Deadline: 15 February 2020
The U.S. Embassy France Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Department of State has announced that funding is available through its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program.
The United States Embassy and Consulates in France offer small grants for outreach activities that enhance the understanding of the United States in France. Applicants must demonstrate how they intend to actively promote an understanding of the United States and how they will engage with French audiences.
Purpose of Small Grants: PAS Paris invites proposals for programs that strengthen ties between the U.S. and France through programming that creates opportunities for bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest and highlights shared values. All programs must include a U.S. element, such as an American expert, organization, cultural element, or institution, that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.
Priority Program Areas
PAS seeks to engage the public, decision-makers, civil society leaders, and opinion-shapers at all levels of French society on information, security, economic, cultural, and educational issues through public diplomacy resources and expertise, with the goal of broadening support for, and understanding of U.S. policies, culture, history, society, and values. Priority programmatic themes for the U.S. Mission to France include:
- Scurity and Defense: Activities that promote transatlantic security; combat transnational, regional, and global challenges, such as terrorism, violent extremism, anti-Semitism, racially or ethnically motivated terrorism, or cyber threats; and encourage resistance to malign influence and disinformation.
- Countering Anti-Semitism and Targeted Violence: Activities that address the spike of anti-Semitic acts and increased incidents of targeted violence in France, highlighting the threat of these acts to their shared democratic values.
- Prosperity, Trade, and Investment: Activities that encourage a nuanced understanding of U.S. agricultural practices and industries, support the expansion of U.S. exports and investments, improve the connections between U.S. and French businesses, and/or expand economic opportunities, entrepreneurship, and financial independence among women, youth, and underserved populations.
- Shared Democratic Values: Non-partisan activities that promote an understanding of U.S. democracy (such as around the 2020 U.S. elections) and how the United States and France share democratic values, especially among audiences with little first-hand knowledge of the United States.
- Technology and Innovation: Activities that support cooperation in such areas as space exploration, agricultural technology, cybersecurity, and entrepreneurship.
- Shared Values and Interests: Activities that promote the long history of the U.S.-France relationship and build people-to-people ties, including but not limited to commemorations of key historic events and commemorative programs.
- Student Mobility: Activities that create sustainable partnerships between French educational institutions and U.S. partners and increase opportunities for educational and professional exchanges.
- Cultural Diplomacy: Activities promoting U.S. culture, building on shared U.S.-French appreciation for cultural excellence through culinary traditions, art, film, sports, fashion, literature, and other cultural forms.
Examples of PAS Small Grants Program projects include, but are not limited to:
- Academic and professional lectures, seminars, or speaker programs;
- Workshops to coInteractive programs that stimulate economic growth, promote entrepreneurship, and provide economic opportunities;
- Professional and academic exchanges and programs.
Funding Information
- Award amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $2,000 to a maximum of $25,000
- Length of performance period: One to 12 months
- Type of Funding: Fiscal Year 2020 Public Diplomacy Funding
The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:
- Programs relating to partisan political activity;
- Charitable or development activities;
- Construction programs;
- Programs that support specific religious activities;
- Fund-raising campaigns;
- Lobbying for specific legislation or programs
- Scientific research;
- Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization
- Programs that duplicate existing programs.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Public Affairs Section encourages applications from the U.S. and France:
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- Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience
- Individuals
- Non-profit educational institutions
- Governmental institutions
- For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.
For more information, visit https://fr.usembassy.gov/education-culture/grants-programs/small-grants-program/