This call for proposals is now CLOSED.
The U.S Embassy is accepting project abstracts for the 2020 AFCP Large Grants Program until December 4, 2019. Proposals to preserve cultural sites or objects and museum collection of historical or cultural significance to the cultural heritage of Montenegro may range from $200,000 to $800,000.
This competitive global fund was established to help countries preserve cultural heritage and to demonstrate U.S. respect for other cultures. The projects selected to receive funding under this program will advance U.S. diplomatic goals and demonstrate the depth of U.S. respect for the cultural heritage of Montenegro. The Fund is aimed at preserving cultural sites or objects that have a historical or cultural significance to the cultural heritage of Montenegro.
Disclaimer: Issuance of this NOTICE OF Funding Opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the AFCP program or the U.S. government.
COMPETITION FORMAT:
This opportunity consists of two application rounds: Round 1 (Project Abstract) and Round 2 (Full Proposal).
During Round 1, the Applicants are due to submit completed project abstracts in English electronically to PodgoricaGrants@State.Gov by December 4, 2019.
If, following the technical review, rating, and ranking of abstracts are invited to advance to Round 2, the Applicants will be contacted to submit full project proposals.
AWARD INFORMATION:
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Floor on Amount of Individual Awards: $200,000 per project
Ceiling on Amount of Individual Awards: $800,000 per project
Project performance period: 1-5 years
All proposals must comply with the regulations and guidelines below. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES – LARGE GRANTS PROGRAM:
1.ELEGIBLE APPLICANTS:
Montenegro based non-commercial entities that are registered in SAM.gov (see Section 9. below on how to register in SAM.gov) and able to demonstrate that they have the requisite experience and capacity to manage projects to preserve cultural heritage. This may include: non-governmental organizations, museums, Ministry of Culture, or similar institutions and organizations, including U.S.-based organizations subject to Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code.
Past AFCP award recipients may submit applications for continuation funds under this opportunity.
2.NON-ELEGIBLE APPLICANTS:
The AFCP will not award grants to individuals, commercial entities, or past recipients that have not fulfilled the objectives or reporting requirements of previous AFCP awards.
3.APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
- Completed project abstracts must be submitted in English electronically to PodgoricaGrants@State.Govby December 4, 2019.
- Use the Application form to present the information required at this stage of the competition. Supporting documentation can be sent in jpeg and pdf.
- Registration in SAM.gov is mandatory if you are to receive an U.S. grant. Submit the proof your organization is registered in SAM.gov, or in the process of completing the registration in SAM.gov. In the absence of this proof the entire application will be dismissed. See below section 9. Required registrations for guidelines on how to register in SAM.gov.
- Make sure your project idea doesn’t contain any of the costs and activities stated in the section Ineligible activities and unallowable costs.
- Attachments and supporting documents including, at a minimum and REQUIRED, five (5) high quality digital images (JPEGs) or audiovisual files that convey the nature and condition of the site, object, or form of expression and, in the case of a site or object, show the urgency or need for the proposed project (collapsing wall, water damage, worn fabric, broken handle, etc.)
- Your project proposal must address one or more of the eligible activities (funding areas) stated below:
4.FUNDING AREAS:
The AFCP Large Grants Program supports the preservation of major ancient archaeological sites, historic buildings and monuments, and major museum collections that are accessible to the public and protected by law in the host country. Appropriate project activities may include:
- preventive conservation (addressing conditions that damage or threaten the site)
- stabilization (reducing the physical disturbance [settling, collapse, etc.] of a site)
- conservation (addressing damage or deterioration to a collection or sites)
- consolidation (connecting or reconnecting elements of a site)
- anastylosis (reassembling a site from its original parts)
- restoration (replacing missing elements to recreate the original appearance of a site, usually appropriate only with fine arts, decorative arts, and historic buildings)
5.FUNDING PRIORITIES: Applications for projects that directly support one or more of the following will receive additional consideration in FY2018:
- S. treaty or bilateral agreement obligations, such as cultural property agreement
- Disaster risk reduction for cultural heritage in seismically active and other disaster-prone areas
- Post-disaster cultural heritage recovery
- Preservation of inscribed World Heritage sites
6.SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING SITES AND OBJECTS THAT HAVE A RELIGIOUS CONNOTATION:
The establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution permits the government to include religious objects and sites within an aid program under certain conditions. For example, an item with religious connection (including a place of worship) may be the subject of a cultural preservation grant if the item derives its primary significance and is nominated solely on the basis of architectural, artistic, historical, or other cultural (not religious) criteria.
7.INELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES AND UNALLOWABLE COSTS:
AFCP will NOT support the following activities or costs, and applications involving any of the activities or costs below will be deemed ineligible:
- Preservation or purchase of privately or commercially owned cultural objects, collections, or real property, including those whose transfer from private or commercial to public ownership is envisioned, planned, or in process but not complete at the time of application
- Preservation of natural heritage (physical, biological, and geological formations, paleontological collections, habitats of threatened species of animals and plants, fossils, etc.)
- Preservation of hominid or human remains
- Preservation of news media (newspapers, newsreels, radio and TV programs, etc.)
- Preservation of published materials available elsewhere (books, periodicals, etc.)
- Development of curricula or educational materials for classroom use
- Archaeological excavations or exploratory surveys for research purposes
- Historical research, except in cases where the research is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project
- Acquisition or creation of new exhibits, objects, or collections for new or existing museums
- Construction of new buildings, building additions, or permanent coverings (over archaeological sites, for example)
- Commissions of new works of art or architecture for commemorative or economic development purposes
- Creation of new or the modern adaptation of existing traditional dances, songs, chants, musical compositions, plays, or other performances
- Creation of replicas or conjectural reconstructions of cultural objects or sites that no longer exist
- Relocation of cultural sites from one physical location to another
- Removal of cultural objects or elements of cultural sites from the country for any reason
- Digitization of cultural objects or collections, unless part of a larger, clearly defined conservation or documentation effort
- Conservation plans or other studies, unless they are one component of a larger project to implement the results of those studies
- Cash reserves, endowments, or revolving funds (funds must be expended within the award period [up to five years] and may not be used to create an endowment or revolving fund)
- Costs of fund-raising campaigns
- Contingency, unforeseen, or miscellaneous costs or fee
- Costs of work performed prior to announcement of the award unless allowable per 2 CFR 200.458 and approved by the grants officer;
- International travel, except in cases where travel is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project;
- Travel or study outside the host country for professional development
- Independent U.S. projects overseas
- Individual projects costing less than $200,000 or more than $800,000
- COST SHARING AND OTHER FORMS OF COST PARTICIPATION:
Cost sharing is not required. When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal and later included in an approved agreement. The applicant will be responsible for tracking and reporting on any cost share or outside funding. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs.
- REQUIRED REGISTRATIONS
Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance 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 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.
In order to be qualified for grants, selected organizations must obtain these registrations. All are free of charge:
- Unique entity identifier from Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS number)
- NCAGE code
- gov registration
Step 1: Apply for a DUNS number and a NCAGE number (these can be completed simultaneously)
DUNS application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet. If your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866-705-5711 or visiting http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform
NCAGE application:
https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx
Instructions for the NCAGE application process:
https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf
Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM.gov by logging onto: https://www.sam.gov.
Important notes:
- Make sure the data you enter in all three systems is identical, otherwise you won’t be able to complete the registration on step 3: SAM.gov. We recommend taking screenshots of the data you’ve entered during every registration stage.
- When registering, leave general organization’s email address, rather than personal e-mail. gov registration must be renewed annually, and this way the registration will be tied to your organization – not an individual.
- Have in mind that each registration can take time, so start the registration process immediately.
- TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number) and other financial data are required for Americans and American organizations only.
