Celebrating America's 250th Anniversary (APS 2025)

The U.S. Mission to France, through its Public Diplomacy Section, has announced a funding opportunity titled "Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary and its Friendship with France: 250 Years of Diplomacy and Shared Prosperity" under Opportunity Number PDS-France-FY2025-02. This Annual Program Statement (APS 250) is launched in the context of the upcoming U.S. Semiquincentennial in 2026 and is designed to support public diplomacy initiatives that commemorate the historic alliance and shared legacy between the United States and France. The initiative seeks to engage French audiences in a year-long campaign that explores American history, innovation, and the enduring Franco-American partnership. This opportunity invites eligible applicants to design and implement programs that include French participants and directly highlight the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The proposals should promote a greater understanding of the United States in France and reinforce bilateral ties. Eligible themes include American ingenuity in innovation and technology, nuanced representations of American history, and the evolution of diplomatic and cultural ties between the two nations. Projects that demonstrate a clear U.S. connection—such as collaboration with American institutions or experts—are preferred. Programs that reach broader, national French audiences will be viewed favorably. Funding amounts range between $5,000 and $24,999, with total available funding projected at $100,000, depending on availability. The anticipated performance period for selected projects is up to 18 months, starting no earlier than October 2025. The U.S. Mission anticipates issuing between 5 and 20 awards. Funding will be made via grants, fixed amount awards (FAA), or cooperative agreements, depending on the level of U.S. Mission involvement in project execution. Cooperative agreements will require closer collaboration and oversight, such as speaker approval or content review. The funding authority is derived from the Smith-Mundt Act, and this program is financed with FY2025 or FY2026 Public Diplomacy Funds. Eligibility is open to registered not-for-profit organizations, non-profit educational institutions, and governmental institutions from both the United States and France. U.S. government exchange program alumni-led organizations are encouraged to apply. For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible. While cost sharing is not required and will not affect evaluation scoring, any proposed in-kind or monetary contributions must be documented and will be binding if offered. Only one application per organization is allowed, and ongoing or already implemented projects will be deemed ineligible. Applications must be submitted in English using the prescribed forms and templates available through www.grants.gov or the U.S. Embassy in France’s website. Required documents include the SF-424 series, proposal narrative, budget and justification, CVs of key personnel, letters of support from partners, and potentially NICRA documentation if claiming indirect costs. Submissions must be received by September 2, 2025, at 18:00 CET for Round 1, or January 5, 2026, at 18:00 CET for Round 2. Applicants must email their submissions to GrantsFrance@state.gov using the subject line: "APS FY250 - America 250: Name of applicant & Project Title." Applications will be evaluated on their alignment with U.S. strategic goals, feasibility, organizational capacity, planning quality, budget clarity, monitoring and evaluation plans, and sustainability. Applicants will be notified of award decisions within 60 days of the deadline. Awardees must comply with all relevant federal laws and reporting requirements, including quarterly or final programmatic and financial reporting. Branding guidelines apply, including appropriate visibility for U.S. government support on promotional materials, with exceptions possible upon request and approval. For organizations not yet registered in SAM.gov, the process can take 4 to 8 weeks and should be initiated early. A Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) is required. Exceptions to registration may be granted on a case-by-case basis with advance notice and justification submitted at least two weeks prior to the application deadline. Any questions regarding eligibility or the application process should be directed to GrantsFrance@state.gov. However, note that the U.S. Mission does not offer pre-consultation for issues already covered in the funding notice.

Ensure all materials are in English and budgets are in USD. Use templates. Submit only one application per organization.