OpportunityTitle: PAS Belgrade_Democracy Commission Small Grants (FY2021)
CategoryExplanation: Program Themes:  The Embassy is seeking applications focusing specifically on the themes below.  Under some Program Themes, we are including ideas about what your project could do, but you do not need to limit yourself to these.  Feel free to come up with your own creative concepts for approaches and activities that relate to the Program Theme.    1. Participatory Democracy: Promoting increased participation by informed citizens &#8211; especially, but not limited to, university students and youth &#8211; in the democratic process. Supporting effective advocacy on behalf of communities or groups, promoting government responsiveness to constituents, strengthening transparency, and combating corruption. Education of voters and young people, even if they cannot yet vote, about policy choices and the decision-making processes. Public debate over matters of public interest or concern.    2. Human Rights: Promoting tolerance of, understanding of, and equality for vulnerable populations, particularly, but not limited to, Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), ethnic and religious minorities, the LGBTQ community, migrants and refugees, victims of gender-based violence or human trafficking, etc. Furthering gender equality and women&#8217;s empowerment.
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION  1.  Eligible Applicants:   To be eligible for consideration, applicants must be a local, non-profit civil society or non-governmental organizations (CSOs or NGOs) or an independent media outlet legally registered in Serbia.    2. Cost Sharing or Matching:    Cost sharing is allowed but not required and will not influence funding decisions.    While filling out the application, you will be required to tell us whether you are also receiving funding from other donors for your project.  Please be aware, however, that you must be able to carry out all the activities described in your application with the funding you receive from PAS, even if the contributions from other donors or other funding sources fail to materialize.  3. Other Eligibility Requirements:   In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must receive a unique entity identifier (UEI) from Dun &amp; Bradstreet called Data Universal Numbering System or DUNS number, as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations.    If an applicant has already received a grant from the U.S. Embassy and the older project and the new one would overlap, or if an organization has submitted more than one project proposal, please use section &#8220;y&#8221; in the application form to explain to the PAS grant review panel how the applicant will manage more than one project and describe your past experience and track record indicating that you have the capacity to do so.    4.  Funding Restrictions:  You may NOT apply for a grant from PAS if your project:  a. involves partisan political activity.  b. fund attendance at overseas conferences or trips abroad.    c. international travel to/from the U.S. or countries outside the Balkan region.   d. involves giving charitable activity and humanitarian aid.  e. involves fundraising.  f. is commercial in nature, i.e., you are making money.  g. focuses on academic or scientific research.  h. is focused on arts, culture, or any other areas beyond the themes listed above.  i. is focused on skill learning or training programs unless the activity is specifically aimed at promoting the integration of disadvantaged groups into society.  j. duplicates an already existing project.  k. involves the provision of health care or services, child care, food subsidies, or other social services to populations.  Please be aware, too, that this funding opportunity aims to support specific projects with objectives, which can be achieved within a set timeframe.  We will not accept applications which are aimed more broadly at supporting your organization&#8217;s usual or typical daily activities and operations.  Those will be deemed technically ineligible and will not be considered for funding by the review committee.  As a general rule, participants or audiences should not be charged for taking part in any PAS-funded activity.  If you envisage that your project activity will not be free for some reason, please contact PAS while you are in the process of completing the application to see whether that could be allowed.   Depending on the funding source, PAS might be able to support your project, but only if you can demonstrate how the revenue generated will used to support the larger objectives and explain that your organization will profit from the modest entrance fee.
Description: Please note that this notice is subject to availability of funding. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade announces an open competition for local, non-profit civil society or non-governmental organizations (CSOs or NGOs) to submit applications to support the objectives of the Democracy Commission Small Grants as described under &#8220;Program Objectives&#8221; below. PAS welcomes proposals from new applicants. Priority Region: Serbia. Note: PAS Belgrade strongly urges potential applicants to consider submitting proposals with activities focusing on participants or audiences in cities and towns in Serbia besides Belgrade. Program Objectives: The U.S. Embassy&#8217;s Public Affairs Section has set aside funds for the Democracy Commission Small Grants Program specifically designated to strengthen democracy and protect human rights and to empower local organizations to advance these changes and reforms in the Republic of Serbia, including in local municipalities outside Belgrade Grant activities may take any number of forms, including trainings, conferences, workshops, courses, academic competitions, spelling bees, summer camps (focused on language study, sports, etc.), cross-border exchanges, curriculum development, exhibits, hackathons or app development, online projects, mock trials or moot court competitions, simulations and role-playing activities (e.g., Model Congress, Model United Nations), film or theater festivals, performances, or other activities. In light of social distancing measures, and to limit the spread of COVID-19, we welcome creative proposals that utilize video conferencing, distance learning tools, etc. If your proposal includes in-person activities, please consider the inclusion of contingency plans, just in case the health situation requires that social distancing measures be implemented during the grant period. How might you switch your project from an in-person to a virtual format? Please be aware that if you are successful in securing PAS funding to launch your project, you will be expected to: publicize your activities, including through social media and/or traditional press outlets; and highlight U.S. Embassy support for your activity, with our logo included on project-related materials. Participants and Audiences: Based on the challenges or problems, objectives, themes, and potential activities mentioned above, PAS expects that the participants or primary audiences for your project could be instructors and school administrators (all levels: K-12 and tertiary), learners (any level of proficiency, from beginner to fluent speakers), students (high or university level), and members of specific professions related to your selected Program Theme. You might have secondary audiences or beneficiaries, too. For example, if you are training the teachers in a new teaching methodology, they are your primary audience and all their students who benefit from the updated methodology would be the secondary audience or final beneficiary. Please note that the participants or audiences for the proposed activity should be citizens or legal residents of Serbia. See C.4. in the full NOFO text, however, regarding incorporating participants or audiences from other countries into the project activity. Even if some participants come from a regional neighbor or from the U.S., PAS is primarily interested in the participants from Serbia and the project&#8217;s impact on them. Length of performance period: Any length of time up to a maximum of 15 months (including the 3-month evaluation period). Anticipated program start date: Your project should start no earlier than July 1, 2021 and no later than January 1, 2022. All the mandatory application forms required below are available online at https://rs.usembassy.gov/education-culture/grants-programs/ . We do not send out hardcopy versions of the application packages.All application materials must be submitted by email to DemComSerbia@state.gov. As a backup, we strongly recommend that you also send a paper copy via post (postmarked before the deadline) to the following address: Democracy Commission Public Affairs Section (PAS), U.S. Embassy Bulevar Kneza Aleksandra Karadjordjevica 92 11040 Belgrade If PAS does not receive a complete project proposal at the above address by the deadline, it will be considered technically ineligible and will not be considered for funding. MAXIMUM LENGTH IS 10 (TEN) PAGES (NOT INCLUDING ATTACHMENTS). PAS anticipates that final funding decisions will be made by July 1, 2021. If more funding becomes available later in the fiscal year (which goes until September 30), however, we might able to support additional projects even after that date. Information Session. PAS will hold a virtual information session on March 31st, 2021 at 16:00 (4pm) Central European time to discuss this funding opportunity and to answer questions from potential applicants. To join the information session and to send us your questions in advance, please register at: http://bit.ly/3b5OBKU. You will receive the invitation with a link to join the session five (5) days ahead of the event. If you happen to miss that online session for any reason, we will provide a link to the recording on the website. If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact: DemComSerbia@state.gov. Please check for information on other PAS funding opportunities on the U.S. Embassy website at: https://rs.usembassy.gov/education-culture/grants-programs/.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: DemComSerbia@state.gov
GrantorContactText: Tatjana Bakraclic &lt;br/&gt;Grantor &lt;br/&gt;Phone 381117064263