Deadline: 1 December 2019

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

Through the AFCP Program, the Department of State supports projects to preserve cultural heritage in the following three areas:

• CULTURAL SITES: This might include (but is not limited to) conservation of an ancient or historic building, preservation of an archaeological site, or documentation of cultural sites for preservation purposes.
• CULTURAL OBJECTS AND COLLECTIONS: This may involve, for example, a conservation needs assessment 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. Objects and collections could include a wide range of items from a museum, cultural site, or similar institution, including archaeological and ethnographic objects, paintings, sculpture, manuscripts, photographs, and films.
• FORMS OF TRADITIONAL CULTURAL EXPRESSION: This includes the documentation and audiovisual recording of traditional music, dance forms, and other examples of intangible culture, and then making that material available for broad dissemination: 1) as a means of teaching about and further preserving those cultural forms; and/or 2) to lend support for training in the preservation of traditional applied arts or crafts that are in danger of extinction.

Funding Information

Awards may range from $10,000 to a maximum of $200,000.

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-small-grant-nofo-2019-10-31.pdf