Strengthening ties between the U.S. and Cyprus

The U.S. Department of State, through the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus, has announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) under the title "Strengthening ties between the U.S. and Cyprus" (Funding Opportunity Number: PAS-CY600-FY25-0001). This NOFO supports the Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program, which seeks to deepen the relationship between the United States and the Republic of Cyprus. Through this initiative, the Embassy aims to fund programs that align with strategic goals in diplomacy, education, innovation, and regional cooperation, facilitating long-term bilateral engagement. Eligible proposals must advance specific priority areas. These include enabling academic and professional exchanges between the U.S. and Cyprus, supporting English language initiatives, promoting cooperation in STEM fields, enhancing U.S.-Cyprus business ties, addressing regional security challenges through bicommunal activities, and providing accurate U.S. higher education information via EducationUSA. Proposals will be considered from American, Cypriot, or other foreign individuals and non-profit entities including NGOs, think tanks, educational institutions, and governmental organizations. Commercial or for-profit businesses are explicitly excluded, as are activities related to construction, religious programs, lobbying, charitable fundraising, or programs duplicating existing efforts. Each project may receive between $5,000 and $15,000 in funding, drawn from FY25 Smith Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds. A total of $50,000 is available, pending federal appropriations. The Embassy anticipates awarding approximately five grants. Projects must be completed within 18 months. Cost sharing is encouraged but not required. Projects must be submitted in English with budgets in U.S. dollars. Required documents include standard federal assistance forms (SF-424 series), a 3-page proposal addressing objectives and activities, a timeline, budget justification, personnel descriptions, and plans for marketing, monitoring, and sustainability. Proposals that demonstrate past success, clear alignment with priority areas, self-sustainability, and strong outreach strategies will be prioritized. Applications must be submitted by June 30, 2025, at 17:00 Cyprus time. The anticipated project start date is October 1, 2025. All proposals must be emailed to grantsnicosia@state.gov. Only applicants that follow all formatting and content guidelines will be eligible. Organizations are required to have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and be registered in SAM.gov, except where exemptions apply. SAM.gov registration can take 4 to 8 weeks and must be active throughout the application and grant period. Individuals do not need to register with SAM.gov. Evaluation will be based on several criteria totaling 100 points, including clarity and feasibility of the project (40 points), organizational capacity (5 points), media engagement strategy (15 points), budget detail and reasonability (10 points), monitoring and evaluation (15 points), sustainability (10 points), and cost sharing (5 points). Applicants will be notified of results by October 15, 2025. Payment will be processed via SF-270 submission, and awardees will need to meet all post-award requirements under 2 CFR 200 and the Department of State’s Standard Terms and Conditions. Questions regarding the application process should be directed to grantsnicosia@state.gov. Proposals must be in compliance with applicable federal anti-discrimination laws and must not support any activities or entities ineligible under the NOFO, including UNRWA or for-profit institutions. Projects may be eligible for continuation beyond the initial funding period, based on funding availability and satisfactory performance.

Proposals that clearly address priority areas, show potential for self-sustainability, and demonstrate past success will be prioritized.