The U.S. Mission to Italy is announcing the Annual Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2024, an open competition aimed at alumni of U.S. government-funded exchange programs. This grant opportunity seeks proposals from teams of at least two alumni to develop innovative solutions addressing global challenges in areas such as countering disinformation, transatlantic security, and promoting democracy and inclusion. With a funding range of $5,000 to $35,000 for a performance period of 12 months, interested applicants must submit their proposals by February 15, 2024, and can direct inquiries to Raissa Brighi at italyalumni@state.gov.

Funding Opportunity Title:&#8239;Annual Engagement Innovation Fund   Deadline for Applications: February 15, 2024  A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION  The Embassy of the United States in Italy announces an open competition for past participants (&#8220;alumni&#8221;) of U.S. government-funded and U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs to submit applications to the 2024 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF 2024). We seek proposals from teams of at least two alumni that meet all program eligibility requirements below. Exchange alumni interested in participating in AEIF 2024 should submit proposals using the form at this link https://form.jotform.com/233523822076151 by February 15, 2024.    Program Objectives:     AEIF provides alumni of U.S. government-sponsored and facilitated exchange programs with funding to expand on skills gained during their exchange experience to design and implement innovative solutions to global challenges facing their community. Since its inception in 2011, AEIF has funded nearly 500 alumni-led projects around the world through a competitive global competition.    U.S. Embassy to Italy will accept public service projects proposed and managed by teams of at least two (2) alumni that support themes such as:   Countering Disinformation  Transatlantic Security  Economic Prosperity  Democracy and Democratic Values  Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility  American Studies   Proposals that do not address the theme as outlined in the program objectives will be deemed ineligible. All project activities must take place outside of the United States and its territories.    Participants and Audiences:  Describe who the intended target audiences should be for the various activity categories    B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION    Length of performance period: 12 months   Number of awards anticipated: 3 awards (dependent on amounts)  Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $5000 to a maximum of $35,000  Type of Funding: Overall 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  Anticipated programs start date: September 2024    This notice is subject to availability of funding.    C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION     Eligible Applicants:    The following individuals are eligible to apply:     Applicants must be alumni of a U.S. government-funded or sponsored exchange program or a U.S. government-sponsored exchange program (https://j1visa.state.gov/).  Projects teams must include teams of at least two (2) alumni.  Alumni who are U.S. citizens may not submit proposals, but U.S. citizen alumni may participate as team members in a project.  Alumni teams may be comprised of alumni from different exchange programs and different countries.  Applications must be submitted by exchange alumni or alumni associations of USG exchange alumni. No other organizations are eligible to apply. Exchange alumni can partner with not-for-profit or non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and academic institutions to implement project activities. The grant can be issued to the individual alumni or the partner organization.      Other Eligibility Requirements   In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via www.SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov.    D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION     Address to Request Application Package     Application forms required below are available at https://it.usembassy.gov/   Content and Form of Application Submission     Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.    Content of Application  &#8239;We encourage applicants to apply using the following form&#8239;XXXX which includes the items listed below:   Summary:&#8239;Short&#8239;narrative that outlines the proposed&#8239;program, including&#8239;program&#8239;objectives and anticipated impact;  Problem Statement:&#8239;Clear,&#8239;concise&#8239;and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed&#8239;program&#8239;is needed;  Program&#8239;Goals and Objectives: The &#8220;goals&#8221; describe what the&#8239;program&#8239;is intended to achieve. What aspect of the relationship between the U.S. and&#8239;Italy&#8239;will be improved? The &#8220;objectives&#8221; refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable;  Program&#8239;Activities: Describe the&#8239;program&#8239;activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.     Please ensure:   The concept note clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity;  The concept note is in English;  The budget is in U.S. Dollars.     A Grants Review Committee will evaluate all eligible applications.     Funding Restrictions     AEIF 2024 does not support the following activities or costs, and the selection committee will deem applications involving any of these activities or costs ineligible:     Any airfare to/from the United States and its territories  Activities that take place in the United States and its territories  Staff salaries, office space, and overhead/operational expenses  Large items of durable equipment or construction programs  Alcohol, excessive meals, refreshments, or entertainment  Academic or scientific research  Charitable or development activities  Provision of direct social services to a population  Individual scholarships  Social travel/visits  Gifts or prizes  Duplication of existing programs  Institutional development of an organization  Venture capital, for-profit endeavors, or charging a fee for participation in project  Support for specific religious activities  Fund-raising campaigns  Support or opposition of partisan political activity or lobbying for specific legislation         E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION     Criteria     1. Criteria  Full proposals will be evaluated and rated based on the criteria outlined below. The criteria listed are closely related and will be considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of a proposal.  Note: Though not required, proposals that clearly and significantly utilize principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility will receive favorable consideration.  &#8226; Mission priorities: The applicant has clearly described how stated goals are related to and support U.S. Mission Italy&#8217;s priority areas or target audiences. Goals and objectives are clearly stated, and the program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.  &#8226; Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea: The program idea is well developed, with detail about how program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline and will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program.  &#8226; Monitoring and evaluation plan: The applicant demonstrates it can measure program success against key indicators and provide milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The program includes outputs, outcomes, and indicators and shows how and when those will be measured.  &#8226; Budget: The budget justification is reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities.  &#8226; Organizational capacity and record on previous grants: The organization has expertise in its stated field and PDS is confident of its ability to undertake the program. This includes past performance with U.S. government funds.  &#8226; Media plan: The applicant demonstrates how they will disseminate information about their project to the public, including using press releases, interviews, podcasts, etc. in conjunction with social and traditional media platforms. Media plans should account for the inclusion of U.S. Mission to Italy branding on all products.    2. Review and Selection Process  A Grants Review Committee will evaluate all eligible applications.   F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION     Federal Award Notices     The grant award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer.   Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.     Reporting     Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.    Foreign Assistance Data Review: As required by Congress, the Department of State must make progress in its efforts to improve tracking and reporting of foreign assistance data through the Foreign Assistance Data Review (FADR). The FADR requires tracking of foreign assistance activity data from budgeting, planning, and allocation through obligation and disbursement. Successful applicants will be required to report and draw down federal funding based on the appropriate FADR Data Elements, indicated within their award documentation. In cases of more than one FADR Data Element, typically program or sector and/or regions or country, the successful applicant will be required to maintain separate accounting records.     G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS  If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact italyalumni@state.gov.    H. OTHER INFORMATION   Guidelines for Budget Justification  Please refer back to Funding Restrictions in section D for costs not supported through the 2024 AEIF.  Venue Costs: Calculate costs for renting space for project-related activities such as workshops or other training activities. Consider looking for donated space first. If donated space is not possible, costs should be reasonable based on the local environment. All expenses must be itemized and explained.  Promotional Items and Advertising: These items aim to amplify your project. All requests should be reasonable and relevant to the project. All expenses must be itemized and explained.  Meals and Beverage: Include reasonable costs for snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, and meals if essential to the project. Break down meals by the cost per person per meal.  All expenses must be itemized and explained.  Speaker/Consultant/Training Fees: Speaker: Maximum of $250 per day for full programming. Trainer: Maximum of $250 per day or $25 per hour. Consider asking fellow Alumni with expertise to cost-share speaker/training fees. Consultant: A reasonable consultant fee may be included by Alumni for project management and oversight. However, consider cost-sharing as the AEIF cannot provide salary type expenses. All expenses must be itemized and explained.  Lodging and Per Diem: List per diem rates and hotel costs which directly support the implementation of the project and indicate single or double occupancy. Per diem rates should be calculated according to the U.S. government allowable rates or be adjusted to local prices if appropriate. Please consult with your U.S. Embassy/Consulate. All expenses must be itemized and explained.  Travel: If the program involves travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel. Estimate the costs of travel for this project, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. Costs can include in-country and intraregional air fare or local travel costs required for the actual implementation of the project. Travel between the U.S. and project country is not supported. The AEIF does not support travel in business class or higher. All expenses must be itemized and explained.  Supplies, Materials, Equipment: Include general office supplies, computer software, consumable automotive supplies (i.e. fuel), small equipment such as laptops, projector, etc., and expendable materials (i.e. paper, paint). Rent equipment rather than purchase if it is more cost-efficient. All expenses must be itemized and explained.  Other: Describe other costs directly associated with the program, which do not fit in the other categories. Commonly cited items are administrative and accounting costs, shipping costs for materials and equipment, and monitoring and evaluation. All expenses must be itemized and explained.    &#8220;Cost Sharing&#8221; refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S. Embassy. It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers&#8217; time and donated venues.    Alcoholic Beverages: Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.  

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