Notice of Funding Opportunity

U.S. Department of State
U.S. Embassy Tashkent
Notice of Funding Opportunity

The Embassy of the United States in Tashkent announces an open competition for past participants (“alumni”) of U.S. government-funded and U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs to submit applications to the 2023 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF 2023). We seek proposals from teams of at least two alumni that meet all program eligibility requirements below. Exchange alumni interested in participating in AEIF 2023 should submit proposals to Tashkent-Alumni@state.gov by February 27, 2023.

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

AEIF provides alumni of U.S. government-sponsored and facilitated 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. Since its inception in 2011, AEIF has funded more than 500 alumni-led projects around the world through a competitive global competition.

U.S. Embassy Tashkent will accept public service projects proposed and managed by teams of at least two (2) alumni that support themes such as:

Advance the Essential Role of Women in Peace, Security, and Governance.
Promote Regional Stability and Counter Violent Extremism
Strengthen Economic Prosperity, Promote Innovation, Foster Entrepreneurship, and Improve the Digital Economy
Mitigate the effects of the climate crises.
Advance human rights and rule of law
Advance media freedom and Countering Disinformation

All AEIF projects must address at least one of the following:

Bring alumni together from different exchange programs to build or expand an alumni network capable of working together on common interests and increase regional and global collaboration of alumni.
Strengthen the relationship between alumni and the U.S. government to work together on activities that address mutual goals and challenges.
Support alumni as they develop their leadership capacity and implement projects in their communities.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Announcement posted: U.S. Embassy Tashkent
Closing date for applications: February 27, 2023
Funding type: Small grant awards
Decision date: No later than May 31, 2023
Expected size of individual awards: $5,000 to $35,000.

Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should start in August 2023 and be completed by September 2024.

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

Eligible Applicants

The following individuals are eligible to apply:

Applicants must be alumni of a U.S. government-funded exchange program (https://alumni.state.gov/list-exchange-programs) or a U.S. government-sponsored exchange program (https://j1visa.state.gov/).
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.
Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal.

Cost Sharing

Inclusion of cost share is not a requirement of this opportunity.

Grant Program Area

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.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Address to Request Application Package

Application and budget templates are available at https://uz.usembassy.gov/education-culture/study-usa/alumni/

Content and Form of Application Submission

Applications and budgets must be submitted using the official AEIF 2023 proposal and budget forms.

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.
The proposal addresses all questions in the official AEIF 2023 Proposal Form (DOCX 69 KB).
All documents are in English.
The budget is in U.S. dollars and is submitted using the designated AEIF 2023 Budget Form (XLSX 41 KB).
All pages are numbered.

The following documents are required:

1. Proposal: The proposal should contain enough information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the alumni team wants to do. Proposals include the following:

Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed project, including project objectives and anticipated impact.

Project Team Information: There must be at least two exchange alumni team members for a project to be considered for funding. Along with the name and contact information, describe the role each team member will have in the project and their experience, qualifications, and ability to carry out that role. Indicate what proportion of their time will be used in support of the project.

Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed project is needed.

Project Goals and Objectives: Goals describe what the project intends to achieve. How will the project impact the community and what changes (in people, institutions, attitudes, or practices) will you see? Objectives refer to intermediate accomplishments made in order to reach goals. These should be achievable and measurable.

Local Project Partners: List partners who will support your project. Please note if you have an existing relationship with your partner organization(s) or individual(s) and describe their role in the project. If you do not have an existing relationship, explain how you anticipate establishing a partnership with the organization(s).

Project Methods, Design, and Timeline: A description of how the project is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal. This should include a description of the project’s direct and indirect beneficiaries. The proposed timeline for the project activities must include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events.

Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: The Monitoring and Evaluation component of the proposal will outline in detail how the proposal’s activities will advance the program’s goals and objectives (listed above). A strong proposal will include:

Any outcomes the grantee expects as a result of their program. Possible outcomes include: change in knowledge, awareness, and attitudes; improved quality of services; increased capacity at a school, group; etc. Proposals should also include how the grantee will know those outcomes are occurring (surveys, interviews, observations, etc.)
For example: If the program expects that a teacher-training program will improve the skills of a teacher, a proposal may explain the skills the teacher would gain and plan to perform a survey before the program and a survey following the program that would show a change in understanding due to the program.
A plan to include the grantee’s reflection of how their program contributed to the program’s goals. As applicable, a strong final report would include success stories, behaviors changed, lessons learned, and results obtained.

Sustainability: Explain how you plan to continue the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable.

Communication Plan: Explain how you will promote your project. Include social media, websites, print news, or other forms of media you intend to use to share information about your project to beneficiaries and the public. Communications should include AEIF 2023 and U.S. Embassy Tashkent branding. These include training materials, materials for recipients or materials to communicate or promote with foreign audiences a program, event, project, or some other activity under an agreement. Note: Exceptions to the branding requirement are allowable under certain conditions. If an applicant is notified that their award has been chosen for funding, the Grants Officer will determine, in consultation with the applicant, if an exception is applicable especially in the case where branding would adversely affect the safety and security of the beneficiaries.

2. Budget Justification Narrative: Applicants must submit a detailed budget and budget narrative justification utilizing the template provided. Line item expenditures should be listed in the greatest possible detail. Budgets shall be submitted in U.S. dollars and final grant agreements will be conducted in U.S. dollars.

Budget Restrictions: AEIF 2023 does not support the following activities or costs, and the selection committee will deem applications involving any of these activities or costs ineligible:

Any airfare to/from the United States and its territories
Activities that take place in the United States and its territories
Staff salaries, office space, and overhead/operational expenses
Large items of durable equipment or construction programs
Alcohol, excessive meals, refreshments, or entertainment
Academic or scientific research
Charitable or development activities
Provision of direct social services to a population
Individual scholarships
Social travel/visits
Gifts or prizes
Duplication of existing programs
Institutional development of an organization
Venture capital, for-profit endeavors, or charging a fee for participation in project
Support for specific religious activities
Fund-raising campaigns
Support or opposition of partisan political activity or lobbying for specific legislation

E. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

Evaluation Criteria: The U.S. Embassy Tashkent Public Affairs Section will use the criteria outlined below to evaluate all applications. The proposals will be reviewed by a Selection Committee made up of regional and exchange program experts located at the Department of State in Washington, DC. Panelists will use the criteria below to review and evaluate applications.

Relevance to Application Theme

The proposal provides sufficient information on how the activities will support the theme(s) of the competition. The narrative explains any relevant local context the D.C. Selection Committee may not be aware of in relation to this project. Proposed project ideas must be public diplomacy in nature (i.e. not development or military).

Purpose and Summary, Description, and Implementation Plan

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 will participate? How will they be selected?

Degree of Alumni Involvement

Projects must include the involvement of at least two (2) exchange alumni. They may be the project team leaders or collaborate directly with PAS in formulating the project. 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 Local Partners

The proposal demonstrates buy-in and support from the community where the project will take place. Local partner involvement 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, American Spaces, etc.

Evaluation and Impact of the Project

A monitoring & evaluation (M&E) plan is pivotal to project implementation and important tracking progress towards the project’s objectives and goals. A M&E plan should consider the data needed to effectively monitor progress toward specific outputs and outcomes as well as how that data collection will be accomplished. Well-crafted indicators should be used to understand a program’s progress toward the desired results. A M&E plan should be reviewed for the following:

Completion
Applicability and logic of objectives and indicators
Clear approach to monitoring
Adherence to SMART criteria
Feasibility of baselines and targets
Data quality plan
Capacity to implement plan

Sustainability

Have the applicants considered how the project will continue to have positive impact after the end of the project.

Communication, Media, and Outreach Plan

The project should include a clear plan and timeline for how and when the team will share information about the project. It is important to ensure that the U.S. Embassy gets recognition throughout the process if circumstances permit.

Budget and Budget Narrative

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.

Disclaimer: This notice is subject to availability of funding. U.S. Embassy Tashkent does not guarantee availability of funding by receiving applications under this announcement. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

F. 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, the Department of State 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 Department of State.

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, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.

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.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

Questions about the grant application process should be directed to: Alumni Affairs Unit at Tashkent-Alumni@state.gov