Bureau of NEA/PPD announces Middle East Media Initiative (MEMI)

Deadline: 21 June 2020

The U.S. Department of State (DOS), Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Press and Public Diplomacy (NEA/PPD), in consultation with Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has announced an open competition for support to the FY-20 Middle East Media Initiative (MEMI).

The goal of the activity is to support training and creative collaborations between TV, broadcast media and digital professionals in the U.S. and the Middle East to engage the imaginations of viewers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, especially young people.

The activity seeks to establish professional and educational exchange programs that advance values-based entertainment programming, content development and production, and production methods and business standards that also supports linking American industry and MENA regional established and emerging voices in television and episodic series production.

These exchanges will seek to advance American methods and standards of production, American media industry business values and practices, American industry linkages to the region and vice versa while promoting a pluralistic, values-based, high quality future for the industry in the MENA region as the market for content continues to grow.

Funding Information

Length of performance period: 24 months
Number of awards anticipated: One (1) award
Award amounts: $750,000
Total available funding: $750,000
Anticipated program start date: October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2022

The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:

Programs run by for-profit organizations
Programs related to partisan political activity.
Construction programs.
Programs that support specific religious activities.
Fund-raising campaigns.
Lobbying for specific legislation or programs.
Programs that duplicate existing programs.

Priority Countries

Arabic speakers in or from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and the West Bank and Gaza.

Eligibility Criteria

NEA/PPD invites applications from U.S., regional, and local registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/NGOs with programming experience. All applicants must review and comply with the government-wide suspension and debarment policy in 2 CFR Part 180. This provision restricts Federal awards, sub-awards, and contracts with certain parties that are debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal programs or activities.

Evaluation Criteria

Organizational capacity and good record on previous grants: The organization has expertise in its stated field and the NEA/PPD and ECA are confident of its ability to undertake the program. This includes a financial management system, a bank account, qualified staff and program management experience.
Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea – The program idea is well developed, with detail about how media program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline
Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Goals and Objectives: Goals and objectives are clearly stated, and media program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.
NEA-ECA Priorities: Applicant has clearly described how stated goals are related to and support MEMI priority countries.
Budget: The budget justification is detailed with a comprehensive narrative. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities.
Monitoring and evaluation plan: Applicant demonstrate the ability to measure program success against key indicators and provide milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The program includes a baseline, output and outcome indicators, and shows how and when those indicators will be measured.
Sustainability: Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program.