U.S. Embassy in Kampala, Uganda | Notice of Funding Opportunity
The Embassy of the United States in Kampala, Uganda, announces an open competition for past participants (“alumni”) of U.S. government-funded exchange programs to submit applications to the FY 2020 ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT INNOVATION FUND (AEIF 2020). We seek proposals from teams of at least two alumni that meet all program eligibility requirements below. Exchange alumni interested in participating in AEIF 2020 should submit applications and budgets to KampalaGrants@State.gov by March 1, 2020.
- PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
U.S. Embassy Kampala provides alumni of U.S.-funded and supported exchange programs with funding to expand on skills gained during their exchange experience to design and implement innovative solutions to global challenges facing their community.
U.S. Embassy Kampala will accept public service projects proposed and managed by teams of at least two (2) alumni that support one or more of the following themes:
- Strengthening the role of women in peace, security, and governance
- Engaging women as partners in preventing terrorism and countering radicalization and recruitment
- Promoting protection of women and girls from violence, abuse, and exploitation
- Supporting women’s political and civic participation
- B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION
Announcement posted: January 29, 2020
Closing date for applications: March 1, 2020
Funding type: Small grant awards
Decision date: June 2020
Expected size of individual awards: Between $5,000 to $25,000, pending availability of funds
Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in the period of July 2020-July 2021.
C.ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION
- Eligible Applicants:
The following individuals are eligible to apply:
- Applicants must be alumni of a U.S. government-funded or supported exchange program (https://alumni.state.gov/list-exchange-programs)
- 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. 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 one of the themes listed below:
- Strengthening the role of women in peace, security, and governance
- Engaging women as partners in preventing terrorism and countering radicalization and recruitment.
- Promoting protection of women and girls from violence, abuse, and exploitation
- Supporting women’s political and civic participation
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 DUNS 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 unique entity identifier (Data Universal Numbering System/DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet), 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.
- APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
- Address to Request Application Package
AEIF 2020 Application Form and AEIF2020 Budget Templates are available here
- Content and Form of Application Submission
Applications and budgets must be submitted using the forms provided at:
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.
The following documents are required as part of the initial application. Additional documents may be requested from successful applicants:
- The Proposal should be made on the AEIF 2020 Application Form
Please ensure:
- The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity;
- The proposal addresses all questions in the AEIF 2020 application form;
- All documents are in English
- The budget is in U.S. dollars and is submitted using the designated AEIF 2020 budget form;
- Budget Justification Narrative: Applicants must submit a detailed budget and budget narrative justification utilizing the AEIF2020 Budget Templates Line item expenditures should be listed in the greatest possible detail and all figures should be in U.S. dollars.
Budget Restrictions: AEIF 2020 does not support the following activities or costs, and the selection committee will deem applications involving any of these activities or costs ineligible:
- Airfare to or from the United States and its territories
- Activities that take place in the United States and its territories
- Sustained staff salaries, office space, and overhead/operational expenses exceeding 10% of total operational costs
- Large items of durable equipment or construction programs
- Alcohol, excessive meals, refreshments, or entertainment
- Academic or scientific research
- Charitable or development activities or the provision of direct social services to a population
- Support or opposition of partisan political activity or lobbying for specific legislation or programs
- Programs that support specific religious activities
- Fund-raising campaigns
- Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization
- Venture capital, for-profit endeavors, or charging a fee for participation in the project
- Individual scholarships
- Personal development
- Social travel/visits
- Gifts or prizes
- Programs that duplicate existing programs
- REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS
Evaluation Criteria: A selection committee in the U.S. Embassy Kampala Public Affairs Sections will use the criteria outlined below to evaluate all applications:
Purpose and summary, description, and implementation plan: 20 points
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 people will participate and how will they be selected?
Relevance of the project to the chosen subject: 10 points
Degree of alumni involvement: 10 points
Projects must include at least two (2) alumni team leaders. 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 reliable local partners: 10 points
A successful application will demonstrate buy-in and support from the community where the project will take place. The involvement of local partners 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, the American Center, etc.
Evaluation and impact of the project: 10 points
Proposals must include a plan to monitor and evaluate the project’s success, both as the activities take place and at the end of the project. Overall, the quality of monitoring and evaluation plan will be judged on how well it 1) specifies the intended outcomes and how these outcomes will be achieved, 2) gives clear descriptions of how each outcome will be measured, 3) identifies when the outcomes will be measured, and 4) explains how outcomes will be collected (such as surveys, interviews, or focus groups). Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting clear goals and outcomes and consider potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success. Interim and final reporting is required for winning AEIF 2020 projects and winning applicants should have a reporting plan to share information about the success/impact of the project.
Sustainability: 10 points
Project activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the project.
Communication, media and outreach plan: 10 points
The project includes a plan to share information about the project.
Budget and budget narrative 20 points
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.
Total: 100 points
Disclaimer: This notice is subject to availability of funding. U.S. Embassy Kampala 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, U.S. Embassy Kampala 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 Grant Officer at U.S. Embassy Kampala.
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, U.S. Embassy Kampala reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.
Payment Method: Grant recipients typically receive 40-90 percent of grant funds at the beginning of the project and the remainder upon successful completion of the grant and completion of reporting requirements.
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. Reports should summarize program accomplishments and detail how budget was used to accomplish the program goals and objectives.
- FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS
Questions about the grant application process should be directed to: KampalaGrants@State.gov
