The U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana, Slovenia is offering the NGO Small Grants Program to strengthen U.S.-Slovenia ties.

The U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana, Slovenia announces this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Slovenian civil society organizations. The Embassy continues to offer grants for well-conceived and managed projects that strengthen ties between the United States and Slovenia. Eligible topics for projects are broadly defined to include democracy and human rights, security and defense issues, and economic and business development.  Successful proposals will strengthen understanding of the United States, including its society, culture, politics and values, and support a priority theme listed below. Typically grant awards range from $3,000 to $5,000, though some exceptional projects are funded up to $10,000, and supplement other funding.

Organizations who have not been awarded grants previously are encouraged to apply. Funding for NGO grants is decided through a competitive application process. Each proposal is reviewed by an internal embassy committee to determine the project’s potential to advance U.S. policy priorities:

•         Regional and Trans-Atlantic Cooperation

•         Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Economic Reform, Promotion of Trade, Women in STEAM

•         International Security, Counter Terrorism, and Defense Issues

•         Energy Security and Diversification

•         Digitalization, Cyber Security, and Artificial Intelligence

•         Countering Corruption, Good Governance, Strengthening Rule of Law, and Transparency

•         Independent Media and Investigative Journalism

•         Human Rights (to include tolerance, respect for diversity, and support for historically marginalized communities.)

•         Youth Engagement, Volunteerism, and Active Citizenship

•         Environmental Preservation and Sustainability

Funding authority rests in the Smith-Mundt Act andFulbright-Hays Act, as amended.

PLEASE NOTE: We recognize that the requirement for all program proposals to include a significant American component may be challenging in some cases given current restrictions that preclude Americans from traveling to Slovenia. We encourage prospective grant partners to be creative about leveraging of virtual resources, and capitalizing on local expertise during the August 2020 (Cultural or NGO) Grants cycle. Proposals that do not require the international travel of American artists, specialists, speakers or performers, or which outline an alternative virtual component will be more competitive for the limited funding available.

EXAMPLE: A cultural program proposes a lecture series on American history for young schoolchildren. The primary program proposal envisions an American history teacher visiting Slovenia to conduct in-person lectures and teacher training for two weeks. Ideally, under the circumstances, the proposal should also include a backup plan to use video conferencing in lieu of international travel to conduct the lecture tour, in the event that COVID-19 travel restrictions make international travel impossible.