NOFO: 2024 Arctic Indigenous Exchange Program

This new initiative will bring together approximately 50 Indigenous leaders, including business development professionals, government officials, and entrepreneurs from Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark (Greenland), and the United States (Alaska), for a multi-phase exchange program to explore areas of regional cooperation across the Arctic. The goal of this program is to strengthen people-to-people relationships, advance cooperation, and foster greater commercial and cultural ties between Arctic Indigenous populations in the United States, Canada, and Greenland across a range of priority areas.

U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to provide a series of exchange projects ranging in size and scope, focused on critical topics to Arctic Indigenous communities in Greenland, Canada, and the United States (specifically Alaska), including sustainable economic development, climate and the environment, and health and well-being. It is anticipated that this cooperative agreement will support approximately three to six distinct exchange projects for approximately 50 participants, including approximately 35 foreign and 15 U.S. participants. Exchange activities may include, but are not limited to, regional workshops, summits, and alumni activities, as appropriate in any of the three participating countries.

Purpose

The AIEP supports the following broad goals:

• Promote mutual understanding and lasting partnerships between emerging and midlevel Arctic Indigenous leaders from Canada, Greenland, and the United States;
• Provide opportunities for foreign and U.S. emerging leaders to collaborate and share ideas, approaches, and strategies regarding pressing challenges;
• Foster greater commercial and cultural ties between the Arctic indigenous communities in Greenland, Canada, and the United States and;
• Create a network of Arctic Indigenous leaders committed to sound business practices, ethical management, sustainable development, social entrepreneurship, and community involvement.

Funding Information

• Approximate Total Funding: $1,500,000, pending the availability of funds.
• Approximate Number of Awards: One
• Approximate Average Award: $1,500,000, pending the availability of funds.
• Minimum “Floor” of Award: $1,500,000, pending the availability of funds.
• Maximum “Ceiling” of Award: $1,500,000, pending the availability of funds.
• Anticipated Award Date: September 15, 2024, pending the availability of funds.
• Anticipated Project Completion Date: March 31, 2027

Themes and Eligible Countries

• It is anticipated that approximately 50 Arctic Indigenous leaders from Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark (Greenland), and the United States, including Alaska Native communities, will participate in three to six projects on topics of relevance to the Arctic region such as, but not limited to: sustainable economic development, increased trade and investments, climate change and the environment, security and defense, and health and well-being. The themes of the projects will help advance U.S. foreign policy priorities in these areas.
  • Participants: Participants should, as appropriate, be selected through a merit-based process. Depending on the individual project, participants may be emerging thought leaders or influencers from government, academia, business, or civil society with experience and expertise directly relevant to the approved projects.
  • Organizational Capacity: Applicant organizations must demonstrate their capacity for conducting highly tailored international exchanges for emerging leaders, administering exchanges focused on sustainable economic development, implementing exchange projects that address specific policy challenges and goals, and providing substantive programming and leadership training, ideally from within Indigenous communities.
  • Partner Organizations: Applicant organizations should provide examples of programs, businesses, institutions, organizations, and individuals with whom they would collaborate to implement the projects and should describe any previous collaborative activities.
  • U.S. Department of State Involvement: It is anticipated that the applicant organization will work closely with ECA and other State Department entities, including U.S. missions, on the development and implementation of projects in selected countries.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicants
  • U.S. public and private academic and cultural institutions, exchange-of-persons, and other not for-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit applications for this competition. Applicants must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application.
• Other Eligibility Requirements
  • The following additional eligibility requirements apply to this NOFO announcement:
    • ECA’s grant guidelines require that organizations demonstrate at least four years of experience in conducting international exchanges to be eligible for awards exceeding $130,000 in ECA funding.
    • All proposals must comply with the requirements stated in the NOFO, POGI (if applicable), and the PSI; non-compliance will result in your proposal being declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in the review process.
    • Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.