U.S. Department of State Grant for Turkmenistan Historical Site Preservation Exchange Program

Turkmenistan has a large number of antique and medieval historical sites that present scientific and touristic interest. These sites were built of mostly unbaked bricks and are rapidly deteriorating without preservation due to natural reasons. To preserve the sites, the Turkmen Government has established a special agency under the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan named the National Department of Protection, Research, and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Sites (National Department). Throughout its existence, the National Department has done a tremendous amount of work in the area of historical preservation. However, it lacks resources and experts and does not have sufficient international experience to conduct preservation works more efficiently. It also lacks expertise in monetization of historical sites through promoting them as tourist attractions and attracting more tourists.  

Goal:

Within 10 months after the program completion, the participants will start applying the knowledge received during the program in preservation and restoration projects in Turkmenistan and will introduce the U.S. experience in capitalizing on historical sites in their work in Turkmenistan, which will be evaluated through follow-up interviews with program participants and other National Department staff.

Objectives:

The program participants will:

1. Study the U.S. experience in the area of historical site preservation.

2. Learn about the U.S. experience and techniques in the area of capitalizing on historical sites and promoting them as tourist attractions.

3. Learn about the U.S. experience and strategies in managing large groups of tourists at historical sites and protecting historical sites from the impact caused by an increased flow of tourists.

4. Learn about the U.S. experience and expertise in raising the public awareness of the importance of historical sites preservation.

5. Share Turkmenistan’s experience in the above-mentioned areas with U.S. colleagues and create partnerships.

Activities:

1. Meetings and discussion with U.S. experts to study the U.S. experience and expertise in historical sites preservation and to share Turkmenistan’s experience in that area.

2. Visits to preservation and restoration project sites to study preservation and restoration technologies.

3. Meetings and discussions with U.S. experts to learn about the U.S. experience and techniques in the area of capitalizing on historical sites and promoting them as tourist attractions.

4. Visits to popular historical sites to learn about marketing techniques, management of large tourist groups, operations, and protection measures.

Activity locations: 

The following activity locations are preferred, but not limited to: Albuquerque, Acoma Pueblo, Mesa Verde, Santa Fe. Additional locations are welcome.

Participants and Audiences:

Participants are five experts from the National Department of Protection, Research, and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Sites under the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan (National Department).

The direct audience are officials and experts from the National Department, the Institute of History and Archaeology, the Academy of Sciences, and the Ministry of Culture. The indirect audience includes the Turkmen government, international institutions involved in archaeology and history, tourist companies, and tourists.

Length of performance period: 6 to 12 months

Anticipated program start date: March 2021

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements are different from grants in that bureau/embassy staff are more actively involved in the grant implementation. Post will be involved in soliciting participants for the program, identifying program dates, and selecting some program sites and venues in the United States.

1.     Eligible Applicants

The following organizations are eligible to apply:   

·        U.S. not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations

·        U.S. public and private educational institutions

2.     Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing is not required, but is an advantage. Depending on the amount of cost sharing, the applicants will be assigned up to 10 percentage points.

3.     Other Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (Data Universal Numbering System/DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations. Individuals are not required to have a unique entity identifier or be registered in SAM.gov.

Content of Application

Please ensure:

• The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity
• All documents are in English

·        All budgets are in U.S. dollars

·        All pages are numbered

·        All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and

·        All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

The following documents are required: 

1. Mandatory application forms

·        SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance –individuals) 

·        SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)

·        SF424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs)

2. Summary Page: Cover sheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program.

3. Proposal: The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. You may use your own proposal format, but it must include all the items below. 

·        Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives and anticipated impact.

• Introduction to the Organization or Individual applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies.
• Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed. Applicants can draw from the Background section above.
• Program Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve. The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable. Applicants can draw from the Goal and Objectives section above.
• Program Activities: Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives. Applicants can draw from the Activities section above.
• Program Methods and Design: A description of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal. Include a logic model as appropriate.
• Proposed Program Schedule and Timeline: The proposed timeline for the program activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events.
• Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program? 
• Program Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees.
• Program Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants. Throughout the time-frame of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant?
• Future Funding or Sustainability Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable.

4. Budget Justification Narrative: After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate sheet of paper to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.

5. Attachments :

·        1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program

·        Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner

·        If your organization has a NICRA and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file. 

·        Official permission letters, if required for program activities

1.     Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov)

Required Registrations:

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations. All are free of charge:

·        Unique entity identifier from Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS number)

·        NCAGE/CAGE code

·        www.SAM.gov registration

Step 1: Apply for a DUNS number and an NCAGE number (these can be completed simultaneously)

DUNS application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet. If your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866-705-5711 or visiting http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform 

NCAGE application: Application page here: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx 

Instructions for the NCAGE application process:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf 

Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM.gov by logging onto: https://www.sam.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.

Award funds cannot be used in any countries other than the United States and Turkmenistan

All application materials must be submitted by email to AshgabatCulturalAffairs @state.gov

Terms and Conditions: Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications which will apply to this award, to ensure that they will be able to comply. These include: 2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 600, and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions which are available at: https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/.