Deadline: 1 December 2019

The U.S. Mission to South Africa is seeking applications for its 2020 Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) Large Grants Program to support 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.

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Program Funding: $800,000
• Award Ceiling: $800,000
• Award Floor: $200,000

Funding Areas

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, 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)

Funding Priorities

Applications for projects that do one or more of the following will receive additional consideration in FY 2020:

• Support U.S. treaty or bilateral agreement obligations
• Support U.S. Embassy Integrated Country Strategy (ICS) goals
• Support disaster risk reduction for cultural heritage in disaster-prone areas
• Support post-disaster cultural heritage recovery
• Preserve World Heritage sites
• Partner, connect with or feed into other ECA programs

Eligibility Criteria

The Center 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. The 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. 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.

How to Apply

• The application process for the AFCP Large Grants Program consists of two rounds:
  • Round 1 (project abstract)
  • Round 2 (full application)
• Applicants must submit their applications at the address given on the website.

For more information, please visit https://www.