The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Cultural Heritage Center is accepting project proposals for the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) 2014 Competition. U.S. ambassadors in eligible countries may submit proposals on the behalf of qualified entities for projects to preserve cultural heritage. Since 2001, the U.S. Congress has directed the U.S. Department of State to support and implement the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP). The AFCP permits U.S. Ambassadors in less developed countries to submit proposals for one-time or recurring projects that assist other countries in preserving their cultural heritage. Average range for the AFCP grants is US$66,000 with projects usually lasting 12-18 months.

1. Project purpose that briefly explains the project objectives and desired results;
2. Project activities description that explains how the applicant intends to achieve the project objectives and results, presents proposed tasks in a logical order, and describes how those tasks directly contribute towards achieving the project objectives and results;
3. Project timeframe or schedule that identifies the major project phases and milestones, with performance target dates for achieving them;
4. Statement of importance highlighting the historic, architectural, artistic, or cultural (non-religious) values of the cultural site, object, collection, or form of traditional expression;
5. Statement of urgency indicating the severity of the situation and explaining why the project must take place now;
6. Detailed project budget, demarcated in one-year budget periods (2014, 2015, 2016, etc.), that lists all costs in cost categories (Personnel, Travel (including Per Diem), Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Other Direct Costs); indicates funds from other sources; and gives a justification for any anticipated international travel costs;
7. Applicant information, including resumes or CVs of the proposed project director and key project participants, that demonstrates that the applying entity (ministry of culture, NGO, etc.) has the requisite experience and the capacity to manage projects to preserve cultural heritage;
8. Proof of official permission to undertake the project and the endorsement and support of the appropriate national authority;
9. Attachments, including at least five 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 wall, water damage, worn fabric, broken handle, etc).
10. Dun & Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and System for Award Management (SAM) registration; Applicants requesting $25,000 or more in federal assistance must have a DUNS number and be registered in SAM prior to submitting applications. Applicants may acquire DUNs numbers at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNs number request line at 1-866-705-5711 or by requesting a number online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. SAM is the official, free on-line registration database for the U.S. Government. SAM.gov replaced the Central Contractor Registration (CCR), the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), and the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in July 2012. SAM.gov collects, validates, stores, and disseminates data in support of federal agency acquisition and grant award mission. Registration in SAM is free: https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/

Please send your completed applications to Tako Rtveliashvili

The deadline for submitting proposals is December 1, 2013

The AFCP supports projects to preserve cultural heritage in the following three categories:

• Cultural Sites: includes (but is not limited to) historic buildings and sites, monuments, and archaeological sites;
• Cultural Objects and Collections: from a museum, site, or similar institution*includes archaeological and ethnographic objects, paintings, sculpture, manuscripts, and general museum conservation activities; and,
• Forms of Traditional Culture Expression: includes traditional music, indigenous languages, and ancient crafts.

AFCP gives top priority to project activities that are appropriate and in keeping with international standards for the preservation of cultural heritage. These activities may involve:

• In the case of CULTURAL SITES, restoration of an ancient or historic building, preservation of an archaeological site, or documentation of cultural sites in a region for preservation purposes.
• In the case of CULTURAL OBJECTS AND COLLECTIONS, conservation treatment for an object or collection of objects; needs assessment of a collection with respect to its condition and strategies for improving its state of conservation; inventory of a collection for conservation and protection purposes; the creation of safe environments for storage or display of collections; or specialized training in the care and preservation of collections.
• In the case of FORMS OF TRADITIONAL CULTURAL EXPRESSION, documentation and audiovisual recording of traditional music and dance forms for preservation and eventual dissemination, or support for training in the preservation of traditional arts or crafts that are threatened by extinction.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Cultural Heritage Center is accepting project proposals for the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) 2014 Competition. U.S. ambassadors in eligible countries may submit proposals on the behalf of qualified entities for projects to preserve cultural heritage.

An appropriate preservation activity is one that protects the values of the site, object or collection, or form of traditional cultural expression as they are understood by stakeholders. Stakeholders may include national, regional, or local cultural authorities, the local community, and others with vested interests in the site and the outcome of a project.

Technical Expertise Requirements: U.S. ambassadors in eligible countries may submit multiple proposals on behalf of qualified entities for projects to preserve cultural heritage. Qualified entities are reputable and accountable non-governmental organizations, museums, ministries of culture, or similar institutions and organizations that are able to demonstrate that they have the requisite experience and capacity to manage projects to preserve cultural heritage. Embassies must vet applicants for eligibility, suitability, and reputable performance in cultural preservation or similar activities.

Schedule: Project Performance and Budget Periods: Applicants may propose performance periods of up to 60 months (five years) with five budget periods of one year each. Projects must begin before September 30, 2014, and conclude no later than September 30, 2018.

Performance and Deliverables: AFCP 2014 award recipients must submit biannual performance progress and financial status reports and final reports on time as specified in the AFCP 2014 Notice of Award. The Center will compile this information in a report to Congress, as required, and in a published annual report of completed projects.

Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this competition. However, AFCP encourages cost sharing, contributions in kind, and other forms of cost participation.

Ineligibility: AFCP does NOT support the following activities or costs, and applications involving any of the activities or costs below will be deemed ineligible:

1. 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 proposal submission;
2. Preservation of natural heritage (physical, biological, and geological formations, paleontological collections, habitats of threatened species of animals and plants, fossils, etc.);
3. Preservation of hominid or human remains;
4. Preservation of news media (newspapers, newsreels, radio and TV programs, etc.);
5. Preservation of published materials available elsewhere (books, periodicals, etc.);
6. Development of curricula or educational materials for classroom use;
7. Archaeological excavations or surveys for research purposes;
8. Historical research, except in cases where the research is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project;
9. Acquisition or creation of new collections for new or existing museums;
10. Construction of new buildings or permanent coverings;
11. Commissions of new works of art or architecture for commemorative or economic development purposes;
12. Creation of new or the modern adaptation of existing traditional dances, songs, chants, musical compositions, plays, or other performances;
13. Creation of replicas or re-creation of cultural objects or sites that no longer exist;
14. Relocation of cultural sites from one physical location to another;
15. Removal of cultural objects or elements of cultural sites from the country for any reason;
16. Digitization of cultural objects or collections, unless part of a larger, clearly defined conservation effort;
17. Conservation plans or other studies, unless they are one component of a larger project to implement the results of those studies;
18. Cash reserves, endowments or revolving funds; funds must be expended within the award period and may not be used to create an endowment or revolving fund or otherwise spent over many years;
19. Costs of fund-raising campaigns;
20. Operating expenses, i.e. expenses incurred during the day-to-day operational activities of an organization, such as office rent, utilities, license fees, and other costs for administrative time, services, or materials not directly related to performing project work;
21. Contingency, unforeseen, or miscellaneous fees;
22. Costs of work performed prior to announcement of the award;
23. International travel, except in cases where travel is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project;
24. Individual projects costing less than $10,000, or
25. Awards to individuals or commercial entities;
26. Travel or study for professional development.

As a general rule, AFCP does not support independent U.S. projects abroad. Embassies considering such projects must get prior approval from the Center before submitting proposals.

Award Information: Funding Instrument Type: Grant (Program Authority Fulbright Hays Section 102(b)(5), as amended). Floor on Amount of Individual Awards: US $10,000 per project. In FY 2013, awards ranged from US $10,000 to US $159,300.

Award Selection Criteria: The Center will screen all proposals for technical eligibility based on the neutral criteria contained in this request for grant proposals. The Center will also screen proposals against the list of AFCP program-specific ineligible activities and costs (see Ineligibility, above).

Using a point-based system (below), the Center will rate all proposals based on the quality, soundness, and comprehensiveness of the proposed project and budget; the urgency of the proposed project; the rationale for U.S. support of the project supplied by the applying U.S. embassy; the quality and quantity of supporting materials, such as resumes of the key project participants images of the resource, and notices of official permission from the responsible resource steward, such as a ministry of culture. AFCP Point-Based Rating System: Proposals will be rated using the following point system, with close attention paid to the clarity, completeness, and quality of the requested information:

• Purpose, Activities Description, Timeframe, and
• Statement of Importance: 25 points max
• Urgency: 15 points max
• Sustainability: 10 points max
• Rationale for U.S. Support: 15 points max
• Budget: 15 points max
• Supporting Materials: 15 points max

Deadline: December 1, 2013

For more information, please contact:

Tamar Rtveliashvili

Public Affairs Section

U.S. Embassy

11 George Balanchine Street

Tbilisi, Georgia 0131

Email: http://georgia.usembassy.gov

source: georgia.usembassy.gov