[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 22 (Friday, February 1, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6235-6241]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1749]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 6086]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: The Rhythm Road-American Music Abroad

    Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C-CU-08-29.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 00.000.
    Key Dates:
    Application Deadline: March 20, 2008.
    Executive Summary: The Cultural Programs Division in the Office of 
Citizen Exchanges in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
(ECA) announces an open competition for a cooperative agreement to 
administer The Rhythm Road-American Music Abroad program. The program 
will consist of up to ten tours for a selected number of professional 
American artists in jazz, urban music, and American roots music (e.g. 
country-western, bluegrass, zydeco, Cajun, etc.) The musicians selected 
for this program must demonstrate high artistic ability and be 
conversant with the broader aspects of contemporary American society 
and culture. Tours will include workshops, master classes, and outreach 
activities, in addition to concerts.

[[Page 6236]]

    U.S. public and non-profit organizations meeting the provisions 
described in Internal Revenue code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may 
submit proposals that support the goals of The Rhythm Road-American 
Music Abroad program: to promote mutual understanding and cross-
cultural awareness. The tours accomplish this by providing an 
opportunity for international audiences to experience American musical 
life, highlighting our country's cultural history as well as the 
contemporary cultural scene, and allowing American performers to learn 
about life and culture in the foreign host countries.
    The Bureau is particularly interested in proposals for the 
administration of tours by jazz, urban, and American root music 
performers to countries with significant Muslim or underserved 
populations, and countries that engage youth and/or groups that 
influence youth. In the Western Hemisphere, we are also interested in 
proposals for projects that reach indigenous populations. No guarantee 
is made or implied that a grant will be awarded for tours to any 
particular region or that tours will be organized to any particular 
region.
    For this competition, all organizations must demonstrate a minimum 
of five years' experience successfully conducting international 
performing arts exchange programs in the music field to be eligible.

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 to engage audiences overseas 
that do not normally have regular access to American cultural 
performances by presenting up to ten tours of Rhythm Road quartets. 
Musicians must be U.S. citizens who are at least 21 years old; 
demonstrate the highest artistic and musical ability; be conversant 
with broader aspects of contemporary American society and culture; and 
be adaptable to unescorted, rigorous touring through regions where 
travel and performance situations may be difficult. In addition to 
performances, Rhythm Road musicians will be expected to conduct or 
participate in master classes, lectures, workshops, impromptu musical 
sessions, radio and TV appearances, and other activities with local 
cultural institutions, musicians, media and students. A Washington, DC 
public performance by each ensemble in connection with the overseas 
tour should be included in the proposal.
    Guidelines: The successful applicant will organize the selection of 
up to ten quartets, as well as administer the international tour 
program during this period.
    Proposals should reflect a practical understanding of global 
issues, and demonstrate sensitivity to cultural, political, economic 
and social differences in regions where tour groups may perform. 
Special attention should be given to describing the applicant 
organization's experience with planning and implementing complex and 
unpredictable logistical scenarios overseas. Applicants should outline 
their project team's capacity for doing projects of this nature and 
provide a detailed sample program (to include itineraries) to 
illustrate planning capacity and ability to achieve program objectives. 
Applicants must identify all U.S. and foreign partner organizations 
and/or venues with whom they are proposing to collaborate, and describe 
previous cooperative projects in the section on ``Institutional 
Capacity.'' For this competition, applicants must include in their 
proposal supporting materials or documentation that demonstrates a 
minimum of five years experience in conducting global exchanges in the 
music field. Proposals must include references with name and contact 
information for other assistance awards the applicant has received, in 
the event the Bureau chooses to be in touch directly.
    ECA intends to give one assistance award to a qualified institution 
or organization to administer The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad 
program globally. Activities funded through this cooperative agreement 
support the organization and implementation of up to ten (10) 
international tours, and must include, but are not limited to:
     Selection of artists;
     Advance tour planning;
     Programming educational, media and other outreach 
activities in consultation with U.S. embassies;
     Scheduling public performance dates in Washington, DC, for 
each ensemble;
     Assisting musicians with passport, visa, immunizations, 
and other pre-tour preparations;
     Arranging and providing orientation sessions and pre-
travel briefings, producing press materials and providing support for 
publicity while the artists are overseas;
     Evaluating program activities;
     Reporting on tour activities to ECA;
     Assisting ensembles and embassies with follow-on program 
development.
    Applicants must have experience in global exchange planning and 
implementation, and should address the above elements in the proposal. 
The grantee must be highly responsive and able to work in close 
consultation with the Public Affairs Sections of the participating U.S. 
embassies.
    A pre-tour briefing session for each ensemble should be held with 
State Department regional experts and ECA program officers in 
attendance. This event should be scheduled in coordination with the 
Washington, DC public performance.
    Successful applicants will include with their proposal specific 
criteria for the selection of American artists in jazz, urban, and 
American root music styles.
    The Cultural Programs Division's activities and responsibilities 
for this program are as follows:
     Participation in the selection of musicians.
     Determination of the priority countries to which the tours 
will travel. Priority countries will be those in all world regions of 
greatest importance to the Department of State's public diplomacy 
mission to build mutual understanding.
     Arrangement of participation by Department of State 
officers in pre-tour briefings and any debriefings that might take 
place.
     Approval of all tour arrangements.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. ECA's level of involvement in 
this program is listed under number I above.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY-2008.
    Approximate Total Funding: $1,000,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 1.
    Approximate Average Award: $1,000,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $1,000,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: June 12, 2008.

[[Page 6237]]

    Anticipated Project Completion Date: June 30, 2009.
    Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this 
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is 
ECA's intent to renew this cooperative agreement for two additional 
fiscal years before openly competing it 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: There is no minimum or 
maximum percentage required for this competition. However, the Bureau 
encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and 
funding in support of its programs.
    When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the 
applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its 
proposal 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.) Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less 
than four years experience in conducting international exchanges be 
limited to $60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA anticipates giving one award, 
in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 to support program and 
administrative costs required to implement this exchange program. 
Therefore, organizations with less than four years experience in 
conducting international exchanges are ineligible to apply under this 
competition. The Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels 
of cost sharing and funding in support of its programs.
    (b.) Technical Eligibility: All proposals must comply with the 
following: (1) Full adherence to the guidelines stated herein and in 
the Solicitation Package; (2) proposal submission deadline date; (3) 
non-profit organization status, and; (4) for purposes of this 
competition, at least five years of demonstrated experience in 
programming globally in the music field, or your proposal will be 
declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in 
the review process. Eligible applicants may submit only ONE proposal 
(TOTAL) in response to this RFGP. If multiple proposals are received, 
all submissions will be declared technically ineligible and will be 
given no further consideration in the review process.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    Note: Please read the complete 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 the Cultural Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/CU) in the Office of 
Citizen Exchanges, Room 568, U.S. Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 202/203-7488; fax 202/203-7525; e-
mail [email protected] to request a Solicitation Package. Please 
refer to the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C-CU-08-29 located at 
the top of this announcement when making your request.
    Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained 
from grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f for further information.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instructions (PSI) document which consists of required application 
forms, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.
    Please specify Jill Staggs and refer to the Funding Opportunity 
Number ECA/PE/C-CU-08-29 located at the top of this announcement on all 
other inquiries and correspondence.
    IV.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via the Internet: The 
entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's Web 
site at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/menu.htm, or from 
the Grants.gov Web site at http://www.grants.gov.
    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 14 copies 
(15 proposals total) of the application should be sent per the 
instructions under IV.3f. ``Application Deadline and Methods of 
Submission'' 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 
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.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 
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 critically 
important emphases on the secure and proper administration of Exchange 
Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence

[[Page 6238]]

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 disabilities. 
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.
    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. The award may not exceed $1,000,000. 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. For budgeting purposes, applicants should estimate costs 
based on eight to ten quartets traveling for approximately four (4) 
weeks to six (6) destinations with significant Muslim and indigenous 
populations in the following regions: Africa, East Asia, Eurasia, 
Central Europe and the Balkans, the Near East/North Africa,

[[Page 6239]]

Latin America, and South Asia. Final determination of participating 
regions and countries will be made by ECA in collaboration with U.S. 
embassies and the successful applicant after the assistance award has 
been given.
    IV.3e.3. Allowable costs for the program include the following: (1) 
Program Expenses, including but not limited to: Domestic and 
international travel for the selected ensembles (per The Fly America 
Act); visas and immunizations; airport taxes and country entrance fees; 
honoraria; educational materials and presentation items; excess and 
overweight baggage fees; trip itinerary booklets; press kits and 
promotional materials; follow-on activities; monitoring and evaluation; 
and international travel for program implementation and/or evaluation 
purposes.
    The following guidelines may be helpful in developing a proposed 
budget:
    A. Travel Costs. International and domestic airfares. (per The Fly 
America Act), transit costs, ground transportation, and visas for The 
Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad participants to travel to the tour 
destinations.
    B. Per Diem: For the Washington, DC, portion of the tour, 
organizations should use the published Federal per diem rates, and 
estimate per diems based on a two-night stay per ensemble member. The 
Public Affairs Sections of the participating U.S. embassies and 
consulates are responsible for per diem abroad. Domestic per diem rates 
may be accessed at: http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentId=17943&contentType=GSA_BASIC.
    C. Sub-grantees and Consultants. Sub-grantee organizations may be 
used, in which case the written agreement between the prospective 
grantee and sub-grantee should be included in the proposal. Sub-grants 
must be itemized in the budget under General Program Expenses. 
Consultants may be used to provide specialized expertise. Daily 
honoraria cannot exceed $250 per day, and applicants are strongly 
encouraged to use organizational resources, and to cost share heavily 
in this area.
    D. Health Insurance. Each Rhythm Road participant will be covered 
under the terms of the ECA-sponsored COINS health insurance policy. The 
cost for international travel insurance for staff travel may be 
included in the proposal budget.
    E. Honoraria for Rhythm Road musicians. Daily honorarium is $200 
per day for each performer, including rest and travel days.
    F. Educational and Promotional Items. Ensemble members may use 
these funds for individual purchases or they may pool funds for joint 
purposes. ECA funds for educational and promotional items (e.g. CDS, 
guitar strings, label pins, etc.) should not exceed $500 per ensemble.
    G. Excess Baggage. Excess baggage costs are based on the size and 
weight of the instrument. Excess baggage estimates may be subject to 
change once actual tour itineraries are scheduled; however for proposal 
budget purposes, costs should be estimated at $3,500 per ensemble.
    H. Immunizations/Visas. For purposes of a proposed budget, line 
items for immunizations should be estimated at $400 per musician, and 
visas/visa photos should be estimated at $600 per musician.
    I. Press Kits. Each relevant U.S. embassy should receive 
appropriate contents for press kits. Items may be sent electronically 
with the understanding that in some cases, embassies may not be able to 
access large files or attachments. This line item may include funds for 
shooting and duplicating B&W publicity photos and duplicating CDS.
    J. Staff Travel. Allowable costs include domestic staff travel for 
one staff member to attend recruitment/selection events in 
approximately two U.S. cities and to pre-tour briefings and 
performances in Washington, D.C. International staff travel will be 
allowable, especially if associated with monitoring and evaluation, as 
long as costs for a full four-week tour for each ensemble are 
completely covered. Cost-sharing for staff travel is strongly 
encouraged.
    2. 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 Solicitation Package. While there is 
no rigid ratio of administrative to program costs, proposals in which 
the administrative costs do not exceed 25% of the total requested from 
ECA grant funds will be more competitive on cost effectiveness. Please 
refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and 
formatting instructions.
    IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
    Application Deadline Date: Thursday, March 20, 2008.
    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/CU-08-29.
    Methods of Submission:
    Applications may be submitted in one of two ways: (1) In hard-copy, 
via a nationally recognized overnight delivery service (i.e., DHL, 
Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal Service Express 
Overnight Mail, etc.), or (2) electronically through http://www.grants.gov.
    Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above 
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory PSI 
of the solicitation document.
    IV.3f.1 Submitting Printed Applications: Applications must be 
shipped no later than the above deadline. 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. ECA will not notify you upon 
receipt of application. 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. 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.

    Important note: When preparing your submission please make sure 
to include one extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it 
in an envelope addressed to ``ECA/EX/PM''.

    The original and 14 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-08-29, Program Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 
534, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547.
    Applicants submitting hard-copy applications must also submit the 
``Executive Summary'' and ``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the 
proposal in text (.txt) or Microsoft Word format on a PC-formatted 
disk. The Bureau will provide these files electronically to the 
appropriate Public Affairs Section(s) at the U.S. embassies for their 
review.
    IV.3f.2--Submitting Electronic Applications: Applicants have the 
option of submitting proposals

[[Page 6240]]

electronically through Grants.gov ( http://www.grants.gov). Complete 
solicitation packages are available at Grants.gov in the ``Find'' 
portion of the system. Please follow the instructions available in the 
``Get Started'' portion of the site (http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted).
    Several of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process could 
take several weeks. Therefore, applicants should check with appropriate 
staff within their organizations immediately after reviewing this RFGP 
to confirm or determine their registration status with Grants.gov. Once 
registered, the amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you not wait until the application deadline to 
begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
    Direct all questions regarding Grants.gov registration and 
submission to: Grants.gov Customer Support.
    Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726.
    Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Eastern Time.
    E-mail: grants.gov">support@grants.gov.
    Applicants have until midnight (12 a.m.), Washington, DC time of 
the closing date to ensure that their entire application has been 
uploaded to the Grants.gov site. There are no exceptions to the above 
deadline. Applications uploaded to the site after midnight of the 
application deadline date will be automatically rejected by the 
grants.gov system, and will be technically ineligible.
    Applicants will receive a confirmation e-mail from grants.gov upon 
the successful submission of an application. ECA will not notify you 
upon receipt of electronic applications.
    It is the responsibility of all applicants submitting proposals via 
the Grants.gov Web portal to ensure that proposals have been received 
by Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA bears no responsibility for 
data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.
    IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order 
12372 does not apply to this program.

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 cooperative agreements 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. Program Planning and Ability to Achieve Objectives: Detailed 
agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate substantive 
undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan should adhere to 
the program overview and guidelines described above. Proposals should 
clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's 
objectives and plan.
    2. Multiplier Effect/Impact: Proposed programs should strengthen 
long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of 
information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual 
linkages.
    3. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant 
features should be cited in both program administration (selection of 
participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content 
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials 
and follow-up activities).
    4. Institutional Capacity: Proposals should include (1) the 
institution's mission and date of establishment; (2) an outline of 
prior awards--U.S. government and/or private support received for tours 
abroad; (3) descriptions of experienced staff members who will be part 
of the team implementing the program, and; (4) all other documentation 
requested herein. Proposed personnel and institutional resources should 
be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or project's goals. 
The proposal should reflect the institution's expertise in the music 
management arena and knowledge of the conditions in the regions abroad.
    5. Institution's Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate an 
institutional record of at least five years of international music 
management planning and implementation, including responsible fiscal 
management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past 
Bureau grants as determined by Bureau Grants Staff. The Bureau will 
consider the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated 
potential of new applicants.
    6. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the activity's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of 
the program. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus 
description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original 
project objectives is recommended.
    7. Cost-effectiveness and Cost-sharing: The overhead and 
administrative components of the proposal, including salaries and 
honoraria, should be kept as low as possible. All other items should be 
necessary and appropriate. Proposals should maximize cost-sharing 
through other private sector support as well as institutional direct 
funding contributions.

VI. Award Administration Information

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

[[Page 6241]]

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 showing activities 
carried out and expenses incurred in the calendar quarter.
    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.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Jill Staggs, 
Cultural Programs, ECA/PE/C/CU, Room 568, ECA/PE/C-CU-08-29, U.S. 
Department of State, SA-44, 301 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, 
202/203-7493; fax 202/203-7525; [email protected].
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C-CU-08-29.
    Please read the complete 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: January 23, 2008.
C. Miller Crouch,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 
Department of State.
 [FR Doc. E8-1749 Filed 1-31-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P