U.S. Embassy Mozambique Public Diplomacy Section Small Grants Program

Objectives

• The Annual Program Statement presents a funding opportunity through the Public Diplomacy Section to support small grant programs that enhance education, art & culture, entrepreneurship, media engagement, climate conservation, empowerment of women, youth and marginalized communities, and combat youth marginalization within Mozambican communities. The themes provided are aligned with the United States Mission Goals for the country of Mozambique. Possible activities may include educational and cultural exchanges, workshops, speaker programs, English language instruction, nature conservation initiatives, and capacity-building.
• Applicants are expected to identify their target audience, scope of work and effectively measure the results of their programs throughout the implementation period. This includes designing a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan, detailing how the project’s performance will be tracked over time, and outlining the approach and data collection strategies to be utilized, such as pre- and post-test surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Additionally, applicants should develop a marketing or media plan along with communication strategies to promote their initiatives.

Focus Areas

• For the current year, PDS Mozambique welcomes proposals focused on one or more of the following themes:
  • Education Partnerships: Proposals in this area may focus strengthening links between U.S. and Mozambican education institutions at the secondary and tertiary level. Examples include joint research projects that pair Mozambican and U.S. students and academics to address shared topics of concern, such as climate change, trades fields, migration, economic growth, history, culture, food security, inclusion, accessibility, STEM, and tech access. Vocational and technical training is also welcome.
  • English Language Learning: Proposals in this area may focus on one or more of the following:  expanding access to English language education through teacher training programs, direct teaching of English language to targeted groups, curriculum development, expanding language learning resources, professional development, linking English language learning with career development, and improving Mozambican’s English level for prerequisite testing for admission to U.S. institutions of higher learning.
  • Social Impact Entrepreneurship: Proposals in this area develop entrepreneurship ecosystems, by supporting social impact entrepreneurship endeavors that address environmental, educational banking, agricultural, health and accessibility, technological, and infrastructure challenges with for-profit businesses solutions. Proposals may support capacity-building for aspiring entrepreneurs, certifications, and access to seed funding enterprises with a significant social impact.
  • Strengthening Media Ecosystem: Proposals in this area should enhance press freedoms and improve the capacity of journalists (senior and aspiring), to improve reporting standards, the quantity and quality of investigative reports, and increase media literacy for the public. This includes focusing on countering dis/mis information, as well as media access for underserved areas of Mozambique and underserved populations, including people with disabilities and those who only speak vernacular languages.

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Program Funding: $250,000
• Award Ceiling: $250,000
• Award Floor: $50,000
• Proposed projects should be completed in 12 months or less.

Ineligible Activities

• 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; or
• Programs that duplicate existing programs.

Eligibility Criteria

• The following Mozambican, U.S. and Foreign organizations are eligible to apply:
  • Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience
  • Public and private educational institutions
  • Not-for-profit cultural institutions
  • Individuals
  • Media outlets
  • All organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) issued via SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on SAM.gov.

Review Criteria

• Each application will be evaluated and rated based on the evaluation criteria outlined below.
  • Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea-20 points: The program idea is well developed, with detail about how program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline.
  • Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants-20 points: The organization has expertise in its stated field and has the internal controls in place to manage federal funds.  This includes a financial management system and a bank account.
  • Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives-15 points: Goals and objectives are clearly stated and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.
  • Budget-10 points: The budget justification is detailed. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities.
  • Monitoring and evaluation plan-15 points: Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provides milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The program includes output and outcome indicators and shows how and when those will be measured.
  • Sustainability-10 points: Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program.
  • Support of Equity and Underserved Communities-10 points: Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the program will support and advance equity and engage underserved communities in program administration, design, and implementation.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.