U.S. Embassy Mogadishu, PDS Annual Program Statement - Small Grants Program

Overview

PDS Mogadishu invites proposals for programs that strengthen cultural, academic, and professional ties between the United States and Somalia through programming and exchanges that highlight shared values and promote bilateral cooperation.  All programs must include an American cultural element and/or connection(s) with American expert(s), organization(s), or institution(s) that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.

Audiences
The proposal must include one or more target audience(s):  youth, entrepreneurs, journalists and media professionals, human rights activists and other civil society representatives, and academics and teaching professionals.  Unless strong justification is provided, all projects should strive to achieve gender balance.  Projects can be nationwide or focused on specific geographic areas with an explanation of why the specific geographic region is relevant to the strategy.

Priority Program Areas

• Counter Violent Extremism: Proposals focus on individuals and organizations involved in peacebuilding or anti-violent extremist efforts, especially community influencers, women, and religious leaders, to ensure they retain the skills, knowledge, and capacity necessary to take a stronger role in their areas of expertise.
• Promote Economic Prosperity through Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Proposals focus on aspiring and newly established entrepreneurs, incubation hubs, and other private sector organizations, with a particular emphasis on women, youth, and marginalized groups, to build networks among these groups and reinforce skills related to business planning, using technology for business, securing financing, and/or navigating Somalia’s business environment.
• Promote Equal Participation in Politics, Peacebuilding, and the Economy: Proposals focus on Somali women and/or organizations involved in women and girls’ empowerment efforts to provide capacity building, tailored training, and other support to expand leadership opportunities for women in politics, peacebuilding, and business.
• Promote Youth Leadership and Development: Proposals offer opportunities to university students, under- or unemployed recent graduates, and other youth, including among marginalized groups, to raise awareness about youth-led organizations and build leadership skills.
• Professionalize the Media: Proposals offer training to media professionals across radio, television, print, and online outlets to strengthen their ability to recognize and counter disinformation, generate revenue, and/or build technical skills.
• Promote Rule of Law, Democracy, and Respect for Human Rights: Proposals support individual and institutional efforts to enhance respect for rule of law, deepen understanding of democratic principles, and encourage civic participation in Somalia.
• Encourage Awareness of and Promote Efforts to Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change: Proposals educate the public about the effects of climate change and raise awareness about efforts to mitigate its impact.

All proposals should:

• Address how the project will contribute to one or more of the program areas listed above.
• Enumerate specific outputs and outcomes to be achieved by the end of the grant period, using the Monitoring and Evaluation Performance Monitoring Plan [Attachment 3].
• Clearly specify the audiences to be reached and the geographic locations of program activities.  Programs proposed in multiple locations should explain how that will be accomplished.  The grantee must demonstrate the capacity to implement activities in the locations and with the audiences proposed.
• Describe how elements of the project will have a multiplier effect or be sustainable beyond the life of the grant.
• Include a traditional and/or social media plan for marketing or advertising program activities and outcomes.
• Demonstrate competency to manage all financial and oversight aspects of the project, including participant costs and transparent arrangements of sub-grant relationships with partner organizations, if applicable.

Length of performance period:  Six to 12 months
Number of awards anticipated:  Four (dependent on amounts)
Award amounts:  Awards may range $5,000 to $20,000
Total available funding:  $80,000
Anticipated program start date: May 15, 2024 

The Public Diplomacy Section will accept proposals throughout the year and will review proposals according to the following schedule: Proposals received between January 22 and April 26 will be reviewed by May 10, with responses going out by May 20.