Deadline: 26-Jun-21
The Africa Regional Services (ARS) branch of Africa Bureau’s Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (AF/PDPA) of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to reach millions of young professionals in sub-Saharan Africa by podcast and radio on a variety of themes including democracy; entrepreneurship; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math; climate change; and health.
Objectives
- Produce 30 episodes (between 15-30 minutes each) of audio programming to be available as podcasts to be downloaded by individuals and provided to radio stations over the course of a minimum of 6 months in English, French and Portuguese.
- Create a narrative budget that describes production costs that may include compensation to on-the-ground reporters or for the collection of authentic b-roll audio footage, payment for radio time, USB keys, data cards, advertising, etc.
- Reach at least 10 million youth between 25-45, in at least 25 sub-Sahara African countries over the course of the project via radio and online means.
- Increase public awareness, especially among women, about global issues and what that concern means to them.
- Increase public awareness about an individual’s role in a citizen-responsive government and democratic stability.
- Make programs available with specific attention to community radio stations in English, French and Portuguese and 10 episodes in Kinyarwanda. (Include translation costs in budget.)
- Increase positive views of the United States or U.S. foreign policy as seen in polls. (Include polling or sub award for polling in budget.)
- Provide evidence of public discussion on ten of the twenty topics.
- Promote U.S. values or assistance in thematic discussions.
Themes
- Democracy and Good Governance
- The roles of journalists, elected leaders, community leaders, strong institutions, civil society, and security forces in democracies.
- What is the United Nations Security Council and rotating presidency? And why should I care?
- Contributions of stigmatized groups, such as LGBT, women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
- Human rights: what are they, what safeguards protect them, why should this matter to me?
- How rumors start and how to overcome incorrect rumors or misinformation.
- Citizen participation: how and why people take on active roles in their communities.
- Independent Judiciary- what is it and examples where it has worked
- How are young people on the continent making a difference in their communities?
- Health
- How vaccines work, from measles to polio to COVID-19
- Gender-based violence and legal protections available.
- Successes in community health (Ebola, vaccine or malaria campaigns)
- Healthy lifestyles: Nutrition, exercise, good health practices
- U.S. and African partnerships in health
- Entrepreneurship and Business Development
- Global Taxation
- Africa Free Trade Agreement.
- AGOA: what it is and how it has helped African countries
- Web based business models in Africa
- Development assistance and the differences between foreign aid and loans for infrastructure projects
- Success stories (American Chambers of Commerce, Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), African Woman’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP), Nouveaux Horizon bookstores, etc.)
- Social Entrepreneurship
- STEM
- What scientific fields contribute to the knowledge of space and what institutions in Sub Sarahi africa are connected to Space exploration or policy
- Why should I care about space? (should encourage STEM studies)
- The connection of private companies, NASA, and international space travel
- Teaching the next scientists- what teachers and parents can do to encourage curiosity
- Climate Crisis
- The threats climate change poses to sub-Saharan Africa
- Innovative solutions to climate issues
- The connection between maritime security, enforcement of IUU fishing restrictions, and food security in Africa.
Funding Information
- Total available funding: $400,000
- Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $50,000 to a maximum of $400,000
- Anticipated program start date: September 2021
- Length of performance period: 12 months; first episode broadcast expected December 2021
Priority Region
- Sub Saharan Africa: Lusophone and francophone countries; South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Eswatini, Lesotho, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi.
Participants and Audiences
- Young professionals speaking English, French, Portuguese, and Kinyarwanda in sub-Sahara Africa by radio in low bandwidth environments and by podcast for download or streaming in highly digitized environments.
Eligibility Criteria
The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with proof of past grants implementation experience with the U.S. government.
- Public and private educational institutions.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=333850