U.S. Embassy in Equatorial Guinea: Small Grants Program

Deadline: 4-Aug-23

The Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Embassy in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, is pleased to announce that funding is available through its Small Grants Program.

Purpose

PDS invites proposals for programs that:

• Strengthen ties between the United States and Equatorial Guinea;
• Highlight their shared values; and
• Promote bilateral cooperation in pursuit of their common goals.

Priority Program Areas

• PDS is currently accepting proposals that support the following Embassy goals and priorities:
  • Increasing social inclusion and promoting tolerance for minorities and vulnerable groups (i.e. equal rights and opportunities for women, LGBTQI+ individuals, and people with disabilities)
  • Promoting English language (i.e. promoting clubs, forums, social media, education, and arts)
  • Strengthening the media (i.e. increasing media professionalism, access to diverse sources of news, and developing savvy consumption of news)
  • Encouraging entrepreneurship and economic growth in under-served areas to diversify the economy (i.e. training in start-ups, skill development for people in informal sector, promoting the entrepreneurial spirit, supporting tourism, art, music, and culture development)
  • Climate change and environmental sustainability (i.e. education, training, and skills development for those working on climate issues, supporting tourism and environmental protection)
• All programs must have an American element and must reach an Equatoguinean audience. Preference will be given to proposals that are part of long-term initiatives, reach audiences of strategic importance, and/or can demonstrate a sustained positive impact in the community.

Funding Information

• Maximum for Each Award: $25,000 (with limited exceptions)

Ineligible Activities

The following types of programs, activities, and expenses are not eligible for funding:

• Paying to complete activities that have already begun;
• Ongoing salary costs;
• Office equipment;
• Programs that promote particular political parties, religious beliefs or companies;
• Requests by organizations and individuals who are neither Equatoguinean nor American;
• Fundraising campaigns and charity projects that give away money or property;
• Construction projects;
• Alcoholic beverages; and
• Projects that duplicate existing efforts.

Criteria

• The U.S. Embassy Malabo utilizes the following review and selection process:
  • After the NOFO closes applications are reviewed for eligibility. Those applications found to be ineligible will be removed from the selection process. Those applications found to be eligible will be forwarded to an embassy review committee.
  • An embassy review committee, made up of various Embassy personnel, will score and comment on eligible proposals. The highest scoring proposal will be recommended for funding by the committee. If the funding opportunity allows for the selection of multiple awards, awards will be chosen based on rank score and the availability of funding.
  • The committee’s recommendation is then forwarded to the Program Officer for review and approval. At this stage potential requests for programmatic adjustments or conditions of an award may be suggested.
  • Upon approval, the proposal is then assigned to a Grants Officer and Grants Officer Representative (GOR). The GOR will make contact with the applicant to discuss and negotiate any potential changes to the proposal.
  • The GOR may be required to submit the draft Notice of Award and grant proposal to a Washington, D.C. Grants Officer for approval. Additional clarification or negotiations may take place as part of the Grant Officer’s review. The Grants Officer is the only Government Official who may write, award, and administer grants and cooperative agreements. No other individual throughout the selection process is allowed to commit funds or guarantee an award.
  • After approval from the Grants Officer, the GOR will provide a copy of the signed award and required documents to the applicant for countersignature.
  • After a grant award(s) is made from this solicitation, those applicants whose proposals were not selected for funding will be notified.
• Anticipated Time to Award: Applicants should expect to be notified if their proposal has been selected for award within 90 days after the submission deadline. The Embassy will provide information at the point of notification about any modification to the proposal or plan of work that will be required to finalize the award.

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Equatorial Guinea.