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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. EMBASSY IN ISRAEL, PUBLIC DIPLOMACY SECTION

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity Title: U.S. Embassy in Israel Public Diplomacy FY19 Annual

Program Statement (“APS”)

Funding Opportunity Number: PD-TLV-2019-001

Deadline for Applications: Various; see Section D.4, Submission Dates and Times

CFDA Number: 19.021 – Public Diplomacy Programs

Total Amount Available: Approximately $300,000 anticipated to be available in each

funding cycle, subject to confirmation of availability of

funds

Amount for Each Award: Generally up to a maximum of $25,000

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Embassy Jerusalem, Branch Office Tel Aviv’s Public Diplomacy Section (“PD”) of the

U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce that funding is available through its Public

Diplomacy Small Grants Program. This is an Annual Program Statement (“APS”), outlining our

program priorities, the strategic themes we focus on, and the procedures for submitting requests

for funding. Please carefully follow all instructions below.

Purpose of PD Small Grants Program:

PD invites proposals for programs that strengthen cultural ties between the U.S. and Israel

through cultural and exchange programming that highlights shared values and promotes bilateral

cooperation. All programs must include an American cultural element, or connection with

American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s in a specific field that will promote increased

understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.

PD small grants are focused on projects that clearly support our mission priorities: (1)

foster conditions more conducive to a lasting peace, (2) deepen U.S.-Israel economic ties

and open doors of economic opportunity, and (3) foster Israeli understanding of U.S.

policy.

By issuing this solicitation, PD seeks to promote competition and encourage a higher quality of

applications and projects.

Examples of the kinds of activities that can be funded under the PD Small Grants Program

include but are not limited to:

Academic and professional lectures, seminars and speaker programs;

Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances and exhibitions;

Workshops, training and competition that improve science and technology education;

Sports workshops, joint competitions and friendly games;

Programs that strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Israel;

Training programs designed to train the trainer;

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Discussions and encounters among key audiences.

Priority Program Areas:

Priority will be given to proposals that address one or more of the following priority program

areas, and which clearly connect the proposed program to at least one of the overarching goals

stated above.

Programs that help create conditions more conducive to a peace agreement between

Israelis and Palestinians.

Programs that strengthen the entrepreneurship and economic development ecosystem in

Israel, and expand access to that ecosystem among minority communities, women, and

disadvantaged communities. Please note, however, that pitching or similar events that

involve fund-raising or are designed to encourage direct investment in for-profit or non-

profit enterprises are not eligible.

Programs that promote greater understanding of U.S. policy, best practices, and culture

among Israeli audiences.

Programs that improve instruction and student academic achievement in English

language proficiency and/or science, technology, environment, architecture/art, and math

subjects (STEAM).

Programs that improve connections between Israel’s various minority communities,

and/or between peripheral communities and the center, and/or that strength social

cohesion and reconciliation among all diverse communities of the Israeli society.

Programs that engage alumni of U.S. Embassy-sponsored cultural exchange programs.

Programs that promote women’s empowerment and gender inclusivity, especially linked

to the three main goals stated above.

Programs that increase public understanding of the U.S.-Israel security partnership.

Target Audiences: The Embassy strongly encourages proposals that bring together diverse groups from across

Israeli society who customarily have little to no interaction. Proposals should describe both

the primary and secondary audiences for the program, including numbers anticipated to be

reached. Primary audiences are those who will participate directly in the program, while

secondary audiences are those who will be reached by the project’s primary audiences, as a result

of their participation. For example, in a teacher training program, the primary audience would be

the teachers who will be trained, while the secondary audience would be their students. In

addition to the high priority that will be given to proposals that bring together diverse groups,

specific audiences who are considered a priority for grants funded under this APS are:

Minority, peripheral and/or marginalized communities

Young leaders, in either the 13-18 year old or the 18-45 year old age ranges

Entrepreneurs, and those involved in strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem in

Israel

Women and girls

Alumni of U.S. Embassy-sponsored cultural exchange programs

Leading decision-makers in various sectors of Israeli society

English language teachers and educators

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Math and science teachers

Religious communities (but please note that activities that promote any one particular

religion are ineligible)

Please note that all proposals must address at least one of the audiences listed above in order to

be eligible. Proposals may additionally address audiences not listed above; however, they must

clearly indicate how the proposed activities will also directly engage one or more of the target

audiences.

Program Partners:

Partnerships with other organizations are not required for eligibility under this APS. However,

to the degree that cooperation with key partners, multipliers, and influencers will enhance the

effectiveness of the project, such partnerships are encouraged.

The following types of projects are not eligible for funding: Projects relating to partisan political activity;

Charitable, development, or social welfare activities;

Construction projects;

Projects that support specific religious activities;

Fund-raising campaigns;

Lobbying for specific legislation, policies, or projects;

Academic research;

Projects that serve to promote only one faith or religion (though activities that are

clearly designed to foster dialogue among adherents of many different faiths,

including no faith, are encouraged);

Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development or

maintenance of the applicant organization or its partner organizations that are

involved in the proposal; and/or

Projects that duplicate existing projects.

Authorizing legislation, type and year of funding:

Funding authority rests in the Smith-Mundt Act. The source of funding is FY2019 Public

Diplomacy Funding.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Length of project performance period: depending on the needs of the project, performance

periods may be as short as one day but up to as long as two years.

Number of awards anticipated: Because the amounts requested for each project may vary and

funding is subject to confirmation of availability, it is not possible to predict how many awards

will be made.

Award amounts: awards generally do not exceed $25,000.

Total available funding: approximately $300,000 is anticipated to be available in each of the

three funding cycles, pending availability of funds.

Type of Funding: Fiscal Year 2019 Public Diplomacy Funding

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Anticipated project start date: Projects must start sometime during Fiscal Year (FY) 2019

(October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019), and the proposed start date should make sense for the

purposes of the project. Keep in mind that costs incurred in preparing the application or prior to

the award being made are not eligible for funding.

This notice is subject to availability of funding. The Embassy reserves the right to reject

any or all proposals received.

Funding Instrument Type: Grant, Fixed Amount Award, or Cooperative agreement.

Cooperative agreements are different from grants in that PD staff are more actively involved in

the grant implementation. The appropriate instrument may vary depending on the nature of the

project proposed, and will be determined during pre-award negotiations with successful

applicants.

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

The Public Affairs Section encourages applications from U.S. and Israeli:

Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-

governmental organizations, or individuals, with programming experience

Non-profit or governmental educational institutions

Please note that coalitions of non-profit organizations are encouraged to apply as the impact of

their projects may go further than that of projects conducted by one non-profit organization.

Please also note that while applications from these kinds of organizations based in the United

States are eligible, preference will be given to Israeli organizations and U.S.-based organizations

that have a clear, long-standing, effective presence in Israel itself.

Please also note that governmental institutions within Israel (for example, government ministries

or local authorities) are eligible to apply under this APS, but awards to such organizations will be

rare.

For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing is not required. However, cost sharing is encouraged and will make applications

more competitive. Please note that funds from any other federal U.S. government source may

not be used to match funds applied for under this funding program, nor vice-versa.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

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Applicants are strongly discouraged from submitting more than one application per cycle.

Applicants are likewise strongly discouraged from bundling several separate projects into one

application. Only one award for one project can be made to any particular applicant in a given

grant cycle. As a consequence, applicants that submit more than one application during the same

cycle, or bundle more than one project into a single application, will be required to choose only

one project for consideration during that cycle. Failure to do so upon request from the Embassy

will result in all applications from that applicant being considered ineligible during that grant

cycle.

In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Data Universal

Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet, as well as a valid registration on

www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations.

As noted above, all projects must include an American component in order to be eligible for

funding. While “American component” can be defined broadly, there can be no exceptions to

the requirement that an American component be included. An American component can mean

any of the following:

An American citizen who is an expert, speaker, artist, athlete, or other visitor to Israel

who will lead or present some key component of the project. In extremely rare cases, the

project could involve an extraordinarily highly accomplished person who is not an

American citizen, but who has strong ties to an American institution of major importance

– for example, the full-time, lead artistic director of an American performance venue of

worldwide renown.

The use of an American cultural product as a major touchstone for key elements of the

program. Cultural products could include books, music, curricula, films, dance, other art

forms, or technology created entirely or primarily by American artists and innovators and

clearly associated with American culture. For example, the reading and discussion of an

American novel as part of a program to enhance English language learning would

qualify.

Engaging audiences in learning about or practicing a major American topic, such as U.S.

policy, U.S. history, American values (such as civil rights, freedom of expression, or

shared society), or American social models (such as democracy or the rule of law) as a

significant focus of the program.

If you are unsure whether your proposed American component would qualify, please email

TelAvivGrants@state.gov to request clarification.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Requesting Application Package

Application forms required below are available here.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

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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 Times New Roman font, with

a minimum of 1-inch margins. Forms obtained from the Embassy are not required to

comply with the 1-inch margin requirement

Required Forms

The following documents are required:

a. Mandatory application forms:

For individuals:

SF-424I (Application for Federal Assistance – individuals) here.

For organizations:

SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) here.

SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) here.

SF424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) here.

b. Summary Coversheet: Cover sheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal

date, project title, project period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the project.

Proposals that use the optional application form available from the Embassy at this link are

allowed to eliminate the Summary Coversheet requirement, as this information is requested in

the optional form.

c. Proposal (4 pages maximum, not including budget sheets or CVs): The proposal should

contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the

applicant wants to do. You may use your own proposal format, but it must include all the items

below. Alternatively, you may use the optional application form available here.

Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed project, including project

objectives and anticipated impact.

Introduction to the Organization applying: A description of past and present

operations, showing ability to carry out the project, including information on all previous

grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies.

Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be

addressed and why the proposed project is needed.

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Project Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the project is intended to

achieve. For example, what aspect of the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, or

among Israel’s diverse communities, will be improved? The “objectives” refer to the

intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and

measurable.

Project Activities: Describe the project activities and how they will help achieve the

objectives.

Program Methods and Design: A description of how the project is expected to work to

solve the stated problem and achieve the goal. Include information about what makes the

project particularly important, interesting, and likely to succeed.

Proposed Project Schedule: The proposed timeline for the project activities. Include

the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events.

Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel

involved in the project. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this

project?

Project Audiences: Key audiences who will be reached by the project, both primary and

secondary. Primary audiences are those who will participate directly in the program,

while secondary audiences are those who will be reached by the project's primary

audiences, as a result of their participation. Include approximately how many people will

be reached by your project, including a breakdown of numbers of people reached in

different project activities.

Project Partners: List the names and type of involvement of any key partner

organizations and sub-awardees, if any. Include a description of their roles in

implementing the project.

Media Plan and Visibility: Provide a description of the program’s media strategy,

including via social media and traditional media as appropriate. The media plan should

illustrate how the program`s activities, outcomes and accomplishments will be made

visible and create a larger impact by reaching indirect audiences as well program

participants. Include how the project will ensure that U.S. government support for the

project is visible to the participants and to indirect audiences. If the project involves any

cultural or political sensitivities that may affect or compromise the program or the

participants, then the proposal may include a request to waive this requirement, but such

requests must be clearly justified.

Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful

grants. Throughout the time-frame of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to

ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to

make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant?

Future Funding or Sustainability Applicant’s plan for continuing the program and its

positive impacts beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if

applicable. Address any potential pitfalls of the project strategy and how the project will

overcome them.

d. Budget Justification Narrative: After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a

separate sheet of paper to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. See section H. Other

Information: Guidelines for Budget Justification below for further information. This information

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is also requested in the optional application form available here, so applicants using this form do

not need to submit this information as a separate document.

e. Attachments:

1-page CV or resume for each of the key personnel who are proposed for the project;

Letters of support from project partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each

partner;

Official permission letters, if required for project activities;

Other attachments are permitted if the applicant feels they are appropriate and necessary

outside of the description of the proposed activities.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov)

Required Registrations: All organizations applying for grants must obtain these registrations. All are free of charge:

Unique Identifier Number from Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS number)

NCAGE/CAGE code

www.SAM.gov registration

Step 1: Apply for a DUNS number and an NCAGE number (these can be completed

simultaneously).

DUNS application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)

number from Dun & Bradstreet. If your organization does not have one already, you may obtain

one by calling 1-866-705-5711 or visiting

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do;jsessionid=81407B1F03F2BDB123DD47

D19158B75F. http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform

For DUNS help in Israel call +972-3-733-0330.

NCAGE application: Application page here:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx

Instructions for the NCAGE application process:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCA

GE.pdf

For help from within the U.S., call 1-888-227-2423

For help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766

Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code.

Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM by logging onto:

https://www.sam.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.

4. Submission Dates and Times

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The Public Affairs Section will accept proposals throughout most of the year and will review

proposals according to the following schedule. Please note that while the deadlines for

submission of applications are firm, all of the review and response dates are approximate and are

subject to change, based on availability of funds. All funding decisions are also subject to

availability of funds at all times. Any application submitted after June 13, 2019, will need to

conform to the requirements of the FY2020 APS, which will be published as soon as possible

after September 30, 2019.

Cycle A: Proposals received from the date when the APS is published on the Embassy

web site to Thursday, November 15, 2018, will be reviewed by December 14,

2018, with responses going out by December 21, 2018.

Cycle B: Proposals received from November 16, 2018 to Thursday, February 14, 2019,

will be reviewed by March 15, 2019, with responses going out by March 22,

2019.

Cycle C: Proposals received from February 15, 2019 to Thursday, June 13, 2019, will

be reviewed by July 19, 2019, with responses going out by July 26, 2019.

Generally, the Embassy recommends that applicants submit proposals 3-6 months in advance of

the intended project start date. Projects submitted too far in advance of or too close to the project

start date run a greater risk that funding will not be available when sought.

Please note that PD plans to conduct public information sessions about this APS. The first is

scheduled for October 15, 2018. The others are tentatively scheduled for January 2019, and May

2019. Please watch the Embassy website for announcements about the exact dates, times, and

locations.

5. Funding Restrictions

Please note that although projects promoting cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians living

in East Jerusalem, The West Bank and Gaza were eligible for consideration under the FY18

APS, such projects will no longer be eligible under the PD Embassy Jerusalem, Branch Office

Tel Aviv’s Annual Program Statement as of FY19. The reason for this change is that PD

Embassy Jerusalem, Branch Office Tel Aviv and the Consulate General have now established an

effective mechanism for jointly considering such proposals. These kinds of activities remain a

high priority for both posts, and interested applicants are advised to watch the Embassy and

Consulate General websites for announcements about the “P2P NOFO” (Notice of Funding

Opportunity for people-to-people projects involving cooperation between Israelis and

Palestinians) for details on how to submit such proposals for funding consideration.

6. Other Submission Requirements

All application materials must be submitted by email to TelAvivGrants@state.gov

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E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria

Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined

below. The criteria listed are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall

quality of an application. Because they will be considered as a whole, there is no priority order

for these criteria.

Organizational capacity and record on previous grants: The organization has expertise in its

stated field and PD Jerusalem is confident of the applicant’s ability to undertake the

project. This includes a financial management system and a bank account. The organization

shows how it uses its capabilities effectively to reach the broadest audience that makes sense for

the purpose of the project, noting that some projects may be more suited to large audiences while

others may be more suited to small audiences.

Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea: The program idea is well developed, with detail

about how project activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable

implementation timeline. Intended project start date is not so close to or so far removed from the

expected decision date for the cycle during which the proposal is submitted as to put project

feasibility into question.

Goals and objectives: Goals and objectives are clearly stated and project approach is likely to

provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.

Embassy priorities: Applicant has clearly described how stated goals are related to and support

the U.S. Embassy in Israel’s goals, priority program areas and target audiences as described in

Section A, and clearly address the requirements of this APS. Applicant also clearly identifies the

American component to be included in the program.

Budget: The budget justification is 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. Clear justification is provided as to why Embassy funding makes

sense in lieu of or in conjunction with funding from other sources.

Monitoring and evaluation plan: Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success

against key indicators and provides milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the

proposal. The project includes output and outcome indicators, and shows how and when those

will be measured.

Media outreach plan: Applicant describes a clear plan for how the program will be shared with

secondary audiences through traditional and/or social media. Applicant describes clearly how

the partnership with the U.S. government will be made visible to the participants and to

secondary audiences. Applicant describes the outreach tools to be used and demonstrates

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capacity to implement visibility through traditional and/or social media, taking into

consideration, however, any cultural and political sensitivities that may affect or compromise the

program or the participants. Branding waivers will only be granted on a rare basis and with a

strong justification of why one is needed in order for the project to be successful.

Sustainability: Project activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the

project.

2. Review and Selection Process

A Grants Review Committee will evaluate all eligible applications requesting funding amounts

equal to or over $10,000. Proposals requesting less than $10,000 will be evaluated by the Public

Diplomacy Section.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

The award (fixed amount award, cooperative agreement, or standard grant as appropriate) 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 project 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 APS 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.

Payment Method: Payments will normally and customarily be made by electronic funds transfer

or check in at least two installments, as needed to carry out the project activities. Payment

schedules will be determined by the Grants Officer and specified in the award document,

according to program’s milestones and as needed to carry out the project activities. Exceptions

to the method of payment or to the minimum of two installments will be rare and at the

discretion of the Grants Officer.

Organizations whose applications will not be funded will also be notified via email.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

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Terms and Conditions: Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms

and conditions and required certifications which will apply to this award, to ensure that they will

be able to comply. These include 2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 600, and the Certifications and Assurances

found in form SF-424B, which can be found here. They also include the Department of State

Standard Terms and Conditions, which are available here. Please note that additional terms and

conditions may apply, depending on the type of award, and these will be discussed with

successful applicants during the award phase. If you need assistance finding these materials,

please email your inquiry to TelAvivGrants@state.gov. Please note the U.S. Flag branding and

marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.

3. Reporting

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

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact PD Embassy

Jerusalem, Branch Office Tel Aviv at: TelAvivGrants@state.gov.

Note: We do not provide pre-consultation for application-related questions that are addressed in

the APS. Once an application has been submitted, State Department officials and staff — both in

the Department and at embassies overseas — may not discuss this competition with applicants

until the entire proposal review and selection process is completed. If you have questions about

this APS, you may email them to TelAvivGrants@state.gov. Periodic updates and clarifications

in relation to this APS, including questions received at this email address and the appropriate

answers, will be periodically published on the Embassy website at

https://il.usembassy.gov/education-culture/grant-programs/.

H. OTHER INFORMATION

Guidelines for Budget Justification

Personnel: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will

be working directly for the applicant on the project, and the percentage of their time that will be

spent on the project.

Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this project. If the project involves

international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.

Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the

project, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the

project), and costs at least $5,000 per unit.

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Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are

needed for the project. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under

Equipment.

Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract

with a vendor. Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the

project activities.

Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the project, which do not fit in

the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials and equipment or applicable

taxes. All “Other” or “Miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained.

Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the project activities, such as

overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating. If your organization has a

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a

copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect

costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.

“Cost Sharing” refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S.

Embassy. It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues.

Alcoholic Beverages: Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.