2023 Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP)
2023 Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) AWARD INFORMATION:
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Funding Opportunity Title: U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation Grants Program
Deadline for Applications: January 1st, 2023, for Round I Concept Notes
Length of Performance Period: 12 to 60 months
Award Amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $500,000. This notice is subject to availability of funds and an approved Congressional spending plan.
The Cultural Heritage Center in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the U.S. Embassy in Libya are pleased to announce the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) 2023 Grants Program.
This competitive global fund was established to help countries preserve cultural heritage and to demonstrate U.S. respect for other cultures. The projects selected to receive funding under this program will advance U.S. diplomatic goals and demonstrate the depth of U.S. respect for the cultural heritage of Libya. Please note that AFCP is aimed at preserving cultural sites or objects that have a historical or cultural significance to the cultural heritage of Libya.
COMPETITION FORMAT:
This opportunity consists of two application rounds:
- Round I: Project Ideas and Concept Notes Submission
- Round II: Full Proposal Submissions
During Round I, applicants are due to submit completed Concept Notes in English electronically to LibyaUSAExchanges@state.gov by January 1st, 2023.
Suggested application and budget forms are available here:
A U.S. Embassy review panel will evaluate and score eligible Concept Notes and nominate successful applicants to the Cultural Heritage Center for consideration for advancement to Round II. Applicants invited to advance to Round II will be notified later and will then be asked to submit a full project proposal by April 28, 2023.
Please note that all proposals must comply with the regulations and guidelines below. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES: ROUND I
- ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:
The Cultural Heritage Center defines eligible project implementers as reputable and accountable non-commercial entities that can demonstrate they have the requisite capacity to manage projects to preserve cultural heritage. Eligible implementers may include non- governmental organizations, museums, educational institutions, Ministry of Culture, or similar institutions and organizations, including U.S.-based education institutions and organizations subject to Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code.
- NON-ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:
The AFCP will not award grants to individuals, commercial entities, or past recipients that have not fulfilled the objectives or reporting requirements of previous AFCP awards.
- APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
- Completed Concept Notes must be submitted in English electronically to LibyaUSAExchanges@state.gov by January 1st, 2023.
- Concept Notes must not include ineligible activities or unallowable costs. For more information on these items, please see point 5.
- Concept Notes must address one or more of the eligible activities stated in point 4.
- FUNDING AREAS:
The AFCP Program supports the preservation of major ancient archaeological sites, historic buildings and monuments, and major museum collections that are accessible to the public and protected by host country law. Appropriate project activities may include:
- Preventive conservation (addressing conditions that damage or threaten the site)
- Stabilization (reducing the physical disturbance [settling, collapse, etc.] of a site)
- Conservation (addressing damage or deterioration to a collection or sites)
- Consolidation (connecting or reconnecting elements of a site)
- Anastylosis (reassembling a site from its original parts)
- Restoration (replacing missing elements to recreate the original appearance of a site, usually appropriate only with fine arts, decorative arts, and historic buildings)
Priority will be given to applications that clearly demonstrate the impact of the grant on local communities, Libya’s socioeconomic development, and cultural preservation.
5. INELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES AND UNALLOWABLE COSTS:
AFCP will NOT support the following activities or costs:
- Preservation or purchase of privately or commercially owned cultural objects, collections, or real property, including those whose transfer from private or commercial to public ownership is envisioned, planned, or in process but not complete at the time of application
- Preservation of natural heritage (physical, biological, and geological formations, paleontological collections, habitats of threatened species of animals and plants, fossils, etc.)
- Preservation of hominid or human remains
- Preservation of news media (newspapers, newsreels, radio, and TV programs, etc.)
- Preservation of published materials available elsewhere (books, periodicals, etc.)
- Development of curricula or educational materials for classroom use
- Archaeological excavations or exploratory surveys for research purposes
- Historical research, except in cases where the research is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project
- Acquisition or creation of new exhibits, objects, or collections for new or existing museums
- Construction of new buildings, building additions, or permanent coverings (over archaeological sites, for example)
- Commissions of new works of art or architecture for commemorative or economic development purposes
- Creation of new or the modern adaptation of existing traditional dances, songs, chants, musical compositions, plays, or other performances
- Creation of replicas or conjectural reconstructions of cultural objects or sites that no longer exist
- Relocation of cultural sites from one physical location to another
- Removal of cultural objects or elements of cultural sites from the country for any reason
- Digitization of cultural objects or collections, unless part of a larger, clearly defined conservation or documentation effort
- Conservation plans or other studies, unless they are one component of a larger project to implement the results of those studies
- Cash reserves, endowments, or revolving funds as funds must be expended within the award period of up to five years and may not be used to create an endowment or revolving fund
- Costs of fund-raising campaigns
- Contingency, unforeseen, or miscellaneous costs or fees
- Costs of work performed prior to the announcement of the award unless allowable per 2 CFR 200.458 and approved by the Grants Officer.
- International travel, except in cases where travel is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project.
- Travel or study outside the host country for professional development
- Independent U.S. projects overseas
- Individual projects costing less than $200,000 or more than $800,000
Sites and Objects Having a Religious Connection: The establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution permits the government to include religious objects and sites within an aid program under certain conditions. For example, an item with a religious connection (including a place of worship) may be the subject of a cultural preservation grant if the item derives its primary significance and is nominated solely based on architectural, artistic, historical, or other cultural and not religious criteria.
Your AFCP proposal should include:
- Applicant’s information, including name, address, SAM registration status, contact phone number, and organization leadership
- A brief description of the project
- Project location, timeframe, purpose, objectives, proposed activities, and desired results
- How the project contributes to the local community, Libya’s overall development, and cultural preservation
- Five high-quality digital images that show the nature and condition of the site, collection, or tradition, and the need for the proposed project
- Proposed budget in U.S. dollars that does not exceed $500,000 USD. Cost sharing is encouraged but not required.
The U.S. Embassy is available to answer questions and provide consultation on Concept Notes. Please email us at LibyaUSAExchanges@state.gov and put AFCP in the subject line.
If your project is selected for Round II, you will be asked to submit a full project proposal by April 14, 2023. The following documents are required for Round II.
Mandatory Application Forms for Round II:
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) at Grants.gov
- SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) at Grants.gov
- SF424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) at Grants.gov
Summary Page
- Cover sheet including the applicant’s name and organization
- Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov)
- Proposal date, project title, and proposed start and end dates
- Amount of funds requested
- Brief description of the project
Proposal
The proposal should contain sufficient information so that anyone not familiar with the subject of the proposed project would understand exactly what the applicant intends to do. You may use your own proposal format, but it must include all the items below:
- Project applicant information, including contact information
- Project location (project must be located within one of the priority countries listed in Section A)
- Project purpose that summarizes project objectives, proposed activities, and desired results, including any intended contributions to broader host country or community aims or objectives
- Project activities description and timeframe that present the project tasks in chronological order and list the major milestones with target dates for achieving them
Note: Applicants may propose project periods of up to 60 months/five years.
- Theory of change that describes how the project activities and outputs will help achieve broader host country or community objectives. For example, if a broader goal is economic development, how will the activities and outputs directly contribute towards achieving that goal?
- Statement of importance highlighting the historic, architectural, artistic, or cultural (nonreligious) values of the site, collection, or form of traditional expression
- Maintenance plan outlining the steps or measures that will be taken to maintain the site, object, or collection in good condition after the AFCP-supported project is complete; or, in the case of forms of traditional cultural expression, to preserve and disseminate the documentation, knowledge, or skills gained from the project
- Implementer public awareness plan describing how the applicant intends to highlight and amplify AFCP-supported activities through print, electronic, and social media platforms
- Detailed project budget, demarcated in one-year budget periods (2023, 2024, etc.), that lists all costs in separate categories (Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel [including Per Diem], Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Other Direct Costs, Indirect Costs) and indicates funds from other sources
Attachments
- Resumes or CVs of key personnel who are proposed for the project in English
- Required supporting documents including:
- Five (5) high quality digital images (JPEGs) or audiovisual files that convey the nature and condition of the site, object, or form of expression and, in the case of a site or object, show the urgency or need for the proposed project (collapsing walls, water damage, worn fabric, broken handle, etc.)
- Historic structure reports, restoration plans and studies
- Conservation needs assessments and recommendations
- Architectural and engineering records and other planning documents compiled in preparation for the proposed project
- Proof of official permission to undertake the project from the office, agency, or organization that either owns or is otherwise responsible for the preservation and protection of the site, object, or collection
- Proof of your most recent NICRA if your organization has a NICRA and includes NICRA charges in the budget.
Required Registrations and Instructions
Please note that all organizations applying for grants must obtain the following registrations that are free of charge:
- SAM.gov Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and registration
- NCAGE/CAGE code
Step 1: NCAGE Registration: Applicants may apply for NCAGE numbers by visiting: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx For instructions, please see https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20N
For NCAGE support, please call 1-888-227-2423 if you are located within the U.S., or call 1-269-961-7766 from outside the U.S. You may also email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any issues in obtaining an NCAGE code.
Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed with obtaining your UEI on SAM.gov followed by the registration process. All information on these processes is available at: https://www.sam.gov. Please note that SAM registration must be renewed annually.
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CONCEPT NOTE SUPPORT
The U.S. Embassy Libya remains available to provide support regarding the Concept Note process. Please send your questions to LibyaUSAExchanges@state.gov and include AFCP in the subject line.
Please note that the deadline for Concept Note Submission is January 1st, 2023.