Deadline: 04-Apr-2024

The U.S. Embassy Warsaw and U.S. Consulate General Krakow, Public Diplomacy Section (PD Poland) announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to compete for a grant or cooperative agreement award to deepen understanding of the United States through interactive, engaging programming at American Spaces in Poland.

Program Objectives

• PD Poland invites proposals to implement impactful programs focused on leadership, democracy, entrepreneurship and innovation, media literacy, and/or climate solutions and sustainability at up to seven American Spaces in Poland to forge enduring connections between the United States and emerging leaders in Poland.

Priority Programming Areas

• A successful proposal will include a robust calendar of activities spanning at least three months and directly address at least one of five key programming areas:
  • Building Future Leaders Network: Soft skills and leadership-building workshops, seminars, and trainings that develop human capital to engage the next generation of Poland’s emerging leaders. Programs should encourage participants’ active community engagement.
  • Promoting Democratic Values: Programs that encourage civic engagement and strengthen democratic participation and/or promote tolerance and integration of minorities and socially marginalized groups while cultivating DEIA principles.
  • Fostering Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programming that fosters innovation and/or entrepreneurship and engages youth at Poland’s American Spaces through participatory and/or problem-solving workshops such as “tech camps,” and/or that make use of existing MakerSpaces located within some of the American Spaces.
  • Media Literacy & Digital Inclusion: Course or series of workshops aimed at high school and college students to raise media literacy and combat dis/mis information, cyberbullying, cyber violence, and hate speech.
  • Climate Solutions & Sustainability: Hands-on programming to expand understanding of environmental and climate change challenges and clean energy solutions.

Funding Information

• Total available funding: Approximately $125,000
• Award amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $15,000 to a maximum of $50,000
• Length of performance period: 6 to 12 months
• Number of awards anticipated: Up to 4 awards

Participants and Audiences

• Mission Poland American Spaces’ primary audiences for this funding opportunity are emerging leaders in Poland to include high school and university students and young professionals, ages 15 – 35. PD Poland encourages efforts to ensure gender parity and socio-economic inclusion across all its activities. Applicants should be as specific as possible in their proposals about their project’s primary audience and how they will engage them through programming at the American Spaces. The term “general public” is not an adequate description of the targeted audience. Tourists and other visitors to Poland are not a primary audience for PD Poland.

Eligibility Criteria

• Appropriately registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience;
• Individuals to include alumni of U.S. government sponsored exchange programs; and
• Non-profit or governmental educational institutions including public libraries, schools, and universities. For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.
• To be eligible for consideration, the applicant organization must be registered to operate in Poland, or if this is not the case, they are strongly encouraged to partner with a local Polish organization registered to operate in Poland.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.