AMBASSADORS FUND FOR CULTURAL PRESERVATION 2014
LARGE GRANTS PROGRAM
REQUEST FOR PROJECT ABSTRACT DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 1, 2014 

1. The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta is now accepting project proposals for the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) 2013 Large Grants Program competition. The application process takes place in two rounds: Project Abstract (Round 1) and Full Project Proposal (Round 2).   Interested parties must submit Project Abstracts for Round 1 via email to WhitakerFJ@state.gov andRahardjoCB@state.gov  by COB, 4 pm Jakarta time, February 1, 2014.   Project abstract must include all items as noted in paragraph 13; incomplete project abstract will not be considered.  The deadline for submitting full project proposals is March 15, 2014.
2. AFCP LARGE GRANTS PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: The Cultural Heritage Center requests proposals for funding in FY 2014 for large-scale, partnership-based projects to preserve significant cultural heritage sites through the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation. The projects selected to receive funding under this program will advance U.S. foreign policy goals and demonstrate the depth of U.S. respect for the cultural heritage of other countries.  Past recipients of AFCP Large Grants Program support may submit proposals for continuation funds under this RFP.
3. AFCP LARGE GRANTS FUNDING AREAS: The AFCP Large Grants Program supports the preservation of major ancient archaeological sites, historic buildings and monuments, and museum collections that are accessible to the public and protected by law in the host country. Sites supported previously through this program possess exceptional value in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the host country or the surrounding region, possess physical integrity, and either:A. are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to, and are identified with, or that represent the broad patterns of regional or world history and culture and from which an understanding and appreciation of those patterns may be gained;

   B. represents great cultural achievements of a people, group, or civilization;

   C. are of outstanding value for the study of an historic period; or

   D. represents a distinctive and exceptional entity whose components may lack individual distinction, but that collectively form an entity of exceptional historical, artistic or cultural value.

4. FUNDING PRIORITIES: The AFCP Large Grants Program gives top priority to project activities that are appropriate and in keeping with international cultural heritage preservation standards. An appropriate preservation activity is one that protects the values of the site 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. Appropriate project activities may include:A. preventive conservation (mitigating or removing the conditions that damage or threaten the site);

   B. stabilization (reducing the physical disturbance (settling, collapse, etc.) of elements of a site);

   C. conservation (addressing damage or deterioration to a collection or sites);

   D. consolidation (connecting or reconnecting elements of a site);

   E. anastylosis (reassembling a site from its original parts); or

   F. restoration (replacing missing elements to recreate the original appearance of a site, usually appropriate only with fine arts, decorative arts, and historic buildings.)

5. SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING SITES AND OBJECTS THAT HAVE 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 on the basis of architectural, artistic, historical or other cultural (not religious) criteria.
6. ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES: The AFCP 2014 Large Grants Program is open to U.S. ambassadors serving in the following countries: Algeria, Armenia, Belize, Bulgaria, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, El Salvador, Georgia, Ghana, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Serbia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
7. ELIGIBLE PROJECT APPLICANTS: The Cultural Heritage Center defines eligible project applicants as reputable and accountable non-commercial entities, such as non-governmental organizations, museums, ministries of culture, or similar institutions and organizations, including U.S.-based organizations subject to Section 501(c) (3) of the tax code, that are able to demonstrate they have the requisite experience and capacity to manage large-scale multi-year projects to preserve cultural heritage. Embassies must vet applicants for eligibility, suitability, and reputable performance in cultural preservation or similar activities. The Center requests that embassies determine whether any country-specific sanctions should be taken into consideration before submitting proposals. Embassies must ensure the applicants are able to receive support from the U.S. Government and AFCP grants in accordance with AFCP program policies. Applicants who have previously received AFCP awards must have fulfilled all reporting requirements before applying for new awards. Failure to do so may adversely affect their ability to apply for support from AFCP in 2014.
8. INELIGIBILE ACTIVITIES AND COSTS: AFCP does NOT support the following activities or costs, and applications involving any of the activities or costs below may be deemed ineligible:A. 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;

   B. Preservation of natural heritage (physical, biological, and geological formations, paleontological collections, habitats of threatened species of animals and plants, fossils, etc.);

   C. Preservation of hominid or human remains;

   D. Preservation of news media (newspapers, newsreels, radio and TV programs, etc.);

   E. Preservation of published materials available elsewhere (books, periodicals, etc.);

   F. Development of course curricula or educational materials for classroom use;

   G. Archaeological excavations or exploratory surveys for research purposes;

   H. Historical research, except in cases where the research is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project;

   I. Acquisition or creation of new collections for new or existing museums;

   J. Construction of new buildings or permanent coverings (over archaeological sites, for example);

   K. Commissions of new works of art or architecture for commemorative or economic development purposes;

   L. Creation of new or the modern adaptation of existing traditional dances, songs, chants, musical compositions, plays, or other performances;

   M. Creation of replicas or re-creation of cultural objects or sites that no longer exist;

   N. Relocation of cultural sites from one physical location to another;

   O. Removal of cultural objects or elements of cultural sites from the country for any reason;

   P. Digitization of cultural objects or collections, unless part of a larger, clearly defined conservation effort;

   Q. Conservation plans or other studies, unless they are one component of a larger project to implement the results of those studies;

   R. Cash reserves, endowments or revolving funds (funds must be expended within the award period [up to five years] and may not be used to create an endowment or revolving fund);

   S. Costs of fund-raising campaigns;

   T. 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;

   U. Contingency, unforeseen, or miscellaneous costs or fees;

   V. Costs of work performed prior to announcement of the award;

   W. International travel, except in cases where travel is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project;

   X. Travel or study for professional development;

   Y. Individual projects costing less than $500,000;

   Z. Independent U.S. projects overseas.

9. INELIGIBLE PROJECT APPLICANTS: AFCP does not award grants to individuals, commercial entities, or to embassies or past award recipients which have not fulfilled the reporting requirements of previous AFCP awards.
10. AWARD INFORMATION: Funding Instrument Type: Grant (Program Authority Fulbright Hays Section 102(b) (5), as amended).   Floor on Amount of Awards for New Projects: US $500,000. Floor on Amount of Awards for On-Going Projects Supported Previously by AFCP: $200,000.   Since FY 2008, awards made through this program for new large-scale projects have ranged from US $575,000 to US $979,000, with an average award amount of US $712,000.
11. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION: The application process for the AFCP Large Grants Program takes place in two rounds:Project Abstract (Round 1) and Full Project Proposal (Round 2).  All interested applicants must submit Project Abstracts for Round 1 via email to WhitakerFJ@state.gov and RahardjoCB@state.gov  by COB, 4 pm Jakarta time, February 1, 2014. Late submission will be ineligible for consideration.  Applicants will be notified on or before February 15, 2014 whether to submit full project proposals for Round 2.  Full project proposals must be submitted by COB March 15, 2014, 4 pm Jakarta local time.
12. ABSTRACT REQUIREMENTS (DEADLINE:  February 1, 2014): Applicants interested in participating in the AFCP Large Grants Program must first submit a project abstract via email toWhitakerFJ@state.gov and RahardjoCB@state.gov describing the proposed activity. The project abstract must include the following items in the following order:A. Project Title;

    B. Project Location;

    C. Estimated Project Cost (total project cost and proposed US share, if different);

    D. Project Dates (date range; maximum of five years);

    E. Qualified Eligible Entities (main project partner/grantee plus other partners);

    F. Special Designations (national monument, World Heritage Site, etc.);

    G. Law/s Protecting the Site or Collection (citations only);

    H. Project Summary that briefly describes the project objectives and desired results;

    I. Statement of Accessibility (is it accessible to the public? what are admission costs? etc.);

    J. Statement of Ownership of the site or collection;

13. FULL PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS (DEADLINE: March 15, 2014):Successful applicants on the first round selection are invited to submit full project proposals upon favorable review of the abstracts.  If invited to submit full project proposals, the proposals must fully satisfy the program objectives, funding areas and priorities, and the eligibility requirements specified above. Furthermore, to be considered complete, they must include:

    A. Full and complete Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424), including Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A), Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B), and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL);

    B. Project abstract (from above), incorporating any revisions;

    C. Project 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 large-scale, multi-year projects to preserve cultural heritage with budgets of at least US $500,000 in the host country. This information should include summary descriptions of comparable preservation projects successfully completed or underway and the total costs (in US dollars) of those projects.

    D. Proof of official permission to undertake the project and the full endorsement and support of the national cultural authority in the host country. The proposal must include an official letter from the minister of culture or highest ranking official within the national cultural authority that clearly articulates that authority’s sustained commitment to the project.

    E. Comprehensive project plan that:

    1) explains the significance of the site and the values associated with it;

    2) illustrates the nature of the problem or threat that the project will address;

    3) explains how the proposed preservation activity will address the problem or threat and protect the values of the site;

    4) gives detailed descriptions of the phases of work and abases on which each phase may be evaluated;

    5) describes the project outputs and outcomes. If the proposed project is part of a larger effort involving multiple projects supported by other entities, the plan must present the full scope of the preservation effort and the place of the proposed project within that larger effort.

    F. Project Time Frame or Schedule that identifies the major project phases and milestones, with performance target dates for achieving them (NOTE: Applicants may propose project 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);

    G. Project Participant Information, specifically estimated numbers of: non-US and US participants and primary (specialists, cvs or resumes required) and secondary participants (occasional or unskilled laborers, etc.);

    H. Statement of Importance highlighting the historic, architectural, artistic, or cultural (non-religious) values of the site or museum collection;

    I. Statement of Urgency indicating the severity of the situation and explaining why the project must take place now;

    J. Statement of Sustainability outlining the steps or measures that will be taken to maintain the site or collection in good condition after the AFCP-supported project is complete;

    K. Media and Outreach Plan, written by the embassy, describing how it intends to highlight and amplify U.S. government support for AFCP programs through existing print, electronic, and social media platforms;

    L. Detailed Project Budget, demarcated in one-year budget periods (2014, 2015, 2016, etc.), that lists all costs in separate categories (Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel [including Per Diem], Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Other Direct Costs, Cost Sharing); indicates funds from other sources; and gives a justification for any anticipated international travel costs;

    M. Ten (10) or more high quality digital images (JPEGs) or audiovisual files that convey the nature and condition of the site or museum collection and show the urgency or need for the proposed project (collapsing walls, extensive water damage, etc.);

    N. Relevant supporting documentation, such as historic structure reports, restoration plans and studies, conservation needs assessments and recommendations, architectural and engineering records, etc., compiled in preparation for the proposed project.

14. COST SHARING AND OTHER FORMS OF COST PARTICIPATION: There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this competition. However, AFCP encourages cost sharing, in-kind contributions, and other forms of cost participation. 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.
15. DUNS NUMBER AND SAM REGISTRATION: Applicants requesting $25,000 or more in federal assistance must have a Dun & Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and be registered in the System for Award Management (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 athttp://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/
16. PROJECT SELECTION CRITERIA: The Cultural Heritage Center will review and select project abstracts (Round 1) and full project proposals (Round 2) according to the program objectives, funding areas and priorities, ineligible activities, and other proposal requirements. The Center may deem projects ineligible if the project abstracts or the full project proposals do not fully adhere to AFCP 2014 Large Grants Program objectives, requirements, and other neutral criteria stated herein.
17. ABSTRACT REVIEW AND SELECTION (ROUND 1): The Center will screen and rate all project abstracts received by the February 1 deadline. On February 15, it will invite embassies whose project abstracts receive a favorable rating to submit complete project proposals.
18. PROPOSAL REVIEW AND SELCTION (ROUND 2): The Center will review complete project proposals and make the funding recommendation to the Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs. All eligible proposals will be subject to compliance with Federal regulations and guidelines and may be forwarded for advisory review to other federal agency personnel with relevant experience. The Center may also forward eligible project proposals to other Bureau and Department offices. The Center may consult with the Senate Committee on Appropriations prior to making the funding recommendation.
19. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION: The U.S. Embassy will announce the awards as soon as possible once the U.S. Department of State’s FY 2014 funding levels are known and a financial plan approved. It will send a second notification describing the process for executing AFCP awards soon afterwards.  Funds must be obligated by the end of FY 2014, September 30, 2014.
20. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE OF AFCP 2014 GRANTS: The period of performance begins upon the completion and countersignature of a Notice of Award. A complete Notice of Award consists of:A. DS-1909 Standard Award Coversheet;

    B. DOS Award Specifics;

    C. Program/Post Specifics; and,

    D. Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions for Federal Assistance Awards (Domestic or Overseas). The four combined constitute the legal document issued to notify an award recipient that an award has been made and that funds are available for use during the specified award period. Failure to produce a complete Notice of Award may result in the nullification of the award.

21. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS: Terms and conditions for administering AFCP awards may include the following:A. 2 CFR Part 215 (22 CFR 145), “Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations”

    B. 2 CFR Part 220, “Cost Principles for Educational Institutions”

    C. 2 CFR Part 230, “Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations”

    D. OMB Circular A-133, “Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations” Other requirements and guidance are incorporated by reference in the Notice of Award.

22. PERFORMANCE AND DELIVERABLES: AFCP 2014 award recipients must submit performance progress and financial status reports and final reports on time as specified in the Notice of Award.
23. Please address questions to me WhitakerFJ@state.gov or to Ms. Chodidah Budi Rahardjo (Toto) at RahardjoCB@state.gov or phone 02-3435-9534.

By U.S. Embassy Jakarta | 7 January, 2014 | Topics: News