U.S. Embassy Libya’s Public Affairs Office (PAO) is pleased to announce that funding is available through the Public Diplomacy Grant Program for projects up to $5,000 USD. Projects for a greater value will be considered on a case by case basis.
Grants are intended for committed and organized civil-society organizations, local representatives of civil society, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, cultural institutions, and academic institutions. All grantees must have a non-profit status.
The objectives of the Public Diplomacy Grant Program are to promote Libyan-U.S. relations, to enhance mutual understanding between the people of Libya and the United States, and to reinforce shared values through projects that:
- Strengthen understanding of U.S. values and institutions; highlight U.S. culture, including American Studies, English language teaching/learning, and study in the United States; and support diversity, acceptance of minority groups, and other areas of mutual interest.
- Help Libyan youth explore and discover their potential through innovative science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs particularly through the engagement of U.S. experts and/or adaptation of U.S. models and best practices in these fields.
- Projects led by State Department Alumni that promote positive community engagement and volunteerism, develop soft skills development among youth and support U.S. Embassy efforts in promoting U.S. exchange opportunities across Libya.
Activities that are typically funded include, but are not limited to:
- Programs that reinforce and amplify lessons learned by Libyan Alumni of State Department-funded exchange programs;
- Youth engagement, leadership, and education programs;
- Workshops, seminars, trainings, and master classes on American themes or issues of mutual interest mentioned in the above goals of the Program;
- Cultural programs that target youth and underserved communities;
- Radio, television, and social media training and programming in support of the above Program objectives.
Activities that are not typically funded include, but are not limited to:
- Fees and travel costs to attend conferences in the United States,
- Ongoing salary costs and office equipment,
- Paying to complete activities begun with other funds,
- Projects that are inherently political in nature or that contain the appearance of partisanship/support to individual or single party electoral campaigns,
- Social welfare projects,
- Political party activities,
- Projects that support specific religious activities,
- Trade activities; fundraising campaigns; commercial projects; scientific research; construction projects; projects whose primary aim is the institutional development of the organization itself;
Virtual U.S. Experts
The Public Affairs Office will also support U.S. citizen experts to present virtually to Libyan audiences in support of the above Program objectives. The costs may include honorarium, and technical support. In the request, please provide its description (organizer, topics, goals and objectives, audience, other sponsors and other expected speakers and participants).
Project and Budget PeriodsProjects generally must be completed in one year or less.
ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
The Public Affairs Office encourages applications from all sectors: committed and organized civil-society organizations, local representatives of civil society, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, cultural institutions, academic institutions, and individuals. All grantees must have a non-profit status.
We seek proposals for geographically and demographically diverse audiences within Libya. U.S. NGOs and individuals may apply, but preference is given to Libyan NGOs or to partnerships that develop capacity with Libyan NGOs and include plans to transfer programs to sustainable local management in Libya.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Application Deadlines
Applications will be reviewed on the following dates:
Round 1: April 1, 2019
Round 2: June 1, 2019
Round 3: August 1, 2019
Round 4: November 1, 2019
Round 5: February 1, 2020
Round 6: April 1, 2020
Round 7: June 1, 2020
Proposal Format
To apply, please complete these forms in English: CLICK HERE for the Project Narrative and the Budget Proposal and submit together in electronic format to TripoliPAO@state.gov Applicants are also welcome to provide a brief summary of the proposed project in Arabic addition to the English application. An organization may submit only one application per application deadline.
All applicants will receive automatic confirmation of receipt of proposals. All information must be received by the dates above. Proposals will not be considered until all information is received.
REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS
Announcing Winners
The Public Affairs Office seeks to notify applicants of funding decisions within six weeks following an application deadline. The timing of approvals is, however, subject to the availability of funds.
Please note: Funding for approved proposals will not be available immediately. The allocation of funds can take up to two months once all award paperwork has been completed. Applicants should, therefore, submit proposals well in advance of the intended project start date.
Review
Grant applications will be reviewed by the Public Affairs Office’s Grant Committee. Each application submitted under this announcement will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the following criteria:
- Strength of U.S. component/content;
- The degree to which the proposed project addresses one or more of the objectives of the Public Diplomacy Grant Program, as outlined above;
- Its ability to engage youth audiences or strengthen the ability of established community leaders to engage youth audiences;
- The extent to which it will create new ties between U.S. and Libyan peer institutions, new connections between Americans and Libyans, or present American culture and society in an innovative manner;
- Strength of outreach and social media component; and
- Promotion of diversity and acceptance of minority groups, including persons with disabilities and other disadvantaged communities.
Applicants selected for further consideration will receive official written notification and detailed information on the process of finalizing grant awards. Applicants selected for further consideration must provide official copies of all registrations outlined in the eligibility requirements. Failure to provide these documents will result in disqualification.
Grant awards are contingent upon availability of U.S. Government funds and the signing of official grant documents. Verbal or other informal communications cannot be considered official notification of an award, and applicants may not obligate expenses for a proposed project until all required administrative procedures have been completed.
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
All awards require both program and financial reports on a frequency specified in the award agreement. The disbursement of funds may be tied to submission of these reports in a timely manner. All other details related to award administration will be specified in the award agreement.
INQUIRIES
All questions about the Public Diplomacy Grants Program should be addressed to TripoliPAO@state.gov.
