The U.S. Mission to Vietnam is pleased to announce the launch of the Spring 2014 Small Grants Competition (SGC).
This competitive program offers grants of up to $20,000 to Vietnamese non-governmental organizations committed to the areas listed below. Proposals (in English) are due by March 10, 2014. Final selections are expected to be announced by mid-April 2014.
Application guidelines:
Proposals can be submitted for up to $20,000 and must be for projects with duration of no more than one year.
Grants may be made to non-governmental and not-for-profit organizations based in Vietnam. Grants cannot be made to individuals, but only to non-governmental and not-for-profit organizations that demonstrate long-term sustainability beyond the proposed program activity. Third-country individuals and organizations are not eligible.
With key target audiences being youth and women/girls, we seek program activities that advance good governance, transparency, and rule of law; develop civil society and promote capacity building among civil society groups; foster the exchange of information and building of a professional media, including new media; protect the environment and natural resources; support sustainable urban planning for expanding communities; encourage responsible and transparent conflict resolution; promote access and opportunities for economically disadvantaged groups; and advocate for the rights for ethnic minorities, women, girls, and those in outlying provinces.
Proposals can also seek to address the following priorities:
- Multilateral Engagement: The U.S. rebalance to the Asia-Pacific has featured a dramatic upswing in our diplomatic engagement on the multilateral stage. One of the cornerstones of the rebalance is increased engagement with Asia-Pacific institutions (including Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), APEC, and Lower Mekong Initiative LMI). Proposals which support intra-regional (multi-country) projects are encouraged.
- Economic Issues: We aim to support the U.S. economic goals in the Asia-Pacific region which include forging more open economic ties through engagement with partners and regional institutions; stimulating entrepreneurship, promoting a free system of commerce through trade, investment, and protection of intellectual property rights; and supporting a fairer trade and investment regime.
- Civic Engagement - Human Rights/Democracy/Good governance/Rule of Law: We seek to strengthen human rights by engaging the people of the East Asia Pacific region in programming to support religious freedom, to ensure free and open access to the Internet, to foster and maintain a vibrant civil society, and to emphasize gender equality.
- Education: Educational exchange programs promote knowledge sharing between academics and professionals in the United States and EAP countries and provide tools for economic empowerment. We promote study abroad opportunities in the United States and connect young people with American youths and U.S. institutions.
- Culture/Sports/American Society: We aim to build relationships and to counter negative stereotypes about American culture in the East Asia Pacific region through cultural exchange, including art, sports, theater, music, dance, and literature. We work in collaboration with public and private cultural institutions and look to alumni to deepen existing ties with the U.S., as well as within the region, and provide locally credible voices.
Proposals must include a description of how the grant will be monitored and evaluated. Priority will be given to proposals from new organizations and new projects. Grants will not normally be approved for multi-year projects, but past recipients of the U.S. Mission’s Small Grants will be considered for new one-year projects.
Grants may not be used for partisan political activity. Proposals for non-partisan election education and public information activities, however, are eligible for consideration.
Proposals may include modest administrative expenses, including honoraria/partial salaries of grant implementers, but only when they are directly linked to the conduct of the specific grant program. General operating expenses, long-term infrastructure costs and undefined miscellaneous or “overhead” expenses are not acceptable. High costs to produce materials are also not a good use of the small grants program.
Grant funds may not be used to fund travel to international conferences, nor may they be used primarily for food and drink expenses.
Grant funds may be used to train trainers, but they may not be used to provide direct social services.
Grant funds may be used for seminars and workshops, but the proposals must describe the expected audience, content, and timeframe and justify the activity in terms of outcome and benefits to U.S. national interests.
Grant funds may be used for the publication of materials, but the proposals must describe the audience, content and means of distribution.
Please submit online (in English) at http://goo.gl/ClRXib [1] by 17:00, March 10, 2014. Final selections are expected to be announced by mid-April 2014. Only selected proposers shall receive notification.
For further inquiries, please contact us at [email protected] [2] (for candidates living in provinces from Quang Tri to the north of Vietnam) and [email protected] [3] (for candidates living in provinces from Thua Thien-Hue to the south of Vietnam.).