U.S. Embassy in Peru

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S. EMBASSY LIMA, PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION
Funding Opportunity Title: Notice of Funding Opportunity to Support Women in the Film Industry
Funding Opportunity Number: PAS-LIMA-FY21-NOFO-002
Posted Date: June 7, 2021
Original Closing Date for Application: July 15, 2021

Please refer to detailed review schedules in section IV.
Award Floor: $18,000 USD
Award Ceiling: $25,000 USD

* NOTE: Cost-share is not required, however, if provided, please detail whether the cost-share is through in-cash or in-kind contribution and approximate dollar amount. Cost-share will not be included in the criteria for evaluation. 

CFDA Number: 19.040 – Public Diplomacy Programs
References:     Standard Department Terms & Conditions [English PDF] 

Authorizing legislation, type, and year of funding:  Funding authority rests in either the Smith-Mundt Act or the Fulbright-Hays Act.  The source of funding is FY2021 Public Diplomacy Funding.

Please submit your proposal in the application form found here (PDF 2428KB)

*NOTE: The governing language for grants and cooperative agreements for the U.S. Department of State is English. You may include translation expenses as a budget line item, if needed. 

References: Standard Department Terms & Conditions [English PDF] 

This notice is subject to availability of funds.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Lima is pleased to announce a competition for assistance awards through this Notice of Funding Opportunity.  The program aims to support women in the film industry in Peru, given the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to the film sector and the cultural industry in general.

The U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Section invites filmmakers, producers, film technicians, cultural and education institutions and film guilds to design and present a plan to support women in Peru’s film industry by creating training opportunities throughout Peru, specifically outside of the province of Lima; promoting safer working conditions; and generating more opportunities to collaborate and share ideas with the international community, specifically the U.S. film industry. The program will support female directors, producers, technical teams, and screenwriters, amplifying their voices, and helping them overcome gender-based challenges that hinder their ability to work in the field.  The program should also facilitate networking between senior-level and less-experienced professionals and disseminate funding and training opportunities, both in Peru and the United States.  The program could be supported by one or more social media platforms or any other communication tool that reaches the target community.  Activities should have an significant training component and include virtual and in-person events when possible.  The program could include the creation of a Peru chapter for Women in Film and Television International to enable Peruvian women to further expand their networks to colleagues worldwide.

The proposals should support the U.S. Embassy’s Integrated Country Strategy which includes the promotion of gender integration as a cross-cutting theme and supports women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship.

If selected, the grantee must be able to carry out at least six of the following activities:

1. Organize four virtual and at least two in-person conferences (when possible) with U.S. women specialists on issues relevant to the field to help promote more film projects led by women. Audiences could be mixed or only women.
2. Organize regional courses with U.S. specialists in specific fields of interest to improve the technical capacity of filmmakers in provinces outside of Lima. Generate encounters for intercultural cooperation and dedicate resources to train indigenous women filmmakers.
3. Incentivize and promote gender balance in the film industry, where film projects should display gender equity.  These efforts should be promoted with the participation of men and women.
4. Create safe working places in the film industry by promoting nondiscrimination laws and specifically supporting and promoting the implementation of the “Protocol for Good Labor Practices in the audiovisual sector” elaborated by SINCA (labor union of audiovisual and film workers).
5. Open a chapter of Women in Film and Television International in Peru and find an institutional partner (professional guild or academic institution) to provide sustainability.
6. Launch a mentoring project where senior women in film offer support to upcoming professionals and recent graduates through informal conversations.  This mentorship project should include two virtual sessions per year and start with at least three Peruvian and three U.S. volunteers from different regions in the U.S. and Peru.
7. Promote the exchange of information on resources, funding, and technical training (photography and cinematography, editing, casting, art design, costume design, production, screen writing, lighting, sound engineer) via virtual and in-person events (at least three events per year with members of the network).
8. Organize at least two virtual or in-personevents where senior and upcoming women professionals can share their accomplishments to foster leadership development.
9. Provide a plan for sustainability of the network after the conclusion of the grant.

Additionally, the grantee should select between 3 and 5 women filmmakers in the process of producing their own film who would benefit from English language lessons to be able to apply and participate in film festivals in the United States. The budget destined for this purpose should not exceed $5,000 in total for one to two-year English classes to be taken at the American Spaces (binational center) network throughout Peru.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity and the related project contest cannot finance any of the following:

• Requests by organizations and individuals who are neither Peruvian nor American;
• Those relating to partisan political activity;
• Charitable activities;
• Construction projects;
• Projects that support specific religious activities;
• International travel, unless specifically justified within the project and in line with the Fly America Act (see more at https://www.gsa.gov/policy-regulations/policy/travel-management-policy/fly-america-act);
• Trade activities;
• Fund-raising campaigns;
• Commercial projects;
• Scientific research;
• Projects aiming only at primary institutional development of the organization; or
• Projects that duplicate existing projects.

Although on rare occasions PAS Lima does fund the travel of U.S. experts who are participating in conferences in Peru, such programs must be part of wider public programming coordinated with the U.S. Embassy, rather than limited to the presentation of scientific or academic research or participation in a single conference or event.

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION 

Length of performance period: 1 year
Number of awards anticipated: 1 award
Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $18,000 to a maximum of $25,000
Total available funding: $25,000
Type of Funding: Fiscal Year 2021 Public Diplomacy Funding
Anticipated project start: October 2021

Funding Instrument Type: Grant.

Project and Budget Periods: Applicants should consider their budgets carefully and submit a budget commensurate with their project goals.  Grant projects generally should be completed in two years or less.  PAS Lima will consider applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Although cost share is not required, it is strongly encouraged.  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.

III. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION 

The U.S. Embassy Lima Public Affairs Section encourages applications from U.S. or Peruvian citizens and/or organizations, including:

• Registered public or private non-profit organizations, such as think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience;
• Non-profit or governmental educational institutions; and
• Governmental institutions

For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.

Other Eligibility Requirements:  In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (Data Universal Numbering System/DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov.  Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations.  Individuals are not required to have a unique entity identifier or be registered in SAM.gov.

IV. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS 

The U.S. Embassy Lima Public Affairs Section will accept proposals until July 15, 2021.  Once the U.S. Embassy confirms receipt of the proposal via e-mail correspondence, the review and selection process may take up to one month.

The following requirements must be met for all submissions:

• Documents listed in sections C and D must be in English.  Remaining documents (cover letter, proposal, and official permission letters) may be in English or Spanish.
• All budgets must be presented in U.S. dollars.
• All documents must be in Microsoft Office file formats.
• All documents must be single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.
• All pages must be numbered.
• All documents must be formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper.

The application package includes: 

A. Cover Letter (optional): Applicants are encouraged to submit a cover letter on the organization’s letterhead containing the proposal’s submission date, project title, project performance period, and primary purpose of the project.

B. Proposal: The proposal should contain sufficient information so that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do.  Applicants must submit a complete proposal that includes the items listed below. (The proposal should not exceed 10 pages total.)

• Proposal Summary: Brief narrative that outlines the proposed project, including its objectives and how it advances the Embassy’s policy goals.  Project summary should be one page maximum.
• Introduction to the Organization: A description of past and present operations.  Please include information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies.
• Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed project is needed.
• Project Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the project intends to achieve at its completion.  How will the project further the relationship between the United States and Peru?  The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments that lead to the achievement of the goals.  The goals should be measurable.
• Program Methods and Design: A description of how the project is expected to work and how it will solve or address the stated problem.
• Project Activities: Specific activities related to the objectives that must be reached and the methods used to achieve the stated objectives.
• Proposed Project Schedule: The proposed timeline for undertaking and completing the specific project activities. Dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events should be included:
• Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/background on the key personnel to be involved in the project.

• • Who will work on the project?
  • What responsibilities will they have?
• • What qualifications do they have?
  • What proportion of their time will be used in support of this project (e.g. total monthly/yearly salary at 5%)?
  • Please note if any of the key personnel are alumni of a U.S. government-funded exchange program.

• Project Monitoring and Evaluation: This is an important part of successful grants. Throughout the timeframe of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant?
• Media/Communications Plan: How will the applicant use traditional and social media to raise awareness about this project and its results?
• Future Funding or Sustainability: Applicant’s plan for continuation beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable.
• Proposed Budget: Listing of all project expenses, consistent with the proposal narrative, project activities and USG-wide budget categories. (Please see section  Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information).  Types and amounts of funding your organization has received for the current project from other partners should be included. Include a budget narrative to explain any costs that are not self-explanatory.

C. Mandatory application form SF-424

For Individuals, required forms are two: 1) SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance –Individual and 2) SF-424A Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs. 
These forms can be found at:
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-individual-family.html

For Organizations, required forms are two: 1) SF424 Application for Federal Assistance and 2) SF-424A Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs. 
These forms can be found at:
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html

D. Required Registrations: All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations in this order:

1. NATO Commercial and Governmental Entities (NCAGE)/CAGE code.  Obtaining and validating this code may take up to 10 business days.
2. Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet.  This may take five business days.
3. Active Registration in the System for Award Management (SAM).  This may take up to 15 business days.

All are free of charge, but because the process can be lengthy, we encourage all interested applicants to begin the process immediately.  Applicants request a copy of the guide by emailing LimaPDGrants@state.gov.

Step 1: Apply for an NCAGE number and then a DUNS number.

To request a new NCAGE code, organizations register with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) by going to the NATO Codification Tool webpage https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx and selecting the “CAGE/NCAGE Code Request” link.  More detailed instructions for the NCAGE application process can be found at https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf.

For help from within the U.S., call 1-888-227-2423
For help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766
Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code.

To request a new DUNS number, organizations may call 1-866-705-5711 or visit http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.  For technical difficulties, contact SAMHelp@dnb.com

Step 2: Register in SAM.  You must have the NCAGE code and the DUNS number before registering in SAM.  To register in SAM for the first time, visit https://www.sam.gov and start by creating a user account.  (Please contact LimaPDGrants@state.gov for Spanish-language instructions). Please note the SAM registration must be renewed annually.

E. Official Permission Letters: If applicable for project activities, applicants must obtain official permission letters from the relevant authorities to carry out the project (for example, permission letters from provincial authorities or educational institutions/authorities).

F. How to Apply: All application materials must be submitted to LimaPDGrants@state.govwith “FY21 NOFO Women in the Film Industry” in the subject line of the email.  Proposals that do not meet the requirements above will not be considered.

V. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS 

The U.S. Embassy encourages applications that include organizations—cultural, civic, and educational—and communities that are geographically and demographically diverse and have not had extensive opportunities to work with the U.S. Embassy and the Department of State.

Organizations that have received previous grants from the U.S. Embassy should make an effort to include new institutions and communities as sub-grantees or program partners.

Each application submitted under this announcement will be evaluated and rated using the criteria outlined below.  The criteria listed are designed to assess the quality of the proposed project and to determine the likelihood of its success.  Applications will be also be judged for completeness, coherence, clarity, and attention to detail.

Organizational capacity: The organization has expertise in its stated field and PAS Lima is confident of its technical capacity to undertake the project.  This includes a financial management system and a bank account.

Goals and objectives: Goals and objectives are clearly stated, and project approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.

Embassy priorities: Applicant has clearly described how stated goals are related to and support U.S. Embassy Lima’s priority areas, including those outlined in the Integrated Country Strategy, under Western Hemisphere Region/Peru, at: https://www.state.gov/f/strategies/ics/index.htm#wha.

Sustainability: Project activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the project.

Feasibility: Analysis of the project’s economic, organizational, and technical feasibility.  This is related to the project approach, budget items requested, and technical/human resource capacity of the organization.

Budget: The budget justification is both reasonable and realistic in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results.  Grants will be awarded to programs with the highest impact per dollar spent.

Monitoring and evaluation plan: Applicant demonstrates ability to measure program success against key indicators and provide milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal.  The project includes a systematic recording and periodic analysis of selected information on the project activities.

Media/Communications Plan: Applicant explains how traditional and social media will be used to raise awareness about this project and its results.

Successful applicants will receive official written notification by email and detailed information on finalizing grant awards.  Organizations whose applications will not be funded will also be notified via email.

Grant awards are contingent upon availability of U.S. Government funding and signing of official grant documents.  Verbal or other informal communications cannot be considered official notification of an award, and applicants may not incur expenses for a proposed project until all required administrative procedures have been completed.

 VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION 

Award Notices: The grant award or cooperative agreement shall be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer.  The Grants Officer is the U.S. government official delegated the authority by the U.S. Department of State Procurement Executive to write, award, and administer grants, fixed amount awards and cooperative agreements.  The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document and it will be provided to the recipient.  Organizations whose applications will not be funded will also be notified in writing.

If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding in connection with the award.  Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the total discretion of the Department of State.

Payment Method: The standard form SF-270 Request for Advance or Reimbursement Payments may be submitted in the amounts required by the recipient to carry out the purpose of this award.

Payments will generally be made in at least two installments and the initial installment may not exceed the amount of 80 percent.  The rest will be disbursed after the completion of programs and submission of closeout reports.

Reporting Requirements: All awards issued under this announcement will require both program and financial reports on a frequency specified in the award agreement.  The disbursement of funds may be tied to submission of these reports in a timely manner.

All other details related to award administration will be specified in the award agreement as well.  Final programmatic and financial reports are due 90 days after the close of the project period.

Progress reports at a minimum should be submitted via electronic mail to an address to be provided in the award.

VII. Guidelines for Budget Submissions 

Personnel: Use this budget category for wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the project.

Travel: Use this budget category for the estimated costs of travel and per diem for this project. If the project involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel either in the Project Activities Description or as an attachment.

Equipment: Use this budget category for all tangible, non-expendable (non-disposable) machinery, furniture, and other personal property having a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the project), and a cost of $5,000 or more per unit.

Supplies: Use this category for building, conservation, and other materials that will be consumed (used up) during the project.  If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under Equipment.

Contractual: Use this budget category for goods and services that the applicant intends to acquire through a contract with a vendor, such as masonry repair and re-pointing services that include the costs of materials as part of a contract, or professional photographic services that include photographic prints as part of the contract.

Other Direct Costs: Use this budget category for other costs directly associated with the project, which do not fit any of the other categories. Examples include shipping costs for materials and equipment, and the costs of utilities (water, electricity, Internet) required for the project.  Applicable taxes, if any, should be included as part of your budget.

“Other” or “Miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained.

“Cost Sharing” refers to contributions other than the U.S. Embassy Lima grant being applied for. It includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time, donated venues, admin support, etc.

“Counterpart contributions” by the involved organizations are encouraged and funds or in-kind, such as staff time, space, etc., should be mentioned in the estimated value of contribution.

Entertainment and Alcoholic Beverages CANNOT BE FUNDED.  Please note that U.S. Embassy Lima does not provide any funding for entertainment or alcoholic beverages in its grants.  If you feel that these are important to the project, you may want to consider such expenses as part of your cost-share.

Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the project activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating.  If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA.  Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.

VIII. Inquiries 

If you have any questions about the grants application process or would like a proposal template, please contact PAS Lima at LimaPDGrants@state.gov.