Deadline: 15-Jun-2024
The U.S. Embassy Lithuania Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce that funding is available through its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program.
Purpose of Small Grants
- PDS Lithuania invites proposals for programs that strengthen ties between the United States and Lithuania through programming that highlights shared values and promotes bilateral cooperation. All grant proposals must convey an element of American history, culture, or shared values. Competitive proposals should support a priority program area. They should also include a connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s that will promote increased cooperation between the people of the United States and Lithuania even after the program has finished. Project proposals should have an intrinsic public diplomacy objective in support of the Priority Program Areas listed below. Projects with a particular emphasis on activities outside the capital of Vilnius will have a priority.
Priority Program Areas
- PDS is focused on bilateral priorities in the form of programs, exchanges, and media opportunities that:
- Strengthen the safety and the security of Lithuania, including building regional security and countering Russia’s aggression.
- Build capacity for crisis response, including natural disasters
- Support Lithuania’s transatlantic orientation, including promoting the history and future of shared Lithuanian-American ties
- Deepen understanding of NATO and security challenges in the region
- Deepen U.S.-Lithuania bilateral trade and commercial ties, with an emphasis on building Lithuania’s energy security and sustainability.
- Promote economic prosperity, energy security, and entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education and innovation
- Advance freedom, democratic principles and human rights in Lithuania and the region.
- Use arts and sport to build cross-cultural cooperation, particularly focusing on empowerment of women and marginalized communities
- Preserve the historical memory of Lithuania’s heritage, to include fighting against antisemitism and discrimination
- Foster tolerance and societal integration of marginalized and vulnerable members of society into Lithuania’s economy, including but not limited to individuals with disabilities, refugees, and minority ethnic groups
- Strengthen the safety and the security of Lithuania, including building regional security and countering Russia’s aggression.
Funding Information
- Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $2,500 to a maximum of $25,000
- Length of performance period: up to 12 months
- Number of awards anticipated: 20-40 awards (dependent on amounts)
- Anticipated program start date: variable
Participants and Audiences
- They seek proposals for geographically and demographically diverse audiences within Lithuania. They will give preference to proposals coming from, or targeting, areas where PDS has no presence (i.e. outside of Vilnius, Klaipeda, Šiauliai, and Visaginas.)
- All programs must have an American element and must reach a Lithuanian audience. Preference will be given to proposals that are part of long-term initiatives, reach audiences of strategic importance, and/or can demonstrate a sustained positive impact in the community.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Public Affairs Section encourages applications from U.S. and Lithuanian:
- Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience
- Individuals
- Non-profit or governmental educational institutions
- Governmental institutions
- In deciding which proposals to support, the Embassy will consider the full range and diversity of Lithuanian nonprofit organizations – cultural, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and educational – and will seek to target geographically and demographically diverse audiences in Lithuania. Lithuanian and U.S. citizens may apply as individuals.
- For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.
Ineligible
- The following types of programs, activities, and expenses are not eligible for funding:
- Programs relating to partisan political activity;
- Charitable or development activities without Public Diplomacy relevance;
- Construction programs;
- Programs that support specific religious activities;
- Fund-raising campaigns;
- Lobbying for specific legislation or programs;
- Scientific research.
For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Lithuania.