Special Grant Round: Innovations and Entrepreneurship

Call for Grant Applications is now: OPEN
Funding Instrument Type: Grant/Fixed Amount Award/ Cooperative Agreement
CFDA Number: 19.040 — General Department of State Assistance
Date Opened: June 1, 2018
Deadline for Applications: July 5, 2018 (midnight local time)
Award Ceiling: $ 25,000
Note: This notice is subject to availability of funding

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Embassy in Prague is soliciting proposals with outstanding merit focusing on entrepreneurship and innovation. Projects may encourage experimentation in start-up concepts, facilitate academic institution connections with industry partners, and emphasize a process of teaching and learning to allow for the commercialization of ideas. Projects focused on providing financial, marketing, communications, and leadership expertise to students and under-served populations will be particularly competitive.

Preference will be given to individuals and institutions with a proven track record of executing superior programs. Applicants may request funds ranging from $10,000 to $25,000.

Please put “Innovations and Entrepreneurship” to subject line when submitting the application.

You can visit our website here to see examples of projects that were successful in the last grant rounds.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Only not-for-profit entities and projects will be considered for funding.
Individuals are eligible to apply.
Budget requests must not exceed $25,000.
Proposals must be focused on audiences in the Czech Republic.

Please note that Embassy grants CANNOT be used to fund religious organizations or partisan political activity; individual trips abroad (i.e. out of the Czech Republic); trade activities; fundraising campaigns; charitable activities; humanitarian aid; commercial projects; scientific research; projects whose primary aim is the institutional development and operational costs of the organization; or representational expenses (lunch, alcoholic beverages, flowers etc.).

APPLICATION AND SUMBISSION INFORMATION

Please follow all instruction 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

The following Documents are required:

Pre-application template
SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or SF424-I (Application for Federal Assistance – individuals)
SF-424A (Budget Information)

The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. Your proposal must include all the items below:

Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives and anticipated impact.
Introduction to the Organization or Individual applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies.
Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed
Program Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve. The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable.
Program Activities: Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.
Program Methods and Design: A description of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal. Include a logic model as appropriate.
Proposed Program Schedule and Timeline: The proposed timeline for the program activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events.
Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program?
Program Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees.
Program Monitoring and Evaluation Plan:This is an important part of successful grants. Throughout the time-frame of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant?
Future Funding or SustainabilityApplicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable.

Guidelines for Budget Justification

Personnel and Fringe Benefits: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the program, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the program.
Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this program, for program staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. If the program involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.
Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the program, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the program), and costs at least $5,000 per unit.
Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the program. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under Equipment.
Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor. Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the program activities.
Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the program, which do not fit in the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials and equipment or applicable taxes. All “Other” or “Miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained.
Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the program activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating. If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.
“Cost Sharing” refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S. Embassy. It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues.

All proposals must be submitted electronically to GrantsPrague@state.gov by the deadline. Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered.

Deadline for receiving proposals is: July 5, 2018 (midnight, local time in Prague)

All proposals must be complete (including a detailed budget) and submitted in English. We highly recommend using our most recent pre-application template which you can find on our website. Please read our instructions on how to complete the pre-application template. Proposals not adhering to the instructions or that exceed the allowable character numbers will not be considered.

Each applicant will receive a confirmation email acknowledging receipt within two working days. If applicants do not receive a confirmation email, the proposal was not received. In this event, applicants are invited to contact the Office of Public Affairs at linhartovaa@state.gov or +420 257 022 002.

Application Review and Selection Process

A committee comprised of U.S. Embassy Prague staff will evaluate the proposals in July. When deciding which projects to support, the Embassy will give consideration to the full range and diversity of Czech organizations and will seek to target geographically and demographically diverse audiences in the Czech Republic. Projects incorporating an American speaker, artist, performer, author, etc., are often considered to be stronger.

Please understand that this is a competitive process and that the Embassy typically receives between 80 and 170 proposals for each grant round. Submitting a complete proposal does not guarantee that the Embassy can fund the project. For tips on how to make your proposal more competitive please review the instructions.

Committee results will be announced via email on or before August 20, 2018.

If your proposal is selected for funding these criteria must be met in order to receive an award:

Organizations must obtain a Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) DUNS number and register in SAM (System for Award Management)* prior to being eligible to receive federal assistance funding. Individuals are not required to have a unique entity identifier or be registered in SAM.gov.

*mandatory for awards above $25,000.

As this can be a somewhat lengthy process we advise that organizations initiate the registration as soon as a project proposal has been approved. Funding will be contingent upon successful completion of registration of the organization with SAM.

To obtain a DUNS number, go to http://www.bisnode.cz/produkt/duns-cislo/ (for local NGOs).

If you are a U.S.-based organization, go to: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/index.jsp

SAM registration is available at: https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/##1

Important Notes to Applicants:

Applicants should use the same official information (organization official name, address, phone number, etc.) to obtain a DUNS number and register with SAM.
Obtaining a DUNS number and registering in SAM is free of charge. Any additional services offered during or after the registration process are not required, and the applicant is under no obligation to sign up for them.

Federal Award Administration Information

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.

If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the discretion of the Department of State.

Issuance of this Notice of Funding Opportunity 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 Requirements

Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports within 90 calendar days of the end of the period of performance delineated in the award. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.

We highly recommend using U.S. Embassy Prague’s FINAL REPORT template as a program report.

Financial records, supporting documents, and all other records pertinent to an award shall be retained for a period of three years from the date of submission of the Final Report.

Applicants should be aware of the post award reporting requirements reflected in 2 CFR 200 Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

Failure to comply with the reporting requirements may jeopardize eligibility for future awards or will result in suspension of any future payments under this award until such time as this deficiency has been corrected.

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact GrantsPrague@state.gov