2024 AMERICAN CENTER VIENTIANE SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM<\/p>\n
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE<\/strong><\/p>\n U.S. EMBASSY VIENTIANE AMERICAN CENTER<\/strong><\/p>\n Annual Program Statement<\/strong><\/p>\n Program Office: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>American Center Vientiane, Public Affairs Section, U.S.<\/p>\n Embassy Vientiane<\/p>\n Funding Opportunity Title: \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>2024 American Center Vientiane Small Grants Program Laos<\/p>\n Announcement Type: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Grant or Cooperative Agreement<\/p>\n Funding Opportunity Number:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PD-LAO-2024-2<\/p>\n Deadline for Applications<\/strong>: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rolling; see section D.4, Submission Dates and Times<\/p>\n CFDA Number:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 19.441<\/p>\n Amount for Each Award:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Maximum of $10,000<\/p>\n Total Amount Available:\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $30,000<\/p>\n CONTACT INFORMATION<\/strong><\/p>\n For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, please contact the Public Diplomacy Grants Officer via email at\u00a0VientianeACSmallGrants@state.gov<\/a>\u00a0or phone at +856-21-487-000.<\/p>\n SUMMARY<\/strong><\/p>\n This document contains detailed instructions and information about the proposal process. Please read it carefully.<\/p>\n All applicants must submit proposals to\u00a0https:\/\/forms.gle\/6WDysKBBUgZVpxeV8\u00a0<\/i><\/a>\u00a0Activities will only be funded within the Lao PDR. We invite proposals in the $1,000-$10,000 range. The Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane reserves the right to award less or more than the amount of funds described in the absence of worthy applications or under such other circumstances as they may deem to be in the best interest of the U.S. government.<\/p>\n Due to the volume of applicants and inquiries, the American Center\u00a0does not\u00a0accept requests for meetings or phone calls prior to application.<\/strong><\/p>\n All grantees must include the following in order for your proposal to get selected:<\/p>\n A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION<\/strong><\/p>\n The U.S. Embassy Vientiane Public Diplomacy Section announces an open competition for organizations to submit project proposals for funding under the U.S. Embassy\u2019s 2024 American Center Small Grants Program.\u00a0 All projects or part of the projects should take place at the American Center in Vientiane. \u00a0Projects taking place outside the American Center in Vientiane must include a written justification and description of how the Center will be included in the program.<\/p>\n This Annual Program Statement (APS) solicits proposals for projects that further the U.S. Mission\u2019s public diplomacy goals of strengthening people-to-people ties between Laos and the United States, expanding educational opportunities for Lao people to better engage with the United States and ASEAN, and building and strengthening local partners through the specific objectives listed below.<\/p>\n Proposals for projects must focus on one of the priority areas specified below. Applicants should pay close attention to the American Center\u2019s goals, priority program objectives, and target audiences when developing their proposals.<\/p>\n American Center Goals in Lao PDR<\/p>\n American Center programming fosters people-to-people connections and promotes critical thinking and thoughtful discussion through cultural programming, English language learning, promoting higher education, science, technology and math, and supporting programs put on by U.S. government exchange program alumni. \u00a0Proposals funded under this APS will further one or more of the U.S. Mission to Laos\u2019 public diplomacy goals: \u00a0promoting partnerships between Lao and American people and organizations; promoting strong, sustainable, and inclusive economic growth for Laos through education and market orientation, raising awareness related to health information, good governance, and environmental sustainability; enhancing education ties, strengthening media engagement, and\/or building capacity of local partners.<\/p>\n Priority Program Objectives and Target Audiences:<\/p>\n Grant proposals must explicitly address one or more of the American Center\u2019s priority objectives listed below and create or extend the communities engaged in those areas:<\/p>\n Activities and expenses that\u00a0will not be funded\u00a0<\/strong>include, but are not limited to:<\/p>\n Length of performance period<\/p>\n Projects generally must be completed in one year and include a credible plan for completion within one year, but can be extended in certain circumstances if additional time is required. The Public Diplomacy Section will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards 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.<\/p>\n Award Amount<\/p>\n Award Amount will vary between $1,000 and $10,000. The Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane reserves the right to award less or more than the amount of funds described in the absence of worthy applications or under such other circumstances as they may deem to be in the best interest of the U.S. government.<\/p>\n Priority Region<\/p>\n Activities will only be funded within the Lao PDR. Activities should mainly be implemented\/conducted at the American Center in Vientiane. Projects taking place outside the American Center in Vientiane must include a written justification and description of how the Center will be included in the program.<\/p>\n B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION<\/strong><\/p>\n Length of performance period<\/strong>: Maximum one year; October 2024 to September 2025 This notice is subject to availability of funding.<\/strong><\/p>\n Funding Instrument Type: \u00a0<\/strong>Grant, Fixed Amount Award, or Cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements are different from grants in that embassy staff are more actively involved in grant implementation.<\/p>\n Program Performance Period<\/strong>: \u00a0Projects generally must be completed in one year or less, but can be longer in certain circumstances. The Public Diplomacy Section will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards 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.<\/p>\n C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION<\/strong><\/p>\n Submissions are encouraged from\u00a0U.S. and Lao<\/strong>\u00a0entities with relevant programming experience, and other foreign entities with relevant programming experience can also apply. This experience should be documented in the proposal. Eligible entities include:<\/p>\n For-profit entities are not eligible to apply. \u00a0Previous federal award recipients who are not\/were not in compliance with the terms of their financial and program reporting requirements are ineligible to apply.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0It is the applicant\u2019s responsibility to ensure they are in compliance with all applicable terms, conditions, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance and requirements. Those organizations found to be in non-compliance may be found ineligible for funding or designated high risk if selected for funding.<\/p>\n However, it may be considered in the merit review to break ties among applications with equivalent scores after evaluation against all other factors.<\/p>\n In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. \u00a0Individuals are\u00a0not\u00a0<\/strong>required to have a unique entity identifier or be registered in SAM.gov.\u00a0 Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations.<\/p>\n D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION<\/strong><\/p>\n Note<\/strong>: Please read the complete announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the APS deadline has passed, Embassy staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.<\/p>\n Please attach proposals in Microsoft Word or .pdf format with [Project Name]_[Funding Notice Number] in the subject line. Proposals should be submitted electronically to\u00a0https:\/\/forms.gle\/6WDysKBBUgZVpxeV8\u00a0<\/i><\/a>\u00a0for no later than\u00a0Friday, May 31, 2024 at 11:59 PM<\/strong>\u00a0(Laos time, GMT+7). For the purposes of determining if a proposal is submitted on time, officials will utilize the time-stamp provided by email.<\/p>\n These deadlines are firm. If organizations fail to meet the deadlines noted above, their application will not be considered for funding and will be considered ineligible. Applicants who fail to meet the deadline will be eligible to reapply in the next annual cycle.<\/p>\n Please follow all instructions below carefully<\/strong>. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.<\/p>\n Please ensure:<\/p>\n STEP 1:\u00a0IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING:<\/strong><\/p>\n Summary Page:\u00a0<\/strong>Cover sheet stating the applicant\u2019s name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program.<\/p>\n Proposal:\u00a0<\/strong>The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. You may use your own proposal format, but it must include all the items below (7 pages maximum):<\/p>\n Budget Justification Narrative<\/strong>: Use a separate sheet to describe each of the budget expenses in detail.<\/p>\n Attachments:<\/p>\n STEP 2:\u00a0Mandatory application forms (three mandatory application forms)<\/p>\n https:\/\/la.usembassy.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/142\/2024\/04\/SF424_Individual_2_0-V2.0-Exp-date-February-28-2026.pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0or\u00a0SF424-Application for Federal Assistance Organization\u00a0\u00a0https:\/\/la.usembassy.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/142\/2024\/04\/SF424_4_0-V4.0_Organization-Exp-date-November-30-2025.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/uploads.mwp.mprod.getusinfo.com\/uploads\/sites\/142\/2024\/04\/SF424A-Budget-Information-for-Non-Construction-Programs.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n 3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Required Registration \u2013 Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)<\/p>\n All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from\u00a0https:\/\/www.sam.gov\u00a0<\/i><\/a>\u00a0and maintain an active registration with SAM.gov. \u00a0A UEI is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards.\u00a0 The registration is free of charge.<\/p>\n The 2 CFR 200 requires that sub-grantees obtain a UEI number.\u00a0 Please note the UEI for sub-grantees is not required at the time of application but will be required before an award is processed and\/or directed to a sub-grantee.<\/p>\n Note:\u00a0 The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Please begin your registration as early as possible<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The Public Affairs Section will accept proposals throughout most of the year and will review proposals according to the following schedule. Please note that while the deadlines for submission of applications are firm, all of the review and response dates are approximate and are subject to change, based on availability of funds.\u00a0All funding decisions are also subject to availability of funds at all times.<\/strong>\u00a0Any application submitted after\u00a0May 31, 2024<\/strong>, will need to be resubmitted after September 2024 if not selected for funding with FY24 funds.<\/p>\n Award funds cannot be used to purchase alcoholic beverages or to engage in for-profit activities.<\/p>\n All application materials must be submitted by online\u00a0https:\/\/forms.gle\/6WDysKBBUgZVpxeV8\u00a0<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.<\/strong><\/p>\n E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION<\/strong><\/p>\n Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below.<\/p>\n Quality and Feasibility of the Project Idea \u2013 25 points:\u00a0<\/strong>The project idea is well developed, with detail about how project activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline.<\/p>\n Organizational Capacity and Performance Record on Any Previous Grants \u2013 25 points:\u00a0<\/strong>The organization \/ individual has expertise in their stated field and has the internal controls in place to manage federal funds. This includes a financial management system and a bank account.<\/p>\n Project Planning\/Ability to Achieve Objectives \u2013 15 points:\u00a0<\/strong>Goals and objectives are clearly stated and project approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.<\/p>\n Budget \u2013 10 points:\u00a0<\/strong>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.<\/p>\n Monitoring and Evaluation Plan \u2013 15 points:\u00a0<\/strong>Applicant demonstrates he\/she is able to measure project success against key indicators and provides milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The project includes output and outcome indicators, and shows how and when those will be measured.<\/p>\n Sustainability \u2013 10 points:\u00a0<\/strong>Project activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program.<\/p>\n A Grants Review Committee will evaluate all eligible applications.<\/p>\n 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 \u00a7200.88 Simplified Acquisition Threshold), this section must also inform applicants:<\/p>\n 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);<\/p>\n 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;<\/p>\n 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\u2019s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in \u00a7200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.<\/p>\n Selections will be made and awards will be signed in September 2024.<\/p>\n F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION<\/strong><\/p>\n The grant 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 program expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer.<\/p>\n If a proposal is selected for funding, the U.S. Embassy \/ 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 U.S. Embassy \/ Department of State.<\/p>\n Issuance of this APS 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.<\/p>\n Payment Method:\u00a0<\/strong>The funds for this grant or cooperative agreement will be disbursed in in two to three installments. Final payment will be disbursed upon submission of final report.<\/p>\n Terms and Conditions:\u00a0<\/strong>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:<\/p>\n 2 CFR 200,\u00a02 CFR 600, Certifications and Assurances, and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, all of which are available at:\u00a0https:\/\/www.statebuy.state.gov\/fa\/pages\/home.aspx\u00a0<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n Note the U.S. Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.<\/p>\n Reporting Requirements:\u00a0<\/strong>Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. Financial reporting for the use of the first installment will be required at the time the request for the second installment is made. Financial reporting, through the same method, will again be required at the conclusion of the grant period.<\/p>\n Applicants should be aware of the post award reporting requirements reflected in\u00a02 CFR 200 Appendix XII\u2014Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters\u00a0<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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\nNumber of awards anticipated<\/strong>: 3-10 awards, depending on selected proposals
\nAward amounts<\/strong>: $1,000 to $10,000, contingent on funding availability
\nTotal Amount Available:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0$30,000
\nAnticipated program start date<\/strong>: From October 01, 2024<\/p>\n\n
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