U.S. Embassy Prague Announces Funding for Public Diplomacy Programs in the Czech Republic – Grants PAS-001-FY2024

Purpose of Small Grants: The U.S. Embassy Prague Public Diplomacy Section is interested in funding projects that strengthen social, political and cultural ties between the United States and Czech Republic and support our Priority Program Areas. Projects should specifically target Czech audiences living within the Czech Republic. All programs must:

·        include an American cultural or policy element, OR

·        involve a connection with American expert/s, performers, organization/s, or institution/s relevant to the grant project, OR

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

Examples of successful PAS Small Grants Program 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.

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

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

·        Professional and academic exchanges and programs to the United States.

Project proposals must also support at least one Priority Program Area.

Priority Program Areas:

I.                   U.S.-CZECH BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP

Programs that seek to explain U.S. policies, culture, and values to Czech audiences, resulting in a positive impact on the bilateral relationship.

II.                 ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, TRADE AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Programs that promote and support entrepreneurship, innovation, and/or bilateral trade between the U.S and the Czech Republic.

III.               ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND STEM EDUCATION

Programs related to climate change, environmental protection, scientific cooperation and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, including programs that promote critical thinking skills.

IV.               HUMAN RIGHTS, DEMOCRATIC VALUES AND CIVIL SOCIETY

Programs that promote human rights, support marginalized groups, encourage gender equality and empowerment of women, and that foster a culture of integration and diversity. Programs that strengthen democratic values of transparency, government accountability, anti-corruption and the rule of law. Programs that encourage strong civic engagement and democratic participation by all sectors of society and that support the development of a thriving civil-society and non-governmental sector.

V.                 INDEPENDENT MEDIA AND COMBATTING DISINFORMATION

Programs that strengthen an independent media, investigative journalism or media literacy among the public, such as programs that counter disinformation or train audiences to recognize disinformation or misinformation online and in news.

VI.               REGIONAL SECURITY, CYBER SECURITY AND/OR ENERGY SECURITY

Programs that promote energy security, cyber security, and/or our NATO security alliance.

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

Participants and Audiences:

We seek geographically and demographically diverse audiences within the Czech Republic and prioritize proposals with a significant programming component outside of Prague. Programs should target adults or teenage audiences primarily (high school and older).

Deadlines:

All applications must be submitted electronically to grantsprague@state.gov.  There will be three deadlines for grant submission in FY2024 and three review meetings to make funding decisions.  Applications can be submitted any time prior to one of these deadlines:

·        January 15, 2024

·        March 19, 2024

·        May 14, 2024

Applications received after the final deadline of May 14, 2024 will not be considered.

Grant applications will be evaluated within two weeks after these deadlines, and if yours is selected for funding, you will be asked to submit further paperwork.

Please note that we can only fund future programs. Please apply as early as possible and at least three months prior to the start of the project.

The Grant Application form is available on the U.S. Embassy Prague Web site: https://cz.usembassy.gov/education-culture/small-grants-program/

Criteria

Each proposal selected for funding will be evaluated according to the criteria outlined below.

Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea: 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. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline. 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.

Inclusion of American Component: 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.

Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives: Goals and objectives are clearly stated and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results with the target audience(s) and includes public outreach components/activities.

Monitoring & Evaluation Plan and Sustainability: Applicant demonstrates ability 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. Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program.

Budget: 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.

Review and Selection Process

A grant review committee comprised of U.S. Embassy Prague staff and partners will evaluate all applications submitted within two weeks of one of the three deadlines in this announcement. Applications that do not comply with the requirements of this announcement will be ineligible for further consideration.

When deciding which projects to support, the Embassy will consider the full range and diversity of Czech organizations and will seek to target geographically and demographically diverse audiences in the Czech Republic. Proposals must be linked to U.S. Embassy Priority Program Areas and incorporate an American component, such as an American subject matter, speaker, artist, performer, author, exchange, etc.

Selection committee results will be announced in a timely manner following the review committee decisions. Applicants will be notified if their proposal has been approved for immediate funding, or in some cases proposals may be approved provisionally pending future availability of funding. Organizations or individuals whose grant applications will not be funded will also be notified via email.

Issuance of this Notice of Funding Opportunity 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.

Payment Method: Payments will be made in at least two installments, as needed to carry out the program activities (generally 80% advance; 20% reimbursement) but may also be based on achieving project milestones.

Reporting Requirements

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. Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.

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.