U.S. Embassy & Consulate
in Vietnam

The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce the launch of the 2024 U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) Competition. Vietnamese non-commercial entities may submit proposals ranging from $10,000 to $500,000 for projects with a main objective of preserving cultural heritage in Vietnam.  Proposals (in English) are due to the U.S. Embassy Hanoi by January 4, 2024.

 

Application guidelines:

 

1. Grants information

 

Project applicants can submit applications for AFCP Grants from $10,000 to $500,000.

 

2. Competition format

 

Eligible implementers are invited to send their concept notes to the Embassy by January 4, 2024.  The U.S Embassy will use a two-round selection process.  In Round 1, the Embassy will review concept notes and select proposals that focus on the relevant public diplomacy objectives.  Shortlisted proposals will then be invited to participate in Round 2 to go into further details about the technical aspects of their proposed projects and submit a full application.

 

3. Funding areas

 

The AFCP Grants Program supports the preservation of archaeological sites, historic buildings and monuments, museum collections, and forms of traditional cultural expression, such as indigenous languages and crafts.  Appropriate project activities may include:

 

1. Anastylosis (reassembling a site from its original parts);
2. Conservation (addressing damage or deterioration to an object or site);
3. Consolidation (connecting or reconnecting elements of an object or site);
4. Documentation (recording in analog or digital format the condition and salient features of an object, site, or tradition);
5. Inventory (listing of objects, sites, or traditions by location, feature, age, or other unifying characteristic or state);
6. Preventive Conservation (addressing conditions that threaten or damage a site, object, collection, or tradition);
7. Restoration (replacing missing elements to recreate the original appearance of an object or site, usually appropriate only with fine arts, decorative arts, and historic buildings); and
8. Stabilization (reducing the physical disturbance of an object or site).

 

4. Funding priorities

 

Proposals for projects that meet one or more of the following criteria will receive consideration in FY 2024:

1. Directly support U.S. treaty or bilateral agreement obligations
2. Directly support U.S policies, strategies and objectives in Vietnam
3. Support disaster risk reduction for cultural heritage in disaster-prone areas or post-disaster cultural heritage recovery
4. Complement other U.S. Government Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) or public diplomacy programs.

 

5. Sites and Objects that have a Religious Connection

 

The establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution permits the government to include religious objects and sites within an aid program under certain conditions. For example, an item with a religious connection (including a place of worship) may be the subject of a cultural preservation grant if the item derives its primary significance and is nominated solely on the basis of architectural, artistic, historical, or other cultural (not religious) criteria.

 

6. Eligible Project Implementers

 

Eligible project implementers are defined as reputable and accountable non-commercial entities that can demonstrate they have the requisite capacity to manage projects to preserve cultural heritage.  Eligible implementers may include non-governmental organizations, museums, educational institutions, ministries/ departments of culture, or similar institutions and organizations, including U.S.-based educational institutions and organizations subject to Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code.  The AFCP will not award grants to individuals, commercial entities, or past award recipients that have not fulfilled the objectives or reporting requirements of previous awards.

 

Project implementers must be registered and active in the U.S. government’s System for Award Management (SAM) to receive U.S. federal assistance.

 

7. Project Design Support

 

Project design tips, a glossary of terms, and other materials for self- guided learning and identifying best practices when undertaking certain kinds of projects such as the conservation of objects and interpretation at small rural museums, and other materials are available at https://shorturl.at/JLO24.

 

8. Round 1 Concept Note Requirements (Deadline: January 4, 2024): Eligible applicants must submit documents in English. Project applications must include:

 

1. Full and complete Application Form

Note: all information in the Application Form must be filled in including SAM registration status, as applicable. Details on SAM Registration can be found in section 14;

1. Full and complete Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424), including Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A), Assurances for Non- Construction Programs (SF-424B);
2. Detailed project Budget Form that lists all costs in separate categories (Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel, Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Other Direct Costs, Indirect Costs);
3. Proof of official permission to undertake the project from the office, agency, or organization that either owns or is otherwise responsible for the preservation and protection of the site or collection;
4. Project Scope of Work summarizing the preservation goals and any broader host country or community goals (i.e., what they hope to gain from the project beyond the preserved heritage and how they plan to get there; 3,000 characters maximum);
5. Rationale for AFCP Support, explaining why it’s in the interests of the U.S. government to fund the project, specifically:
6. how the project relates to specific U.S. Mission’s goals, existing bilateral agreements, or other U.S. foreign policy objectives (1,000 characters maximum).
7. the projected public diplomacy benefits and impacts of the project (1,000 characters maximum).
8. Five (5) high quality digital images (JPEGs) or audiovisual files that convey the nature and condition of the site, collection, or tradition and show the urgency or need for the proposed project (collapsing walls, water damage, etc.).

 

Application Form and all Budget Forms can be downloaded at: https://shorturl.at/JLO24

 

9. Round 2 Full Application Requirements (Deadline: April 10, 2024): Applicants invited to Round 2 will receive submission instructions upon notification.

 

10. Cost Sharing and Other Forms of Cost Participation: There is no minimum or maximum percentage of cost participation required. When an implementing partner offers cost sharing, it is understood and agreed that the partner must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the budget of the application and later included in an approved agreement. The implementing partner will be responsible for tracking and reporting on any cost share or outside funding, which is subject to audit per 2 CFR 200. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs.

 

11. Ineligible Activities and Unallowable Costs

 

AFCP will NOT support the following activities or costs, and applications involving any of the activities or costs below will be deemed ineligible:

 

1. Preservation or purchase of privately or commercially owned cultural objects, collections, or real property, including those whose transfer from private or commercial to public ownership is envisioned, planned, or in process but not complete at the time of application;
2. Preservation of natural heritage (physical, biological, and geological formations, paleontological collections, habitats of threatened species of animals and plants, fossils, etc.) unless the natural heritage has a cultural heritage or dimension;
3. Preservation of hominid or human remains;
4. Preservation of news media (newspapers, newsreels, radio and TV programs, etc.);
5. Preservation of published materials available elsewhere (books, periodicals, etc.);
6. Development of curricula or educational materials for classroom use;
7. Archaeological excavations or exploratory surveys for research purposes;
8. Historical research, except in cases where the research is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project;
9. Acquisition or creation of new exhibits, objects, or collections for new or existing museums;
10. Construction of new buildings, building additions, or permanent coverings (over archaeological sites, for example);
11. Commissions of new works of art or architecture for commemorative or economic development purposes;
12. Creation of new or the modern adaptation of existing traditional dances, songs, chants, musical compositions, plays, or other performances;
13. Creation of replicas or conjectural reconstructions of cultural objects or sites that no longer exist;
14. Relocation of cultural sites from one physical location to another;
15. Removal of cultural objects or elements of cultural sites from the country for any reason;
16. Digitization of cultural objects or collections, unless part of a larger, clearly defined conservation or documentation effort;
17. Conservation plans or other studies, unless they are one component of a larger project to implement the results of those studies;
18. Cash reserves, endowments, or revolving funds (funds must be expended within the award period [up to five years] and may not be used to create an endowment or revolving fund);
19. Costs of fund-raising campaigns;
20. Contingency, unforeseen, or miscellaneous costs or fees;
21. Costs of work performed prior to announcement of the award;
22. International travel, except in cases where travel is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project or to provide project leaders with learning and exchange opportunities with cultural heritage experts;
23. Individual projects costing less than US $10,000 or more than $500,000; and
24. Independent U.S. projects overseas.

 

12. 12. Award Information:
13. Funding Instrument Type: Grant, Cooperative Agreement, Fixed Amount Award
14. Floor on Amount of Individual Awards: US $10,000 per project
15. Ceiling on Amount of Individual Awards: US $500,000 per project
16. Anticipated Number of Awards Globally: 20-30

 

13. Performance and Deliverables

 

AFCP award recipients must submit performance progress reports, federal financial status reports, and final reports on time as specified in the Notice of Award. In cases where the proposed public diplomacy or other expected impacts may not be fully realized at the immediate conclusion of the project, the U.S. Mission may request continued voluntary reporting on specific topics. The AFCP may compile this information into reports to Congress and other documents.

 

14. SAM Registration: An implementing partner must be registered in the U.S. government’s System for Award Management (SAM) prior to receiving U.S, federal assistance unless they meet one of the exemptions specified in the Federal Assistance Directive. The SAM registration process can take weeks or months, especially for non-U.S. applicants. SAM will assign a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) automatically to any entity registering or renewing its record in the system. Registration in SAM is free: https://sam.gov/

 

Disclaimer: Notification of this funding opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the AFCP program or the U.S. government. The U.S. Mission reserves the right to waive program formalities and to reduce, revise, or increase project scopes and budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds.

 

15. Application and Submission Information

 

Project implementers must complete the application form and send an electronic version of your concept note (in English) along with other required documents (see part 10) to the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section via email by January 4, 2024 with email subject line “Application for AFCP 2024 – [PROJECT NAME]”. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your initial ideas ahead of submitting the formal concept note, please reach out to our office.

 

– Applicants residing from Quang Tri and areas to the north, please email  DuongHD@fan.gov

– Applicants residing from Hue and areas to the south, please email TAYL@fan.gov

 

For further inquiries, please contact us at the email addresses above.