NOFO Exploring American Values_2018.pdf

U.S. Embassy London

Public Affairs Section

Funding Opportunity Title: Exploring American Values Exchange Program

Announcement Type: Grant (new)

Funding Opportunity No: DOS-London-PD-2018-04

CFDA: 19.012

Opening Date: 3/9/2018

Closing Date: 4/10/2018

Program: Exploring American Values Exchange Program

SUMMARY: The Embassy of the United States in London invites eligible organizations to submit proposals to develop and implement a twelve-day group exchange program to the United States for up to 10 program participants representing social media content creators from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Subject to availability of funds, the Embassy expects to select one program implementer for a grant award from $70,000 up to $90,000.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Youth outreach is a priority for Embassy London. We seek an exchange program that explores American values and cultural issues that shape the American identity and deepen UK youth audiences understanding of the United States in the 21 st century. Participants will explore American issues and themes that inspire (i.e.

freedom, innovation, the American dream, and American culture), as well as issues that frustrate UK youth (i.e. gun policy, police brutality, and racism). This program should take place in summer-fall 2018, and social media journalists and bloggers would travel to cities such as Atlanta, Detroit, San Francisco, Denver and Chicago to explore different aspects of American culture and values. The locations should be carefully chosen to be geographically and culturally diverse and reflective of the differing social experiences throughout the United States.

Participants would meet with state and local officials, government agencies, civil society groups, U.S.-based bloggers, digital marketers and social media experts, civic activists, educators, health care workers, journalists, entrepreneurs and business leaders to learn how communities exploit opportunities, deal with tragedy, and address a myriad of community issues to move the narrative about their cities to more positive elements of the American experience.

Please plan for dietary restrictions, such as awareness of halal or vegetarian requirements.

ANTICIPATED TIMELINE

April 2018: Grant is awarded

May 2018: Selected program implementer develops curriculum and program outline

June 2018: U.S. Embassy selects participants for program

July/August 2018: Project implementation period (exchange program takes place)

September 2018: Project assessment period (debrief takes place)

October 2018: Project completion and final report

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Applications must include all of the information listed in the Public Diplomacy

Grants Program Application form.

The deadline for receipt of applications is 4/10/2018 (April 10, 2018) U.S.

Embassy London reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal configurations, budgets, and/or participant numbers in accordance with the needs of the program, the availability of funds, and concurrence of the applicant.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

The Embassy Public Diplomacy Grants Committee will use the following criteria to evaluate proposals received in response to this funding opportunity:

https://uk.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2016/01/US_Embassy_London_Grant_Proposal_Template_Jan2016.docx https://uk.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2016/01/US_Embassy_London_Grant_Proposal_Template_Jan2016.docx

Executive Summary: The executive summary must succinctly describe the need for the program with regards to: location, the extent and nature of the program and the audiences being selected for the program.

Strategic Objectives and Program Description: A clear overview of the program and its background, as well as goals and objectives of the program should be indicated in the proposal. The Embassy Public Diplomacy Grants Committee will closely consider whether the overall objectives lead to the goals of the program. Applicants should describe what they propose to do and how they will do

it. The proposed activities must directly relate to meeting the goals and objectives, and applicants should include information on how they will measure and evaluate program effectiveness. The Grants Committee will evaluate the activities planned in terms of their relevance to the program goals and objectives, the feasibility of the proposed activities and their timeline for completion, and the extent to which the impact of the program will continue beyond conclusion of the funding period.

Budget: Costs should be reasonable and realistic in relation to the program activities. Applicants are encouraged to provide as much detail as possible so that the committee may determine the extent to which the request represents an efficient use of USG resources. The budget should be consistent with the narrative description of the program and should reflect the applicant’s understanding of the allowable cost principles established by Title 2 CFR 200.306 (part 230) on cost principles for non-profit organizations. The Embassy will accept a ten percent

(10%) management fee unless an organization has an applicant has a Negotiated

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).

The program proposals should include cost estimates for the participants’ international travel. Please factor flights for all participants to travel from a variety of locations across the United Kingdom. Please also make every effort to hold the international flights with a group rate immediately following the award of the grant. All Federal Government-financed international air transportation must be accomplished by U.S. Flag air carriers or U.S. code-sharing to the extent that service by those carriers is available.

The lodging should be single occupancy. Insurance should be included for all participants, meeting at least the following requirements: (1) medical benefits of at least $50,000 per accident or illness; (2) repatriation of remains in the amount of

$7,500; (3) expenses associated with the medical evacuation to home country in the amount of $10,000; and (4) a deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness. Per diem based on specific city rate(s) should be included.

Cost Sharing: Grantees are encouraged to consider cost-sharing possibilities in order to increase community and stakeholder engagement in the project; however, cost sharing will not be a deciding factor. Cost-sharing can take the form of both allowable direct and indirect costs. For accountability, the recipient must maintain records to support all costs claimed as part of the cost-share agreement. Such records are subject to audit. Please refer to 2 CFR 200.306 Cost Sharing or

Matching.

Performance Indicators and Monitoring Plan: Proposals should have a clear monitoring and evaluation plan to ensure proper implementation of the program.

Eligibility: All Federal assistance recipients must have a Dun & Bradstreet

Number (DUNS) and a CCR (CAGE) number and an active account with the

System for Award Management (SAM) prior to funds disbursement. Organizations do not need to have these numbers at the time of application; however, time needed to make the application will need to be factored into the timeline for awarding the grant.

To obtain a DUNS number, please follow the steps below:

Go to http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/pages/CCRSearch.jsp.

Select the country where your organization is physically located. Complete and submit the form.

Organizations will need to provide basic information, including physical and mailing addresses, name and title of the chief executive, primary Standard

Industrial Code (SIC), and annual revenue. Typically, organizations can complete this process in one day and have a DUNS number emailed to them. For technical difficulties in obtaining this number, please contact D&B at: govt@dnb.com.

System for Award Management (SAM) - SAM is a U.S.-government wide registry of vendors doing business with the U.S. federal government and requires annual renewal. The system centralizes information about grant applicants/recipients, and provides a central location for grant applicants/recipients to change organizational information. Foreign-based applicants are strongly encouraged to review these guides when creating an account with SAM.gov.

Further, applicants must maintain an active account, with current information, while its application is under consideration for funding. To keep an active

SAM.gov account, Applicants must renew it at least once each year. If an account http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/pages/CCRSearch.jsp mailto:govt@dnb.com expires, the Organization cannot submit a grant application until it is renewed. To create a new account, please follow the steps below:

1. Go to the SAM website.

2. Select Create User Account, and then select Create an Account on the left-hand side of the screen under Individual Account Details. Organizations must have

DUNS number and a CAGE number (US Domestic Organizations) or a NCAGE number (Foreign Organizations), to create an account.

3. Complete and submit the online form.

If the applying organization already has the necessary information on hand (see the

SAM User Guide), the online form takes approximately one hour to complete, depending upon the size and complexity of the applying entity. Because of the different steps in the process, it can take anywhere from three to fourteen days to complete the process of creating an account with the system. For help with

SAM.gov, please visit their support page at FSD.Gov or contact them at: (+1) 334-

206-7828.

DISCLAIMER

Applicants can expect to be notified of the status of their application within sixty days of the submission deadline. Issuance of this funding opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the United States Government. It does not commit the USG to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. The USG reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received. If a proposal is selected for funding, the U.S. Embassy in London has no obligation to provide any additional future funding in connection with the award.

Authority: Overall grant-making authority for this program is contained in the

Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the Act is “to enable the Government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries...; to strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United States and other nations...and thus to assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic, and peaceful relations between the United States and other countries of the world.”

https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/?portal:componentId=57532328-784f-4065-bceb-801ac648ccba&interactionstate=JBPNS_rO0ABXc0ABBfanNmQnJpZGdlVmlld0lkAAAAAQATL2pzZi9uYXZpZ2F0aW9uLmpzcAAHX19FT0ZfXw**&portal:type=action https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/?navigationalstate=JBPNS_rO0ABXdcACJqYXZheC5mYWNlcy5wb3J0bGV0YnJpZGdlLlNUQVRFX0lEAAAAAQApdmlldzpiM2NhN2QzZC0zYjkxLTRlODctYTA3Zi1kZTAxMmEyZGJkNGIAB19fRU9GX18*&portal:componentId=a7443208-7285-439f-9358-6cd34f37517a&interactionstate=JBPNS_rO0ABXc5ABBfanNmQnJpZGdlVmlld0lkAAAAAQAYL2pzZi9oZWxwL3NhbUhlbHBOYXYuanNwAAdfX0VPRl9f&portal:type=action https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do

CONTACT INFORMATION

Should additional information be required, please contact the U.S. Embassy in

London at LondonGrants@state.gov.