U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation Grants Program | PDS SUDAN NOFO FY2023 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for PDS SUDAN NOFO FY2023 01

The U.S. Mission to Sudan, through the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, is offering grant funding under the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) to support projects that protect and preserve cultural heritage in Sudan. This is a discretionary grant opportunity (CFDA 19.025; Funding Opportunity Number PDS SUDAN NOFO FY2023 01) focused on tangible and intangible heritage preservation, with Round 1 submissions due by Tuesday, December 20, 2022 at 23:59 Khartoum local time. Late submissions are not accepted, and any eventual awards are contingent on the availability of FY 2023 funds. The Embassy encourages interested organizations to contact its Public Affairs Section early to discuss project ideas and requirements.

The core purpose of the AFCP program is to fund practical preservation work that safeguards cultural heritage that is at risk. Supported project types include preservation of archaeological sites, historic buildings and monuments, museum collections, and living traditions and traditional cultural expression such as indigenous languages and crafts. The opportunity is geared toward hands-on heritage protection activities that address real preservation needs and threats. Examples of eligible activities include anastylosis (reassembling a site using its original parts), conservation treatments to address damage or deterioration, consolidation to reconnect structural or material elements, documentation (analog or digital) of current conditions and significant features, inventories of objects/sites/traditions, preventive conservation to mitigate ongoing threats, restoration (generally for fine arts, decorative arts, and historic buildings when appropriate), and stabilization to reduce active physical disturbance or further loss.

The competition uses a two-stage selection process. In the first stage, applicants submit a short concept note rather than a full proposal. The concept note must clearly convey the idea, objectives, and why the project matters, allowing the Embassy and the Cultural Heritage Center within the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (referred to as "the Center") to screen for fit and feasibility before requiring a full application. After reviewing eligible concept notes, the Embassy, in consultation with the Center, will invite selected applicants to develop and submit full proposals. This means that submitting a strong, well-scoped concept note is the key gatekeeper step to move forward in the competition.

Concept notes are expected to include several specific elements. Applicants must provide basic project information, including a working title, the proposed project duration (up to a maximum of 60 months), the location or specific site, and a cost estimate stating the amount requested from AFCP in U.S. dollars. They must also describe the project implementer (who will carry out the work) and demonstrate credibility and capacity. In addition, the concept note should include a scope of work that explains the preservation goals and any broader community or host-country benefits, such as local capacity-building, improved stewardship, or community engagement, and should also explain the significance of the site/collection/tradition and the consequences of inaction (what would be lost, and what preservation contributes locally and/or globally). To help reviewers understand urgency and condition, applicants must attach five high-quality digital images (JPEG) or audiovisual files that show the heritage asset and its current state (for example, structural collapse, water damage, or other visible risks). Concept notes are submitted by email to KhartoumEmbassyGrants@state.gov.

Eligibility is limited to reputable, accountable, non-commercial entities with the demonstrated ability to manage cultural preservation projects and comply with grant requirements. Eligible implementers include non-governmental organizations, museums, educational institutions (public, private, and state-controlled institutions of higher education), ministries of culture, and similar organizations. U.S.-based educational institutions and organizations that qualify under IRS 501(c)(3) are also eligible, and the opportunity listing also includes nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status and certain other eligible applicants as described in the source data. Individuals and commercial entities are not eligible, and prior recipients that failed to meet earlier AFCP objectives or reporting requirements are not eligible for new awards.

Funding details provided in the opportunity include an award ceiling of $500,000. While the notice references expected awards, the specific number is not clearly stated in the provided text. The program also makes clear that publishing the funding opportunity does not guarantee an award. The U.S. government and the Center reserve discretion to waive certain formalities and to reduce, revise, or increase scopes and budgets depending on program needs and available funds.

The program has strict ineligibility rules, and proposals that request support for prohibited activities or costs can be deemed ineligible. AFCP will not fund preservation or purchase of privately or commercially owned cultural property (including property planned for transfer to public ownership if the transfer is not complete at the time of application). It generally does not support natural heritage preservation unless there is a clear cultural heritage connection. It does not fund preservation of hominid or human remains, news media archives, or published materials that are available elsewhere. It does not support curriculum or classroom educational material development, archaeological excavations or exploratory surveys conducted for research purposes, or standalone historical research unless that research is clearly necessary and integral to a preservation project. It also does not fund acquisition of new exhibits or collections for museums, construction of new buildings or additions, or permanent coverings over sites. Other prohibited activities include commissions of new commemorative art/architecture, creating or modernly adapting traditional performances, producing replicas or conjectural reconstructions of lost sites/objects, relocating cultural sites, or removing cultural objects or site elements from the country for any reason. Digitization is not funded unless it is part of a broader, clearly defined conservation/documentation/public diplomacy effort. Likewise, conservation plans or studies are not funded as standalone efforts unless they are components of a larger project that will implement the study results. Finally, AFCP funds cannot be used for cash reserves, endowments, revolving funds, or fundraising campaign costs, and all funds must be spent within the award period (up to five years).

Overall, this opportunity is best suited for organizations that can present a clear, feasible preservation intervention for a significant Sudanese cultural heritage resource, demonstrate urgency and impact with strong visual evidence, and show they have the technical and managerial capacity to complete the work within the program timeframe and compliance expectations.

• The U.S. Mission to Sudan in the arts sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation Grants Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.025.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-12-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-12-20. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for PDS SUDAN NOFO FY2023 01

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