partner will share, as appropriate, data and media generated from the project with the public and the Department of State.

g) If applicable, explain how the proposed project or project staff are linked to other Department of State cultural, educational, or other exchange programs.

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

i) Detailed Project Budget, demarcated in one-year budget periods (2023, 2024, 2025, 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.

j) 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.

k) 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).

l) Relevant Supporting Documentation, such as historic structure reports, restoration plans and studies, conservation needs assessments and recommendations, architectural and engineering records, etc., compiled in preparation for the proposed project.

m) 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 (collapsing walls, extensive water damage, etc.)

E- REQUIRED REGISTRATIONS: All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration in the System for Award Management (https://SAM.gov). Registration in https://SAM.gov is free. You may require additional registrations, such as an EIN or NCAGE code, depending on your location and whether you plan to do business with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): A Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards. The UEI replaced the DUNS numbering system in April 2022. To get a UEI, go to https://SAM.gov and follow the instructions for getting a Unique Entity ID.

Employer Identification Number (EIN): If you are an organization based in the United States or if you pay employees within the United States, you will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a UEI prior to registering in SAM.gov. If you are an organization based outside of the United States and you do not pay employees within the United States, you do not need an EIN from the IRS.

NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code: If you are an organization based outside of the United States and do not intend to apply for U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) awards, you do not need a NCAGE code. Simply obtain your UEI and complete your SAM.gov registration at https://SAM.gov.

Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take between 4-8 weeks. Begin the process as early as possible.

F. Ineligible Activities and Unallowable Costs:

AFCP does 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.) unless the natural heritage has a cultural heritage connection or dimension.

· 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, documentation, or public diplomacy 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 or to provide project leaders with learning and exchange opportunities with cultural heritage experts.

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

· Independent U.S. and foreign projects overseas that do not have a local partner or a pre-existing formal agreement with the national cultural authority in the specified country to conduct cultural heritage preservation activities.

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