U.S. Mission Sweden PDS Annual Program Statement

The U.S. Mission Sweden Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) is pleased to announce that funding is available through its Public Diplomacy Grants Program. This is an Annual Program Statement, outlining our funding priorities, the strategic themes we focus on, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding. This notice is subject to availability of funding. Deadline for Applications: Applications for this Notice of Funding Opportunity will be reviewed on a rolling-basis with the following schedule: December 31, 2023: results to be advised the last week of January 2024 (estimated); March 31, 2024: results to be advised last week of April 2024 (estimated); June 30, 2024: results to be advised last week of August 2024 (estimated) Priority Program Areas in Sweden: SECURITY Programs that support or promote regional issues such as, but not limited to: regional security, cybersecurity, combatting trans-national crime, responding to global health crises, combatting malign influence, multilateral cooperation, enhancing stability in the region, and a rules-based order. SUSTAINABILITY Programs that support or promote sustainable economic ties and regional environmental issues such as, but not limited to: climate change mitigation, food security, biodiversity sustainability, blue/green technology, youth engagement, entrepreneurship and innovation, and cooperation on Arctic issues, including engaging indigenous communities. INCLUSION Programs that support inclusion, understanding, and integration such as, but not limited to: promoting diversity, equality, inclusion and accessibility, supporting underrepresented communities, promoting human rights, promoting mutual understanding across communities, supporting shared democratic values, and combatting mis- and disinformation. UNDERSTANDING Programs that deepen connections between the United States and Swedish communities such as, but not limited to; expanding understanding of U.S. policies, culture, and values to Swedish and regional audiences, supporting or promoting cross-cultural ties, and education and exchange opportunities. All programs must include a link to the United States and/or an element that builds understanding of the United States including, but not limited to U.S. policy, people, culture and/or perspectives. Examples of PDS Grants Program projects include, but are not limited to: Academic and professional lectures, seminars, and speaker programs; Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances, and exhibitions; or Professional and academic exchanges and projects. The Embassy encourages the submission of unique and creative proposals from a wide variety of sources. Applicants may be not-for-profit organizations/associations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations; educational institutions; individuals; and foreign public entities. For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply. HOW TO APPLY: To apply for a grant, please fill out and e-mail us the SF-424 application form for individuals or organizations as well as theGrant Request Document(PDF 81 KB) and theU.S. Embassy Grant Budget Document(PDF 75 KB). Please note that in some cases you might get an error message when you try to open these PDF forms through your web browser. To access the PDF, right click on the link and save the document to your computer, then click Enable all features. This should then give you the option to open the document in Adobe reader. Application Forms SF-424A for individuals(PDF 162 KB) SF-424A for organizations(PDF 92.3 KB) SF-424BAssurances(PDF 64.2 KB) andInstructions(PDF 135 KB) SF-424ABudget Information(PDF 131 KB) Submission Criteria All applications must be submitted electronically [email protected] the deadline. All proposals must be complete and submitted in English. All applications must have a detailed budget. Budget amounts should be in USD. Applicants must confirm their nonprofit status. Evaluation Criteria (for more detailed information see the application review information section below): Preference will be given to institutions and individuals with a proven track record of executing superior events, workshops, and programs. Applications should have a U.S. component. Projects which incorporate one of our priority areas are often considered stronger. Please note that Embassy grants CANNOT be used to: fund religious or partisan political activity; fundraising campaigns; charitable activities; humanitarian aid; commercial projects; individual academic research; construction projects; projects whose primary aim is the institutional development and operational costs of the organization; lobbying for specific legislation or projects; scientific research; and projects seeking funds for personal use. The Embassy also cannot give grants to commercial firms/ for-profit firms. No entity listed on the Excluded Parties List System in the System for Award Management (SAM) is eligible for any assistance or 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. If an organizations Statement of Interest (SOI) / application proposal is approved, a valid Unique Entity Identified (UEI) number, formerly referred to as a DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) number, and an active SAM.gov registration will need to be obtained before an organization is able to receive final grant approval and funding. Individuals are not required to have a UEI (DUNS) number or be registered inSAM.gov. Multiple requests from the same applicant will be considered. Applicants should be aware that the total amount granted to any one organization will be considered when additional applications are considered. Cost sharing is not required although encouraged. Applications may be submitted for consideration at any time before the closing date of June 30, 2024. No applications will be accepted after that date. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION Federal Award Information This notice is subject to availability of funding. Length of performance period: Up to 24 months Number of awards anticipated: Number of awards issued will be dependent on requested amounts for funding Award amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $500.00 to a maximum of $75,000.00 (estimated) Total available funding: $200,000 (subject to availability) Type of Funding: Fiscal Year 2024 Public Diplomacy Funding Anticipated project start date: From January 1, 2024 Funding Instrument Type: Grants, Fixed Amount Awards, Awards to Individuals or Cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements are different from federal awards in which PDS staff are more actively involved in the grant implementation. Project Performance Period: Proposed projects should be completed in 2 years or less. PDS will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State. Authorizing legislation, type and year of funding: Funding authority rests in the Smith-Mundt act. The source of funding is FY2024 Public Diplomacy Funding. Application Review Information Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below. The criteria listed are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application. Organizational capacity and record on previous grants: The organization has expertise in its stated field and PDS is confident of its ability to undertake the project. This includes a financial management system and a bank account. Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea The program idea is well developed, with detail about how project activities will be carried out. The SOI includes a reasonable implementation timeline. Goals and objectives: Goals and objectives are clearly stated and project approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results. Priority Areas: Applicant has clearly described how stated goals are related to and support U.S. Embassy Swedens priority areas or target audiences. Budget: The budget justification is detailed. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities. Monitoring and evaluation plan: Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provides milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the SOI. The project includes output and outcome indicators, and shows how and when those will be measured. Sustainability: Project activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the project. A grants review panel will evaluate all eligible applications. Simplified Acquisition Threshold For any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity, if the Federal awarding agency anticipates that the total Federal share will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold on any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity may include, over the period of performance (see 200.88 Simplified Acquisition Threshold), this section must also inform applicants: i. That the Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313); ii. That an applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM; iii. That the Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates: Applications will be received and evaluated on as per the schedule given earlier in this Notice, beginning November 15, 2023 until the deadline for applications on June 30, 2024. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified within 30 business days of the grants review panel meetings to be held per the schedule given earlier in this Notice. Applicants selected for further consideration will be contacted within 30 days and asked to submit all remaining mandatory documents. Applicants should endeavor to submit their applications at least three months prior to the proposed projects start date. Please note we do not accept ongoing projects. Federal Award Notices The assistance award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document, and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring project expenses beginning on the start date of Period of Performance shown on the federal award document signed by the Grants Officer. If a SOI is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the discretion of the Department of State. Issuance of this notice does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received. Payment Method: Payments will be made in installments, as needed to carry out the project activities. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: 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, Certifications and Assurances, and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, all of which are available here (PDF) . Note the U.S representation, flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions. Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts: If you have any questions about the federal award application process, please contact PDS at: [email protected] Note: We do not provide any pre-consultation for application related questions that are addressed in this announcement. Once an application has been submitted, State Department officials and staff both in the Department and at embassies / missions overseas may not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire proposal review process is completed.