U.S. Embassy in Lusaka: Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation Grants 2020

Deadline: 25-Nov-20

The U.S. Embassy in Lusaka and the Cultural Heritage Centre (“the Centre”) of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs are pleased to announce the 2020 call for proposals for the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) Grants Competition that supports the preservation of cultural sites, cultural objects, and forms of traditional cultural expression in more than 100 developing countries around the world.

AFCP-supported projects include the restoration of ancient and historic buildings, assessment and conservation of rare manuscripts and museum collections, preservation and protection of important archaeological sites, and the documentation of vanishing traditional craft techniques and indigenous languages.

Project Categories

AFCP supports preservation projects in the following three categories:

Cultural Objects and Collections from a museum, site or similar institution: This includes archaeological and ethnographic objects, paintings, sculpture, manuscripts, photographic and film collections and general museum conservation activities. Proposals in this category may involve, for example:
- Conservation treatment for an object or collection of objects;
- Needs assessment of a collection with respect to its condition and strategies for improving its conservation purposes;
- The creation of safe environments for storage or display of collections;
- Specialized training in the care and preservation of collections;
Cultural Sites: This includes (but is not limited to) historical buildings and sites, sacred places, monuments, and archaeological sites. Proposals in this category may involve for example:
- Restoration of a historic building;
- An archaeological survey as a component of a preservation plan;
- Preservation management planning for a site;
- Documentation of sites in a region for preservation purposes;
Forms of Traditional Cultural Expression: This includes the documentation and audio-visual recording of traditional music, indigenous languages and dance forms for broad dissemination as the means of teaching and further preserving them, or support for training in the preservation of traditional applied arts or crafts in danger of extinction. Proposals in this category may involve for example:
- Documenting and audio-visual recording of traditional music and dance forms as part of a traditional expression and making the information and recordings available;
- Support for training in the preservation of traditional arts or crafts that are threatened by extinction.

Funding Information

The floor on Amount of Individual Awards: $10,000 per project;
The ceiling on Amount of Individual Awards: $500,000 per project.

Project Size

AFCP supports small, medium and large-scale projects.

Eligibility Criteria

Project proposals will be accepted from among the following:
- Non-governmental organizations;
- Museums;
- Government Ministries of Culture or similar institutions.
DUNS Number and SAM Registration: Applicants must have a Dun & Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code, and be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to submitting full applications.
Round 1: Concept Note Requirements:
- Project basics, including a working title, anticipated project length (in months), location/site, and project cost estimate (amount requested from AFCP; in U.S. dollars);
- Project implementer information, including name and SAM registration status;
- Project purpose that summarizes the objectives, proposed activities, and desired results;
- The rationale for AFCP support, explaining;
- Why it is in the interests of the U.S. government to fund the project;
- How the project relates to Integrated Country Strategy (ICS) goals, existing bilateral agreements, or other U.S. foreign policy objectives;
- The projected public diplomacy benefits and impacts of the project;
- Whether it contributes to the broader host country or community aims or objectives;
- Embassy Front Office (FO) clearance;
- Five (5) high-quality digital images (JPEGs) or audio-visual files that convey the nature and condition of the site, collection, or tradition and show the urgency or need for the proposed project (collapsing walls, water damage, etc.