Deadline: 27 April 2020
The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan is pleased to announce an open competition for eligible organizations to submit proposals for a cooperative agreement to manage the Lincoln Learning Center (LLC) program in Afghanistan.
The Lincoln Learning Centers (LLCs) are a nationwide network of 25 PAS-funded cultural centers. The LLCs conduct youth-oriented educational and cultural programming. The Recipient will oversee all administrative aspects of the LLC program, to include staffing, training, equipment maintenance, and faculty maintenance. The Recipient will also develop and implement LLC programming with significant PAS input and assistance. The government of Afghanistan will provide the facilities in which the LLCs operate.
Goals
The LLC program’s goal is to provide resources and programming that achieves the following (in priority order):
- Develop Future Leaders: Empower talented Afghan youth to become leaders in their local community and nation.
- Build Unity: Encourage national unity, both within the local community and Afghanistan as a whole.
- Empower Women: Enable young women to develop their skills and advocate for their interests, while also promoting women’s rights in the local community.
- Build on the Enduring U.S – Afghan Relationship: Increase Afghans’ understanding of the Unites States, U.S. policy in Afghanistan, and the U.S. as an important and positive partner for Afghanistan.
- To address the lack of higher education opportunities and educational inequality in Afghanistan, the LLCs assist in the development of an educated cadre of Afghan men and women who can build a stronger, prosperous, and more stable country through educational advising services.
- Encouraging Pursuit of Higher Education: Increase the number of Afghan students studying or pursuing higher education in the United States.
Funding Information
- The floor for the base period is set at $4,400,000. The ceiling for the base period is set at $5,000,000.
- The floor for option period one is set at $2,000,000. The ceiling for option period one is set at $2,500,000.
- Anticipated Performance Period:
- Base Period: 24 months
- Option Period One: 12 months.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligibility is open to non-profit organizations. Organizations may sub-award/contract with other entities, but only one non-profit entity may be the prime recipient of the award.
- For-profit entities are not eligible to be the prime recipient of an award under this NOFO. When subawarding/contracting with other entities, the responsibilities of each entity must be clearly defined in the proposal.
- Applicants must submit proof of their non-profit status with their proposal (e.g., proof of 501(c)(3) status, Afghan NGO license, etc.). Applications that do not include proof of non-profit status will not be considered for an award. Individuals are not eligible for an award under this NOFO.
How to Apply
Applicants must ensure:
- The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity.
- All documents are in English.
- All budgets are in U.S. dollars.
- All pages are numbered.
- All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.
- All materials are submitted in one of the following formats: .xls, .xlsx, .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .jpeg. Other file types will likely not be reviewed.
Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=324808