U.S. Mission to Cameroon: U.S. Embassy Yaounde PDS Annual Program Statement

Overview

The U.S. Embassy Yaounde Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) announces the availability of funding through its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program. This is an annual request for Statements of Interest (SOI), outlining funding priorities, strategic themes, and procedures for submitting requests for funding. Please carefully read and follow all instructions below.

The submission of a SOI is the first step in a two-part process. Applicants must first submit a SOI, which is a concise, 3-page concept note designed to clearly communicate a program idea and its objectives before the development of a full proposal application. The purpose of the SOI process is to allow applicants the opportunity to submit program ideas for evaluation prior to undertaking the development of full proposal. Upon review of eligible SOIs, PDS will invite selected applicants to expand their ideas into full proposal applications.

Examples of PDS Small Grants Programs include, but are not limited to:

• U.S. experts conducting lectures, seminars, or speaking tours with Cameroonian audiences
• Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances, and exhibitions
• Cultural heritage conservation and preservation programs
• Professional and academic exchanges and programs
• Libraries, community centers, or other institutions that are interested in becoming an American Space
• Programs developed by an alumnus/a of a U.S. sponsored or supported educational or professional exchange program
• Projects to promote English language teaching skills or widen access to books and other sources of information about the United States

Priority Program Areas

Governance: Projects promoting democratic principles, improved and inclusive governance, transparency, human rights, religious freedom, empowerment of marginalized groups, citizen engagement, including in elections, civic education, and civil society.

Economic growth: Projects promoting economic prosperity, entrepreneurship, bilateral trade and investment, countering corruption

Security: Projects promoting peace and security, rule of law, alternatives to violence in resolving conflict, tolerance, preventing radicalization to violence, improving mutual understanding between groups, community policing

Sustainability and Climate Change: Projects promoting environmental sustainability and addressing climate change

Journalism: Projects promoting a professional and independent media, role of informed citizens in a democracy, media literacy, ethical and investigative journalism

Participants and Audiences

All projects should focus on engaging Cameroonians in Cameroon. Priority audience and program participants are:

Youth, especially emerging leaders

Civil society

Women

Opinion leaders, including cultural, academic, and media figures

Residents of Cameroon outside Yaounde

Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization.  If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding. 

Program Performance Period: Proposed projects should be completed in 24 months or less.   

The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:

• Scholarships for study in the United States or to fund conference attendance or study tours to the United States
• Projects that are inherently political in nature or that contain the appearance of partisanship
• Charitable or development activities without a U.S. connection as described in the Purpose section
• Construction programs
• Programs that support specific religious activities
• Fund-raising campaigns
• Exclusively scientific research projects
• Exchange programs with countries other than the United States and Cameroon
• Academic research programs
• Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization; or Programs that duplicate existing programs.

Substantial Involvement

If your award is issued as a cooperative agreement or an FAA with substantial involvement, the U.S. Embassy Yaounde Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) will outline the specific areas of substantial involvement for the project.