Reimagining the Transatlantic Relationship

The U.S. Embassy Berlin, Public Affairs Section (PAS) is pleased to announce an open competition for funding through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The projects to be funded will encourage youth in Germany to consider the transatlantic relationship and reimagine it for the future.

This NOFO outlines PAS's funding priorities, strategic focus, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding. Please carefully follow all instructions below. Pending the availability of funds, it is U.S. Embassy Berlin's intent to award cooperative agreements for successful proposals proposing activities costing no more than $15,000 over the course of one year or less, depending upon the successful completion of goals.

Program Description

The U.S.-German transatlantic relationship has been a cornerstone of stability and prosperity for nearly a century. It was built on shared values such as democratic freedom, rule of law, and self-determination, to name just a few. However, today's youth have little personal, lived experience with the conditions, dynamics, and issues that forged this critical bilateral relationship. In addition, today's youth expects any relationship to address issues they find pressing such as climate change, environmental justice, diversity, jobs, and quality of life. Engaging young German audiences on the meaning, importance, and shared values underpinning German-American friendship, and how they impact issues important to youth, is an important endeavor in securing our collective future.

With this funding opportunity, the Embassy is supporting projects designed to engage youth audiences in Germany on the role and significance of the past and present-day transatlantic relationship, and seek ways to invigorate the German-American partnership for decades to come. A successful program will prompt youth to re-envision and redefine the values, goals, and institutional ties of our shared relationship, finding relevance is the issues important to them. Eligible projects may feature a wide range of formats, including, but not limited to workshops, (virtual) speaker events and panel discussions, conferences, and people-to-people exchanges. Projects should prioritize designing inclusive, engaging, and interactive programs above all, encouraging youth to critically assess the current state of the transatlantic relationship, and enable them to define their expectations and hopes for its future. Participants should be drawn from diverse backgrounds, ideally also involving teenagers who have had little prior contact with the United States, transatlantic-, or political youth organizations.

Through program involvement, participating youth will (1) learn about and reflect on the shared values and mutual ties between Germany and the United States, (2) critically interrogate the status quo of our relations, and based on this analysis (3) articulate a vision for the coming years of our shared path based on issues important to them. Whenever possible and requested, the Embassy will aim to provide opportunities for hands-on experiences through briefings with diplomats and participation in Public Affairs programs for project participants.

The successful applicant (from hereon implementer) will be tasked to design program formats and a project curriculum to the aforementioned specifications, identify and recruit participants, and define and measure indicators of project quality. There are no specific requirements for format, audience, program structure, specific materials to be distributed, or policy issues to be addressed. Innovative approaches are encouraged. Methodologically, implementers must prioritize engaging and interactive approaches over frontal instruction.

The implementer should engage in these activities strategically and with a clear and concise theory of change in mind. The Embassy will give special consideration to applicants demonstrating a clear effort to identify particularly worthwhile (sub)audiences and program sites. Sustainable project designs seeking to maximize project impact beyond the period of performance are highly appreciated.

Program Objectives

Put the future of the transatlantic relationship back on the map

This funding opportunity is seeking projects fortifying the transatlantic relationship by:

• encouraging the younger generation to actively explore the history and long mutual ties of our shared relationship, but more importantly
• enabling participants to assess our bond's substance and value in today's political and geopolitical environment;
• encouraging them to define their own key issues, requirements and criteria for the partnership's success for the future;
• and in the process conveying the benefits of a pluralistic model of political participation that encourages dialogue, different viewpoints, innovation, and discursive, rules-based dispute resolution models

Generate Insights and Measure Success

The Embassy expects the project to produce actionable insights on the demographics and attitudinal profiles of participants as well as data about the project's effectiveness.

Participants and Audiences

The applicant may define audiences for the proposed project based on a sound theory of change, as long as they fit the age profile between 13 and 26 years old.

Implementer Responsibilities

The implementer will:

• design a varied project for the target audience to the specifications outlined;
• define and recruit project participants and organize, host, and lead program sessions
• measure and evaluate project effectiveness throughout the project's lifecycle

Please refer to the full Notice of Funding Opportunity in the attachments.

FAQ

What award amounts may applicants apply for?

Applicants should apply for the award amount that they need to successfully implement their project provided it is no higher than the $30,000 in available funding.

How are indirect costs budgeted when the applicant does not have a NICRA?

We will budget the de minimis rate of 10% of the modified total direct cost. Modified total direct cost is the total award cost excluding equipment expenses, capital expenditures, rental costs, scholarships and fellowships, and subawards in excess of $25,000. The sum of modified total direct costs and indirect costs must not exceed the maximum award amount.

Is it possible to reallocate funds from one position to another?

It is possible to be flexible with award funds if the conditions necessitate. Reallocations must be reasonable and justifiable and must be communicated to the grants officer in advance.

Can you clarify which cost items are permissible?

We prefer to identify and strike out non-permissible cost items after assessing all applications' merits. Including such cost items will not disadvantage the applicant in the evaluation of their proposal provided they don't make up a majority of the funds requested.

What is the currency conversion rate for conversions from local currencies to USD to be used in the budget?

You may select a conversion rate that is reasonably close to the current market exchange rate.

What impact does the fiscal year end in September 2021 have on fund calls, disbursements, or even spending deadlines for approved funds? Can project activities also take place and be accounted for later, i.e. after September?

The fiscal year cycle imposes no financial or programmatic restrictions onto the implementer.

Can application documents be submitted late?

No. Please submit the full application by the indicated deadline.

Can the SAM.gov registration be obtained after the application deadline

Yes, this is possible. However, issuance of this federal award is conditional on the applicant having an active SAM.gov registration. The registration must be obtained before obligation of the award funds.