Democracy Commission Small Grants Program 2021
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
U.S. Embassy Tbilisi announces an open competition for Democracy Commission Small Grants Program (DemCom). The United States initiated in 1994 as a flexible mechanism to enable embassies to support local democratic initiatives in the countries of Central, Eastern Europe, and the post-Soviet States.
The implementing body at each mission is the Democracy Commission, chaired by the Deputy Chief of Mission and including the Public Affairs Officer, other members of the Country Team, and representatives of U.S. Government agencies.
Program Objectives:
The purpose of the Democracy Commission Small Grants Program is to award grants for specific projects that support democracy, enhance the development of democratic institutions and foster education of civil society in Georgia. Grants will be awarded to non-governmental, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and media organizations based and registered in Georgia.
The maximum amount of a grant is $50,000 per project.
The project proposals must address at least one of the following themes:
1. ECONOMIC GROWTH:
- Rural Economic Development/Entrepreneurship Development
- Tourism Development/Hospitality Management
- Basic Education (Please see note below.)
2. GENDER EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION:
- Women Empowerment
- Inclusion of Ethnic and Religious Minorities
- Civic Integration of People with Disabilities/Inclusive Education
- Protection of Children’s Rights and Child Welfare
3. CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND MORE INFORMED CITIZENRY:
- Journalism Education and Professionalism
- Media Literacy Training and Production of High-Quality Independent Media Content
- Capacity Building and Advocacy for Local SCOs
- Cyber Security, Strategic Communications and Digital Diplomacy
NOTE: Basic education is new area of emphasis for the Democracy Commission small grants program in FY21. Basic education projects may include strengthening public schools for grades 1-12 through teacher training and professional development or innovative programs for students including school libraries, science and language labs, and enrichment programs. For more information on basic education strategies, please review the U.S. Government Education Strategy FY2019-2023 and the USAID Education Policy Program Cycle Implementation and Operational Guide)
- FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION
Application Submission: January 26, 2021 – March 15, 2021
Length of performance period: up to 12 months
A number of awards anticipated: Depending on budget request award amounts.
Award amounts: The maximum amount of a grant is $50,000 per project.
Type of Funding: FY20/21 Economic Support Funds under the Foreign Assistance Act
Anticipated program start date: September 2021
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 months or less
- ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
Eligible Applicants:
The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Georgian not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations;
- Higher Education Institutions;
- Independent media outlets registered in Georgia.
Other Eligibility Requirements: 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.4 for information on how to obtain these registrations.
Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost share is not required.
- APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Please include the program name (2021 Democracy Commission) in the subject line. Please, be advised that emails exceeding 6MB and RAR/ZIP files will not be accepted. Documents should be only in Word and PDF format.
Address to Request Application Package: Application forms required below are available on the U.S. Embassy website under Democracy Commission Small Grants announcement.
Content and Form of Application Submission: Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.
Content of Application:
Please ensure:
- The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity
- All documents are in English
- All budgets are in U.S. dollars and exclude VAT.
-The application package must be archived only into ZIP archive. RAR archived packages will not be accepted.
Completed application and required supporting documents must be submitted electronically to: TbilisiGrants@state.gov
For Detail Description of the Project and Necessary Documents, Please follow the link: https://ge.usembassy.gov/embassy/grant-programs/democracy-commission-grant-program/