U.S. Embassy in Serbia

The U.S. Embassy Belgrade and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State are pleased to announce the 2018 call for proposals for the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation.

The Fund was established to help countries preserve cultural heritage and to demonstrate U.S. respect for other cultures. The projects selected to receive funding under this program will advance U.S. diplomatic goals and demonstrate the depth of U.S. respect for the cultural heritage of Serbia. The Fund is aimed at preserving cultural sites or objects that have a historical or cultural significance to the cultural heritage of Serbia. Grants usually range from $10,000 to $75,000, but may be higher for exceptional projects.

Proposals of $25,000 or more must have a DUN and Bradstreet Universal Number System (DUNS) number and be registered in the SAM database system prior to submitting applications. Applicants may obtain DUNS numbers at no cost at the following link: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do;jsessionid=D8FFE64762

U.S. Embassies and organizations interested in participating in the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) 2018 Competition may use the following suggested format for organizing the required information and materials in their applications. Items A-N are required for all applications.

• Full and complete Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424 set)
  • SF-424 Cover Sheet
  • SF-424A Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs
  • SF-424B Assurances for Non-Construction Programs
  • SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
• Project Basics:
  • Title
  • AFCP focus area and category (see Appendix)
  • Start and end dates
  • If part of an inscribed World Heritage Site, the name of the World Heritage Site
  • Ownership status of the object or site (Public or Private)
  • If a continuation or expansion of a project previously supported by AFCP, the title of the previous project and the award year
• Project Applicant Information:
  • Organization name
  • Organization type (see Appendix)
  • Address information
  • Name, title, and contact info of project director
  • Applicant DUNS number (see Appendix)
  • SAM.gov registration status (see Appendix)
• Project Location:
  • Project site
  • City or vicinity
  • Country
  • Brief description of location
• Proof of Official Permission to undertake the project and the endorsement and support of the appropriate national authority (PDF of an official letter preferred; if applicant owns the site or object, a letter stating that).
• Project Purpose that briefly explains the project objectives and desired results.
• Project Activities Description that explains how the applicant intends to achieve the project objectives and results, presents proposed tasks in a logical order, and describes how those tasks directly contribute towards achieving the project objectives and results.
• Project Time Frame or Schedule that identifies the major project phases and milestones, with performance target dates for achieving them (NOTE: Applicants may propose project performance periods of up to 60 months [five years] with five budget periods of one year each; projects cannot begin before September 30, 2018, and conclude no later than September 30, 2023).
• • Number of primary (key) project participants (directors, managers, key consultants and experts, etc.; resumes required)
  • Number of secondary participants (skilled and unskilled laborers, technicians, volunteers, occasional workers and others who are not considered primary project participants)
  • Number of US participants
  • Number of Non-US participants
  • Project Participant Information (estimated):
    NOTE: total of primary and secondary participants should equal total of US and Non-US participants
• Statement of Importance highlighting the historic, architectural, artistic, or cultural (non-religious) values of the cultural site, object, collection, or form of traditional expression.
• Statement of Urgency indicating the severity of the situation and explaining why the project must take place now.
• Statement of Sustainability outlining the steps or measures that will be taken to maintain the site, object, or collection in good condition after the AFCP-supported project is complete; or, in the case of forms of traditional cultural expression, to preserve and disseminate the documentation, knowledge, or skills either resulting or gained from the project.
• Detailed project budget, demarcated in one-year budget periods (2015, 2016, etc.), that lists all costs in separate categories (Personnel, Travel [including Per Diem], Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Other Direct Costs); indicates funds from other sources; and gives a justification for any anticipated international travel costs.
• Attachments and other supporting documents, such as:
  • REQUIRED: Minimum of five (5) high quality digital images (JPEGs) or audiovisual files that convey the nature and condition of the site, object, or form of expression and, in the case of a site or object, show the urgency or need for the proposed project (collapsing wall, water damage, worn fabric, broken handle, etc.)
  • REQUIRED: Resumes or CVs of the primary (key) project participants (project director, experts, etc.)
  • Historic Structure Reports, completed Conservation Needs Assessments, Engineering Studies, Feasibility Studies, and any other planning documents (summaries or digests acceptable) completed in preparation for the proposed project.

General Notes RESTRICTIONS AFCP does not support the following:

• Preservation or purchase of privately or commercially owned cultural objects, collections, or real property, including those whose transfer from private or commercial to public ownership is envisioned, planned, or in process but not complete at the time of proposal submission;
• Preservation of natural heritage (physical, biological, and geological formations, paleontological collections, habitats of threatened species of animals and plants, fossils, etc.);
• Preservation of hominid or human remains;
• Preservation of news media (newspaper, newsreels, etc.);
• Preservation of published materials available elsewhere (books, periodicals, etc.);
• Development of curricula or educational materials for classroom use;
• Archaeological excavations or surveys for research purposes;
• Historical research, except in cases where historical research is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project;
• Acquisition or creation of new collections for new or existing museums;
• Construction of new buildings;
• Commissions of new works of art or architecture for commemorative or economic development purposes;
• Creation of new or the modern adaptation of existing traditional dances, songs, chants, musical compositions, plays, or other performances;
• Creation of replicas or re-creation of cultural objects or sites that no longer exist;
• Relocation of cultural sites from one physical location or another;
• Removal of cultural objects or elements of cultural sites from the country for any reason;
• Digitization of cultural objects or collections, unless part of a larger, clearly defined conservation effort;
• Conservation plans or other studies, unless they are one component of a larger project to implement the results of those studies;
• Cash reserves, endowments or revolving funds; funds must be expended within the award period and may not be used to create an endowment or revolving fund or otherwise spent over many years;
• Costs of fund-raising campaigns for preservation;
• Operating expenses, i.e. expenses incurred during the day-to-day operational activities of an organization, such as, office rent, utilities, license fees, and other costs for administrative time, services, or materials not directly related to performing project work;
• Contingency, unforeseen, or miscellaneous fees;
• Costs of work performed prior to announcement of the award;
• International travel, except in cases where travel for outside specialists is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project;
• Individual projects costing less than US $10,000; or
• Awards to individuals or commercial entities

Strong encouragement is given to local non-U.S. government source cost-sharing (including in-kind) from sources such as governments, international organizations, and the private sector.