[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 5, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17149-17156]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-3209]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 5361]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: Arts Exchanges on International Issues Program

    Announcement Type: New Grant.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/CU-06-03.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.409.

    Key Dates: Application Deadline: May 11, 2006.
    Executive Summary: The Cultural Programs Division of the Office of 
Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces 
an open competition for grants to implement programs that utilize the 
arts to engage underserved youth in selected countries abroad, and 
foster linkages and build partnerships between U.S. and overseas non-
profit arts and cultural organizations. These international arts 
exchange projects will encourage democracy building by demonstrating 
the opportunities for freedom of thought and expression and 
underscoring the importance of empowerment in an open society.
    Proposed projects should:
     Engage U.S. and overseas artists and arts educators with 
young artists, underserved youth and youth influencers (including 
teachers, artists and community leaders) through exchange projects in 
which one or more artistic discipline is the core content of the 
program.

[[Page 17150]]

     Increase mutual respect and create partnerships between 
key professionals in arts education and youth arts programs in the 
United States and in other countries through multi-phased people-to-
people exchange projects taking place over eighteen to twenty-four 
months.
    U.S. public and non-profit arts organizations, arts education 
programs and institutions, after-school and out-of-school arts programs 
for youth, and art-related departments of higher education 
institutions, meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue code 
section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3), and that have four or more years of 
experience in conducting cultural programs for youth may submit 
proposals that support the goals of the Arts Exchanges on International 
Issues Program. Please see Section 111.3 below for other eligibility 
requirements.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Authority

    Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the 
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-
256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of 
the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase 
mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the 
people of other countries * * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us 
with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural 
interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United 
States and other nations * * * and thus to assist in the development of 
friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States 
and the other countries of the world.'' The funding authority for the 
program above is provided through legislation.

Purpose

    The Bureau seeks proposals for projects in which youth influencers 
reach underserved youth audiences through arts education programs, and 
youth develop their artistic and leadership capabilities. The projects 
should increase the ability of cultural organizations to be responsive 
to their local communities, especially to underserved youth, through 
innovative arts and arts education programming and institutional 
capacity building. Exchange participants and programs should produce an 
artistic or educational product for the public, such as a performance, 
film, presentation, exhibition or curriculum model that enhances the 
broader overseas youth community as well as the program participants.
    The proposed program should reach communities with limited access 
to existing arts educational programs, or in which cultural programs 
would be especially effective in strengthening on-going outreach and 
education programs among public audiences. Proposals that show strong 
prospects for enhancing existing long term collaborations or 
establishing new collaborative efforts among participating 
organizations will be deemed more competitive under the program 
planning and implementation criterion listed in Section V.1 below.

Participants

    Project participants who travel internationally may be professional 
artists, arts educators, arts administrators, youth (must be at least 
18 years old), filmmakers or other arts and cultural experts. However, 
in-country youth project participants and audiences at public 
presentations should include adolescents, young people and the general 
public. Non-local young public audiences may also participate in the 
project through tools such as broadcasting and where appropriate, 
Webcasting.
    Except in countries experiencing severe security concerns that 
would prevent the travel of U.S. participants, programs must be two-way 
exchanges of people, supporting the travel of roughly equal numbers of 
participants from the U.S. and foreign countries. Exchanges with 
countries in which security is a consideration should include plans to 
modify the timing and/or re-configure the project design.

Projects Guidelines

    Proposals will be accepted for projects in the following artistic 
disciplines; Film, Video and Digital Media; Performing Arts including 
Dance, Music, Traditional Arts and Theater; and Visual Arts including 
photography. Each project must use one of these artistic disciplines as 
a vehicle for U.S. and overseas participants to exchange best practices 
and innovative ideas to reach and engage underserved young audiences in 
one or more of the eligible countries listed below. Projects may last 
18-24 months following the award of a grant.
    Proposed projects should:
     Focus on the development and advancement of artistic and 
leadership skills of youth and youth influencers.
     Underscore the importance of empowerment, free expression, 
teamwork, leadership, creative and innovative thinking, and other 
democratic principles to the process of creating and presenting works 
of art.
     Serve youth and communities by promoting the arts as a 
mechanism for encouraging social change and increasing awareness of 
challenging social issues, including, but not limited to conflict 
resolution, democratic understanding, individual success in the 
economic world, HIV and AIDS prevention or building respect among 
different communities.
     Increase the ability of performing and visual arts 
organizations to be responsive to their local communities, especially 
to underserved youth, through innovative arts and arts education 
programming and institutional capacity building.

Project Outcomes

    Project results should include strengthening the artistic and 
leadership capabilities of project participants including young artists 
and youth influencers; strengthening the ability of arts and cultural 
organizations to provide leadership, empower youth, especially from 
underserved communities, and address significant social issues of 
interest to the U.S.; and creating or developing ongoing productive 
relationships between U.S. and foreign artists, and arts and cultural 
organizations.
    Participants and audiences will learn artistic techniques for 
communicating, expressing and comprehending ideas and perceptions. 
Youth and/or youth influencers will demonstrate increased levels of 
appreciation, knowledge and understanding of the arts and artistic 
skills. Foreign cultural organizations will expand their ability to 
provide leadership, youth and community empowerment. Each project will 
include the presentation of an artistic or educational product, 
developed by the U.S. and foreign participants.

Possible Program Components

     U.S. participants travel to the overseas exchange 
partner's country or countries to engage youth influencers and 
community leaders, to conduct workshops, residencies, and other arts 
projects with young artists and youth from underserved communities. 
This component may include presentations (performances, exhibitions and 
the like) that support the workshop and exchange activities.
     Working in cooperation with the public affairs sections of 
U.S. Embassies to the extent appropriate, U.S. participants select 
overseas candidates to participate in U.S.-based seminars, workshops, 
and shadowing experiences, and create either individual or joint

[[Page 17151]]

projects that feature public presentations including film screenings, 
performances and exhibitions.
     Presentations and accompanying public programs should be 
designed to reach a large and diverse public audience in the partner 
country or countries, in addition to workshop participants. 
Presentations of work resulting from the project may also be scheduled 
in the U.S.; however, ECA funds cannot be used for this purpose.
     U.S. and overseas host cultural organizations devise and 
implement on-going programming and educational activities to engage 
youth and youth influencers.
     An alumni network will be created to foster professional 
development opportunities and the ongoing exchange of best practices.

Eligible Countries

    Proposals will only be accepted for exchange projects with the 
countries listed below within the six Department of State geographic 
regions. Proposals that include countries not listed below will be 
declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in 
the review process. Applicants may submit proposals for projects that 
encompass several of the following countries or regions:

AF--Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania.
EAP--Burma, Cambodia, China, Thailand, Vietnam.
EUR--Balkan Region [Projects should include at least three of the 
Balkan Countries: Albania, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, 
Macedonia, and Serbia/Montenegro], Belarus, Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine.
NEA--Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia.
SCA--Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, 
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.
WHA--Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.

Application Information

    Proposals should address each of the six review criteria. The Six 
Review Criteria, against which your proposal will be evaluated, are 
listed under the ``Application Review Information'', Section V.1. of 
this RFGP. Proposals that do not address these criteria will be deemed 
not competitive during the review process.
    In addition to addressing the Review Criteria, proposals should 
include documented evidence of the applicant and partner organization's 
artistic merit, including published reviews and letters of 
recommendation from experts in the artistic discipline featured in your 
project. However, work samples such as recordings and/or photographs 
are not requested and cannot be reviewed by the Bureau.
    Competitive proposals should include the following elements:
     A clear statement in the narrative section describing 
which artistic discipline your project incorporates; and with which 
overseas country or countries you plan to engage in an exchange 
project;
     A program idea that involves youth as active participants 
in the arts experience. Cultural programs in which young people will 
function only as passive audience members will be deemed non-
competitive under Review Criteria Number 1, Quality of Program Idea, 
listed in the ``Application Review Information'', Section V.1. of this 
RFGP;
     A clear description of program objectives and projected 
outcomes that respond to Bureau goals for this competition. Desired 
outcomes should be described in qualitative and quantitative terms. 
(See the Program Monitoring and Evaluation section, Number IV.3d.3 
below, for more information on project objectives and outcomes);
     A project timeline, listing the optimal schedule for each 
program activity;
     A description of selection processes for both U.S. and 
overseas participants;
     Exchange activities that involve and affect audiences as 
well as the actual participants. Proposals should define the types of 
participants who will be recruited and the target audience for program 
activities, and should clearly explain the importance of each to the 
overall program plan;
     A description of each proposed overseas partner 
organization and an explanation of how partner organizations were 
selected; Letters of support, translated into English, from foreign and 
U.S. partners. Proposals that do not include letters of support and 
commitment from proposed overseas partner organizations will be ranked 
less competitive under Review Criteria Number 3, Institutional 
Capacity, listed in Section V.1. of this RFGP;
     An outline of the applicant organization's relevant 
expertise in the project theme and country(ies). Organizations that do 
not demonstrate a distinguished record of conducting cultural programs 
for youth will be rated not competitive under Review Criteria Number 3, 
Institutional Capacity, listed in Section V.1.;
     An alternative timeline and/or contingency program plan if 
the project will include countries with security issues;
     An outline of relevant experience managing previous 
international arts and/or cultural exchange programs;
     Resumes of responsible, experienced staff who have 
demonstrated a commitment to monitor grant projects and ensure 
implementation;
     A post-grant plan that demonstrates how the grantee plans 
to sustain contacts initiated through the program. Applicants should 
outline how U.S. and foreign participants and host institutions will 
continue their dialogue/exchange activities through on-going or future 
projects, once the ECA-funded grant has concluded. Optimally, follow-on 
plans should include activities to promote the desired policy outcomes, 
as well as communication activities such as ongoing Internet dialogs 
and newsletters.
    In addition to addressing the themes described below, proposals 
should develop partner organizations' capacity in such areas as 
strategic planning, performance management, fund raising, financial 
management, human resource management and decision-making.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant Agreement.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY-2006.
    Approximate Total Funding: $1,200,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 4-6 grants of $150,000 to $350,000, 
depending on the quality of the proposals. The Bureau reserves the 
possibility of awarding $60,000 grants to organizations that have at 
least four years of experience in conducting cultural programs for 
youth, but less than a four year track record in conducting 
international exchanges.
    Approximate Average Award: $200,000.
    Floor of Award Range: $50,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $350,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: August 30, 2006.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: January 31, 2008-July 31, 
2008. Projects under this competition may range in length from eighteen 
to twenty-four months depending on the number of components, the 
country/region targeted and the extent of the evaluation plan proposed 
by the applicant. The Office of Citizen Exchanges strongly encourages 
applicant organizations to plan enough time after project activities to 
measure project outcomes. Please refer to the Program Monitoring and 
Evaluation section, Number IV.3d.3 below, for further guidance or 
evaluation.
    Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of the

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projects and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, ECA 
reserves the right to renew grants for up to two additional fiscal 
years before openly competing grants under this program again.

III. Eligibility Information

    III.1. Eligible applicants: Applications may be submitted by public 
and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described 
in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).
    III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: When cost sharing is 
offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide 
the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in this RFGP and later 
included in an approved grant agreement. Cost sharing may be in the 
form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability, you 
must maintain written records to support all costs which are claimed as 
your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal 
government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for 
determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in 
accordance with OMB Circular A-110, (Revised), Subpart C.23--Cost 
Sharing and Matching. In the event you do not provide the minimum 
amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's 
contribution will be reduced in like proportion.
    III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements:
    (a) Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less than four 
years of experience in conducting international exchange programs will 
be limited to $60,000.
    (b) Technical Eligibility: In addition to the requirements outlined 
in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) technical format and 
instructions document, all proposals must comply with the following or 
they will result in your proposal being declared technically ineligible 
and given no further consideration in the review process:
    1. The Office does not support proposals limited to conferences or 
seminars (i.e. one-to-fourteen day programs with plenary sessions, main 
speakers, panels and passive audiences). It will support conferences 
only when they are a small part of a larger project in duration that is 
receiving Bureau funding from this competition.
    2. No funding is available exclusively to send U.S. citizens to 
conferences or conference-type seminars overseas; nor is funding 
available for bringing foreign nationals to conferences or to routine 
professional association meetings in the United States.
    3. The Office of Citizen Exchanges does not support academic 
research or faculty or student fellowships.
    4. Proposals for projects involving countries/regions, themes and/
or artistic disciplines not listed in the RFGP will be deemed 
technically ineligible.
    5. No funding is available to send individual artists and/or 
amateur arts groups to perform or study overseas.
    The Arts Exchanges on International Issues Program is solely 
intended to support the international exchange work of non-profit 
organizations. Our grant program is not open to amateur or community-
based visual or performing artists. Individuals are not eligible to 
apply for funding of their own work. While our program emphasizes 
outreach to youth, all exchange participants must be at least 18 years 
of age. However, educators, managers, program directors and 
administrators who work with youth and/or youth related non-profit 
organizations are encouraged to apply for grant support under this 
competition.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    Note: Please read the complete Federal Register announcement 
before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP 
deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition 
with applicants until the proposal review process has been 
completed.

    IV.1 Contact Information to Request an Application Package: Please 
contact LaFaye Proctor, Cultural Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/CU, Room 
568, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, 
DC 20547, phone number: (202) 203-7488; e-mail: [email protected] to 
request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to the Funding Opportunity 
Number ECA/PE/C/CU-06-03 located at the top of this announcement when 
making your request.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instruction (PSI) document which consists of required application 
forms, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.
    Please specify the program officers coordinating this competition, 
Jill Staggs or Sarah Beale and refer to the Funding Opportunity Number 
ECA/PE/C/CU-06-03 located at the top of this announcement on all other 
inquiries and correspondence.
    IV.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet: The entire 
Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's Web site at 
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/menu.htm. Please read all 
information before downloading.
    IV.3. Content and Form of Submission: Applicants must follow all 
instructions in the Solicitation Package. The original and 12 copies of 
the application should be sent per the instructions under IV.3f. 
``Submission Dates and Times section'' below.
    IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal 
Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or cooperative 
agreement from the U.S. Government. This number is a nine-digit 
identification number, which uniquely identifies business entities. 
Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To obtain a 
DUNS number, access http://www.dunandbradstreet. com or call 1-866-705-
5711. Please ensure that your DUNS number is included in the 
appropriate box of the SF--424 which is part of the formal application 
package.
    IV.3b. All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal 
narrative and budget.
    Please Refer to the Solicitation Package. It contains the mandatory 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document for additional 
formatting and technical requirements.
    IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of 
application. If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not 
received a grant or cooperative agreement from ECA in the past three 
years, or if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS 
within the past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation 
to verify nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to 
do so will cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.
    IV.3d. Please take into consideration the following information 
when preparing your proposal narrative:
    IV.3d.1 Adherence To All Regulations Governing The J Visa: The 
Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs is the official program sponsor of the exchange program covered 
by this RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau will be the ``Responsible 
Officer'' for the program under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, which 
covers the administration of the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa 
program). Under the terms of 22 CFR part 62, organizations receiving 
grants under this RFGP will be third parties ``cooperating with or 
assisting the sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor's program.'' The 
actions of grantee program organizations shall be ``imputed to the 
sponsor in evaluating the sponsor's compliance with'' 22 CFR part 62. 
Therefore, the Bureau expects that any organization receiving a grant

[[Page 17153]]

under this competition will render all assistance necessary to enable 
the Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR part 62 et seq.
    The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places great 
emphasis on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J 
visa) Programs and adherence by grantee program organizations and 
program participants to all regulations governing the J visa program 
status. Therefore, proposals should explicitly state in writing that 
the applicant is prepared to assist the Bureau in meeting all 
requirements governing the administration of Exchange Visitor Programs 
as set forth in 22 CFR part 62. If your organization has experience as 
a designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the applicant should 
discuss their record of compliance with 22 CFR part 62 et seq., 
including the oversight of their Responsible Officers and Alternate 
Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants, 
provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, 
monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, 
record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.
    The Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA will be responsible for 
issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program.
    A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of 
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://exchanges.state.gov or from: United States Department of State, Office 
of Exchange Coordination and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD--SA-44, Room 734, 
301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547. Telephone: (202) 203-5029. 
FAX: (202) 453-8640.
    IV.3d.2 Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines: Pursuant to 
the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-
political character and should be balanced and representative of the 
diversity of American political, social, and cultural life. 
``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass 
differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, 
religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and physical 
challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the 
advancement of this principle both in program administration and in 
program content. Please refer to the review criteria under the `Support 
for Diversity' section for specific suggestions on incorporating 
diversity into your proposal. Public Law 104-319 provides that ``in 
carrying out programs of educational and cultural exchange in countries 
whose people do not fully enjoy freedom and democracy,'' the Bureau 
``shall take appropriate steps to provide opportunities for 
participation in such programs to human rights and democracy leaders of 
such countries.'' Public Law 106-113 requires that the governments of 
the countries described above do not have inappropriate influence in 
the selection process. Proposals should reflect advancement of these 
goals in their program contents, to the full extent deemed feasible.
    IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and Evaluation: Proposals must include 
a plan to monitor and evaluate the project's success, both as the 
activities unfold and at the end of the program. The Bureau recommends 
that your proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other 
technique plus a description of a methodology to use to link outcomes 
to original project objectives. The Bureau expects that the grantee 
will track participants or partners and be able to respond to key 
evaluation questions, including satisfaction with the program, learning 
as a result of the program, changes in behavior as a result of the 
program, and effects of the program on institutions (institutions in 
which participants work or partner institutions). The evaluation plan 
should include indicators that measure gains in mutual understanding as 
well as substantive knowledge.
    Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting 
clear goals and outcomes at the outset of a program. Your evaluation 
plan should include a description of your project's objectives, your 
anticipated project outcomes, and how and when you intend to measure 
these outcomes (performance indicators). The more that outcomes are 
``smart'' (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and 
placed in a reasonable time frame), the easier it will be to conduct 
the evaluation. You should also show how your project objectives link 
to the goals of the program described in this RFGP.
    Your monitoring and evaluation plan should clearly distinguish 
between program outputs and outcomes. Outputs are products and services 
delivered, often stated as an amount. Output information is important 
to show the scope or size of project activities, but it cannot 
substitute for information about progress towards outcomes or the 
results achieved. Examples of outputs include the number of people 
trained or the number of seminars conducted. Outcomes, in contrast, 
represent specific results a project is intended to achieve and is 
usually measured as an extent of change. Findings on outputs and 
outcomes should both be reported, but the focus should be on outcomes.
    We encourage you to assess the following four levels of outcomes, 
as they relate to the program goals set out in the RFGP (listed here in 
increasing order of importance):
    1. Participant satisfaction with the program and exchange 
experience.
    2. Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude, 
skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both 
substantive (subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.
    3. Participant behavior, concrete actions to apply knowledge in 
work or community; greater participation and responsibility in civic 
organizations; interpretation and explanation of experiences and new 
knowledge gained; continued contacts between participants, community 
members, and others.
    4. Institutional changes, such as increased collaboration and 
partnerships, policy reforms, new programming, and organizational 
improvements.


    Please note: Consideration should be given to the appropriate 
timing of data collection for each level of outcome. For example, 
satisfaction is usually captured as a short-term outcome, whereas 
behavior and institutional changes are normally considered longer-
term outcomes.


    Overall, the quality of your monitoring and evaluation plan will be 
judged on how well it (1) specifies intended outcomes; (2) gives clear 
descriptions of how each outcome will be measured; (3) identifies when 
particular outcomes will be measured; and (4) provides a clear 
description of the data collection strategies for each outcome (i.e., 
surveys, interviews, or focus groups). (Please note that evaluation 
plans that deal only with the first level of outcomes [satisfaction] 
will be deemed less competitive under the present evaluation criteria.)
    Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their 
evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports. All 
data collected, including survey responses and contact information, 
must be maintained for a minimum of three years and provided to the 
Bureau upon request.
    Describe your plans for: i.e. sustainability, overall program 
management, staffing, coordination with ECA and PAS or any other 
requirements etc.

[[Page 17154]]

    IV.3e. Please take the following information into consideration 
when preparing your budget:
    IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a comprehensive budget for the 
entire program. Budget requests must not exceed $350,000. Proposals 
that contain budget requests of more than $350,000 will be declared 
technically ineligible. There must be a summary budget as well as 
breakdowns reflecting both administrative and program budgets. 
Applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each program component, 
phase, location, or activity to provide clarification.
    IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Travel. International and domestic airfare (per the ``Fly 
America Act''), ground transportation and visas. (J-1 visas for ECA-
supported participants from overseas are issued through the Embassies 
at no charge).
    (2) Per diem. For U.S.-based programming, organizations should use 
the published Federal per diem rates for individual U.S. cities. 
Domestic per diem rates may be accessed at: http://policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/homepage/mtt/perdiem/perd03d.html. ECA urges applicants to 
budget realistic costs, which reflect the local economy and do not 
exceed Federal per diem rates. Foreign per diem rates can be accessed 
at: http://www.state.gov/m/a/als/prdm/html.
    (3) Interpreters. For U.S.-based activities, ECA strongly 
encourages applicants to hire their own locally based interpreters. 
However, applicants may ask ECA to assign State Department 
interpreters. One interpreter is typically needed for every four 
participants who require interpretation. When an applicant proposes to 
use State Department interpreters, the following expenses should be 
included in the budget: Published Federal per diem rates [both lodging 
and meals and incidental expenses (M&IE)] and ``home-program-home'' 
transportation in the amount of $400 per interpreter. Salary expenses 
for State Department interpreters will be covered by the Bureau and 
should not be part of an applicant's proposed budget. Bureau funds 
cannot support interpreters who accompany delegations from their home 
country or travel internationally.
    (4) Book and cultural allowances. Foreign participants are entitled 
to a one-time cultural allowance of $150 per person, plus a book 
allowance of $50. Interpreters should be reimbursed up to $150 for 
expenses when they escort participants to cultural events. U.S. program 
staff, trainers or participants are not eligible to receive these 
benefits.
    (5) Consultants. Consultants may be used to provide specialized 
expertise or to make presentations. Honoraria rates should not exceed 
$250 per day. Organizations are encouraged to cost-share rates that 
would exceed that figure. Subcontracting organizations may also be 
employed, in which case the written agreement between the prospective 
grantee and subcontractor should be included in the proposal. Such 
subcontractors should detail the division of responsibilities and 
proposed costs, and subcontracts should be itemized in the budget.
    (6) Room rental. The rental of meeting space should not exceed $250 
per day. Any rates that exceed this amount should be cost shared.
    (7) Materials. Proposals may contain costs to purchase, develop and 
translate materials for participants. Costs for high quality 
translation of materials should be anticipated and included in the 
budget. Grantee organizations should expect to submit a copy of all 
program materials to ECA, and ECA support should be acknowledged on all 
materials developed with its funding.
    (8) Equipment. Applicants may propose to use grant funds to 
purchase equipment, such as computers and printers. Costs for furniture 
are not allowed.
    (9) Working meals. Only one working meal may be provided during the 
program. Per capita costs may not exceed $8 for a lunch and $20 for a 
dinner, excluding room rental. The number of invited guests may not 
exceed participants by more than a factor of two-to-one. When setting 
up a budget, interpreters should be considered ``participants.''
    (10) Return travel of participants. A return travel allowance of 
$70 for each participant may be included in the budget. This allowance 
would cover incidental expenses incurred during international travel.
    (11) Health insurance. Foreign participants will be covered during 
their participation in the program by the ECA-sponsored Accident and 
Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE), for which the grantee must 
enroll them. Details of that policy can be provided by the contact 
officers identified in this solicitation. The premium is paid by ECA 
and should not be included in the grant proposal budget. However, 
applicants are permitted to include costs for travel insurance for U.S. 
participants in the budget.
    (12) In-country travel costs for visa processing purposes. Given 
the requirements associated with obtaining J-1 visas for ECA-supported 
participants, applicants should include costs for any travel associated 
with visa interviews or DS-2019 pick-up.
    (13) Administrative costs. Costs necessary for the effective 
administration of the program may include salaries for grantee 
organization employees, benefits, and other direct and indirect costs 
per detailed instructions in the Application Package. Administrative 
costs should not exceed twenty-five (25) per cent of the total amount 
requested from ECA for the project. Proposals in which the 
administrative costs exceed 25% of the total amount of funding 
requested from ECA for the project will be ranked less competitive in 
this review element. Proposals should show strong administrative cost 
sharing contributions from the applicant, the in-country partner and 
other sources.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times: Application Deadline Date: 
Thursday, May 11, 2006.
    Explanation of Deadlines: Due to heightened security measures, 
proposal submissions must be sent via a nationally recognized overnight 
delivery service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or 
U.S. Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.) and be shipped no 
later than the above deadline. The delivery services used by applicants 
must have in-place, centralized shipping identification and tracking 
systems that may be accessed via the Internet and delivery people who 
are identifiable by commonly recognized uniforms and delivery vehicles. 
Proposals shipped on or before the above deadline but received at ECA 
more than seven days after the deadline will be ineligible for further 
consideration under this competition. Proposals shipped after the 
established deadlines are ineligible for consideration under this 
competition. It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure that each 
package is marked with a legible tracking number and to monitor/confirm 
delivery to ECA via the Internet. ECA will not notify you upon receipt 
of application. Delivery of proposal packages may not be made via local 
courier service or in person for this competition. Faxed documents will 
not be accepted at any time. Only proposals submitted as stated above 
will be considered. Applications may not be submitted electronically at 
this time.
    Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation 
Package.

    Important note: When preparing your submission please make sure 
to include one

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extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it in an envelope 
addressed to ``ECA/EX/PM''.

    The original and 12 copies of the application should be sent 
to:U.S. Department of State, SA-44, Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/CU-06-03, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above 
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the solicitation document.
    IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order 
12372 does not apply to this program.
    Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and 
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal in text (.txt) format 
on a PC-formatted disk. The Bureau will provide these files 
electronically to the appropriate Public Affairs Section(s) at the U.S. 
embassy(ies) for its(their) review.

V. Application Review Information

    V.1. Review Process: The Bureau will review all proposals for 
technical eligibility. Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do 
not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein and in the 
Solicitation Package. All eligible proposals will be reviewed by the 
program office, as well as the Public Diplomacy section overseas, where 
appropriate. Eligible proposals will be subject to compliance with 
Federal and Bureau regulations and guidelines and forwarded to Bureau 
grant panels for advisory review. Proposals may also be reviewed by the 
Office of the Legal Adviser or by other Department elements. Final 
funding decisions are at the discretion of the Department of State's 
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final 
technical authority for assistance award grants resides with the 
Bureau's Grants Officer.

Review Criteria

    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank 
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
    1. Quality of Program Idea: The program idea must state how you 
plan to employ the arts to engage youth, particularly youth with 
limited opportunities, and youth influencers. Program objectives should 
be clearly described and should reflect the applicant's expertise in 
the artistic discipline and geographic world region featured in your 
project. The proposal should state the project's impact on both program 
participants (those who travel to the U.S. or the partner country, or 
in-country participants who are actively involved in the project) and 
audiences (those who attend public performances or exhibitions included 
in the project). The proposal should include documentation of artistic 
merit and quality through sources such as published reviews and letters 
of recommendation from experts in the artistic discipline featured in 
your project. However, work samples are not requested and cannot be 
evaluated by the Bureau.
    2. Program Planning and Implementation: A detailed agenda and 
relevant work plan must explain how objectives will be achieved and 
should include a timetable for completion of major tasks. The substance 
of workshops, seminars and shadowing experiences should be described in 
detail. The program plan should include regularly scheduled sessions on 
an ongoing basis; one-time or occasional programs will not be 
considered. The program plan must include provisions for activities 
with the project participants and/or their organizations, after the 
Bureau-funded project has concluded. Post-grant planning can include, 
but should expand beyond on-going Internet dialogs, newsletters and/or 
other forms of communication between participants.
    3. Institutional Capacity: Proposals should include the 
institution's mission and date that the organization was established. 
Proposals should reflect the institution's prior work with the overseas 
partner organization(s), expertise in the subject area and knowledge of 
conditions in the target country/countries, and ability to engage young 
participants and/or reach out to young audience members. Evidence of 
the overseas partner organization's artistic merit and ability should 
be included in your proposal. Descriptions of the experience and 
qualifications of staff members who will implement the program should 
be included in the proposals. Applicants also need to include an 
outline of prior U.S. government and/or private sector grant awards 
received for the target theme/country/region. The Bureau will consider 
the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential 
of new applicants. Proposals must include letters of support and 
commitment from proposed overseas partner organizations. Proposals that 
do not include letters of support and commitment from proposed overseas 
partner organizations will be ranked less competitive under this review 
element.
    4. Cost Effectiveness and Cost Sharing: Overhead and administrative 
costs in the proposal budget, including salaries should be kept to a 
minimum and should not exceed twenty-five (25) per cent of the total 
amount requested from ECA for the project. Proposals in which the 
administrative costs exceed twenty-five (25) per cent of the total 
amount requested from ECA for the project will be ranked less 
competitive in this review element. Applicants are strongly encouraged 
to cost share a portion of overhead and administrative expenses. Cost 
sharing, including contributions from the applicant, proposed in-
country partner(s) and other sources must be included in the budget 
request. Proposals that do not reflect a cost sharing of twenty (20) 
per cent will be ranked less competitive in this review category.
    5. Support of Diversity: Proposals must demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity [stated in the Bureau's 
Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines in the Proposal Submission 
Instructions (PSI)]. Achievable and relevant features should be cited 
in both program administration (selection of participants, program 
venue and program evaluation) and program content (including 
orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials 
and follow-up activities). Competitive proposals will include 
strategies for selecting diverse participants from both the U.S. and 
the overseas partner country(ies).
    6. Monitoring and Evaluation: Proposals should include a detailed 
plan to monitor and evaluate the program. Competitive evaluation plans 
will describe how applicant organizations will measure the project's 
success at meeting program objectives in quantitative terms, and should 
include draft data collection instruments such as surveys and 
questionnaires. Proposals should include a plan to evaluate the success 
of each component, both as activities unfold and at the end of the 
program. Evaluation plans should address the project's success in 
enhancing both the artistic and leadership skills of the targeted youth 
population. It is the applicant's responsibility to inform the Bureau 
of exchange activity results and changes to the program plan and/or 
project time-line.

VI. Award Administration Information

    VI.1a. Award Notices: Final awards cannot be made until funds have 
been appropriated by Congress, allocated and

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committed through internal Bureau procedures. Successful applicants 
will receive an Assistance Award Document (AAD) from the Bureau's 
Grants Office. The AAD and the original grant proposal with subsequent 
modifications (if applicable) shall be the only binding authorizing 
document between the recipient and the U.S. Government. The AAD will be 
signed by an authorized Grants Officer, and mailed to the recipient's 
responsible officer identified in the application.
    Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of 
the application review from the ECA program office coordinating this 
competition.
    VI.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements: Terms and 
Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements include the 
following:
    Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, ``Cost Principles 
for Nonprofit Organizations.''
    Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, ``Cost Principles 
for Educational Institutions.''
    OMB Circular A-87, ``Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian 
Governments''.
    OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative 
Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher 
Education, Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.
    OMB Circular No. A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for 
Grants-in-Aid to State and Local Governments.
    OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Government, and 
Non-profit Organizations.
    Please reference the following Web sites for additional 
information:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI
    VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You must provide ECA with a hard copy 
original plus two copies of the following reports:
    (1) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after 
the expiration of the award;
    (2) Quarterly program and financial reports which should include a 
summary of project activities accomplished and any changes or 
modifications to the remaining program components.
    Grantees will be required to provide reports analyzing their 
evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program reports. 
(Please refer to IV. Application and Submission Instructions (IV.3.d.3) 
above for Program Monitoring and Evaluation information.
    All data collected, including survey responses and contact 
information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years and 
provided to the Bureau upon request.
    All reports must be sent to the ECA Grants Officer and ECA Program 
Officer listed in the final assistance award document.
    VI.4. Program Data Requirements: Organizations awarded grants will 
be required to maintain specific data on program participants and 
activities in an electronically accessible database format that can be 
shared with the Bureau as required. As a minimum, the data must include 
the following:
    (1) Name, address, contact information and biographic sketch of all 
persons who travel internationally on funds provided by the grant or 
who benefit from the grant funding but do not travel.
    (2) Itineraries of international and domestic travel, providing 
dates of travel and cities in which any exchange experiences take 
place. Final schedules for in-country and U.S. activities must be 
received by the ECA Program Officer at least three work days prior to 
the official opening of the activity.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: The Cultural 
Programs Division, ECA/PE/C/CU, Room 568, ECA/PE/C/CU-06-03, Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 
4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, (202) 203-7488, 
[email protected].
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number: ECA/PE/C/CU-06-03.
    Please read the complete Federal Register announcement before 
sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has 
passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants 
until the proposal review process has been completed.

VIII. Other Information

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in this RFGP are binding and may 
not be modified by any Bureau representative. Explanatory information 
provided by the Bureau that contradicts published language will not be 
binding. Issuance of the RFGP does not constitute an award commitment 
on the part of the Government. The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, 
revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of 
the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject 
to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements per section VI.3 
above.

    Dated: March 29, 2006.
C. Miller Crouch,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 06-3209 Filed 4-4-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P