[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 75 (Tuesday, April 20, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20656-20663]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-9076]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice: 6957]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: smART Power: Visual Arts

    Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C-CU-10-50.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.415.
    Key Dates:
    Application Deadline: May 26, 2010.
    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 one award to administer the 
``smART Power: Visual Arts'' program. Under the ``smART Power: Visual 
Arts'' program, the Bureau seeks an organization capable of soliciting, 
selecting, and facilitating approximately ten (10) to thirty (30) 
collaborative visual arts projects, whereby U.S. visual artists will 
travel abroad to engage with foreign audiences for periods of 
approximately six to twelve weeks each.

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 overall objective of the ``smART Power: Visual Arts'' 
program is to support the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs' 
mission to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the 
United States and other countries, emphasizing shared social and 
cultural values. The program will showcase the role of visual artists 
as vibrant, engaged, and innovative partners in addressing the broader 
social issues important to communities worldwide. International 
audiences will have an opportunity to engage with American artists and 
learn about our country's cultural history as well as the contemporary 
cultural scene. The American artists will themselves learn about the 
societies and cultures of the foreign host countries.
    The ``smART Power: Visual Arts'' program will administer projects 
where U.S. artists travel to foreign locales and collaborate with local 
individuals and communities to create works of art. Projects will be 
designed to stimulate discourse about local or global social issues 
including, but not limited to the environment, education, health, 
girls'/women's issues, and freedom of expression. Approved projects 
will focus on direct community engagement that encourages dialogue, 
experimentation, and creativity. Participating U.S. artists and foreign 
communities will have an opportunity to strengthen connections and 
create long-term relationships through the mutual engagement fostered 
by the art projects. U.S. missions will benefit from these projects by 
enhancing their ties with the American artists as well as with the 
local audiences they serve.
    Guidelines: The award period will begin approximately August 31, 
2010, and continue through December 31, 2012. ECA intends to award one 
cooperative agreement to a qualified institution or organization to 
administer the ``smART Power: Visual Arts'' program globally. The 
cooperative agreement will support the organization and implementation 
of approximately ten (10) to thirty (30) art projects.
    All applications must be submitted by public or private non-profit 
organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue code 
section 26 USD 501(c)(3). All artists selected must be U.S. citizens. 
Total funding for this competition is $1 million. Please Note: The 
Bureau reserves the right to reallocate funds it has initially 
allocated to this competition, based upon factors such as the number of 
applications received and responsiveness to the review criteria 
outlined. No guarantee is made or implied that a grant will be awarded 
for projects to any particular region.
    The successful applicant for the cooperative agreement will 
organize the selection of approximately ten (10) to thirty (30) visual 
arts projects to be implemented abroad for periods of approximately six 
(6) to twelve (12) weeks each, as well as manage the administration of 
the program throughout the award period.
    Proposals should reflect a practical understanding of global 
issues, and demonstrate sensitivity to cultural, political, economic 
and social differences in regions where projects may take place. 
Special attention should be given to describing the applicant 
organization's experience with planning and implementing complex and 
unpredictable logistical scenarios abroad. Applicants should identify 
any U.S. and foreign partner organizations and/or venues with whom they 
are proposing to collaborate, and describe previous cooperative 
projects to demonstrate their institutional capacity.
    Projects will take place in countries to be designated by ECA and 
should primarily target and engage youth, underserved, and diverse 
populations, including Muslim and indigenous populations, as well as 
educators or groups that influence youth.
    Award proposals should contain a detailed plan to work with ECA to 
identify and recruit U.S. visual artists to participate in the program, 
as well as a process for soliciting and reviewing proposals submitted 
by the U.S. artists through a competition for specific overseas 
projects. It is anticipated that no more than six months will be 
required to identify the first group of U.S. artists and solicit, 
review and select project proposals. Selected projects will be 
announced in or about February 2011, and project activities will be 
conducted and concluded by December 31, 2012.
    The U.S. visual artists to be selected for specific projects must 
demonstrate high artistic ability, excellent interpersonal skills, and 
be conversant with the broader aspects of contemporary American society 
and culture. In addition to creating works of art, artists will conduct 
workshops, teach master classes, and perform other outreach activities.
    Individual art projects deemed competitive under these programs 
should include the following elements:

[[Page 20657]]

     Dynamic public outreach, including a collaborative art 
project(s) with foreign community members, especially with youth and/or 
underserved or underprivileged populations.
     A description of how U.S. artists and foreign communities 
will benefit from participating in the projects; how the projects will 
stimulate public discourse and explore local or global social issues.
     A description of how U.S. artists, through their projects 
can encourage dialogue, experimentation, and creativity.
    The award recipient's activities and responsibilities for these 
programs are as follows:
     Design and implementation of a process for openly 
soliciting applications from U.S. visual artists for international 
projects subject to ECA final approval.
     Design and implementation of a transparent process for 
reviewing and selecting proposals using criteria approved by ECA. 
Criteria may include, but are not limited to elements such as artistic 
quality/excellence of U.S. artist; U.S. artist experience with public 
outreach and foreign audiences; appropriateness of the project for the 
foreign policy context and objectives; opportunities for local 
outreach.
     Organization of procedures and events for announcing ECA's 
final decisions on proposals, including media coverage as appropriate.
     Advance project planning (including educational and 
outreach activities);
     Project implementation and monitoring;
     Processing and funding all administrative aspects of each 
project, including but not limited to disbursement of moneys to U.S. 
artists, travel arrangements, visas, immunizations, health insurance, 
purchase and shipment of supplies, payments and other applicable 
logistical elements.
     Arrangement of orientation sessions and pre-travel 
briefings for each artist or group of artists with State Department 
regional experts and ECA program officers in attendance. In the event a 
personal briefing session is not possible, a teleconference briefing 
should be scheduled.
     Production of logo and press and other materials to be 
used in outreach and program branding.
     Publicizing program activities and results to targeted 
U.S. and international media in a consultation with ECA, and, as 
applicable, the Public Affairs Sections of U.S. missions, and 
participating artists.
     Liaison and coordination with U.S. Missions and local 
foreign organizations, as appropriate;
     Evaluation of program activities;
     Reporting on project activities to ECA within one month of 
completion of project;
     Assisting artists and embassies with follow-on program 
development.
    Successful applicants must be highly responsive and able to work in 
close consultation with ECA and the Public Affairs Sections of 
participating U.S. embassies overseas. Applicants should also have 
experience in global exchange planning and implementation, and should 
state how they intend to address the above elements in their proposal, 
particularly the specific procedures and criteria for the selection of 
American artists.
    In a cooperative agreement, ECA/PE/C/CU is substantially involved 
in program activities above and beyond routine monitoring. ECA/PE/C/
CU's activities and responsibilities for these programs are as follows:
     Determination of the countries for which projects will be 
selected. Countries will be those in all world regions of greatest 
importance to the Department of State's public diplomacy mission to 
build mutual understanding. Examples of countries where projects may 
take place include Egypt, Venezuela, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, 
Syria and Russia. These are examples for purposes of the competition. 
ECA reserves the right to select participating countries based upon the 
overall policy priorities of the Department of State during the course 
of the cooperative agreement.
     Participation in the selection of artists and projects.
     Final approval of all projects and project arrangements.
     Arranging for participation of Department of State 
officers in pre-travel briefings and any debriefings that might take 
place.

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 2010.
    Approximate Total Funding: $1,000,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 1.
    Approximate Average Award: $1,000,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: August 31, 2010.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: December 31, 2012.

Additional Information

    Pending successful implementation of this program and the 
availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is ECA's intent to 
renew the 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 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 making one award, 
in an amount up to $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: (1) 
Full adherence to the guidelines stated herein and in the Solicitation 
Package;

[[Page 20658]]

(2) proposal submission deadline; and (3) non-profit organization 
status, or your proposal will be declared technically ineligible and 
given no further consideration in the review process.
    Applicants may submit only ONE proposal to administer the listed 
activities/programs. If more than one proposal is received from the 
same applicant, all submissions will be declared technically ineligible 
and will receive no further consideration in the review process. Please 
Note: Applicant organizations are defined by their legal name, and EIN 
number as stated on their completed SF-424 and additional supporting 
documentation outlined in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) 
document.

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, Bureau of Educational Affairs, U.S. 
Department of State, SA-5, 2200 C Street, NW., 3rd Floor, Washington, 
DC 20522-0503; tel 202-632-6425; fax 202-632-9355; e-mail 
[email protected] to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to 
the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C-CU-10-50 located at the top of 
this announcement when making your request.
    Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained 
from awards.gov. Please see section IV.3f for further information.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instruction (PSI) document which consists of required application 
forms, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.
    Please specify Alan Cross and refer to the Funding Opportunity 
Number ECA/PE/C-CU-10-50 located at the top of this announcement and 
``smART Power: Visual Arts'' on all other inquiries and correspondence 
related to that program.

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/awards/open2.html, 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 application should be submitted 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 
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. Please note: Effective January 7, 2009, all applicants for 
ECA federal assistance awards must include in their application the 
names of directors and/or senior executives (current officers, 
trustees, and key employees, regardless of amount of compensation). In 
fulfilling this requirement, applicants must submit information in one 
of the following ways:
    (1) Those who file Internal Revenue Service Form 990, ``Return of 
Organization Exempt From Income Tax,'' must include a copy of relevant 
portions of this form.
    (2) Those who do not file IRS Form 990 must submit information 
above in the format of their choice.
    In addition to final program reporting requirements, the award 
recipient will also be required to submit a one-page document, derived 
from its program reports, listing and describing its award activities. 
For the award recipient, the names of directors and/or senior 
executives (current officers, trustees, and key employees), as well as 
the one- page description of award activities, will be transmitted by 
the State Department to OMB, along with other information required by 
the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), and 
will be made available to the public by the Office of Management and 
Budget on its USASpending.gov website as part of ECA's FFATA reporting 
requirements.
    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 following is for informational purposes only and is not 
directly relevant to this solicitation. The Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs places critically important emphases on the security 
and proper administration of the Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and 
adherence by award recipients and sponsors to all regulations governing 
the J visa.
    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, Office of Designation, ECA/
EC/D, SA-5, Floor C2, Department of State, Washington, DC 20522-0582.
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

[[Page 20659]]

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 recipient organization 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, demonstrating 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.)
    The recipient organization will be required to provide reports 
analyzing its evaluation findings to the Bureau in its 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.3d.4. Describe your plans for: i.e. sustainability, overall 
program management, staffing, coordination with ECA and PAS or any 
other requirements etc.
    IV.3e. Please take the following information into consideration 
when preparing your budget:
    IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit SF-424A--``Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs'' along with 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. Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Program Expenses, including but not limited to: Domestic and 
international travel for the selected artists (per The Fly America 
Act); visas and immunizations; airport taxes and country entrance fees; 
honoraria; educational and project materials and presentation items; 
excess and overweight baggage fees; 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 airfares (per The Fly America Act), 
transit costs, ground transportation, and visas for participating 
artists to travel to the project destinations.
    B. Per Diem: Domestic per diem rates may be accessed at: http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentId=17943&contentType=GSA_BASIC. Foreign per diem 
rates may be accessed at: http://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=184&menu_id=78.
    C. Sub-awardees and Consultants. Sub-awardee organizations may be 
used, in which case the written agreement between the prospective award 
recipient and sub-awardee should be included in the proposal. Sub-
awards must be itemized in the budget under General Program Expenses. 
Consultants may be used to provide specialized expertise. Daily 
honoraria cannot exceed $200 per day, and applicants are strongly 
encouraged to use organizational resources, and to cost share heavily 
in this area.
    D. Health Insurance. Each participating artist will be covered 
under the terms of the ECA-sponsored Accident and Sickness Program for 
Exchanges (ASPE) health insurance program. The cost for international 
travel insurance for staff travel may be included in the proposal 
budget.
    E. Honoraria for participating artists. Daily honorarium is $200 
per day for each artist.

[[Page 20660]]

    F. Educational Material and Promotional Items. Artists may use 
these funds to purchase project material and promotional items whether 
in the U.S. or abroad. ECA funds for educational and promotional items 
(e.g. CDS, DVDS, catalogues, brochures, etc.) should be tailored to 
meet the needs of the project and be proportional to the overall 
project cost. Material costs may be subject to change once actual 
projects are scheduled; however, for proposal budget purposes, costs 
should be estimated at $1,000 per project.
    G. Excess Baggage. Excess baggage costs are based on the size and 
weight of art materials and supplies. Excess baggage estimates may be 
subject to change once actual projects are scheduled; however for 
proposal budget purposes, costs should be estimated at $500 per visual 
arts project.
    H. Immunizations/Visas. For purposes of a proposed budget, line 
items for immunizations should be estimated at $400 per artist, and 
visas/visa photos should be estimated at $200 per artist.
    I. Press Kits. As appropriate, based on the project and foreign 
country, the award recipient should design and create press kits in 
consultation with ECA. This line item may include funds for designing 
and publishing print materials and/or CD's, DVD's.
    J. Staff Travel. Allowable costs include domestic staff travel for 
one staff member to meet with sub-awardees. International staff travel 
will be allowable, especially if associated with monitoring and 
evaluation, as long as costs for each project 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 award recipient 
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 award funds will be more competitive on cost effectiveness. Please 
refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and 
formatting instructions.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission
    Application Deadline Date: May 26, 2010.
    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/CU-10-50.
    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., 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 
Proposal Submission Instructions (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 ten copies of the application should be sent to: 
Program Management Division, ECA-IIP/EX/PM, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/CU-10-50, 
SA-5, Floor 4, Department of State, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20522-0504.
IV.3f.2 Submitting Electronic Applications
    Applicants have the option of submitting proposals electronically 
through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation 
packages are available at Grants.gov in the ``Find'' portion of the 
system.

    Please Note: ECA bears no responsibility for applicant 
timeliness of submission or data errors resulting from transmission 
or conversion processes for proposals submitted via Grants.gov.

    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. In 
addition, validation of an electronic submission via Grants.gov can 
take up to two business days.
    Therefore, we strongly recommend that you not wait until the 
application deadline to begin the submission process through 
Grants.gov.
    The Grants.gov Web site includes extensive information on all 
phases/aspects of the Grants.gov process, including an extensive 
section on frequently asked questions, located under the ``For 
Applicants'' section of the website. ECA strongly recommends that all 
potential applicants review thoroughly the Grants.gov Web site, well in 
advance of submitting a proposal through the Grants.gov system. ECA 
bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or 
conversion processes.
    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: [email protected].
    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.
    Please refer to the Grants.gov Web site, for definitions of various 
``application statuses'' and the difference between a submission 
receipt and a submission validation. Applicants will receive a 
validation e-mail from grants.gov upon the successful submission of an 
application. Again, validation of an electronic submission via 
grants.gov can take up to two

[[Page 20661]]

business days. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you not wait until 
the application deadline to begin the submission process through 
grants.gov. 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.3f.3 Only one application may be submitted by an organization. 
Submission of more than one application will automatically disqualify 
that organization for all applications.
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: Proposals 
should exhibit originality, substance and precision. The program plan 
should state the project's relevance to the U.S. Department of State's 
foreign policy goals. Program objectives should be stated clearly and 
should reflect the organization's expertise in the visual arts and in 
the area of community outreach. Objectives should be reasonable, 
feasible, and flexible. Detailed agenda and plan should adhere to the 
program overview and guidelines described above. Proposals should 
include a detailed timeline/agenda for accomplishing all of the program 
activities including application phases, participant selection, project 
implementation and project monitoring.
    2. Institutional Capacity/Record: Proposals should include the 
institution's mission and date that 501(c) 3 status was approved. 
Proposals should reflect institution's expertise in the subject areas, 
knowledge of conditions overseas, and expertise in planning programs 
that strengthen connections between the United States and other 
countries. Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be 
adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or project's goals.
    Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of successful 
exchange programs, including responsible fiscal management and full 
compliance with all reporting requirements for past Bureau awards 
(grants or cooperative agreements) as determined by Bureau Grants 
Staff. The Bureau will consider the past performance of prior 
recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants. 
Institutions with previous successful experience in conducting exchange 
programs with the U.S. Government will be deemed more competitive. 
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.
    The Bureau strongly encourages submission of letters of support and 
commitment from proposed partner organizations.
    3. 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. Proposals should demonstrate a clear understanding of how the 
individual art projects can have a long lasting impact on the foreign 
community.
    4. 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).
    5. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan to conduct 
activities after the Bureau-funded project has concluded in order to 
ensure that Bureau-supported programs are not isolated events. Post-
award activities must be funded by contributions from sources outside 
the Bureau. Costs for these activities should not appear in the 
proposal budget, but should be outlined in the narrative.
    6. Project Monitoring and Evaluation: Proposals should include a 
detailed plan to monitor and evaluate the program. Competitive 
evaluation plans will describe how the project's success at meeting 
program objectives in quantitative terms will be measured, and should 
include draft data collection instruments such as surveys and 
questionnaires, media coverage, and other significant local reaction to 
specific projects. Proposals should include a plan to evaluate the 
activities' success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of 
the program. ECA is especially interested in the qualitative and 
quantitative results of project activities both in terms of the impact 
on audiences, as well as on participants. It will be the award 
recipient's responsibility to inform the Bureau of exchange activity 
results and changes to the program plan and/or project timeline.
    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 a Federal Assistance Award (FAA) 
from the Bureau's Grants Office. The FAA and the original proposal with 
subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the only binding 
authorizing document between the recipient and the U.S. Government. The 
FAA 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.1b. In the event programming involves Iran, West Bank and Gaza, 
the

[[Page 20662]]

following additional requirements may apply: A critical component of 
current U.S. government Iran policy is the support for indigenous 
Iranian voices. The State Department has made the awarding of awards 
for this purpose a key component of its Iran policy. As a condition of 
licensing these activities, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) 
has requested the Department of State to follow certain procedures to 
effectuate the goals of Sections 481(b), 531(a), 571, 582, and 635(b) 
of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as amended); 18 U.S.C. 2339A and 
2339B; Executive Order 13224; and Homeland Security Presidential 
Directive 6. These licensing conditions mandate that the Department 
conduct a vetting of potential Iran awardees and sub-awardees for 
counter-terrorism purposes. To conduct this vetting the Department will 
collect information from awardees and sub-awardees regarding the 
identity and background of their key employees and Boards of Directors.

    Note:  To assure that planning for the inclusion of Iran 
complies with requirements, please contact Catherine Staples-
Randolph at 202-632-6425 or [email protected] for additional 
information.

    All awards made under this competition must be executed according 
to all relevant U.S. laws and policies regarding assistance to the 
Palestinian Authority, and to the West Bank and Gaza. Organizations 
must consult with relevant Public Affairs Offices before entering into 
any formal arrangements or agreements with Palestinian organizations or 
institutions.

    Note:  To assure that planning for the inclusion of the 
Palestinian Authority complies with requirements, please contact 
Catherine Staples-Randolph at 202-632-6425 or [email protected] 
for additional information.

Special Provision for Performance in a Designated Combat Area 
(Currently Iraq and Afghanistan) (December 2008)

    All Recipient personnel deploying to areas of combat operations, as 
designated by the Secretary of Defense (currently Iraq and 
Afghanistan), under assistance awards over $100,000 or performance over 
14 days must register in the Department of Defense maintained 
Synchronized Pre-deployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT) system. 
Recipients of federal assistance awards shall register in SPOT before 
deployment, or if already in the designated operational area, register 
upon becoming an employee under the assistance award, and maintain 
current data in SPOT. Information on how to register in SPOT will be 
available from your Grants Officer or Grants Officer Representative 
during the final negotiation and approval stages in the federal 
assistance awards process. Recipients of federal assistance awards are 
advised that adherence to this policy and procedure will be a 
requirement of all final federal assistance awards issued by ECA.
    Recipient performance may require the use of armed private security 
personnel. To the extent that such private security contractors (PSCs) 
are required, awardees are required to ensure they adhere to Chief of 
Mission (COM) policies and procedures regarding the operation, 
oversight, and accountability of PSCs.

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/awards.
http://fa.statebuy.state.gov

VI.3 Reporting Requirements

    You must provide ECA with a hard copy original plus ten copies of 
the following reports:
    (1) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after 
the expiration of the award;
    (2) A concise, one-page final program report summarizing program 
outcomes no more than 90 days after the expiration of the award. This 
one-page report will be transmitted to OMB, and be made available to 
the public via OMB's USAspending.gov website--as part of ECA's Federal 
Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) reporting 
requirements.
    (3) A SF-PPR, ``Performance Progress Report'' Cover Sheet with all 
program reports.
    (4) Quarterly program and financial reports that include final 
costs for each visual arts project and remaining award funds for 
additional projects.
    (5) During the period of implementation of each visual arts 
project, bi-weekly reports to the ECA program office that include 
photographs, any media coverage and information on substantive elements 
of the project.
    (6) No more than two weeks following conclusion of each visual arts 
project, a report and evaluation of the substantive aspects of the 
project (including budget) to the ECA program office.
    Award recipients 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.
Program Data Requirements
    The award recipient 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 requested. 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 agreement.
    (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 general (non-substantive) questions about this announcement, 
contact: Catherine Staples-Randolph at 202-632-6425 or 
[email protected]. For specific (substantive) questions about the 
``smART Power: Visual Arts'' program, contact: Alan Cross, Cultural 
Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/CU), Room 3-K14, ECA/PE/C-CU-10-50,

[[Page 20663]]

U.S. Department of State, SA-5, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20522-0503; tel 202-632-6407; fax 202-632-9355; e-mail 
[email protected].
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C-CU-10-50 and the specific 
program being requested.
    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: April 14, 2010.
Maura M. Pally,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. 
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2010-9076 Filed 4-19-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P