2018 Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation Small Grants

The U.S. Embassy in Amman is pleased to announce a call for proposals for the 2018 Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP). The Fund was established by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in 2001, to help countries preserve their cultural heritage and to demonstrate U.S. respect for different cultures around the world. Floor on Amount of Individual Awards: US $10,000 per project. Ceiling on Amount of Individual Awards: $200,000 per project. In FY 2017, awards ranged from US $24,000 to US $174,000.HOW TO APPLY: The deadline for submitting applications and supporting documents (in English) to the U.S. Embassy in Amman is close of business (5 p.m.) on Thursday, December 28, 2017. All interested applicants must submit proposals via email to [email protected] . Recipients will be notified in September 2018.This document details program guidelines, eligibility requirements and application procedures. All proposals should be submitted using the application form and the Budget worksheet and include all supporting documents. Please adhere to all written deadlines and procedures. AFCP SMALL GRANTS FUNDING AREAS:AFCP will recommend for funding those applications that include project activities in adherence to the following guidelines and to international standards for the preservation of cultural heritage. These activities may include:• Cultural Sites: Conservation of an ancient or historic building, preservation of an archaeological site, or documentation of cultural sites in a region for preservation purposes. • Cultural Objects and Collections: Conservation treatment for an object or collection of objects; needs assessment of a collection with respect to its condition and strategies for improving its state of conservation; inventory of a collection for conservation and protection purposes; the creation of safe environments for storage or display of collections; or specialized training in the care and preservation of collections. • Forms of Traditional Cultural Expression: Documentation and audiovisual recording of traditional music and dance forms for broad dissemination as the means of teaching and further preserving them, or support for training in the preservation of traditional applied arts or crafts in danger of extinction. FUNDING PRIORITIES SPECIFIC TO THE AFCP 2018 SMALL GRANTS COMPETITION: Proposals for projects that directly support one or more of the following criteria will receive consideration in FY 2018:• U.S. treaty or bilateral agreement obligations, such as cultural property protection agreements• Disaster risk reduction for cultural heritage in seismically active and other disaster-prone areas• Post-disaster cultural heritage recovery• Preservation of inscribed World Heritage sitesSPECIAL NOTE REGARDING SITES AND OBJECTS THAT HAVE A RELIGIOUS CONNECTION: The establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution permits the government to include religious objects and sites within an aid program under certain conditions. For example, an item with a religious connection (including a place of worship) may be the subject of a cultural preservation grant if the item derives its primary significance and is nominated solely on the basis of architectural, artistic, historical, or other cultural (not religious) criteria.ELIGIBLE PROJECT APPLICANTS:Eligible project applicants as reputable and accountable non-commercial entities, such as non-governmental organizations, museums, ministries of culture, or similar institutions and organizations (including U.S.-based organizations subject to Section 501(c) (3) of the tax code), that are registered and active in SAM.gov and able to demonstrate that they have the requisite experience and capacity to manage projects to preserve cultural heritage. INELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES AND U NALLOWABLE COSTS:AFCP does NOT support the following activities or costs, and applications involving any of the activities or costs below will be deemed ineligible: • Preservation or purchase of privately or commercially owned cultural objects, collections, or real property, including those whose transfer from private or commercial to public ownership is envisioned, planned, or in process but not complete at the time of proposal submission• Preservation of natural heritage (physical, biological and geological formations, paleontological collections, habitats of threatened species of animals and plants, fossils, etc.)• Preservation of hominid or human remains• Preservation of news media (newspapers, newsreels, radio and TV programs, etc.)• Preservation of published materials available elsewhere (books, periodicals, etc.)• Development of curricula or educational materials for classroom use.• Archaeological excavations or exploratory surveys for research purposes• Historical research, except in cases where the research is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project• Acquisition or creation of new exhibits or collections for new or existing museums• Construction of new buildings, building additions, or permanent coverings (over archaeological sites, for example)• Commissions of new works of art or architecture for commemorative or economic development purposes• Creation of new or the modern adaptation of existing traditional dances, songs, chants, musical compositions, plays, or other performances• Creation of replicas or re-creation of cultural objects or sites that no longer exist• Relocation of cultural sites from one physical location to another.• Removal of cultural objects or elements of cultural sites from the country for any reason• Digitization of cultural objects or collections, unless part of a larger, clearly defined conservation or documentation effort• Conservation plans or other studies, unless they are one component of a larger project to implement the results of those studies.• Cash reserves, endowments, or revolving funds (funds must be expended within the award period [up to five years] and may not be used to create an endowment or revolving fund)• Costs of fund-raising campaigns• Contingency, unforeseen, or miscellaneous costs or fees• Costs of work performed prior to announcement of the award unless allowable per 2 CFR 200.458 and approved by the grants officer• International travel, except in cases where travel is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project• Travel or study for professional development• Individual projects costing less than $10,000• Independent U.S. Projects overseas.INELIGIBLE PROJECT APPLICANTS:AFCP does not award grants to individuals, commercial entities, or to embassies or past award recipients which have not fulfilled the reporting requirements of previous AFCP awards. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:2018 Application Form (to request a Word version of this Form send an email to [email protected] ). The form should include the following information:• Project Basics, including title, project dates, and AFCP focus area;• Project Applicant Information, including contact information, DUNS Number, and SAM.gov registration status (it is important for the applicant to have this information prior to submitting the application);• Project Location Information;• Proof of Official Permission to undertake the project;• Project Purpose that summarizes the project objectives and desired results;• Project Activities Description that presents the project tasks in chronological order;• Project Time Frame or Schedule that lists the major project phases and milestones with target dates for achieving them. (NOTE: Applicants may propose project performance periods of up to 60 months (five years) with five budget periods of one year each; projects must begin before September 30, 2018, and conclude no later than September 30, 2023.• Project Participant Information, specifically an estimated number of non-US and US participants and estimated number of primary and secondary participants, as well as resumes of the proposed project director and other primary project participants;• Statement of Importance highlighting the historic, architectural, artistic, or cultural (non-religious values of the cultural site, collection, or form of traditional expression;• Statement of Urgency indicating the severity of the situation and explaining why the project must take place now;• Statement of Sustainability outlining the steps or measures that will be taken to maintain the site, object, or collection in good condition after the AFCP-supported project is complete; or, in the case of forms of traditional cultural expression, to preserve and disseminate the documentation, knowledge, or skills gained from the project;• Detailed Project Budget, demarcated in one-year budget periods (2018, 2019, 2020,…etc.), that lists all costs in separate categories (Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel [including Per Diem], Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Other Direct Costs, Indirect Costs, Cost Sharing); indicates funds from other sources; and gives a justification for any anticipated international travel costs (for Excel budget template, please email [email protected]);• Budget Narrative explaining line by line how costs are estimated (quantity x unit cost, annual salary x percentage of time spent on project, etc.) and unique budget line items;• Attachments and Supporting Documents including at, a minimum and REQUIRED, five (5) high quality digital images (JPEGs) or audiovisual files that convey the nature and condition of the site, object, or form of expression and, in the case of a site or object, or form of expression and, in the case of a site or object, show the urgency or need for the proposed project (collapsing wall, water damage, worn fabric, broken handle, etc.), any historic structure reports, conservation needs assessments, and other planning documents compiled in preparation for the proposed project. In addition to the above-mentioned 2018 Application Form, fill a complete Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424), including Budget Information for Non-Construction Program (SF-424A, Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B), and if applicable, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL); see at the end of the announcement below the required forms and instructions on how to fill them out.COST SHARING AND OTHER FORMS OF COST PARTICIPATION:There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this competition. However, AFCP encourages cost sharing, in-kind contributions, and other forms of cost participation. 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 and later included in an approved agreement. The applicant will be responsible for tracking and reporting on any cost share or outside funding. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. DUNS NUMBER, NCAGE CODE AND SAM REGISTRATION:Applicants requesting $25,000 or more in federal assistance must have a Dun & Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code, and be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to submitting applications. DUNs Number: Applicants may acquire DUNs numbers at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNs number request line at 1-866-705-5711 or by requesting a number online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. NCAGE Code: Non-U.S. based applicants may request a NCAGE code at https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspxSAM is the official, free on-line registration database for the U.S. Government. SAM.gov collects, validates, stores, and disseminates data in support of federal agency acquisition and grant award mission. Registration in SAM is free: https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ PERFORMANCE AND DELIVERABLESAFCP 2018 award recipients must submit performance progress, federal financial status reports, and final reports on time as specified in the Notice of Award. REVIEW AND SELECTION CRITERIA:The proposals will first be screened for technical eligibility based on the criteria contained in this request for grant proposals and against the lists of AFCP program-specific ineligible activities, costs, and applicants.Using the below point-based system (below), applications will be rated based on the program funding priorities; the quality, soundness, and comprehensiveness of the proposed project and budget; the urgency of the proposed project; the rationale for U.S. support of the project supplied by the applying U.S. embassy; the quality and quantity of supporting materials, such as resumes of the key project participants, images of the resource, and notices of official permission from the responsible resource steward, such as a ministry of tourism or department of Antiquities. AFCP POINT-BASED RATING SYSTEM: Proposals will be rated as follows: • Purpose and Summary, Description, Time Frame, Importance: 25 points max• Urgency: 10 points max• Sustainability: 10 points max• Rationale for U.S. Support: 15 points max• Media and Outreach Plan: 10 points max • Budget and Budget Narrative: 15 points max• Supporting Materials: 15 points maxFor additional information about the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, please visit https://eca.state.gov/cultural-heritage-center/ambassadors-fund-cultural-preservationDISCLAIMER: Explanatory information that contradicts published language is not binding. Issuance of this Notice of Funding Opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government. AFCP/Cultural Heritage Center reserves the right to waive program formalities and to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and availability of funds.