Leadership in Technology Dialogues

The United States Embassy in Zimbabwe announces an open competition for creative, sustainable and engaging projects that foster open and transparent dialogues on how emerging technologies can support Zimbabwe’s development and international partnerships. The programs should support principles that foster safe and security network infrastructures as well as promote digital rights. Projects funded under this call will use dialogues, advocacy, engagement, research, policy analysis, capacity development, and/or network building to promote the use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, augmented and virtual reality. The projects can be in any sector- education, agriculture, medical and financial technologies. The program should promote discussions and understanding of open, interoperable, secure, and reliable information and communications technology infrastructure and services with the inclusion, in part, of U.S. experts, curricula, or other resources. Over the past decade, there has been a significant expansion in the uptake of technology in Zimbabwe. Between 2000 and 2022 mobile penetration rate rose from 2.3 percent to over 90 percent of the total population. From 2009 to 2023 the Internet penetration level rose from 5.1 percent to 65.2 percent of the total population. Despite legislation on cybersecurity and data protection, gaps remain in supplier trustworthiness and privacy protection as well as digital rights. Secure and trustworthy telecommunications network globally are a high priority for the United States and critical to enabling societies to take advantage of the incredible benefits of meaningful connectivity. Companies are increasingly hesitant to make large investments in physical plants, equipment, and people in countries where they fear their business secrets, research and development (R & D) efforts, and intellectual property may be compromised by untrusted networks, data centers, and other ICT infrastructure. Theory of Change: As Zimbabwe seeks to utilize and develop vibrant technology and innovation ecosystems to seize the promises of the digital economy in line with the African Unions Digital Transformation Strategy, they should build upon the solid foundation of trustworthy ICT infrastructure and technology that eases business while also respecting human rights. The U.S. President’s Digital Transformation with Africa (DTA) states Africa’s digital ecosystem offers massive potential to spur economic recovery, promote opportunity, advance social equality and gender equality, and create jobs. These discussions will help prepare Zimbabwe’s leaders and decision makers to harness new technologies for growth and opportunity. Program Objectives: All proposals must meet the following objectives: o Provide opportunities for open discussions and exchanges for tech leaders and policy makers in a variety of fields to prepare Zimbabwe to be an international partner in tech innovation. o Strengthen collaboration and build networks between Zimbabwe and U.S. civil society, press, and advocacy organizations with an emphasis on long-term relationships and sustainability for Zimbabwe’s digital economy. Participants and Audiences: Proposals can target tech industry stakeholders, civil society, policy makers, students, opinion leaders, media, underserved populations, tech hub staff, or other clearly defined sectors. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION To Request Application Package: Email [email protected]; an automatic reply with the application forms will be sent. Forms are also available at www.grants.gov Content and Form of Application Submission: Content of Application – the proposal should: · Clearly serve the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity; · Be specific and concise in describing the who, what, why, when, where, how and cost aspects of the project; · Provide all documents in English; and · Include a budget narrative and a budget table in U.S. dollars breaking down costs per unit rates, quantities as well as totals. Application Forms required: · Completed application (form attached to inquiry email) · Detailed projected budget (form attached to inquiry email) · SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – Organizations) · SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) · SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) Attachments · 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. If you do not have a NICRA, indirect and overhead costs can’t be over 10% of the budget. · Official permission letters, if required for program activities. Required Registrations: All organizations (not individuals) 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. Steps to acquire UEI and registration: · https://login.gov create an account. To access SAM.gov an organization is required to have a Login.gov account. · www.SAM.gov registration which will generate a unique entity identifier (UEI) The UEI are assigned when an organization registers or renews its registration in SAM.gov Organizations should renew their registration once a year to maintain an active registration status in SAM.gov. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure it has an active SAM registration. 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 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. · 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. If an organization plans to issue a sub-contract or sub-award, those sub-awardees must also have a unique entity identifier (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. If an organization does not have an active registration in SAM.gov prior to submitting an application, the application will be deemed ineligible. Note: As of April 2022, a DUNS number is no longer required. Submission Dates and Times PD Harare will accept proposals starting November 27, 2023. All applicants should submit their proposals prior to February 16, 2024 for consideration. Other Submission Requirements All application materials may be emailed to [email protected] (with “LEADERSHIP IN TECHNOLOGY” in the subject line).