OpportunityTitle: FY 2015 Visual and Performance Arts Programs
Description: U.S. Embassy, MoscowPublic Affairs Section Request for Grant Proposals: FY 2015 Visual and Performance Arts ProgramsAnnouncement Type: New Cooperative Agreement Application Deadline: June 12, 2015. Total Funding: initially $300,000.00, with a potential for more funding pending the availability of funds. Funding Opportunity Number: DOSRUS-15-GR-002Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.040Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2015. Anticipated Project Completion Date: September 30, 2016Funding Opportunity Title: FY 2015 Visual and Performance Arts ProgramsEligible Applicants: Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3). A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION&#8212;REQUIREDThe U.S. Embassy in Moscow (PAS Moscow) invites proposal submissions for a cooperative agreement to provide technical and logistical support for cultural programming in Russia. The grant recipient will work closely with the Cultural Affairs Officer, Consulate Public Affairs Officers, and Cultural Specialists to identify and select a wide range of American artists who will support people-to-people activities between the people of the United States and Russia, specifically in the area of visual and performing arts (eg, music, dance, visual arts, theater, arts management, and other performing and visual arts). The grantee will be responsible for assisting with support in the form of fee negotiation, visa assistance, transportation arrangements, and other technical and logistical support, as directed by PAS Moscow. The goals of this funding opportunity is to 1. Strengthen people to people ties between the United States and Russia through activities, information sharing, and experiences between practitioners of the arts and target audiences that increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and Russia. 2. Strengthen local partners to build long-term, self-sustaining relationships and institutional linkages between U.S. and Russian artists and organizations, including capacity building for Russian arts institutions as needed.3. Showcase American values and counter anti-Americanism by presenting the full range of American creativity and innovation through the arts and showing the diverse face of the United States. The objectives of this program are to provide space for dialogue between the peoples of the two countries and foster American engagement with a wide range of Russian audiences through the arts. Proposals should include:1. Details of the organization&#8217;s capacity for handling logistics for multi-faceted publicdiplomacy programs.2. Details of the organization&#8217;s familiarity with the Russian program environment, including the cultural institutions in both urban areas and regions.3. Details of the organization&#8217;s familiarity with American arts organizations and artistic genres.Examples of potential activities include:&#8226; Finalizing and funding the honorarium and fees for a two-week music tour through Russia.&#8226; Making flight arrangements for a speaker&#8217;s program on arts management.&#8226; Advising an American touring group on Russian visa requirements and application process.&#8226; Assisting with identifying potential artists in a particular genre, such as identifying blue grass musicians who would be interested in engaging in public diplomacy. The U.S. Embassy Moscow and U.S. Consulates&#8217; roles and responsibilities will include identifying the type of cultural activity to be carried out (ie, modern dance performances in two regional cities; photo exhibit in selected venue; musical tour to three cities) and work with the grantee to select the American artists or arts organizations best suited to carry out the program. The Embassy and Consulates are responsible for the final determination of which American artists and institutions will be invited to travel to Russia. The Embassy and Consulates will identify and work closely with Russian partners to carry out the activities, serving as the main conduit of information to the Russian arts organizations and partners. The Embassy and Consulates will be responsible for monitoring the activity as it occurs in Russia and representing the U.S. Government in the course of the programming. Funding AuthorityOverall grant making authority for this program is contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the Act is &quot;to enable the Government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries...; to strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United States and other nations...and thus to assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States and the other countries of the world.&quot; The funding authority for the program above is provided through legislation. B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION&#8212;REQUIREDType of Award: Cooperative Agreement. Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2015Approximate Total Funding: $300,000Approximate Number of Awards: oneApproximate Average Award: $300,000Floor of Award Range: noneCeiling of Award Range: $300,000 &#8211; unless additional funds become availableAnticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, September 1, 2015Anticipated Project Completion Date: September 1, 2016Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is Embassy Moscow&#8217;s intent to renew this cooperative agreement for two additional consecutive fiscal years, before openly competing it again. The proposed budget should reflect a potential two-year cycle. As this will be a cooperative agreement the U.S. Embassy in Moscow will have substantial involvement in this effort. For more information on the USG&#8217;s role please see Section A. Program Description.C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATIONC.1. Eligible applicants: Applications may be submitted by U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3). C.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this competition. However, Embassy Moscow encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs. When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal and later included in an approved agreement. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability, you must maintain written records to support all costs which are claimed as your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget&#8217;s Circular 2 CFR Parts 200 and 600, entitled the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. In the event you do not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA&apos;s contribution will be reduced in like proportion. C.3. Other Eligibility Requirements: a) The applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), located at www.sam.gov, prior to submitting an application. Applicants must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by an agency. b) All Federal assistance recipients must have a Dun &amp; Bradstreet number prior to funds disbursement. A DUNs number may be acquired at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNs number request line at 1-866-705-5711 or requesting online at www.dnb.com. c) Technical Eligibility: All proposals must comply with the following or they will result in your proposal being declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in the review process. d) Eligible applicants may not submit more than one proposal in this competition.If more than one proposal is received from the same applicant, all submissions will be declared technically ineligible and will receive no further consideration in the review process. Please note: Applicant organizations are defined by their legal name, and EIN number as stated on their completed SF-424 and additional supporting documentation outlined in the PSI document. e) Indirect Costs: An organization with an audited indirect cost rate negotiated with a cognizant federal government agency other than U.S. Department of State should include a copy of the cost-rate agreement as an addendum to the budget. If the applicant currently has an assistance award from U.S. Department of State, the agreement does not need to be submitted unless the applicant has negotiated a new indirect cost rate with a cognizant agency other than U.S. Department during the past 12 months. An applicant must indicate in the proposal budget how the rate is applied. If your organization does not have a NICRA, and the proposal budget has a line item for indirect cost charges, those indirect charges may not exceed 10%.f) Taxes: Successful applicants are responsible for complying with all applicable tax treaties and federal, state and local laws on tax withholding and reporting for project participants. Because of the complexity of current tax laws regarding scholarship and fellowship income, it is strongly recommended that grantees consult with tax counsel regarding such compliance. D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATIONNote: Please read the complete announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the NOFO deadline has passed, Embassy staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.D.1. ADDRESS TO REQUEST APPLICATION PACKAGEInterested applicants may request the full text of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) via email to GrantsRussia@state.gov. The NOFO may also be found on www.grants.gov as well as the website of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow: http://moscow.usembassy.gov/cooperation.html. Applicants may also request a NOFO in writing to: Jeni Washeleski, U.S. Embassy Moscow, Public Affairs Section, Bolshoy Devyatinskiy Pereulok 8, Moscow 121099, Russian Federation .D.2. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION Please follow all instructions below carefully. Failure to furnish all information or comply with stated requirements will not be considered. Applicants must set forth accurate and complete information as required by this NOFO. The penalty for making false statements in proposals to the USG is prescribed on 18 U.S.C.1001. Applicants must ensure: 1. The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity. 2. All documents are in English 3. All budgets are in U.S. dollars 4. All pages are numbered 5. All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins. 6. All materials are submitted in one of the following formats: .xls, .xlsx, .doc, .docx, .pdf, .jpeg. No other file types will be reviewed. When submitting a proposal, applicants are required to include the following documents and information: Section 1 &#8211; Cover Sheet: The coversheet is limited to one page in length. It must provide a summary of the work to be undertaken, the organization&#8217;s capacity to carry it out, and administrative costs involved in a range of projects.Section 2: ProposalThe narrative should detail the applicant&#8217;s experience and expertise in carrying out planning and facilitation of public diplomacy programs abroad. In addition, the proposals should address the organization&#8217;s knowledge of the Russian program environment and cultural landscape, as well as familiarity with American culture. The proposal should outline the possibility of two years of funding activity. Section 3: BudgetThe budget should outline the administrative costs involved in carrying out a range of projects. For example, making arrangements for a speaker program involving one person traveling for 5-7 days which involves advising on visa applications, making flight arrangements, and paying out per diem and honorarium with a total program cost of approximately $6-8,000 would involve administrative costs of xxx. A more complicated program involving six band members and totaling $60,000 would result in administrative costs of approximately xxx. Please note that there is no expectation that applicants can anticipate how many projects or the size of the projects to be carried out under the funding provided by this cooperative agreement. This will be determined in consultation with the Embassy and Consulates with final approval for funding specific projects provided by the Cultural Affairs Officer at U.S. Embassy Moscow. Section 4 - Application Forms for Federal Assistance (SF-424):The following forms are required and can be found online as part of the application package on Grants.gov. Please be sure to complete and sign each form.&#8226; SF-424: Application for Federal Assistance &#8226; SF-424A: Budget Information &#8211; Non-Construction Programs &#8226; SF-424B: Assurances - Nonconstruction Programs (for U.S. applicants)Please note: Other items NOT required/requested for submission, but which may be requested if your application is selected for funding include: &#8226; Copies of an organization or program audit within the last two (2) years &#8226; Copies of relevant human resources, financial, or procurement policies &#8226; Copies of other relevant organizational policies or documentation that would help the Department determine your organization&#8217;s capacity to manage a federal grant award overseas. &#8226; Completion of a pre-award organizational information sheet, to determine what financial controls and standard operating procedures an organization uses to procure goods and services, hire staff and track time and attendance, pay for grant-related travel, and other financial transactions which may be necessary to undertake the activities in your application. The U.S. Embassy Moscow reserves the right to request any additional programmatic and/or financial information regarding the proposal. D.3 UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIED AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM)You are required to have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number to apply for a grant or cooperative agreement from the U.S. Government. This number is a nine-digit identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities. Obtaining a UEI number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a UEI number, access http://www.dnb.com or call 1-866-705-5711. Please ensure that your UEI (DUNS) number is included in the appropriate box of the SF &#8211; 424 which is part of the formal application package. All federal award applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database in order to submit a proposal in response to an open competition on Grants.gov.All federal award recipients must maintain current registrations in the SAM database. Recipients must maintain accurate and up-to-date information in www.SAM.gov until all program and financial activity and reporting have been completed. Recipients must review and update the information at least annually after the initial registration and more frequently if required information changes or another award is granted. Failure to register in SAM will render applicants ineligible to receive funding.D.4 SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMESApplications must be submitted electronically via email to: GrantsRussia@state.govAll applications must be submitted on or before June 12, 2015, 6 p.m. Moscow Time. Emails that show a time stamp produced by the Department of State system as having been received after 6 p.m. will be ineligible for consideration. Begin the application process early, as this will allow time to address any technical difficulties that may arise in advance of the deadline. U.S. Embassy Moscow strongly advises early submission of applications to ensure delivery prior to the stated deadline.There will be no exceptions to this application deadline. D.5 INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372 &#8220;Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs&#8221;.D.6 FUNDING RESTRICTIONSa) Indirect Charges: An organization with a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) from a cognizant (primary) federal government agency should include a copy of the cost-rate agreement. Applicants should indicate in the proposal budget how the rate is applied and if any of the rate will be cost-shared. Organizations claiming indirect costs should have an established NICRA. If sub-grantees are claiming indirect costs, they should have an established NICRA that is also submitted with the proposal package. If your organization does not have a NICRA, and the proposal budget has a line item for indirect cost charges, those indirect charges may not exceed 10%. Information how to obtain a NICRA rate is listed Section G. b) Pre-award Costs: Any costs incurred prior to the award start date in the Federal Notice of Award are incurred at the recipient&#8217;s own risk. Approval of these costs require authorization of the Grants Officer to be considered allowable, will only be considered on a case-by-case basis, and will only be authorized in extraordinary circumstances. Applicants should assume that any costs incurred before the start date on the Federal Notice of Award will not
GrantorContactEmailDescription: U.S. State Department Email Address
GrantorContactText: Jeni Washeleski &lt;br/&gt;Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer &lt;br/&gt;Phone 79104227993