Description
This funding opportunity focuses on programs in Brazil. U.S.-based entities are eligible to apply independently or in partnership with a Brazilian individual or organization for projects to be implemented in the locations outlined in this announcement. The U.S. Embassy or Consulate will evaluate and select projects being proposed for implementation in their respective regional jurisdiction or consular district. Please refer to the specific thematic priorities established by the Embassy or Consulate where the project will be implemented. Proposals must be responsive to those specific priorities. The regional jurisdictions are as follows: · The U.S. Embassy in Brasilia is responsible for the Brazilian states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, and Tocantins, and the Federal District. · The U.S. Consulate General in Porto Alegre is responsible for the Brazilian states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. · The U.S. Consulate General in Recife is responsible for the Brazilian states of Alagoas, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, and Sergipe. · The U.S. Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro is responsible for the Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, and Bahia. · The U.S. Consulate General in São Paulo is responsible for the Brazilian states of São Paulo, Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul. · The U.S. Embassy Branch Office in Belo Horizonte is responsible for the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. COVID-19 special announcement to all potential applicants: Considering the restrictions to travel and public gathering environments caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates expects interested applicants to submit proposals that include a COVID contingency plan with a virtual programming option(s). Depending upon the public health restrictions in force at the time the program takes place, grantees must have plans to execute in-person, hybrid, or virtual programming. Authorizing legislation, type, and year of funding: Funding authority rests in the Smith-Mundt Act and Fulbright Hays Act. The source of funding is FY 2022 Public Diplomacy Funding. AWARD INFORMATION Funding Instrument Type: Grant, Cooperative Agreement, Fixed Amount Award, or individual grant. Estimated Total Opportunity Funding: US$ 390,000.00, contingent on the availability of funds. Depending on location, awards may range from a minimum of US$ 2,000.00 to a maximum of US$ 40,000.00. Refer to the funding limitations that each Embassy, Consulate, or Branch Office has established. PAS reserves the right to award less or more than the funds described in the absence of worthy applications or under such other circumstances as it may deem to be in the best interest of the U.S. government. Expected Number of Awards: The actual number of awards under this Notice is subject to the availability of funds and the viability of applications received. Accordingly, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates reserves the right to award multiple awards or no awards at all through this Notice. Project and Budget Periods: Proposed projects should cover a period of no more than 12 months. In rare cases, depending on the nature of the program, a project of more than 12 months may be considered. Since federal assistance awards are contingent on the availability of funds from the U.S. Department of State, applicants are encouraged to submit proposals with flexible start dates. Eligibility Information: The U.S. Embassy and Consulates encourages applications from committed and organized civil society organizations, community representative, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, governmental institutions, international organizations, and individuals. All applying entities must have the ability to receive and manage grant funding. For-profit, commercial firms, employees of the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Brazil , and family members of employees are not eligible to apply. No entity listed on the Excluded Parties List System in the System for Award Management (SAM) is eligible for any assistance, nor can participate in any activities under an 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 CFR1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Payment Method: The U.S. Embassy and Consulates will have the discretion of disbursing funding in multiple installments depending on the project. The Grants Officer will determine the payment schedule at the time of the award. Cost-sharing: Cost-sharing is not required. However, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates encourages applicants to provide cost-sharing from additional sources in support of the project. PAS also encourages projects that use highly skilled volunteers as an element of cost-sharing. Applications should explain clearly other likely sources of funding, whether cash or in-kind, and how the volunteers will be used. When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal. APPLICATION SUBMISSION INFORMATION Applications received under this Notice (Edital) will be reviewed based on full and open competition and under the procedures and selection criteria identified throughout this document. Proposal submission will consist of a three-phase process where applicants first submit an initial online form for a competitive review. Forms received will be evaluated by U.S. Embassy and Consulates Grant Review Committee (GRC) for responsiveness to the specifications outlined in this document. Successful applicants in Phase 1 will then be invited by the U.S. Embassy and Consulates to participate in an online interview with members of the Grant Review Committee. If successful in Phase 2, applicants will be requested to submit a full application in line with the content and format outlined in this Notice (Edital). The full application will offer the applicant an opportunity to explain their project in more detail. To facilitate the competitive review of the applications, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Brazil will consider only applications conforming to the format prescribed below. Phase 1: Online Form Submission In this first stage, all applicants are required to fill and submit an online application. Submission will only be accepted in English and the budget is in U.S. dollars. Applicant should select the link that corresponds to post with jurisdiction over the state where your project is to be implemented. Phase 2: Virtual Presentations & Interview Applicants whose project proposals are invited to advance to Phase 2 will have an opportunity to discuss their proposal and respond to questions in their preferred language (English or Portuguese) from members of the Grants Review Committee, which will be convened by the Embassy, Consulate, or Branch Office evaluating the project. Phase 3: Full Proposal Package Submission Applicants whose project proposals are invited to advance to Phase 3 will receive a notification and invitation to submit a full proposal application within two weeks of the notification. Qualified full applications will go through a final merit review. Full applications must be submitted via email to post with jurisdiction over the state where your project is to be implemented.