The U.S. Mission to Djibouti is inviting proposals for the U.S. Embassy Djibouti Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) Annual Program Statement, which aims to strengthen cultural ties between the U.S. and Djibouti through various programs. The funding is intended for initiatives that promote entrepreneurship, business development, tech/innovation skills, and English language acquisition, targeting young audiences in Djibouti seeking employment and educational opportunities. With a total funding amount of $50,000, individual grants will range from $5,000 to $25,000, and proposals must be submitted by April 12, 2024, for projects anticipated to start in October 2024. Interested applicants can reach out to the U.S. Embassy Public Diplomacy Section via email at DjiboutiPDSubmissions@state.gov for further information.

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION  The U.S. Embassy Djibouti Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce that funding is available through its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program. This is an Annual Program Statement, outlining our funding priorities, the strategic themes we focus on, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding. Please carefully follow all instructions below.    Purpose of Small Grants:&#8239;PDS Djibouti invites proposals for programs that strengthen cultural ties between the U.S. and Djibouti through cultural and exchange programming that highlights shared values and promotes bilateral cooperation. All programs must include an American cultural element, or connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.    Examples of PDS Small Grants Program programs include, but are not limited to:   Entrepreneurship and innovation in STEM fields;  Youth leadership programs;  Professional and academic exchanges and programs;     Priority Program Areas:   Entrepreneurship, business development, tech/innovation skills development  English Language acquisition  Skills for job seekers which might include resume writing, preparing for interviews and business software skills.     Participants and Audiences:  PDS Djibouti will consider the full range and diversity of Djibouti and U.S. organizations. The Public Diplomacy Section will also seek to target young audiences in Djibouti City and throughout the country who are searching for the skills needed to obtain employment or further their education, including the improvement of their English language skills.    The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:    Programs relating to partisan political activity;  Charitable or development activities;  Construction programs;  Programs that support specific religious activities;  Fund-raising campaigns;  Lobbying for specific legislation or programs;  Scientific research;  Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization; or  Programs that duplicate existing programs.     Authorizing legislation, type and year of funding:  The Statutory Authorities for this program are the Smith-Mundt Act, Fulbright-Hays, and American Spaces. The source of funding is FY2024 Public Diplomacy Funding.    B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION    Length of performance period: 6 to 12 months.  Number of awards anticipated: dependent on amounts.  Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $5000 to a maximum of $25000.  Total available funding: $50000.  Type of Funding: Fiscal Year 2024 Public Diplomacy Funding  Anticipated program start date: October 2024    This notice is subject to availability of funding.    PDS Djibouti reserves the right to award less or more than the funds described in the absence of worthy applications or under such other circumstances as it may deem to be in the best interest of the U.S. Government. All projects are subject to negotiation by the Grants Officer before final award.    Funding Instrument Type: Grant.   Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in one year or less.  PDS will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.    C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION     Eligible Applicants     The Public Diplomacy Section encourages applications from Djibouti:   Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience  Individuals  Non-profit or governmental educational institutions  Governmental institutions     For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.      Cost Sharing or Matching     Cost sharing is not required.     Other Eligibility Requirements     Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.    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. Please see Section D.3 for more information. 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://grants.gov/forms     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  Please ensure:   The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity  All documents are in English  All budgets are in U.S. dollars  All pages are numbered  All documents are formatted to 8 &#189; x 11 paper, and  All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Calibri font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.     The following documents are required:    1. Mandatory application forms   SF-424&#8239;(Application for Federal Assistance&#8239;&#8211; organizations)&#8239;or SF-424-I&#8239;(Application for Federal Assistance&#8239;--individuals)&#8239;at&#8239;https://grants.gov/forms  SF424A&#8239;(Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) at https://grants.gov/forms   SF424B&#8239;(Assurances for Non-Construction programs) at https://grants.gov/forms     

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