Funding Opportunity For African Businesses

1. UNAOC’s Youth Solidarity Fund: Seed Grant and Capacity Building Support for Youth-Led Organizations

 Deadline: 14-May-2023

Are you a young change-maker looking to make a positive impact in your community? The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is pleased to invite youth-led organizations to apply for the 2023 edition of its Youth Solidarity Fund (YSF).

The call is open to organizations whose work seeks to promote peace and social inclusion through improved understanding, respect, and collaboration across borders, cultures, faiths, and beliefs.

The Youth Solidarity Fund (YSF) supports youth-led organizations that foster peaceful and inclusive societies. Seed funding is given to projects, for and by young people that demonstrate innovative and effective approaches to intercultural or interfaith dialogue. UNAOC additionally offers capacity-building support to help youth-led organizations strengthen the implementation of their projects.

The funded projects are youth-led and youth-focused. The age definition used by UNAOC to characterize youth is an individual between the ages of 18 and 35. While the projects target mainly young people, they have an impact on entire communities, often involving religious or political leaders, policy-makers, educational institutions and media organizations.

Objectives

• The project aims to improve understanding and cooperative relations among nations and peoples across cultures and religions and to help counter the forces that fuel polarization and extremism;
• The project promotes the values of peace and development;
• The project objectives are clear, and there is a logical connection between identified issues, proposed activities, and requested funding.

Type of Projects

• Youth Solidarity Fund provides seed funding to outstanding projects promoting intercultural and interfaith dialogue. It awards grants of up to USD 25,000 for the implementation of selected projects that demonstrate innovative and effective approaches to intercultural and/or interfaith dialogue and advance the mission of UNAOC. Proposals linked to the implementation of the following frameworks/policies are particularly encouraged:

• • Projects that support the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 (2015), 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020) on Youth, Peace and Security in connection to intercultural and interfaith dialogue;
  • Projects that support the implementation of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism by promoting intercultural and interfaith dialogue as a prevention tool;
  • Projects that support the implementation of the United Nations Comprehensive Response to COVID-19 by addressing the increased stigma and discrimination of young people and their communities exacerbated by the pandemic;
  • Projects that support the implementation of the United Nations Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites by promoting respect for other religions and cultures, the right of human beings to practice their faith in safety and peace, and efforts to combat extremist ideologies and narratives;
  • Projects that support the implementation of the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech by addressing the issues and their impact on young people.

Funding Information

• It awards grants of up to USD 25,000.

Activities

• The project includes activities aiming to build positive and long-term collaborative relationships between youth of different cultural and religious backgrounds, therefore contributing to a long-term peaceful coexistence in society;
• The project contains elements of intergenerational partnership and dialogue;
• The project has a solid gender-mainstreaming strategy and is inclusive to minorities and/or marginalized groups to promote a more socially cohesive community;
• The project uses seed funding to implement innovative and effective approaches to intercultural and/or interfaith dialogue and advance the mission of UNAOC;
• The project supports implementation of any of the following frameworks/policies:

• • United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 (2015), 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020) on Youth, Peace and Security in connection to intercultural and interfaith dialogue;
  • United Nations Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism by promoting intercultural and interfaith dialogue as a prevention tool;
  • United Nations Comprehensive Response to COVID-19 by addressing the increased stigma and discrimination of young people and their communities exacerbated by the pandemic;
  • United Nations Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites by promoting respect for other religions and cultures, the right of human beings to practice their faith in safety and peace, and efforts to combat extremist ideologies and narratives;
  • United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech by addressing the issues and their impact on young people.

Eligibility Criteria

• Youth-led organizations registered;
• Registered youth-led organizations with projects entirely developed and managed by youth.
• Eligibility criteria for youth organizations:

• • Youth organizations are subject to the same criteria as other partners of the United Nations System in that they must be accountable, transparent, and refrain from all discriminatory practices.
  • To be eligible, applying youth organizations need to fulfill every one of the following criteria:
    • Be youth-led: a majority of the positions and decision-making roles within the organization are held by women and men between the ages of 18 and 35;
    • Be a non-profit, non-governmental organization (except for national youth councils) registered in the country of operation as a charity, trust, foundation, or association;
    • Be officially registered and operational for a minimum of two years prior to the deadline for applications with funding base and project implementation (operating in April 2021 or earlier);
    • Be registered and operate in one of the aforementioned countries;
    • Have a democratic governance structure and decision-making mechanism, including consultative processes in formulating priorities and policies;
    • Have an ability to demonstrate proper and consistent monitoring, evaluation, and record-keeping of their activities, including project evaluation reports and financial accounts;
    • Have a gender perspective/balance reflected in their staff, beneficiaries, and activities;
    • Have no adherence to or affiliations with violent ideologies or antagonism against any particular country, culture, religion or belief system, ethnic group, gender, etc.; and
    • Did not receive funding under past editions of YSF or did not receive support through the Intercultural Innovation Hub.
  • Note: If you applied for YSF in the past but were not selected, you can apply for YSF again.
  • Upon request, organizations will need to provide documented evidence demonstrating how they fulfill all of these criteria.
  • Please note that project proposals will not be considered eligible for funding if they are submitted by governments, international governmental organizations, non-youth led organizations, unregistered groups of youth, business entities, as well as individuals.
• Eligibility criteria for projects:
  • All submitted projects must fulfill every one of the following criteria to be eligible and reviewed by the Selection Committee:
    • Origin: The project was developed and written by youth;
    • Target Audience: The project targets youth primarily. Gender balance among project participants is ensured;
    • Objective: The project contributes to advancing UNAOC’s mandate of promoting a more socially inclusive world by building mutual respect among peoples of different cultural and religious identities;
    • Management: The project is managed by a youth-led organization, responding to all eligibility criteria mentioned;
    • Project Coordinator: The Project Coordinator is demonstrably affiliated to the applying organization and is between the ages of 18 and 35 at the time of the application;
    • Duration and Timing: The project must be implemented within 12 months of commencing. Final reports will need to be submitted no later than one month after the completion of the project;
    • Location: Project activities are implemented in the country(ies) mentioned in the list;
    • Budget: The organization needs to guarantee its capacity to implement all proposed project elements with the funds requested. The amount requested must be no more than 50 percent of the organization’s annual budget in 2022. Grants provided by UNAOC will not exceed USD 25,000. The scope of the project and the amount requested is not a determining factor in the selection process. Projects with smaller budgets are encouraged to apply. Please note that the average grant in the 9th YSF edition was USD 15,000. The proposed budget will have 90 percent of costs associated with direct project activities, and only up to 10 percent of it will cover the Project Coordinator’s salary/fees. Office rent cost, utilities, and purchase of technical equipment (e.g., computers, copiers, printers, cameras, telephones, etc.) cannot be part of the budget;
    • English: Application and CV/resume of the Project Coordinator must be submitted in English only;
    • Registration certificate and statute: Copies of a registration certificate and a statute need to be attached to the application form. They can be submitted in the original language of the country where the organization is registered. Translations may be requested at a later stage of the selection process.

For more information, visit UNAOC.

Also Read: Funding Opportunities for African Businesses

2. [Cohort 6] Standard Chartered Women in Technology Incubator Programme – Kenya

 Deadline: 28-May-23

Applications are now open for the Standard Chartered Women in Technology Incubator, Africa’s leading incubator programme for female founded businesses, aligning with calls for more diversity in technology, entrepreneurship and for more opportunities for women to develop entrepreneurial and leadership excellence.

The program is an initiative of Standard Chartered in partnership with @iBizAfrica Centre, Strathmore University.

The program combines world class startup support with local and international experience to provide a holistic startup incubation program focusing on immersive learning, mentorship & coaching, seed financing and business to business linkages for high potential startups tackling the continent’s most relevant challenges.

Cohort 6 Theme: Embracing equity in women-led startups.

Benefits

• 12 weeks of an immersive learning experience
• Access to a leading network of coaching experts
• Access to B2B networking opportunities
• Personalized mentorship sessions to address your unique business needs
• Opportunity to join a supportive Women in Tech Alumni Network
• KES 1,000,000 equity-free grant seed funding for the top five finalists
• 9 months ongoing support from Standard Chartered and @iBizAfrica to assist with the go-to market and scale for the top five finalists.

Eligibility Criteria

• They are seeking to recruit the best entrepreneurial minds, women-led tech startups as key drivers of innovation in business.
• The Eligibility criteria is as follows:

• • The business must be based in Kenya i.e. be aligned with the needs of Kenyans and operating in Kenya
  • The company must be a tech-enabled and/or leveraging on emerging technologies, including but not limited to; Internet of Things (IoT); Artificial Intelligence; Robotics; Augmented & Virtual Reality; 3D & 4D Printing; Cloud Computing; Big Data; Blockchain; Drone Technology and Biometrics.
  • The company must be founded or cofounded by a woman with an equal or majority stake.
  • The founder or co founder must be over 18 years old and Kenyan
  • Business models must have a clear focus on sustainability and alignment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • 3 months to less than 2 years of operations.
  • Seeking support for proof of concept, customer, product and business model development.
  • Pre-revenue with early traction (users).
  • Post revenue is an added advantage, with the creation of a new business module.

For more information, visit Standard Chartered.

3. News/Media Literacy Award – Apply Now!

Deadline: 1-May-23

Entries are now open for the News/Media Literacy Award to honor front-line teachers and news media organizations in the quest to help students understand the “why” of press freedom.

The award will recognize excellence in making sure that students develop a thorough understanding of the crucial role of journalism in society and of the sometimes deadly risks for people who do this work. This award will serve as the news/literacy category for this year’s prize.

Inspiration and impact by educators and news media in assuring that students understand the crucial role of journalism in society and the sometimes deadly risks for people who do this work.

Educators and news organizations will be honored by a special Press Freedom Teaching Award in the 2023 edition of the Global Youth & News Media Prize.

Eligibility Criteria

• Educators – Educators at the primary or secondary level of instruction teaching in any kind of class at any kind of institution.
• News Media Organzations – A news outlet on any platform and organizations that represent journalists or news organizations or NGOs whose activities support those groups.
• Entries can be self-nominated or submitted by another entity or individual.
• The teaching activity can have occurred anytime since January 2019.

Assessement Criteria

• Entries from educators and news media organizations (outlets and NGOs) will be assessed by a distinguished, international panel of judges that will include both experts in the topic and past laureates.
• ​Educators can teach primary or secondary students in any kind of setting. News media organizations include companies and nonprofits involving journalists in this work.
• “Teaching” means any kind of course or program at the primary or secondary level. Educators and news media teams can nominate themselves or be nominated by someone else. Candidates can be anywhere in the world. News outlets on any platform as well as the nonprofits that represent or support them are eligible for the award.

Spotlighting 2 Journalists Under Threat

• The entry will also immediately add to the general knowledge base about threats to journalists. They are:​

• • Yalda Moaiery (Iran), selected by students of a previous educator laureate to bring attention to her case as a journalist wrongly prosecuted.
  • Maria Ressa (Philippines), selected by Global Youth & News Media for taking the time to teach about the worth of journalism amid her own tough fight to keep the freedom that allows her to do that work.
• Note: Global Youth & News Media has created a collection of resources for exploring the topic of threats to journalists.

For more information, visit Global Youth & News Media.

4. Pulitzer Center’s Sixth Annual Fighting Words Poetry Contest

Deadline: 15-May-23

How can poetry be an effective response to current events and underreported stories? How can journalism and poetry help to make connections between global issues and the local and personal contexts? Students are invited to explore these questions and make their voices heard in their entries to the Fighting Words Poetry Contest.

Workshop Information

• Fighting Words poetry workshops are free to K-12 students and educators. However, we ask that teachers have all students complete two surveys (one before the workshop, one afterward), and that the teacher completes a post-workshop survey as well. These surveys help us continue offering free education programs, and provide necessary feedback to improve the experience for students and educators.
• Workshops last 45-75 minutes, depending on your availability and preference. They suggest scheduling a 60-75 minute workshop, if you have the class time, for a more robust discussion.
• During the workshop, the facilitator will introduce the contest mission and guidelines to students. We will also explore an excerpt of a news story together and a past contest-winning poem written in response to that news story. Time permitting, we will practice selecting lines from a news story and writing a group poem. The primary workshop goals are to get students excited about writing their poems, and to help them feel prepared and empowered to write poems that amplify both an underreported story and their own voices. Workshops are designed to be highly interactive and discussion-based. We will provide students with multiple ways to engage (verbally, in writing, in small groups, kinesthetically, etc.)

Prizes Information

• 1st place: $300,
• 2nd place: $200,
• 3rd place: $100,
• Finalists: $75,

Eligibility Criteria

Also Read: Funding Opportunities For African Businesses

• Current K-12 students anywhere in the world may enter. Students may write in any language, and are welcome to submit multilingual poems. Judges will have reading fluency in English and Spanish.

Judging Criteria

• Poems will be judged by the following criteria:

• • Success of the poem on its own terms (craft, linguistic style, emotion, etc.)
• Questions to ask yourself:
  • What response(s) do I want to evoke in my reader? Have I chosen the best words to evoke this response?
  • Have I used poetic devices (e.g. repetition, imagery, metaphor), or chosen not to use them, to achieve a specific effect?
  • Successful inclusion of lines quoted from a Pulitzer Center story, and responsiveness to the theme(s) of the story
• Questions to ask yourself:
  • Have I chosen lines that add something important to the poem?
  • Are the lines integrated into the poem smoothly, so their presence feels natural?
  • Have I amplified the underreported story in my poem?
  • Thoughtful choice of perspective and respectful treatment of subject matter
• Questions to ask yourself:
  • What is my relationship to the story I have chosen? How can I make a personal connection?
  • Why am I writing from the perspective I have chosen? What other perspectives could I choose, and how would those choices change the poem?
  • If the subjects of the story I have chosen read my poem, how might they feel?

For more information, visit Pulitzer Center.

5.  Energising Women to Advance the Energy Transition 2023 Mentoring Programme

 Deadline: 25-May-23

Applications are now open for the Energising Women to Advance the Energy Transition 2023 Mentoring Programme 2023.

To continue advancing women’s role as agents of change, the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET) in cooperation with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and supporting partners adelphi and Guidehouse, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), is launching a mentoring programme in select countries as part of Germany’s Energy partnerships and energy dialogues.

Aims

The 2023 mentoring programme builds on the success of the 2021 Energising women to advance the energy transition Programme and seeks to enhance the careers of mid-career women working in the energy sector. In particular, the programme aims to:

• empower women in the energy sector in order to increase women’s representation at managerial and decision-making levels, and ultimately advance the pace of the energy transition,
• foster social change, facilitate novel ideas and encourage networking, and
• support participants to develop concrete career goals which they can strategically work towards.

Eligibility Criteria

The application criteria for participants are as follows:

• Must be a national from one of the following countries:

• • LAC: Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay
  • MENA: Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates
  • ASIA: China, India, the Republic of Korea, Vietnam, and Japan
  • SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: Ethiopia, Namibia, and South Africa
• Must be a woman working in either the public or the private sector in the renewable energy or energy efficiency field
• Must work in a middle management position (5 – 10 years of relevant work experience)

Criteria

• The programme is also seeking senior professionals working in the energy sector to serve as mentors and support participants’ professional and personal development.
• Furthermore, the mentoring programmes are designed around the following key programme parameters:

• • Hand-picked selection of mentor based on the stipulated goals and aspirations
  • 12-month programme duration with regular bilateral mentor-mentee exchanges (approx. 1 – 1,5 hours per month)
  • Social media campaign highlighting mentees and mentors
  • Kick-off webinar and graduation ceremony
  • Study tour for selected mentees to Germany in June 2023
  • Networking and peer-to-peer exchange

For more information, visit Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET).

6. The Vegan Society Grant Programme

Deadline: 18-May-23

The Vegan Society is accepting applications from individuals and grassroots organisations for the Vegan Society Grant Programme.

It exists to support projects which will encourage non-vegans to go vegan and stay vegan.

Recently awarded grants went to ‘Radio programs to encourage non-vegans to go vegan and stay vegan in Sengerema district, Tanzania’, and ‘Culture and Tradition, a call to animal welfare’, which was a community run project to encourage fellow villagers to replace animal skins with synthetic materials in traditional dance festivals in Zimbabwe. In the UK a project titled ‘Enjoy Soy’ worked to provide vegan culinary training to newly independent young adults.

Funding Information

• A typical award is £1000
• All projects must be completed within 12 months of receiving the award.

They are looking for projects that?

• Raise public awareness of veganism in a positive way
• Promote veganism in a unique or exciting way to non-vegans
• Support people from marginalised backgrounds to access veganism.

What are the conditions of receiving a grant?

• As a recipient of a grant, you are required to acknowledge the Society on all promotional materials and in any media coverage. A file containing the Vegan Society logo will be sent to all successful applicants.
• Copies of promotional material and any press coverage of your project should be included with your final report. Photographs of the event or project in action are also required. If these are of high quality they may be included on their website or in their magazine, The Vegan.
• A Vegan Society representative may attend your event.
• You must submit your report and invoice for the final 25% of your grant within two months of the completion date of your project, otherwise this will not be awarded.

Target Audience

• Planning your project for a specific audience will increase your project’s chance of making an impact on the participants.
• Projects or events that are aimed at a generic group of people, e.g. ‘residents of Leeds’ or ‘families’, are unlikely to be successful in their application as this indicates that the applicant has not considered their audience when planning their project.
•  Examples of a good target audience to plan your project around are ‘academics studying philosophy’, ‘people who follow Hinduism’, ‘parents of vegetarian children’ or ‘people who are passionate about their companion animals’.

Eligibility Criteria

• The projects are based across the globe, with a particular emphasis on those based in economically developing countries.
• they welcome applicants from long term members or from people who are new to their work, and no preferential treatment will be given based on this, although joining as a member is a great way to support their work.
• You can apply if you are all of the:

• • A vegan
  • A non-profit organisation or individual with a non-profit project
  • Not a Vegan Society staff member or trustee.

For more information, visit Vegan Society Grant.

7. Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program in Gambia

Deadline: 14-May-23

Purpose of Small Grants: PDS in Banjul, The Gambia invites proposals for programs that strengthen cultural ties between the United States and The Gambia; cultural and exchange programming that highlights shared values and promotes bilateral cooperation. All programs must include an American cultural element, or connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.

Priority Program Areas

• Strengthening Democratic Institutions, including press freedom

• Empowering civil society, with an emphasis on women and youth

• Bolstering education

• Strengthening economic development and entrepreneurship

• Encouraging cultural exchange

• Participants and Audiences: All proposals should focus on engaging Gambians in The Gambia. Proposals that reach marginalized communities and youth are encouraged.

Examples

• Examples of PAS Small Grants Program programs include, but are not limited:

• • Academic and professional lectures, seminars and speaker programs;

• • Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances and exhibitions;

• • Cultural heritage conservation and preservation programs;

• • Professional and academic exchanges and programs;

• • Academic clubs focusing on extracurricular activities and student achievement;

• • Professional training for journalists; or

• • Social movement programs and programs to support political transparency.

Funding Information

• Length of performance period: 3 to 24 months

• Number of awards anticipated: 7 awards (dependent on amounts)

• Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $250 to a maximum of $25,000

• Total available funding: $100,000

Eligibility Criteria

• The Public Diplomacy Section encourages applications from the United States and The Gambia:

• • Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience

• • Individuals

• • Non-profit media organizations

• • Professional Trade organizations

• • Non-profit or governmental educational institutions

• For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.

Ineligibility Criteria

• The following types of programs are NOT eligible for funding:

• • Programs relating to partisan political activity;

• • Charitable or development activities;

• • Construction programs;

• • Programs solely focused on purchasing supplies;

• • Programs that support specific religious activities;

• • Fund-raising campaigns;

• • Lobbying for specific legislation or programs;

• • Scientific research;

• • Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization; or

• • Programs that duplicate existing programs.

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Gambia.

8. U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa PDS Request for Statement of Interest (Ethiopia)

 Also Read: Funding Opportunities For African Businesses

 Deadline: 18-May-23

The U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Department of State invites proposals for programs that strengthen cultural ties between the U.S. and Ethiopia through cultural, media and exchange programming that highlights shared values and promotes bilateral cooperation.

Purpose of Small Grants:

All programs must include an American cultural element, or connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policies, values, and perspectives. Examples of PDS small grants programs include, but are not limited to:

• Academic and professional lectures, seminars and speaker programs;

• Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances and exhibitions;

• Programs developed by an alumnus/a of a U.S. sponsored or supported educational or professional exchange program.

• Programs that strengthen U.S. college and university relationships with local higher education institutions, businesses, and/or regional organizations.

• Media trainings.

Themes

The APS is intended to inform individuals, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and academic institutions about opportunities from the Public Diplomacy Section to support projects in at least one of the following thematic areas:

• Efforts to support Ethiopia’s economic and political reforms, including support for civil society, democracy, and governance, and/or entrepreneurship.

• Strengthening independent and state media through media literacy with a focus on workshops for general audiences, like high school classes or clubs, university groups, etc., to learn about how to discern reliable sources of information, how to identify mis- and disinformation, etc.

• Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).

• Engaging emerging and under-represented populations, including youth, women, and persons with disabilities through education, art, sports, culture and other programs.

• Promoting tolerance and peace through dialogue.

• Promoting economic growth, especially via entrepreneurship.

• Promoting sustainable policies to protect the environment.

Priority Program Areas:

Proposals must identify how the proposal would fulfil a general U.S. Embassy priority:

• Spur Broad-based Economic Growth and Promote Development: strengthen role of women and youth in economic activity; improve trade and investment climate; and increase opportunities for employment transition.

• Promote resilient peace, security, and democratic institutions in Ethiopia: Strengthen transparent, democratic institutions that promote good governance, rule of law, peace building, and human rights principles at all levels of government and society; support pluralistic, inclusive dialogue processes.

• Promote sustainable development and mutual prosperity through expanded and deepened partnerships and mutual understanding: Support shared global interests in sustainable economic and human development for vulnerable citizens and communities; strengthen the U.S.-Ethiopian economic and commercial relationship by promoting market-oriented reforms and expanding two-way trade and investment; rebuild and expand people-to-people connections between Ethiopians and Americans.

Funding Information

• Length of performance period: 6 to 12 months.

• Number of awards anticipated: Approximately five awards.

• Estimated Total Program Funding: $200,000

• Award amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $25,000 to a maximum of $100,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Public Diplomacy Section encourages applications from U.S. and Ethiopian:

• • Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/nongovernmental organizations with programming experience.

• • Non-profit or governmental educational institutions.

• Individuals will be considered, but priority is given to registered organizations and educational institutions with a proven track record of success. For-profit or commercial entities, including for-profit media organizations, are not eligible to apply.

Ineligible

The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:

• Programs relating to partisan political activity;

• Charitable or development activities;

• Construction programs;

• Programs that support specific religious activities;

• Fund-raising campaigns;

• Lobbying for specific legislation or programs;

• Scientific research;

• Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization; or

• Programs that duplicate existing programs.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.

9. Small Grants to Strengthen ties between the U.S. and South Sudan

 Deadline: 14-May-23

The Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Embassy in Juba, South Sudan is pleased to announce that limited funding is available through its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program, provided through the U.S. Department of State.

Purpose of Small Grants:

PDS Juba invites proposals for programs that strengthen ties between the U.S. and South Sudan through programming that advances core U.S. foreign policy goals, in particular those outlined in the BidenHarris Administration’s fact sheet and U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa. Project proposals should advance shared priorities and values and promote bilateral cooperation.

Examples of PDS Small Grants Program programs include, but are not limited to:

• Training and workshops that advance and promote peacebuilding, democracy, transparency; strengthen a national identity, transcending historical divisions; support and develop the media community; address trauma, healing, and reconciliation; and support economic empowerment;

• Academic and professional lectures, seminars, and speaker programs;

• Artistic and cultural workshops, performances, and exhibitions;

Priority Program Areas:

• Foster Openness and Open Societies

• Examples:

• • Promoting government transparency, accountability, and tolerance of marginalized communities, and citizens’ rights and responsibilities in a democratic society.

• • Increasing the focus on rule of law, justice, and dignity.

• • Assisting South Sudan to more transparently leverage its natural resources for sustainable development.

• Deliver Democratic and Security Dividends

• Examples:

• • Supporting civil society, empowering marginalized groups, centering the voices of women and youth, and defending free and fair elections.

• • Advancing regional stability and security.

• Advance Pandemic Recovery and Economic Opportunity

• Examples:

• • Prioritizing policies and programs to spur economic recovery and build capacities to increase preparedness for the next health threat.

• • Partnering to rebuild human capital and food systems that were further weakened by the pandemic and Russia’s war against Ukraine.

• Support Conservation, Climate Adaptation, and a Just Energy Transition

• Examples:

• • Partnering to conserve, manage, and restore the continent’s rich natural ecosystems.

• • Supporting efforts to minimize and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate, including enhancing community, economic, and supply chain resilience.

• • Working to accelerate just transitions to a clean energy future, energy access, and energy security.

Funding Information

• Length of performance period: up to 12 months.

• Number of awards anticipated: at least one.

• Award Floor: $1,000

• Total available funding: Up to $100,000. Awards may be for a maximum of $50,000 but past award amounts for any individual project have not exceeded $25,000.

Participants and Audiences:

Programs should focus on a specific audience segment in South Sudan, e.g., youth between the ages of 14 to 35, women, civil society organizations, etc.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicants PDS encourages applications from:

• • Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience and that are actively involved with projects in South Sudan.

• All programs must include an American cultural element, and/or connection with an American expert(s), organization(s), or institution(s) in a specific field that will promote an increased understanding of and appreciation for U.S. policy and perspectives. South Sudanese organizations based outside of Juba are especially encouraged to apply.

• For-profit, governmental, or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.