Funding Opportunity Number:  TASHKENT-PDS-FY23-002
Current Closing Date for Applications:  May 15, 2023

The U.S. Embassy Tashkent Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce funding is available through the Embassy’s Democracy Commission Small Grants Program. This program supports the development of Uzbekistan’s democratic institutions and civil society by competitively awarding small grants to Uzbekistan’s nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and associations, to nonprofit civil society organizations (CSOs), and to independent local media organizations.

The U.S. Embassy Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) in Tashkent is soliciting proposals for grants from Uzbekistan’s civil society and independent media organizations that focus on one of the priority areas/themes specified below. Applicants should pay close attention to the Public Diplomacy Section’s goals, priority program areas, target audiences when developing their proposals.

Grant Priority Areas: Funding is available for projects that address one or more of these Public Diplomacy Priority areas:

1) Strengthening the Role of Women and Marginalized Communities through Education and Entrepreneurship
2) Strengthening Civil Society, Promoting Human Rights, and the Rule of Law

For complete application instructions and all necessary forms, please visit: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=347322

The U.S. Embassy Tashkent Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) is pleased to announce the availability of funding through the Embassy’s Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program. The deadline for Statements of Interest (SOI) is April 24, 2023, 23:59 GMT +5.

Submissions and program inquiries can be sent to Tashkent-Program@state.gov.

A complete SOI package will include 2 attachments:

1. A completed SOI using the provided template
2. A completed budget for the SOI using the provided template.

Due to the volume of applicants and inquiries, Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) does not accept letters of intent, concept papers, or requests for meetings or phone calls prior to application.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application package has been received in its entirety. Incomplete applications will be considered ineligible. Applicants are urged to begin the application process well before the submission deadline. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps.

PDS invites proposals for programs that strengthen cultural ties between the United States and Uzbekistan and support a priority program area (see below) to highlight shared values and promote bilateral cooperation. All proposed programs must include an American cultural element, or connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s to promote increased understanding of U.S. culture, values, policy, and perspectives.  Competitive proposals will promote continued/sustainable cooperation between the people of the United States and Uzbekistan even after the project concludes.

Examples of programs could include, but are not limited to:

• Academic and professional lectures, seminars, and speaker programs;
• Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances, and exhibitions;
• Sports events and ideas aimed at increasing the accessibility of physical activities
• Professional and academic exchanges and programs, and
• Cultural heritage conservation and preservation programs.

Priority Program Areas:

1. Arts, Culture, and Sports Programs

Project Goal:  Deepen ties between Uzbekistan and the United States by improving understanding of U.S. culture and shared values.

Project Audience (any of the following): 

• Uzbek-speaking public
• Rural or underserved communities
• Youth, especially in regions of Uzbekistan outside of Tashkent
• Social entrepreneurs
• University staff, educators, students
• Artists/artisans
• Athletes
• Uzbekistani artists/musicians/dancers/directors/organizations/sports representatives

Project Objectives (Project proposals may address one or more of these objectives.):

• Increase exposure to and understanding of United States through educational and cultural programming focused by highlighting mutual values between the U.S. and Uzbekistan
• Establish formal or informal partnerships between U.S. and Uzbekistani artists/musicians/dancers/directors/organizations/sport representatives to collaborate on issues that support:
• • freedom of expression,
  • women’s empowerment,
  • cultural, religious tolerance,
  • diversity and inclusion, and/or
  • youth engagement/empowerment.
• Increase capacity of Uzbekistani artists/musicians/dancers/directors/organizations/sports representatives to create publicly accessible and engaging content in support of:
  • freedom of expression,
  • women’s empowerment,
  • cultural, religious tolerance,
  • diversity and inclusion, and/or
  • youth engagement/empowerment.
• Increase awareness and understanding of the value of cultural heritage preservation in Uzbekistan.
• Increase awareness of the history of U.S.-Uzbekistan bilateral relations, through cultural projects.

2. Women’s Empowerment:

Project Goal: Increase social and economic empowerment of women in Uzbekistan through skills building, training and mentorship support, and sports activities.

Project Audiences (any of the following):

• Women in rural or underserved communities
• Aspiring female entrepreneurs
• Women in creative industries, including artists, musicians, dancers, and filmmakers, through training on business and/or career development
• Women and girls with disabilities

Project Objectives:

• Increase the vocational capacity of women through training and mentorship programs focused on building hard and soft skills to support female workforce participation.
• Increase business and technical skills of aspiring female entrepreneurs in creative industries, including artists, musicians, dancers, and filmmakers, to increase employability, launch and/or improve their own business.
• Increase inclusivity in sports for women and girls, especially those with disabilities, by organizing sport events.

For complete details and application instructions: [PDF download of the NOFO, 475 KB]

1. [Statement of Interest Template – DOCX 72 KB]
2. [Budget Template for Statement of Interest – XLSX 22 KB]

APPLY FOR A GRANT FROM THE AMERICAN CENTER TASHKENT

Do you have a project in mind that will bring about positive change in your community? Do you need funding to make your dream project come true? Use this opportunity to apply for an American Center Tashkent (ACT) grant! ACT will support individuals with grants from $1,000 to $8,000.

The proposed program should cover one of the themes below:

• Computer or Internet Literacy;
• Climate Literacy;
• Citizen Journalism;
• Media Literacy;
• Women Empowerment.

To apply:

1. Complete the Grant Application Form (DOCX 283 KB) and email it to Tashkent-ACT@state.gov
2. Email your CV along with your application, Attachment 1
3. Fill in and email the following mandatory forms along with your application:
   SF424-I Form (Application for Federal Assistance, PDF 92 KB), Attachment 2
   SF424B Form (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs, PDF 70 KB),  Attachment 3

Below is more detailed information on the projects:

Computer literacy courses:

Through hands-on activities, the online programming course will introduce the fundamental building blocks of programming and teach participants how to write fun and useful programs using the Python language. The sessions should involve real problem-solving projects and tasks to support and enhance learning. Participants will learn how to write and maintain source code and become knowledgeable in the planning and structured process involved with software development. Participants will learn to develop efficient and scalable programs, mobile and web applications, and cloud-based software using languages and technologies such as Java, C#, Python. The target audience for the course are high school and university students, as well as young professionals. Other potential projects can include Internet literacy, AI, 3D printing, or any other tools to build essential coding skills needed web and app development,

The funding will cover an honorarium and teaching materials for the project implementor through a grant to an individual.

Climate Literacy program: 

The virtual program activities will allow participants to create a greater awareness of the issues surrounding climate change and what can be done to address these challenges.  The project will help youth understand and address the impact of global warming, increase “climate literacy” among young people, encourage changes in their attitudes and behavior, and help them adapt to climate change-related trends. The funding will cover an honorarium and teaching materials for the project implementor through a grant to an individual.

Citizen journalism workshops:

This virtual project will develop citizen journalism in Uzbekistan.  The course will boost the participants’ technical skills to generate their own news content and allow them to use tools such as text, blogs, vlogs, podcasts, photography, audio, and video-stories when collecting, reporting, analyzing, and disseminating news and information. By becoming active creators, the participants will make a significant contribution to media diversity in Uzbekistan. The target audience is active social media users. The funding will cover an honorarium and teaching materials for the project implementor through a grant to an individual.

Media literacy workshops:

The project will strengthen the media literacy of Uzbekistani youth, equip participants with practical skills to detect misinformation in media, and demonstrate the importance of presenting news objectively. The funding will cover an honorarium and teaching materials for the project implementor through a grant to an individual.

Women Empowerment:

Through live sessions and preparatory readings,  the course aims to empower young women to engage in purposeful career development and take on leadership roles for important causes. The potential topics for the online workshops can include women’s entrepreneurship, ending gender-based violence, economic and social rights and empowerment, equal participation and leadership, and more. The funding will cover an honorarium and teaching materials for the project implementor through a grant to an individual.

Deadline to apply: June 14, 2023