Call for proposals is now: OPEN
Deadline for Applications: November 10, 2017 (midnight; local time)
Period of performance: 2017-2018
Program Description
U.S. Embassy The Hague is proud to announce a special grant competition in honor of CyberSecurity Awareness Month focusing on supporting programs to promote the use of technology among younger audiences to solve problems related to critical infrastructure, disinformation, and cybersecurity.
This program aims to bolster the impact of our shared U.S – Dutch responsibility for security, particularly as it relates to technology. By involving university and high school students, successful grant applications will educate the next generation of experts about issues that will continue to plague the technology-driven world. By building local capacity to identify and combat problems with critical infrastructure, disinformation, and cybercrime, they should directly support the U.S. Mission to the Netherlands’ key goal of enhancing cooperation to bolster the impact of our shared responsibility for international security by giving students experience in problem solving and creating tools to better address threats.
The target audiences for these projects are high school or university students from all regions of the Netherlands who will participate in a program designed to promote the use of technology among youth to solve problems related to critical infrastructure, disinformation, and cybersecurity.
The program could include but is not limited to:
- A hackathon to develop tools to identify and/or combat threats in one of the aforementioned areas.
- A series of interactive workshop e with a strong focus on hands-on experience
- A program involving development net forensics, sourcing, or investigative research skills.
Institutions, organizations, and individuals may request a grant budget ranging from $10,000 to $25,000. Awards are subject to the availability of funds.
Eligibility Requirements
- Only not-for-profit entities and projects will be considered for funding. Individuals are not eligible to apply.
- In order 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 “How do I register?” located below. All organizations applying for grants must obtain these registrations. As this is a lengthy process we suggest you start ASAP. All are free of charge.
- Institutions and individuals must have a proven track record of executing superior events, workshops, programs, etc.
- Proposals must be focused on audiences in the Netherlands.
- Applications must comply with the submission criteria below.
Please note that Embassy grants CANNOT be used to fund religious organizations or partisan political activity; trade activities; fundraising campaigns; charitable activities; humanitarian aid; commercial projects; scientific research; projects whose primary aim is the institutional development and operational costs of the organization; or representational expenses (lunch, alcoholic beverages, flowers etc.).
Application and Submission Information
All proposals must be submitted electronically to grantsthehague@state.gov by the deadline. Proposals received after the deadline or submitted in a different manner will not be considered.
Deadline for receiving proposals is: November 10, 2017 (midnight; local time)
All proposals must be complete (including a detailed budget) and submitted in English. Please read our instructions on how to complete the pre-application template. Proposals not adhering to the instructions will not be considered.
Application Submission
- All Organizations must register with SAMs and obtain a DUNS number: https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/
• Federal Assistance Application Standard Form 424 which is available here: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/pdf/SF424_2_1-V2.1.pdf (PDF 265 KB)
• Instructions(PDF 15 KB)
• Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
• Detailed Budget
• Include IBAN BIC code
PAS will not consider proposals which do not include all of the above components.
Proposals should be submitted via email to the U.S. Embassy at the following email address: grantsthehague@state.gov
Applications are accepted in English only, and final grant agreements will be concluded in English.
Each application submitted under this announcement will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the following evaluation criteria. The criteria are designed to assess the quality of the proposed project, and to determine the likelihood of its success. The criteria are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application. Applications will be reviewed on the basis of their fullness, coherence, clarity, and attention to detail.
- Organizational Capacity: The organization has expertise in its stated field, and the Embassy is confident of its technical capacity to undertake the project.
- Goals and Objectives: Goals and objectives are clearly stated and project approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.
- Embassy Priority: Applicant has clearly described how stated goals are related to and support U.S. Embassy The Hague’s priority areas.
- Sustainability: Project activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the project.
- Feasibility: Analysis of the project’s economic, organizational and technical feasibility. This is related to the project approach, budget items requested and technical/human resource capacity of the organization.
- Budget: The budget justification is both reasonable and realistic in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. Grants will be awarded to programs with the highest impact per dollar spent.
- Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: Applicant demonstrates ability to measure program success against key indicators and provide milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The project includes a systematic recording and periodic analysis of selected information on the project activities.
Applicants must submit a full project description in accordance with the following instructions and the specified evaluation criteria. The instructions give a broad overview of what the project description should include, while the evaluation criteria provide details of more program-specific information that is needed.
Cover Sheet: Provide a summary of the project description (no more than two pages) with reference to the amount and duration of the funding request.
Narrative: Outline a plan of action that describes the scope and detail of how the proposed work will be accomplished. Account for all functions or activities identified in the application. Cite factors that might accelerate or decelerate the work and state reasons for taking the proposed approach rather than alternatives. Describe any unusual features of the project, such as design or technological innovations, reductions in cost or time, or extraordinary social and community involvement.
Provide quantitative monthly or quarterly projections of the accomplishments to be achieved for each function or activity in such terms as the number of people to be served and the number of activities accomplished. When accomplishments cannot be quantified by activity or function, list them in chronological order to show the schedule of accomplishments and their target dates. List those organizations, cooperating entities, consultants, or other key individuals who will work on the project, along with a short description of the nature of their effort or contribution.
Each applicant will receive a confirmation email acknowledging receipt within two working days. If applicants do not receive a confirmation email, the proposal was not received. In this event, applicants are invited to contact the Office of Public Affairs at grantsthehague@state.gov.
How do I register?
Step 1: Apply for a DUNS number and an NCAGE number (these can be completed simultaneously). Make sure that you enter exactly the same information into DUNS and NGACE databases!
DUNS application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet. If your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by visiting:
http://www.bisnode.cz/produkt/duns-cislo/ (for a local NGO) http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform (for U.S. Based NGO)
NCAGE application: Application page here: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx
Instructions for the NCAGE application process: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf
For NCAGE help from within the U.S., call 1-888-227-2423For NCAGE help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766 Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code.
Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM.gov by logging onto: https://www.sam.gov
SAM registration must be renewed annually.
Grant Selection Process
A committee comprised of U.S. Embassy The Hague staff will evaluate the proposals. When deciding which projects to support, the Embassy will give consideration to the full range and diversity of Dutch organizations – cultural, NGO and educational – and will seek to target geographically and demographically diverse audiences in the Netherlands. Projects incorporating an American speaker, artist, performer, author, etc., are considered stronger.
Please understand that this is a competitive process. Submitting a good proposal does not guarantee that the Embassy can fund the project.
Committee results will be announced via email in November 2017.
Reporting Requirements
The recipient must submit a Final Report within 90 calendar days of the end of the period of performance delineated in the award. The report must be submitted in English in the FINAL REPORT template (Open Document).
Financial records, supporting documents, and all other records pertinent to an award shall be retained for a period of three years from the date of submission of the Final Report.
Failure to comply with the reporting requirements may jeopardize eligibility for future awards or will result in suspension of any future payments under this award until such time as this deficiency has been corrected.
We appreciate your interest in the Small Grants Program and wish you the best of luck! If you have questions during the application process, please don’t hesitate to contact us at: grantsthehague@state.gov.
