PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Africa Regional Services, Bureau of African Affairs’ Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (AF/PDPA) of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition to submit applications to organize a training on Media Smart: Spotting Truth in a Fake News World for Non-Journalists. The program aims to empower youth, young adults, education professionals and community leaders and organizers with the skills and knowledge to effectively counter misinformation and disinformation. The series of workshops should include but are not limited to the following topics: Understanding Media Literacy: Identifying bias, evaluating sources, recognizing types of media. Information, news, and opinion. Types of Disinformation: Misinformation, propaganda, fake news. Impact of Disinformation: Effects on public opinion, democracy, and social cohesion and real-world examples. Spotting Disinformation Critical Thinking Skills Media Bias, Objectivity and Trust Digital Citizenship and Responsibility Strategies to Combat Disinformation Understanding AI and Recognizing AI-generated content The project will be conducted in French and English, virtually over six months. It will consist of online presentations and dialogues between American experts and African audience, discussing theories and case studies, and sharing best practices, strategies and resources. Budget permitting the project will design an in-person colloquium with selected participants. The project should also provide a strategy for and facilitate peer-to-peer contact and content sharing between program participants following program completion. All subject matter experts must be American citizens. Targeted countries are sub-Saharan African countries, with a priority given to West African countries. Please follow all instructions below. Background: In Africa, the rise of disinformation, accelerated by digital technology, demands urgent media literacy initiatives among youth. Recent studies, such as those by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, reveal an alarming escalation in false information targeting African media, facilitated by digital channels. This surge correlates directly with societal unrest and democratic erosion. With over 60% of Africa's population under 25, empowering youth with media literacy skills is critical. It not only safeguards against disinformation but also prepares them to navigate the complexities of AI-driven content and fosters informed citizenship crucial for democratic resilience. Africa Regional Services announces a call for institutional partners and individuals with extensive experience and capacity in training and outreach among youth, African NGOs and African educative organizations in the field of information fluency to submit proposals for online and in-person training of African youth on media literacy. Subject to availability of funds, Africa Regional Services will award a grant as described below. The successful applicant must have previous experience managing the award amount of $250,000 or greater and must demonstrate capacity to manage a continent-wide grant in countering disinformation. The criteria for the competition should ensure that proposals be tailored toward African audiences. Proposed projects should include monitoring and evaluation plans. Project Audience(s): Male and female youth, educators, NGO representatives. Must ensure gender balance among target audience aged 18 to 30. Project Goal: The program will empower young adults to better understand and navigate the complex intersection of AI, disinformation, and media literacy in today's digital landscape, while utilizing American subject-matter expertise. Project Objectives: Projects should be designed to achieve the following: Objective 1: Enhance the media literacy skills of African youth through engaging workshops focused on combating misinformation and disinformation. Objective 2: Empower participants to apply the knowledge gained from the training sessions by creating and sharing stories that demonstrate their newfound skills in critical media analysis and responsible reporting, thereby fostering a culture of digital citizenship and encouraging them to fulfill their responsibilities as informed and ethical communicators in the digital age. Priority Regions: Sub-Saharan African countries including but not limited to Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Sierra Leone, Guinea Conakry, Chad, Cameroon, Togo, Benin. Eligible Applicants The following organizations are eligible to apply: Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations Public and private educational institutions Individuals For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply. Other Eligibility Requirements In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via https://sam.gov/content/home as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov. Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION Address to Request Application Package Application forms required below are available at www.grants.gov. Content and Form of Application Submission 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 All documents are in English All budgets are in U.S. dollars All pages are numbered All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Calibri font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins. The following documents are required: Mandatory application forms SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance --individuals) at www.grants.gov. SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) at www.grants.gov. SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) at www.grants.gov. Summary Page: Cover sheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program. Proposal (10 pages maximum): 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. Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives and anticipated impact. Introduction to the Organization or Individual applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies. Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed Program Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve. The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable. Program Activities: Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives. Program Methods and Design: A description of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal. Include a logic model as appropriate. Proposed Program Schedule and Timeline: The proposed timeline for the program activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events. Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program? Program Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees. Program Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants. Throughout the timeframe of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant? Future Funding or Sustainability Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable. Budget Justification Narrative: After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate file to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information. Attachments: 1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file. Official permission letters, if required for program activities Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Required Registrations All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration with the SAM.gov. A 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. Note: As of April 2022, a DUNS number is no longer required for federal assistance applications. The 2 CFR 200 requires that sub-grantees obtain a UEI number. 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. Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible. Organizations based in the United States or that pay employees within the United States will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov. Organizations based outside of the United States and that do not pay employees within the United States do not need an EIN from the IRS but do need a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov. Exemptions An exemption from the UEI and sam.gov registration requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if: An applicant’s identity must be protected due to potential endangerment of their mission, their organization’s status, their employees, or individuals being served by the applicant. For an applicant, if the Federal awarding agency makes a determination that there are exigent circumstances that prohibit the applicant from receiving a unique entity identifier and completing SAM registration prior to receiving a Federal award. In these instances, Federal awarding agencies must require the recipient to obtain a unique entity identifier and complete SAM registration within 30 days of the Federal award date. Organizations requesting exemption from UEI or SAM.gov requirements must email the point of contact listed in the NOFO at least two weeks prior to the deadline in the NOFO providing a justification of their request. Approval for a SAM.gov exemption must come from the warranted Grants Officer before the application can be deemed eligible for review. Submission Dates and Times Applications are due no later than June 15, 2024. Other Submission Requirements All application materials must be submitted by email to
[email protected]. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below: Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea – 25 points: The program idea is well developed, with detail about how program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline. Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants – 15 points: The organization has expertise in its stated field and has the internal controls in place to manage federal funds. This includes a financial management system and a bank account. Program Content – 15 points: Objectives are clear, and content is clearly linked to the U.S. and is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results. Budget – 15 points: 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 – 15 points: Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provides milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The program includes output and outcome indicators and shows how and when those will be measured. Sustainability – 10 points: Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program. A review committee will evaluate all eligible applications. If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact:
[email protected]