Deadline: 1 December 2019

The U.S. Embassy in Serbia is accepting project proposals for the 2020 Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) Large Grant competition.

AFCP Program Objectives: AFCP was established to help countries preserve cultural heritage while also demonstrating U.S. respect for other cultures. The aim of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade is to work with partners here to preserve cultural sites or objects that have an historical or cultural significance to Serbia and to the Serbian people.

AFCP gives top priority to project activities in keeping with international standards for the preservation of 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.

Funding Information

Awards may range from $200,000 to a maximum of $800,000.

The AFCP Large Grants Program supports the preservation of major ancient archaeological sites, historic buildings and monuments, and major museum collections that are accessible to the public and protected by law in the host country. Appropriate project activities may include:

• Preventive conservation – addressing conditions that damage or threaten the site;
• Stabilization – reducing the physical disturbance (e.g., settling, threat of collapse) of a site;
• Conservation – addressing damage or deterioration to a collection or sites;
• Consolidation – connecting or reconnecting elements of a site;
• Anastylosis – reassembling a site from its original parts;
• Restoration – replacing missing elements to recreate the original appearance of a site, usually appropriate only with fine arts, decorative arts, and historic buildings;

Priorities

Projects will receive priority consideration in FY2020 if they:

• reduce the risk to Serbia’s cultural heritage in a disaster-prone area;
• preserve a World Heritage site;
• support a U.S. treaty or bilateral agreement obligation
• connects to another program of the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)

Eligibility Criteria

• The U.S. Embassy defines eligible project applicants as reputable and accountable non-commercial entities that are registered and active in SAM.gov and able to demonstrate that they have the requisite experience and capacity to manage projects to preserve cultural heritage.
• This may include 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.
• U.S. Embassy will vet applicants for eligibility, suitability, and reputable performance in cultural preservation or similar activities and ensure that the applicants are able to receive U.S. federal assistance.
• Past AFCP award recipients may submit applications for continuation funds under this opportunity.
• The AFCP will not award grants to individuals, commercial entities, or past award recipients that have not fulfilled the objectives or reporting requirements of previous AFCP awards.
• Preference will be given to applicants that place their AFCP project in the context of a greater cultural programming.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit their applications at the address given on the website.

For more information, please visit https://rs.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/235/FY20-afcp-large-grant-nofo-2019-10-31.pdf