Deadline: 1 December 2019

The U.S. Mission to South Africa is seeking applications for its 2020 Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) Small Grants Competition to support the preservation of cultural sites, cultural objects and collections, and forms of traditional cultural expression.

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Program Funding: $600,000
• Award Ceiling: $200,000
• Award Floor: $10,000

Funding Areas

The AFCP 2020 Small Grants Competition supports the preservation of cultural sites, cultural objects and collections, and forms of traditional cultural expression. Appropriate project activities may include:

• In the case of cultural sites: conservation of an ancient or historic building, preservation of an archaeological site, or documentation of cultural sites in a region for preservation purposes
• In the case of cultural objects and collections: conservation needs assessments and treatment, inventory of a collection for conservation purposes, the creation of safe environments for storage or display of collections, or specialized training in the care and preservation of collections
• In the case of forms of traditional cultural expression: documentation and audiovisual recording of traditional music, indigenous languages and dance forms for broad dissemination as the means of teaching and further preserving them, or support for training in the preservation of traditional applied arts or crafts in danger of extinction

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 Strategies
• 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

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

For more information, please visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=321955