Prague PDS APS 2025.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

U.S. Embassy Prague PDS Annual Program Statement

U.S. Embassy Prague

Department of State

Opportunity number: PAS -001-FY2 025

Application deadline: January 15, 2025; May 15, 2025

Contents

A. Basic Information

B. Eligibility

C. Program Description

D. Application Contents and Format

E. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

F. Application Review Information

G. Award Notices

H. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

I. Other Information

U.S Department of State

U.S. EMBASSY PRAGUE, PUBLIC DIPLOMACY SECTION

Notice of Funding Opportunity

A. Basic Information

1. Overview Funding Opportunity Title U.S. Embassy Prague PDS Annual Program

Statement Funding Opportunity Number PAS-001-FY2025 Announcement Type Initial Announcement Deadline for Applications January 15, 2025; May 15, 2025 Assistance Listing Number 19.040 Length of performance period 3 to 24 months Number of awards anticipated 20 Award amounts Awards may range from a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $50,000 Total available funding ~$300,000 (pending availability of funds) Type of Funding FY25 Smith Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds Anticipated project start date February 15, 2025

Funding Instrument Type: Grant, fixed amount award (FAA), or cooperative agreement.

Cooperative agreements include substantial involvement of the bureau or embassy in program implementation of the project. An FAA can also include substantial involvement.

Examples of substantial involvement are included in section C below.

Project Performance Period: Proposed projects should be completed in 24 months or less.

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

2. Executive Summary Priority Region: Czechia

Executive Summary

The U.S. Embassy Prague Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce available funding for projects advancing key strategic goals through its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program. This is an Annual Program Statement, outlining our funding priorities and the procedures for submitting requests for funding. Please carefully follow all instructions below.

The Embassy plans to fund projects that strengthen social, political, and cultural ties between the United States and Czechia and support our Priority Program Areas. Projects should specifically target Czech audiences living within Czechia. All programs must:

• include an American cultural or policy element, AND/OR

• involve a connection with American expert/s, performers, organization/s, or institution/s relevant to the proposed project, AND

• promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.

Examples of successful programs include, but are not limited to:

• Academic or professional lectures, seminars, workshops, discussions and speaker programs by U.S. experts and/or about the United States, or reciprocal exchanges to advance joint work on a shared challenge.

• Community or civic engagement projects or campaigns promoting shared U.S.- Czech values.

• Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances, masterclasses by U.S. artists and exhibitions of U.S. works.

Participants and Audiences:

We seek geographically and demographically diverse audiences within Czechia and prioritize proposals with a significant programming component outside of Prague. Program audiences should be young adult or adult populations in Czechia.

B. Eligibility

1. Eligible Applicants The following organizations are eligible to apply:

• Not-for-profit organizations, including civil society/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and think tanks with a connection to the Czech Republic

• Public and non-profit educational institutions with a connection to the Czech Republic

• Czech governmental institutions and international organizations

• Individuals with a connection to the Czech Republic

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

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost sharing is welcomed, but not required or considered during the proposal review process.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements All organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) issued via SAM.gov as well as a valid registration in SAM.gov. We recommend registering with SAM.gov as soon as possible to allow time for processing. Please see Section D.3 for more information. Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov.

C. Program Description

1. Goals and Objectives

Project proposals must support at least one Priority Program Area:

I. THE U.S.-CZECH BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP

Programs that seek to present U.S. policies, history, culture, and values to Czech audiences and produce a positive impact on the bilateral relationship.

II. ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGICAL COOPERATION, AND

INNOVATION

Programs that promote and support economic prosperity, innovation or bilateral trade between the United States and Czechia, including programs that address scientific and technological cooperation, innovation, green technologies, and environmental issues.

III. HUMAN RIGHTS, DEMOCRATIC VALUES, AND CIVIL SOCIETY

Programs that promote human rights, gender equality, and the empowerment of women;

that strengthen democratic values and encourage strong civic engagement and participation by all sectors of society; that support the development of a thriving civil-society and non-governmental sector, including through the use of U.S. models. This program area could include sports diplomacy programs.

IV. INDEPENDENT MEDIA AND FOREIGN INFORMATION MANIPULATION

Programs that strengthen an independent media, investigative journalism or media literacy among the public. This can include programs that counter disinformation and respond to foreign information manipulation.

V. SECURITY

Programs that promote research security, energy security, cybersecurity, or support a strong NATO security alliance.

Note: Upon prior booking, American Centers are available to grantees to use for public gathering venues for the grant activities free of charge. American Centers are located in Prague, Ostrava, Pilsen, Brno, Usti nad Labem, and Olomouc, and are run with oversight from the U.S. Embassy Prague. The U.S. Embassy encourages grantees to work with American Centers. More information about American Centers can be found here:

https://www.americkecentrum.cz/

The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:

• Programs relating to partisan political activity

• Humanitarian aid

• Construction programs

• Fund-raising campaigns

• Scientific research

• Programs that don’t support an Embassy Priority Program Area or that don’t involve an American component

• Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization

• Projects seeking funds for personal use

2. Substantial Involvement Some projects may include substantial involvement by the U.S. Embassy, including but not limited to, screening and selection of participants, approval of program materials, and support for public events. Substantial involvement will be agreed with grantees after preliminary funding approval.

https://www.americkecentrum.cz/

D. Application Contents and Format

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 fit 8 ½ x 11 paper, and

• All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12-point Calibri font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

The following documents are required:

1. Mandatory application forms if preliminarily selected for funding:

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

• SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)

• SF-424B (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. Please do not submit this form if your organization is registered in SAM.gov.)

SF-424 forms available at https://cz.usembassy.gov/education-culture/small-grants-program/

2. Proposal (9 pages maximum) Proposals should contain all of the information below. A sample format is available at https://cz.usembassy.gov/education-culture/small-grants-program/

• Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed project, including project 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 State Department 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 https://cz.usembassy.gov/education-culture/small-grants-program/ https://cz.usembassy.gov/education-culture/small-grants-program/ https://cz.usembassy.gov/education-culture/small-grants-program/

• Project 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.

• Project Activities: Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.

• Project 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 Project 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?

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

• Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants.

Throughout the duration 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.

3. Budget Justification Narrative In addition to filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate file to describe each of the budget expenses. See section I. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.

4. Attachments

• 1-page Curriculum Vitae (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 Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, include your latest NICRA as a PDF file.

• Official permission letters, if required for program activities.

E. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

Application information is available at https://cz.usembassy.gov/education-culture/small-grants-program/ and grants.gov

1. Department of State Contacts An information session will be held on December 2, 2024, at 4pm in the American Center Prague to answer questions from all potential applicants.

If you have any questions about the information session or grant application process, please contact: grantsprague@state.gov

2. 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 in 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. An applicant must maintain an active registration while it has a proposal under review by the Department and must continue to keep the registration active for the entire duration of the period of performance of any Federal award that results from this NOFO.

The 2 CFR 200 requires subrecipients to obtain a UEI. Please note the UEI for subrecipients is not required at the time of application but will be required before an award is processed and/or directed to a subrecipient.

Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.

• Organizations based in the United States or that pay employees within the United States will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a UEI prior to registering in SAM.gov.

• Organizations based outside of the United States and that do not pay employees within the United States do not need an EIN from the IRS but do need a UEI prior to registering in SAM.gov.

• Organizations based outside of the United States that do not intend to apply for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awards are no longer required to have a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities. If an applicant organization is mid-registration and wishes to remove an NCAGE code from their SAM.gov registration, the applicant should submit a help desk ticket (“incident”) with the Federal Service Desk (FSD) online at www.fsd.gov using the following language: “I do not intend to seek financial assistance from the Department of Defense. I do not wish to obtain an NCAGE code. I understand that I will need to submit my registration after this incident is resolved in order to have my registration activated.”

Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO NOT plan to do business with the DoD should follow the below instructions:

Step 1: Proceed to SAM.gov to obtain a UEI and complete the SAM.gov registration process. SAM.gov registration must be renewed annually.

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsd.gov%2Fgsafsd_sp%3Fid%3Dgsafsd_kb_articles%26sys_id%3Dc81018e71b1601d0937fa64ce54bcb57&data=05%7C01%7Cfjeldkk%40state.gov%7C0cc4e2b471f44abcd32308db093ecead%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638113937577534024%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=W2ShcazZBQbanYGj0cLOTnUJwv%2BGL4xfwr83%2BycQY2E%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsd.gov%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cfjeldkk%40state.gov%7C0cc4e2b471f44abcd32308db093ecead%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638113937577534024%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=t32ANWzgpiB93pMWoq%2BFCSHz4YJY9QF1S1iQzCsS6RM%3D&reserved=0

Exemptions An exemption from the UEI and sam.gov registration requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis. See 2 CFR 25.110 for a full list of exemptions.

Organizations requesting exemption from UEI or SAM.gov requirements must email the point of contact listed in the NOFO at least two weeks prior to the deadline in the NOFO providing a justification of their request. Approval for a SAM.gov exemption must come from the warranted Grants Officer before the application can be deemed eligible for review.

3. Submission Dates and Times Applications will be reviewed in two rounds – applications for each are due:

1. January 15, 2025

2. May 15, 2025

4. Other Submission Requirements All application materials must be submitted by email to grantsprague@state.gov

F. Application Review Information

1. Review Criteria Each application will be evaluated and rated based on the evaluation criteria outlined below.

Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea – 20 points: The program idea supports at least one of the Embassy’s Priority Program Areas. (Projects that do not strongly support a Priority Area will not be considered further.) Programs are well developed, detailing how program activities will be carried out and how they will have a positive impact beyond the end of the program. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline.

Inclusion of American Component – 20 points: The program includes a strong American component, such as addressing an American policy, subject matter, or an aspect of American culture; or involving an American speaker, artist, performer, organization or author; or involves an exchange with the United States.

Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants – 20 points: The organization has expertise in its stated field and has the internal controls in place to manage federal funds. This includes a financial management system and a bank account.

The organization has expertise in its stated field and has the internal controls in place to manage federal funds, including a financial management system and a bank account.

Program Planning and Potential to Achieve Objectives – 10 points: Goals and objectives are clearly stated, and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-A/section-25.110 the proposed results with the target audience(s) and includes public outreach components/activities.

Monitoring & Evaluation Plan – 10 points: Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provides 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.

Budget – 10 points: 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. Utilizing a free venue such as an American Center in order to save costs is advantageous.

Support of Equity and Underserved Communities – 10 points: Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the program will support and advance equity and engage underserved communities in program administration, design, and implementation. Applicants should be committed to gender-balanced participation in activities.

2. Review and Selection Process A grant review committee comprised of U.S. Embassy Prague staff and expert partners, as needed, will evaluate all applications submitted within four weeks of each deadline in this announcement.

Selection committee results will be announced in a timely manner following the review committee decisions. Applicants will be notified if their proposal has been preliminarily approved for funding. In some cases, approval will be dependent on future availability of funds. Organizations or individuals whose grant applications will not be funded will also be notified.

3. Risk Review Prior to making a Federal Award the Department will review and consider the following risk factors:

a. Financial stability

b. Management systems and standards

c. History of performance

d. Audit reports and findings

e. Ability to effectively implement requirements

f. If there are any program specific risk factors that will be considered, describe them here.

G. Award Notices

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

Unsuccessful applicants: Unsuccessful applicants will be notified six weeks after deadlines by email.

Payment Method:

Recipients will be required to request payments by completing form SF-270 (Request for Advance or Reimbursement) and submitting the form to the Grants Officer or Grants Officer Representative.

Payments will be made in at least two installments, as needed to carry out the program activities, but may also be based on achieving project milestones.

H. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

1. 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.

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:

• Guidance for Grants and Agreements in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR), as updated in the Federal Register’s 89 FR 30046 on April 22, 2024, particularly on:

o Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based on the program objectives through an impartial process of evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR part 200.205), o 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), o 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 o Terminating agreements pursuant to the U.S. Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, including, to the greatest extent authorized by law, if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities (2 CFR part 200.340).

• 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 Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Underserved Communities, proposals should demonstrate how the program advances equity with respect to race, ethnicity, religion, income, geography, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability. The proposal should also demonstrate how the program will further engagement in underserved communities and with individuals from underserved communities. Proposals should demonstrate how addressing racial equity and underserved communities will enhance the program’s goals and objectives, as well as the experience of participants.

The support of underserved communities will be part of the review criteria for this opportunity. Therefore, proposals should clearly demonstrate how the program will support https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.25&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.170&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.170&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.175&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.182&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.182&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.183&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2chapterVI.tpl https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/ https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whitehouse.gov%2Fbriefing-room%2Fpresidential-actions%2F2021%2F01%2F20%2Fexecutive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government%2F&data=04%7C01%7CReisigAR%40state.gov%7C0dbdd75a0a664b32ef2508d8fb59f8f5%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637535711126807160%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=Hk82GX1SCF8LaoHg%2B2vrmdCRK6gGWYwQXU9CB6cLb5E%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whitehouse.gov%2Fbriefing-room%2Fpresidential-actions%2F2021%2F01%2F20%2Fexecutive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government%2F&data=04%7C01%7CReisigAR%40state.gov%7C0dbdd75a0a664b32ef2508d8fb59f8f5%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637535711126807160%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=Hk82GX1SCF8LaoHg%2B2vrmdCRK6gGWYwQXU9CB6cLb5E%3D&reserved=0 and advance equity and engage underserved communities in program administration, design, and implementation.

2. Reporting Reporting Requirements:

Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award document will specify what reports are required and how often these reports must be submitted. As a condition of Embassy funding, the U.S. Embassy Grants Officer (GO), or a Grants Officer Representative (GOR) will propose an appropriate grant monitoring plan to observe the funded activity, event, or project contemplated in the proposal.

Financial records, supporting documents, and all other records pertinent to an award shall be retained for a period of three years from the date of submission of the Final Report.

Applicants should be aware of the post award reporting requirements reflected in 2 CFR 200 Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

Failure to comply with the reporting requirements may jeopardize eligibility for future awards or will result in suspension of any future payments under this award until such time as this deficiency has been corrected.

I. Other Information

Guidelines for Budget Justification

Personnel and Fringe Benefits: 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, for program staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. 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 $10,000 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 $10,000 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 15% of Modified Total Direct Costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.1.

“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.