Deadline: 2-May-23
The Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Consulate General Lahore of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce an open competition for assistance awards, contingent on funding availability, through the Public Diplomacy Grants Program.
Priority Areas
- This Notice of Funding Opportunity focuses on promoting peacebuilding, leadership for women through sports, and entrepreneurship development opportunities for the people of Punjab.
- Female religious scholars, Madrassah teachers, and female teachers specialized in religious studies at educational institutions, and female social advocates hold a significant place in Pakistani society and have the capacity to positively influence a large number of students and youth. They have the potential to build a foundation of interand intra-faith harmony among different religions and schools of thought within religions, and especially within the very diverse religious communities of Punjab.
- Participation in sports teaches life skills such as problem-solving, conflict resolution, teamwork, and leadership. In the sports field, Pakistani women generally have more limited opportunities than their male counterparts during their educational careers and beyond. This holds true across Pakistan and in Punjab.
- With a young population and a developing economy, Pakistan has many opportunities for future economic growth. Business Incubation Centers (BICs) at public and private higher education institutes across Punjab can play a key role in this economic growth. With most BICs having been established in the last two years in Punjab, working with their key staff to further enhance their capacity would be beneficial.
Project Goal: These projects will support the inclusive development of all aspects of Pakistani society, fostering diversity and inclusion in civil society, empowering women and girls, promoting interfaith and intra-faith harmony, and supporting the business education of future leaders in Pakistan’s economy. In addition, these projects seek to increase the people to people ties between the U.S. and Pakistan, with opportunities for Pakistanis to travel to the U.S. and for Americans to travel to Pakistan.
Project Objectives: Organizations may submit more than one proposal under this funding opportunity. Projects that address one or more of the objectives are welcome. Each proposal will require its own application and should specify which project objective(s) the activities will support. Extra consideration will be given to projects if they include activities that foster a greater appreciation for diversity. By the end of each project, participating women, youth, community and education leaders, and civil society actors will be able to show measurably greater knowledge and skills in at least one of the areas:
- Empower Women Leaders for Peacebuilding
- Proposals in support of this project should address one or more of the following objectives:
- Empowering civil society to increase tolerance for ethnic and religious diversity.
- Creating opportunities for youth to engage in multi-cultural, inclusive activities.
- Increasing awareness of women leaders and their successes.
- Encouraging citizen participation.
- Proposals in support of this project should address one or more of the following objectives:
- Promote Leadership for Women through Sports
- proposals in support of this project should address one or more of the following objectives:
- Encouraging civil society participation of women and girls.
- Increasing awareness of women leaders and their successes.
- Building capacity for women’s empowerment development.
- Strengthening people-to-people connections between Pakistanis and Americans.
- proposals in support of this project should address one or more of the following objectives:
- Develop Capacity of Business Incubation Centers (BICs) at Higher Education Institutions in Punjab
- Proposals in support of this project should address one or more of the following objectives:
- Providing solutions for entrepreneurs to start and succeed in business.
- Increasing capacity for business incubation and innovation.
- Empowering the next generation of business leaders.
- Strengthening people-to-people connections between Pakistanis and Americans.
- Proposals in support of this project should address one or more of the following objectives:
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: Eighteen (18) months or less
- Number of awards anticipated: Three (3)
- Award amounts: As indicated for each project
- Total available funding: $750,000
Project Audience(s): The project audiences will largely depend on the grantee’s proposal. In general, the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Consulate in Lahore encourages inclusive audiences and prioritizes women, youth, minority communities, and audiences in rural areas of Punjab.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations
- Civil society/non-governmental organizations
- Think tanks
- Public and private educational institutions (Not-for-profit departments)
- Organizations may sub-contract with other entities, but only one, non-profit, nongovernmental entity can be the prime recipient of the award. When sub-contracting with other entities, the responsibilities of each entity must be clearly defined in the proposal.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.