This notice is subject to availability of funding. A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION U.S. Embassy Belgrade of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications for the University Partnership Program. Please follow all instructions below. Priority Region: Serbia Program Objectives: The U.S. Embassy works to assist the Serbian people to strengthen democracy, rule of law, and the protection of human rights; help fight brain drain and advance the country’s economic development; promote regional stability and cooperation; cooperate with international partners to combat crime, terrorism, human trafficking, and other global challenges; and make further progress towards Serbia’s accession into the European Union. We also strive to explain U.S. policies, culture, society, and values to Serbian audiences and deepen ties between our two countries. University Partnership proposals should support these goals while facilitating lasting connections between Serbian and American institutions of higher education. Proposals can involve in-person and/or virtual exchanges for students, faculty, and/or administrators as well as any of the following activities: curriculum development; needs assessments; joint online courses; joint research projects; development of a joint degree program; development of a study abroad program; sharing of best teaching practices and instructional methods; support for participation in academic conferences or student competitions (e.g., moot court, Model U.S. Congress, Model United Nations); establishing an American Studies course or academic program; setting up a center focused on American Studies; and/or establishing or strengthening a career development center or a research and development center. Participants and Audiences: Participants or primary audiences for university partnership proposals should be Serbian and American students, professors/academics, and/or administrators. Depending on focus, projects may have secondary audiences or beneficiaries including media, civil society organizations or wider professional audiences, which you may note in the proposal. If your project idea might involve citizens or any other countries, check D.7 in the full text of the NOFO to understand restrictions on funding. B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION Length of performance period: 6 to 30 months (including the evaluation) Number of awards anticipated: 1-5 awards (dependent on amounts) Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $25,000 to a maximum of $300,000. For returning applicants to the University Partnership Program, (previous grantees seeking additional support) awards will be capped at $75,000. Total available funding: $450,000 Type of Funding: FY23/24 Economic Support Funds under the Foreign Assistance Act. Anticipated program start date: Flexible, but not earlier than September 1, 2024. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing is allowed but not required and will not impact funding decisions. While filling out the application, you will be required to tell us whether you are also receiving funding from other donors for your project. Please be aware, however, that you must be able to carry out all the activities described in your application with the funding you receive, even if the contributions from other donors or other funding sources fail to materialize. C. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION Requesting the Application Package: Application forms required below are available at https://rs.usembassy.gov/grants-programs and in the Related Documents Tab. 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. Content of Application 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: 1. Mandatory application forms · SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) · SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) · SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) (note: the SF-424B is only required for individuals and for organizations not registered in SAM.gov) 2. Grant Application Form for FY2024 (Fiscal year 2024). Note: Detailed instructions for filling out the grant application are included with the form. 3. Budget Justification Narrative (Excel Spreadsheet): After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use the Excel spreadsheet template to describe and explain each of the budget expenses in detail. See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information. 4. 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. 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. To be eligible for consideration, every Serbia-based applicant organization must also be registered in the territory of the Republic of Serbia with the Agencija za privredne registre (APR), or the relevant court. Submission Dates and Times: Applications are due no later than May 15, 2024. Funding Restrictions: You may NOT apply for a grant from PDS if your project: · Involves partisan political activity; · Involves charitable activities and/or the distribution of humanitarian aid; · Is a fundraising campaign; · Is commercial in nature, i.e., you or a project partner are making money from this project, or the activity supports a current or future business or entrepreneurial venture; · Involves the provision of health care services, childcare, food subsidies, or other social services to populations. This funding opportunity aims to support specific projects with objectives which can be achieved within a set timeframe. We will not accept applications which are aimed more broadly at supporting your organization’s usual or typical daily activities and operations. Those will be deemed technically ineligible and will not be considered for funding by the review committee. Other Submission Requirements: All application materials must be submitted by email to
[email protected] IF PDS does not receive a complete project proposal at the above address by the deadline, it will be considered technically ineligible and will not be considered for funding. Review and Selection Process: A review committee will evaluate all eligible applications. You may be asked to submit additional information and/or a revised budget. Please also be aware that, depending on the availability of funding, PDS might be able to fund only part of the budget that you have requested. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates: PDS anticipates that final funding decisions will be made by June 30, 2024. D. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact:
[email protected]. The full text of the NOFO and the required documents are available at https://rs.usembassy.gov/grants-programs/ and in the Related Documents tab. Information Session. PDS will hold a virtual information session on April 17, 2024, at 15:00 (3 pm) Central European time to discuss this funding opportunity and to answer questions from potential applicants. Please contact PDS at
[email protected] for details.