U.S. Department of State Grant: Empowering Government with Civil Society Partnerships

The U.S. Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica, announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to strengthen government institutions through civil society engagement. U.S. Embassy San Jose intends to issue awards in an amount not to exceed $750,000 in Economic Support Funds (ESF) , pending availability of funding. The anticipated start date for this activity is September 30, 2021, and project periods should not exceed two years. The U.S. Department of State is under no obligation to fund any of the proposals submitted under this funding opportunity. 

This assistance will support United States government objectives and are accomplished through the promotion of prosperity, and improvement of governance under the Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI). Within Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama), the United States works with partner nations to strengthen institutions to counter the effects of organized crime, uphold the rule of law, and protect human rights. Institution building is coupled with both prevention projects that dissuade at-risk youth from turning to crime and gangs and community policing projects that engage local communities on citizen security issues. 

U.S. Embassy San Jose invites qualified U.S. non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS or non U.S.-based NGOs, and U.S. and non U.S.-based public and private institutions of higher education to submit proposals that include an implementation strategy focused on: Strong, Capable and Accountable Governments through Governance, an objective of U.S. assistance for Central America. Proposals should be oriented toward activities by civil society organizations working with governments to improve the delivery of government services, particularly to vulnerable and/or marginalized communities and in areas outside of the Central Valley but within Costa Rica. These proposals will assist or complement central/local/municipal government efforts to increase and improve services. Proposals should facilitate citizens’ abilities to hold the government accountable for its responsibilities. Proposals cannot provide direct support to the central, regional, or municipal governments of Costa Rica.

Applicants should address the following objective:

Objective: Civil society provides support to improve basic local, municipal, or central government services. Proposals should be oriented towards activities by civil society organizations working with governments to improve the delivery of government services, particularly to vulnerable and/or marginalized communities and in areas outside of the Central Valley. These proposals will assist or complement central/local/municipal government efforts to increase and improve services. Illustrative examples include: (1) projects that will increase citizen participation with lgovernment and judicial institutions to strengthen security in their neighborhoods; (2) projects that will improve the capacity of government transparency and e-government initiatives; (3) projects intended to improve the provision of basic government services; and (4) projects intended to increase government revenue and are accountable for investing public resources responsibly. Proposals may also support Costa Rica’s goal of protecting 30 percent of its marine area. The government will launch several new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in 2022 and will need citizen and NGO support to improve local and federal governance to better monitor and control access and activities in the MPAs. New governance and cooperative projects will help ensure sustainability and add protections that benefit local communities reliant on tourism and fisheries. Proposals may also assist the government in improving its cyber governance through NGOs or universities to promote an open, secure, interoperable, and reliable Internet, and detect, prevent, and respond to cyber incidents. As the Costa Rican government looks to improve the provision of services via e-government platforms, governance projects that emphasize cybersecurity strategic planning and improved communication amongst cyber offices in the public sector will provide additional support to the security of these e-government initiatives. Proposals should facilitate citizens’ ability to hold the government accountable for its responsibilities.

U.S. Embassy San Jose reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted and will determine the resulting level of funding for the award. The authority for this NOFO is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

Eligible organizations interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of project sought and the application submission requirements and evaluation process.

For further information, please contact:

U.S. Embassy San Jose 

E-mail: SanJoseCarsiESF@state.gov