BER_APS_FY21_001.pdf

ANNUAL PROGRAM

STATEMENT

BER-APS-FY21-001

M a y 2

U .S

. E m b a ssy B e rlin

, P u b lic A ffa irs

UNCLASSIFIED

This is an Annual Program Statement outlining U.S. Embassy funding priorities, the strategic themes we focus on, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding. Submitted applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

This document contains both general priorities for Germany-wide and Berlin/Brandenburg area projects as well as regional priorities from each of the U.S. Consulates General located throughout Germany. If your organization is considering an application for a regionally focused project, please consult the specific Consulate’s priority program areas in this NOFO.

Please ensure to indicate for which region you are applying by prefacing the application title with one of the codes below and carefully follow the instructions in this document.

Code Post States

BER Berlin Germany-wide projects, Berlin, Brandenburg

DUS Düsseldorf North Rhine-Westphalia

FRA Frankfurt Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Baden-Württemberg

HAM Hamburg Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Hamburg, Bremen

LEI Leipzig Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Thuringia

MUN Munich Bavaria

A. Program Description

1. General Information and Germany-Wide Priorities

The U.S. Embassy in Berlin invites proposals for programs that promote bilateral cooperation and highlight shared values. All programs must include an American perspective, societal or cultural element, and/or connection with American experts, organizations, or institutions in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and viewpoints. Additionally, programs must include public outreach components, such as livestreaming, traditional media, digital outreach, or events open to the general public.

Examples of Public Diplomacy Grant programs include, but are not limited to:

Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances, and exhibitions

Digital and virtual productions, including podcasts and games

Lectures, workshops, and seminars as well as exchanges for professional and academic audiences

General Priorities:

Projects that promote climate-smart innovations and energy transformation technologies, policies, and infrastructure to support green growth and transatlantic security;

Projects that support entrepreneurship and economic prosperity, transatlantic innovation, and the digital economy;

Projects that foster proactive approaches to countering racially and ethnically motivated terrorism, anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim prejudice, homophobia, and other forms of right-wing extremism that threaten both our shared values and political stability, including, but not limited to:

o Civic education programs, particularly those promoting democratic institutions and values or focusing on media literacy and disinformation

Projects that enhance our resiliency when faced with disinformation and regional destabilization;

Projects that promote educational, cultural, and civic exchanges and enhance understanding of our shared values, traditions, and history, or promote transatlantic institutional and/or community linkages, in particular o Engaging youth on the topics of democracy, diversity, and environmental protection, to facilitate new

21st century transatlantic connections shaped by future decision-makers.

o Providing support for exchange-opportunities for vocational students, first-generation Germans, and underserved youth populations to promote the U.S-German relationship.

o Creating long-term relationships with U.S. and German educational institutions in the fields of business, environment, economics, international relations, science, and technology.

Projects that develop STE(A)M, soft skills, and media literacy programs focusing on youth audiences, minority communities, underserved populations, and first-generation Germans;

Programming to support alumni of U.S. government exchange programs.

Participants and Audiences:

Youth and underserved communities;

Civil society and non-government organizations;

Academic and cultural institutions;

Entrepreneurs;

Immigrant populations;

The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:

Programs relating to partisan political activity;

Charitable or development activities;

Construction programs;

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;

Grants to for-profit entities

2. Berlin Consular District: Berlin and Brandenburg

Priority Program Areas:

Priority program areas as outlined above. Special consideration will be given to proposals featuring an explicit Brandenburg component

3. Düsseldorf Consular District: North Rhine-Westphalia

Priority Program Areas:

Priority program areas as outlined above.

4. Leipzig Consular District: Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia

Priority Program Areas:

Proposals creating student exchanges to the United States with extra weight given to applications from schools in predominantly disadvantaged areas.

5. Frankfurt Consular District: Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Baden-Württemberg

Priority Program Areas:

Priority program areas as outlined above.

6. Hamburg Consular District: Hamburg, Bremen, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-West

Pomerania

Priority Program Areas:

Projects that create exchanges and programs in support of the 2020 Joint Declaration of Intent between the

Secretaries of Labor, Commerce, Education, and their German counterparts concerning cooperation on apprenticeships, vocational education and training.

Projects that advance the transition to greener technologies, with a focus on Northern German institutions to cooperate on producing hydrogen via renewable energy sources.

Projects that foster entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation via sister city partnerships, such as Hamburg-

Chicago, Rostock-Raleigh, and Kiel-San Francisco.

7. Munich Consular District: Bavaria

Priority Program Areas:

Priority program areas as outlined above.

8. Authorizing legislation, type and year of funding:

Funding authority rests in Smith-Mundt and Fulbright-Hays. The source of funding is FY2021 Public Diplomacy Funding.

B. Federal Award Information

1. Award Information

Length of performance period: Up to 24 months

Number of awards anticipated: N/A

Award amounts: Up to $25,000

Total available funding: $200,000

Type of funding: FY 2021 Smith-Mundt PD Funds

Anticipated program start date: 2021

Funding Opportunity Title: Annual Program Statement

Funding Opportunity Number: BER-APS-FY21-001

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Number:

19.040

CFDA Title: Public Diplomacy Programs

Program: N/A

Announcement Type: Annual Program Statement

Announcement Date: 05/07/2021

Deadline for Submission of Proposals: Proposals will be considered on a rolling basis until August 15, 2021

Agency Contacts:

Stefan Koehler | koehlers@state.gov | +49 (30) 8305-2112

Izaak Martin | martinih@state.gov | +49 (30) 8305-2547 mailto:koehlers@state.gov mailto:martinih@state.gov

This notice is subject to availability of funding

2. Funding Instrument Type

Fixed Amount Award or Grant

3. Program Performance Period

Proposed programs should be completed in 24 months or less. The Department of State will entertain applications for continuation agreements funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to 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. Eligibility Information

The following activities and costs are not covered under this announcement:

Social welfare projects;

Paying to complete activities begun with other funds (however, new activities that build from lessons learned as the result of an earlier project are acceptable);

Activities that appear partisan or that support individual or party electoral campaigns;

One-time events, such as stand-alone conferences and one-off round tables (however, a series of workshops within a larger programmatic concept is acceptable);

Medical research and clinical studies;

Cultural presentations, cultural research, cultural clubs, or festivals, etc.

1. Eligible Applicants

The Public Affairs Section considers applications from the United States and the European Union, including:

Registered non-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations;

Non-profit or governmental educational institutions;

Governmental institutions;

Individuals;

As the intended project audience is German, non-German applicants must present either a) documentation of a partnership with a German implementing partner or b) strong knowledge about targeted audience profiles, the German market in their program field, and current salient issues in German political discourse. If the implementer is targeting non-traditional audiences, strong German skills will be necessary as well.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Applicants are not required to include third party funding, but partnering for co-sponsorship will be welcomed.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (Data Universal Numbering

System/DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov.

D. Application and Submission Information

1. 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. Proposals should address succinctly, but completely, the elements described below and must follow all format requirements.

1.1 Content of Application

Please ensure:

The proposal clearly states whether there is a regional focus and to which Consulate it is directed

The proposal is named appropriately: [Regional Code] APS [Your Organization Name] [Descriptive Title], for instance: BER APS U.S. Embassy Youth Exchange Project

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

All documents are in English

All pages are numbered

1.2 Mandatory Application Forms

Applicants must complete application forms SF424 and SF424a and enclose them with their application.

1.3 Summary Page

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.

1.4 Proposal

The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. You may use your own proposal format, but it must include all the items below.

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

Introduction to the Organization or Individual 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. 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. Include a logic model as appropriate.

Proposed Program Schedule and Timeline: 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 time-frame 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.

1.5 Budget Justification Narrative

Please describe each of the budget expenses in detail.

1.6 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

If your organization has a NICRA and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file.

Official permission letters, if required for program activities

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

Required Registrations:

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders

12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations. All are free of charge:

Unique entity identifier from Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS number)

NCAGE/CAGE code www.SAM.gov registration

Step 1: Apply for a DUNS number and an NCAGE number (these can be completed simultaneously)

DUNS application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet.

If your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866-705-5711 or visiting http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform

NCAGE application: Application page here: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx

Instructions for the NCAGE application process:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf

For NCAGE help from within the U.S., call 1-888-227-2423

For NCAGE help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766

Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code.

Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM.gov by logging onto: https://www.sam.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.

3. Submission Dates and Times

Proposals will be considered on a rolling basis until August 15, 2021 https://sam.gov/ http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%252525252520Instructions%252525252520for%252525252520NSPA%252525252520NCAGE.pdf mailto:NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil https://www.sam.gov/

4. Submission Form

Applicants must submit their applications electronically by email to KoehlerS@state.gov and MartinIH@state.gov

E. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:

1.1 Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Program Objectives

Detailed agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate substantive undertakings and logistical capacity. Objectives should be reasonable, feasible, and flexible. Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet the program’s objectives and plan.

1.2 Institution's Record/Ability

Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of comparable successful projects, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for cooperative agreements.

1.3 Cost-effectiveness/Cost-sharing

The overhead and administrative components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as possible. All items should be necessary and appropriate.

2. Review and Selection Process

2.1 Grants Review Panel

A U.S. Embassy Grants Review Panel will evaluate all eligible applications in an impartial merit evaluation in accordance with DoS best practices. Panelists will be impartial and objective and possess sufficient expertise and knowledge of the program to evaluate the applications for their value, quality, and likelihood of success. The Grants Officer (GO) who will be assigned to execute the award will not be a voting member of the panel.

Panelists are moreover expected to avoid conflicts of interest that would compromise their ability to objectively handle their responsibilities. The Embassy will make all efforts to identify potential conflict of interest early in the competitive process. The Embassy will require each panel member to sign a conflict of interest form once the applicant organizations are known, and prior to the panel review meeting. If a panelist becomes aware of a situation that may give the appearance of a conflict of interest, the panelist must immediately disclose the matter to the official responsible for the review.

2.2 Notifications

Successful applicants will be notified in writing informing the applicant about the conditional selection for funding pending the GO’s review and evaluation of risk, and pending the availability of Federal funds. The Embassy may request a revised application or budget, but may not request any changes that would fall outside of the scope of the original Notice of

Funding Opportunity.

The Embassy will wait to inform unsuccessful applicants until after the federal award is issued, but within 30 days of issuance.

Applicants deemed ineligible will be informed as soon as the initial screening is complete. Upon request, unsuccessful applicants will be given a verbal-debrief explanation for the reason(s) for disapproval of the application. There is no appeal process for unsuccessful applicants. The unsuccessful applications will be maintained with the Department’s official records disposition schedule.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices

The 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 letter 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.

2. Payment Method

Recipients will receive funds via electronic funds transfer (EFT). These funds cannot be used to pay for alcoholic beverages.

Any questions concerning the propriety of any particular expenditure from these grant funds should be referred to the grants officer (GO), ACAO Izaak Martin.

3. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

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 200, 2 CFR 600, Certifications and Assurances, and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, all of which are available at: https://www.statebuy.state.gov/fa/pages/home.aspx

4. 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. There will be at least one interim reporting deadline as well as a final report.

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact:

Stefan Koehler

Strategic Content Coordination Assistant

KoehlerS@state.gov

+49 (30) 8305-2112

Izaak H. Martin

Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer

MartinIH@state.gov

+49 (30) 8305-2547

H. Disclaimer

Issuance of this Request for Proposals does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government, nor does it commit the Government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the

Government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received. If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding in connection with the award. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the total discretion of the Department of State.

https://www.statebuy.state.gov/fa/pages/home.aspx mailto:KoehlerS@state.gov mailto:KoehlerS@state.gov