U.S. Embassy Nouakchott, PAS Request for Statements of Interest: Annual Program Statement | PASNOUAKCHOTTFY2021

Opportunity Information: Apply for PASNOUAKCHOTTFY2021

The U.S. Embassy Nouakchott Public Affairs Section (PAS), part of the U.S. Department of State, is inviting organizations to submit Statements of Interest (SOIs) for potential grant funding under its FY2021 Annual Program Statement. The overall aim is to support cultural and exchange programming that strengthens ties between the United States and Mauritania by highlighting shared values and encouraging practical bilateral cooperation. This opportunity is set up as a two-step process: first, applicants submit a short concept note (the SOI), and only those selected after this initial screening will be invited to develop and submit a full proposal later. The point of doing it this way is to reduce the burden on applicants by allowing PAS to evaluate ideas early before organizations invest time in a full application package.

PAS is looking for program concepts that build connections in areas such as culture, education, entrepreneurship, and the environment. A central requirement is that every proposed program must include a clear American element, meaning a tangible connection to U.S. culture or collaboration with an American expert, organization, or institution in a relevant field. Programs should also be designed in a way that promotes increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives. The announcement notes several examples of the kinds of activities PAS may fund, including academic or professional lectures and seminars, speaker programs, artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances or exhibitions, cultural heritage conservation and preservation, professional and academic exchanges, and American Spaces-style programming delivered outside Nouakchott.

Proposed projects are expected to align with at least one of the U.S. Embassy priority program areas. The first priority area is strengthened security for Americans and Mauritanians, with examples such as crime and safety awareness activities and efforts that counter violent extremism. The second is increased opportunity and reduced poverty, which can include entrepreneurship programming, STEM-related initiatives, and environmental protection activities. The third is promoting an inclusive society, which can cover social inclusion, reducing discrimination in all forms, advocacy for inclusive national identity, cross-cultural dialogue and understanding, human rights themes, and celebrating cultural and ethnic diversity. In terms of who should benefit, PAS emphasizes target audiences that include youth, women, and culturally or ethnically diverse communities in Mauritania.

The opportunity also sets clear boundaries on what it will not fund. Ineligible activities include partisan political programming, charitable or development work, construction projects, programs supporting specific religious activities, fundraising campaigns, lobbying for specific legislation or government programs, scientific research, and projects aimed primarily at building the applicant organization itself rather than delivering public programming. PAS also will not fund proposals that are not Mauritania-specific, applications submitted on behalf of individuals (rather than organizations), or projects that duplicate existing programs.

Funding for this opportunity is authorized under the Smith-Mundt Act and comes from FY2021 public diplomacy funding. PAS anticipates making roughly 3 to 10 awards depending on award sizes, with a total estimated funding pool of about $200,000. Individual awards are expected to range from $10,000 to $70,000, and projects can run anywhere from 1 to 12 months. The Embassy may use different federal funding instruments, including grants, fixed amount awards, or cooperative agreements; cooperative agreements differ from standard grants because PAS staff typically have a more active role in implementation. As with many government opportunities, awards are subject to the availability of funds, and the anticipated start period is during FY2021.

Eligibility is focused on non-commercial entities. PAS encourages applications from both U.S. and Mauritanian registered not-for-profit organizations (including think tanks and civil society or non-governmental organizations with programming experience) as well as non-profit or governmental educational institutions. For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible. Cost sharing is not required, but if an applicant proposes cost sharing, it becomes a commitment that must be met if the project is funded. A key rule is that each organization may submit only one SOI; if more than one is submitted, all submissions from that organization will be deemed ineligible.

SOIs were accepted on a rolling basis during FY2021 up to the deadline of May 28, 2021 at 12:00 noon UTC/GMT, and all materials had to be submitted by email to PASNouakchott@state.gov. The SOI itself is a 3 to 5 page program statement submitted in Microsoft Word. PAS requires that all documents be in English, budgets be in U.S. dollars, pages be numbered, and formatting follow standard U.S. letter size (8.5 x 11) with single spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and at least 1-inch margins. The program statement must include the organization name; the target country or countries (with Mauritania as the focus); the amount requested from PAS along with any cost share and the total program budget; the proposed program length; a clear synopsis explaining intended impact and stakeholder engagement; a concise objectives-to-activities-to-expected-results breakdown; and a short description demonstrating the applicant’s expertise and capacity to manage a U.S. government award.

Applications are reviewed by a grants committee made up of U.S. Embassy personnel, and the selection process may take up to six weeks from the submission deadline. The evaluation criteria focus on the quality of the program idea (including the need for the program, its objectives, and expected impact), the strength and realism of program planning (including a timeline with dates, times, and locations), and the applicant’s ability to achieve objectives based on experience and institutional capacity. Applicants whose SOIs are selected will be notified and invited to submit a full proposal, with additional instructions provided at that stage.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Mauritania in the education, employment, labor and training, environment, health, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), law, justice and legal services, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. Embassy Nouakchott, PAS Request for Statements of Interest: Annual Program Statement" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 15, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 28, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $70,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: City or township governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for PASNOUAKCHOTTFY2021

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