Annual Program Statement - Cultural Small Grants Program 2025.docx

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. EMBASSY Tbilisi, PUBLIC DIPLOMACY SECTION Notice of Funding Opportunity

June 27, 2025 October 31, 2025 Assistance Listing Number: 19.040 – Public Diplomacy Programs Length of performance period: Up to 12 months Number of awards anticipated: Up to 15 awards Award amounts: Awards may range from $5,000 to a maximum of $24,000 Total available funding: $250,000 pending funding availability Type of Funding: Fiscal Year 2025 Public Diplomacy Funding Anticipated programs start date: Four to six months after submission deadline

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Embassy Tbilisi of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce that funding is available through its Public Diplomacy Cultural Small Grants Program. This is an Annual Program Statement, outlining our funding priorities, the strategic themes we focus on, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding. Please carefully follow all instructions below.

Purpose of Small Grants: PDS Tbilisi invites proposals for programs that strengthen cultural ties between the U.S. and Georgia through cultural and exchange programming that highlights shared values and promotes bilateral cooperation. All programs must include an American cultural element, or connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.

Examples of PDS Cultural Small Grants Program programs include, but are not limited to:

· Academic and professional lectures, seminars, and speaker programs.

· Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances, and exhibitions.

· Cultural heritage conservation and preservation programs.

· Professional and academic exchanges and programs.

Priority Program Areas:

· Strengthening democracy, culture, institutions, values, and civil society through arts, particularly with a U.S. connection, in the regions of Georgia.

· Community-based cultural (heritage) preservation projects, or projects to support community engagement around or with Georgia’s cultural heritage.

· International Festivals held in Georgia to foster closer U.S.- Georgian ties and share U.S. culture.

· Sporting events and exchanges to foster closer U.S.- Georgian ties through sports, promote inclusive sports, foster healthy living, or advance other shared priorities.

Participants and Audiences:

The U.S. Embassy seeks geographically and demographically diverse audiences within the country and prioritizes proposals with a significant programming component outside of the capital. The Embassy encourages projects to focus on engaging youth, women and girls, seniors, people with disabilities, regions with ethnic and religious minority communities, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and other vulnerable communities.

The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:

· Programs relating to partisan political activity;

· Charitable or development activities;

· Construction programs;

· Programs that support specific religious activities;

· Fund-raising campaigns;

· Lobbying for specific legislation or programs;

· Scientific research;

· Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization; or

· Programs that duplicate existing programs.

Authorizing legislation, type, and year of funding:

19.040 Smith-Mundt, Public Diplomacy Funding, FY25

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Length of performance period: up to 12 months Number of awards anticipated: 15 awards (dependent on amounts) Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $24,000 Total available funding: $250,000 Type of Funding: Fiscal Year 2025 Public Diplomacy Funding Anticipated program start date: four to six months after submission deadline

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Funding Instrument Type: Grant, Fixed Amount Award, or Cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements are different from grants in that PDS staff are more actively involved in the grant implementation.

Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 months or less.

PDS will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

The Public Affairs Section encourages applications from organizations and individuals within the U.S. and Georgia that are:

· Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience.

· Non-profit or governmental educational institutions.

· Governmental Institutions.

· Legal Entities of Public Law.

· Individuals

For-profit or commercial entities/educational institutions are not eligible to apply.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing is not required.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

Applicants are only allowed to submit a maximum of two proposals per organization. If more than two proposals are submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.

In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via www.SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for more information.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package

Application forms required below are available at U.S. Embassy Tbilisi website and grants.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.

Content of Application Please ensure:

· The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity,

· All documents are in English,

· All budgets are in U.S. dollars,

· All pages are numbered,

· All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and

· All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

The following documents are required:

1. Mandatory application forms

· SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance --individuals)

· SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)

· SF424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) (note: the SF-424B is only required for individuals, organizations exempt from registration, and for organizations not required to fully register in SAM.gov)

2. Summary Coversheet: Cover sheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program.

3. Proposal (8 pages maximum): The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do.

· Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives and anticipated impact.

· Introduction to the Organization Applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies.

· Problem Statement: Clear, concise, and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed.

· Program Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve. What aspect of the relationship between the U.S. and XXX will be improved? The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable.

· Program Activities: Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.

· Program Methods and Design: A description of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal.

· Proposed Program Schedule: The proposed timeline for the program activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events.

· Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles, and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program?

· Program Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees.

· Program Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants. Throughout the timeframe of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant?

· Future Funding or Sustainability Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable.

4. Budget Justification Narrative: After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate sheet of paper to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.

5. Attachments:

· 1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program

· Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner

· Official permission letters, if required for program activities

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov)

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 with the SAM.gov. A 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.

UEI and SAM.gov Exemptions:

Individuals are always exempt from the requirement to obtain a UEI and register in SAM.gov unless they are operating a sole proprietorship or single member limited liability company.

Organizations meeting the criteria below may be exempted on a case-by-case basis from the requirement to register in SAM.gov and obtaining a UEI.

The GO may only approve an exemption from the UEI or SAM.gov registration requirements for:

(1) Any applicant or recipient, if the Federal awarding agency determines that it must protect information about the entity from disclosure if it is in the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States, or to avoid jeopardizing the personal safety of the applicant or recipient's staff or clients.

(2) A foreign organization or foreign public entity applying for or receiving a federal award or subaward for a project or program performed outside the United States valued at less than $25,000, if the Federal awarding agency deems it to be impractical for the entity to comply with the requirement(s). This exemption must be determined by the Federal awarding agency on a case-by-case basis while utilizing a risk-based approach and does not apply if subawards are anticipated.

(3) Any applicant, if the Federal awarding agency decides that there are exigent circumstances that prohibit the applicant from receiving a unique entity identifier and completing SAM registration prior to receiving a federal award. In these instances, Federal awarding agencies must require the recipient to obtain a unique entity identifier and complete SAM registration within 30 days of the Federal award date.

(4) An Overseas School (defined as a U.S. sponsored elementary or secondary school abroad participating in the Department of State's Consolidated Overseas Schools Assistance Program) and does not currently have a UEI number.

(5) Foreign organizations or foreign public entities receiving an award less than $500,000 that will be performed outside the United States may be exempted from completing full SAM.gov registration; however, the organization or foreign public entity must still obtain a UEI

4. Submission Dates and Times

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. The grants committee will meet three times a year, and evaluate all open applications received before the cut-off dates listed below:

February 28, 2025, 11:59 p.m. Georgia Standard Time, June 27, 2025 11:59 p.m. Georgia Standard Time, October 31, 2025 11:59 p.m. Georgia Standard Time.

No applications will be accepted after that date.

Proposals received between November 1 and February 28 will be reviewed by March 31, 2025, with responses going out by April 30, 2025 Proposals received between March 1 and June 27 will be reviewed by July 30, 2025, with responses going out by August 31, 2025.

Proposals received between June 28 and October 31 will be reviewed by November 30, 2025, with responses going out by December 31, 2025.

5. Funding Restrictions

The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:

· Programs relating to partisan political activity;

· Charitable or development activities;

· Construction programs;

· Programs that support specific religious activities;

· Fund-raising campaigns;

· Lobbying for specific legislation or programs

· Scientific research;

· Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization; or Programs that duplicate existing programs

6. Other Submission Requirements

All application materials must be submitted by email to tbilisicultural@state.gov

Please include the funding opportunity title in the subject line.

The application package must be archived only into ZIP archive. RAR archived packages will not be accepted. Emails exceeding 6MB will not be accepted.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria

Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below. The criteria listed are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application.

Organizational capacity and record on previous grants: The organization has expertise in its stated field and PAS is confident of its ability to undertake the program. This includes a financial management system and a bank account.

Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea – The program idea is well developed, with detail about how program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline.

Goals and objectives: Goals and objectives are clearly stated and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.

Embassy priorities: Applicant has clearly described how stated goals are related to and support U.S. Embassy Georgia’s priority areas or target audiences.

Budget: The budget justification is detailed. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities.

Monitoring and evaluation plan: Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provide milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The program includes output and outcome indicators, and shows how and when those will be measured.

Sustainability: Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program.

2. Review and Selection Process

A Grants Review Committee will evaluate all eligible applications.

3. Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov

For any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity, if the Federal awarding agency anticipates that the total Federal share will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold on any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity may include, over the period of performance (see §200.88 Simplified Acquisition Threshold), this section must also inform applicants:

i. The Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the U.S. government designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.gov (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);

ii. An applicant, at its option, may review and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered. Currently, federal agencies create integrity records in the integrity module of the Contractor Performance Assessment and Reporting System (CPARS) and these records are visible as responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov;

iii. The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.206 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

The grant award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer.

If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the discretion of the Department of State.

Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.

Payment Method: Payments will be made in at least two installments, as needed to carry out the program activities.

Organizations whose applications will not be funded will also be notified via email.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Terms and Conditions: Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications which will apply to this award, to ensure that they will be able to comply.

These include:

· 2 CFR 25 - UNIVERSAL IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

· 2 CFR 170 - REPORTING SUBAWARD AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION INFORMATION

· 2 CFR 175 - AWARD TERM FOR TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

· 2 CFR 182 - GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE)

· 2 CFR 183 - NEVER CONTRACT WITH THE ENEMY

· 2 CFR 600 – DEPARTMENT OF STATE REQUIREMENTS

· U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS

In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department of State will review and consider applications for funding, as applicable to specific programs, pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity in accordance with the following: NOTE:

· Guidance for Grants and Agreements in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR), as updated in the Federal Register’s 85 FR 49506 on August 13, 2020, particularly on:

· Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based on the program objectives through an objective process of evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR part 200.205),

· Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. No. 115—232) (2 CFR part 200.216),

· Promoting the freedom of speech and religious liberty in alignment with Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty (E.O. 13798) and Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities (E.O. 13864) (§§ 200.300, 200.303, 200.339, and 200.341),

· Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States (2 CFR part 200.322), and

· Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest extent authorized by law, if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities (2 CFR part 200.340).

3. Reporting

Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact PDS at: tbilisicultural@state.gov

Please include the funding opportunity title in the subject line.

Note: We do not provide any pre-consultation for application related questions that are addressed in the NOFO. Once an application has been submitted, State Department officials and staff — both in the Department and at embassies overseas — may not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire proposal review process is completed.

H. OTHER INFORMATION

Guidelines for Budget Justification Personnel: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the program, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the program.

Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this program. If the program involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.

Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the program, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the program), and costs at least $5,000 per unit.

Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the program. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under Equipment.

Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor. Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the program activities.

Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the program, which do not fit in the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials and equipment or applicable taxes. All “Other” or “Miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained.

Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the program activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating. If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.

“Cost Sharing” refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S. Embassy. It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues.

Alcoholic Beverages: Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.