Notice of Funding Opportunity for Alumni of U.S. Government Programs

In 2022, the United States and Latvia celebrated 100 years of diplomatic relations. The U.S.-Latvia partnership has endured through the challenges of the last century, including the brutal and illegal Soviet occupation, which the United States never recognized. When Latvia reclaimed its independence, the United States was proud to support Latvian efforts to rebuild its institutions and economy, and to help secure freedoms and prosperity through membership in NATO and the EU. Today, the United States and Latvia are strategic partners, committed to defending our achievements and ensuring that future generations will have the same personal liberties, human rights, and economic freedoms that we enjoy. Looking to the future, our alliance faces new challenges: disinformation; hybrid attacks; transnational corruption and crime; climate change; and social divisions that threaten our stability and security. The Embassy seeks alumni projects that will help our alliance adapt and be resilient to the challenges posed by these complex issues and result in an even stronger U.S.-Latvia partnership. We invite our alumni to submit a project that will advance this vision. We seek proposals from teams of at least two alumni that meet all program eligibility requirements below. Exchange alumni interested in participating in AEIF 2023 should submit proposals to embassyriga@state.gov by February 15, 2023. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION Announcement posted: November 9, 2022 Closing date for applications: February 15, 2023 Funding type: Small grant awards Decision date: no later than June 30, 2023. Expected size of individual awards: Between $10,000 to $35,000. Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed by May 31, 2024. Eligible Applicants: The following individuals are eligible to apply: Applicants must be alumni of a U.S. government-funded or sponsored exchange program (https://alumni.state.gov/list-exchange-programs) or a U.S. government-sponsored exchange program (https://j1visa.state.gov/). Projects teams must include teams of at least two (2) alumni. Alumni who are U.S. citizens may not submit proposals, but U.S. citizen alumni may participate as team members in a project. Alumni teams may be comprised of alumni from different exchange programs and different countries. Applications must be submitted by exchange alumni or alumni associations of USG exchange alumni. Not-for-profit, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and academic institutions are not eligible to apply in the name of the organization but can serve as partners for implementing project activities. Cost Sharing: Inclusion of cost share is not a requirement of this opportunity. Grant Program Area: Proposals must address strengthening the resilience of the U.S.-Latvia partnership. Proposals that do not address the theme as outlined in the program objectives will be deemed ineligible. All project activities must take place outside of the United States and its territories. Other Eligibility Requirements If the grant will be processed with an individual, that individual is not required to have a UEI (Unique Entity ID) number or be registered in SAM.gov. However, should the grant be processed with an organization that is a partner in the project, that organization must have a UEI, as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Organizations must have a commitment to equal opportunity employment practices and to non-discrimination practices with regard to beneficiaries, without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal. Grants may not be used for partisan political activity. However, public education, get-out-the-vote, election monitoring and other non-partisan election activities may be supported. Grants may be used to promote non-discrimination and tolerance for disadvantaged minorities, but should not be used to promote the particular agenda of a specific group, practice, or lifestyle over any other. Close attention should be given to applications addressing tolerance and human rights (focusing on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation), volunteerism, and trafficking in persons. Before awarding any grant related to these issues, Embassy staff must brief grantees on the distinction between support for human rights and our inability to advocate for a specific lifestyle or the views of any specific organization. Grants cannot support any goals of religious nature. Grants cannot support the creation of any media content or support journalist salaries. Proposed projects should target primarily Latvian audiences. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION Application and budget templates are available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1bkTINpD93s3CA7eWUYD4BqbTjPwGmYIh Content and Form of Application Submission Applications and budgets must be submitted using the official AEIF 2023 application and budget forms. Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible. Please ensure: The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity; The proposal addresses all questions in the official AEIF 2023 application form; All documents are in English; The budget is in U.S. dollars and is submitted using the designated AEIF 2023 budget form; All pages are numbered. The following documents and information are required. All of them can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1bkTINpD93s3CA7eWUYD4BqbTjPwGmYIh Mandatory application forms: SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance --individuals); SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs); SF424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs); 2023 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund Proposal Form: Project Team Information: At least two exchange alumni team members are required for a project to be considered for funding. Applications need to provide the name and contact information, describe the role each team member will have in the project, and their experience, qualifications, and ability to carry out that role. Applicants need to indicate what proportion of the team member’s time will be used in support of the project. Proposal Summary: A short narrative which outlines the proposed project, including challenge/s to be addressed, project objectives, and anticipated impact. Project Goals and Objectives: The goal/s of the proposed project need to describe what the project is intended to achieve and include the objectives which support the goal/s. Objectives should be specific, measurable, and realistically achievable in a set time frame. Project Methods, Design, and Timeline: A description of how the project is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal/s. This should include a description of the project’s direct and indirect beneficiaries as well as a plan on how to continue the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable. The proposed timeline for the project activities should include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events. Applicants may also submit proposed workshop or training agendas and materials. Local Project Partners: A list of partners who will support the proposed project, if applicable. Communication Plan: The communication plan should include a communication and outreach strategy for promoting the proposed project. It may include social media, websites, print news, or other forms of media intended to use to share information about the project to beneficiaries and the public. Communications should include AEIF 2023, ExchangeAlumni, and U.S. Embassy branding. Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: The Monitoring and Evaluation component of the proposal should outline in detail how the proposal’s activities will advance the program’s goals and objectives. This should include any outcomes showing a change in knowledge, awareness, and attitudes; improved quality of services; increased capacity at a school, group; etc. Proposals should also include how the grantee will measure the impact of planned activities. Budget Justification Narrative: Applicants must submit a detailed budget and budget narrative justification utilizing the template provided. Line-item expenditures should be listed in the greatest possible detail. Budgets shall be submitted in U.S. dollars and final grant agreements will be conducted in U.S. dollars. Budget Restrictions: AEIF 2023 does not support the following activities or costs, and the selection committee will deem applications involving any of these activities or costs ineligible: Any airfare to/from the United States and its territories Activities that take place in the United States and its territories Staff salaries, office space, and overhead/operational expenses Large items of durable equipment or construction programs Alcohol, excessive meals, refreshments, or entertainment Academic or scientific research Charitable or development activities Provision of direct social services to a population Individual scholarships Social travel/visits Gifts or prizes Duplication of existing programs Institutional development of an organization Venture capital, for-profit endeavors, or charging a fee for participation in project Support for specific religious activities Fund-raising campaigns Support or opposition of partisan political activity or lobbying for specific legislation REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS Relevance to Application Theme The proposal provides sufficient information on how the activities will support the theme(s) of the competition. The narrative explains any relevant local context the D.C. Selection Committee may not be aware of in relation to this project. Proposed project ideas must be public diplomacy in nature (i.e. not development or military). Purpose and Summary, Description, and Implementation Plan When developing the purpose, summary, description, and implementation plan, applicants should aim to make all descriptions clear, concise, and compelling. Reviewers will judge the proposals based on the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the community where it is undertaken. Does the project address an important gap of understanding or need? If the aim of the project is achieved, how will existing knowledge or practice be improved? What audience do the applicants hope to reach with this project? How many will participate? How will they be selected? Degree of Alumni Involvement Projects must include the involvement of at least two (2) exchange alumni. They may be the project team leaders or collaborate directly with PAS in formulating the project. More than two alumni may comprise the team, however, the minimum is two. As the team leaders, the alumni must be closely involved in project planning, implementation, etc. Applicants should ensure that the proposal includes the following information for each alumni team member: first name, last name, e-mail address, exchange program, country of citizenship, and roles and responsibilities. Participation and Support from Local Partners The proposal demonstrates buy-in and support from the community where the project will take place. Local partner involvement is a strong sign that there is community support and that the project will engage a broad array of experts, such as subject matter experts, community centers, academic institutions, businesses, local/national government, non-governmental organizations, American Spaces, etc. Evaluation and Impact of the Project A monitoring & evaluation (M&E) plan is pivotal to project implementation and important tracking progress towards the project’s objectives and goals. An M&E plan should consider the data needed to effectively monitor progress toward specific outputs and outcomes as well as how that data collection will be accomplished. Well-crafted indicators should be used to understand a program’s progress toward the desired results. An M&E plan should be reviewed for the following: • Completion • Applicability and logic of objectives and indicators • Clear approach to monitoring • Adherence to SMART criteria • Feasibility of baselines and targets • Data quality plan • Capacity to implement plan Communication, Media, and Outreach Plan The project should include a clear plan and timeline for how and when the team will share information about the project. It is important to ensure that the U.S. Embassy gets recognition throughout the process, if circumstances permit. Budget and Budget Narrative The budget and narrative justification are sufficiently 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. The results and proposed outcomes justify the total cost of the project. Budget items are reasonable, allowable, and allocable. Disclaimer: This notice is subject to availability of funding. U.S. Embassy Riga does not guarantee availability of funding by receiving applications under this announcement. Only successful applicants will be contacted. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION The grant award 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. If a proposal 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 NOFO 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: Funds will be disbursed in two payments. First payment (80% of total funds allocated)will be paid once the agreement with the grantee will be finished and signed. Second payment (20% of total funds allocated) will be paid when final reports will be submitted and approved by the Grants Officer. 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. Final descriptive report will need to be submitted to the Grants Officer no later than 30 days after the project has been completed. In addition to that, copies of invoices, agreements and other financial documents will be needed to ensure the transparency of the spending of funds. Questions about the grant application process should be directed to: EmbassyRiga@state.gov  
Categories: Other (see text field entitled "Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity" for clarification).