Annual Program Statemen PAS US Consulate Juarez | DOS MEX PD CJ 2020 21

Opportunity Information: Apply for DOS MEX PD CJ 2020 21

The Annual Program Statement (APS) from the Public Affairs Section (PAS) at the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez is a small grants opportunity meant to support public diplomacy projects in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico. The central goal is to strengthen cultural ties between the United States and local communities in Chihuahua through cultural and exchange programming that highlights shared values and encourages practical, people-to-people cooperation. A core requirement is that every proposed project includes a clear American cultural element or a tangible U.S. connection, such as involvement from American experts, U.S. organizations, or U.S. institutions in a relevant field. Projects are expected to promote better understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives while building mutual understanding and collaboration.

The opportunity is designed for a wide range of cultural and exchange activities. Examples mentioned in the announcement include academic and professional lectures, seminars, and speaker programs; artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances, and exhibitions; cultural heritage preservation and conservation efforts; and professional or academic exchange programs. In practice, this means applicants should propose well-defined activities where the U.S. component is not superficial, but instead meaningfully shapes the content, expertise, or collaboration model of the project, whether through U.S. speakers, U.S.-based partner institutions, shared curricula, joint productions, or exchanges that connect Mexican participants with U.S. counterparts.

PAS Juarez identifies several priority program areas that guide what it is most interested in funding. One major focus is the culture of lawfulness, including rule of law themes, non-partisan civics education, and community-oriented approaches that help new generations participate constructively in public life and local policy creation. Another priority is entrepreneurship and U.S.-Mexico trade partnerships, including exchanges and joint venture style collaborations that encourage cross-border economic ties. The APS also highlights educational exchanges and partnerships, especially those tied to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics), with an emphasis on programs that can improve outcomes for at-risk youth and grassroots communities or movements. A fourth area covers activities that broadly increase mutual understanding between people in the U.S. and Mexico, naming topics like sports, English language education, environmental protection, public health, the arts, and other cultural expressions, with a stated preference for sharing U.S. best practices along with American values, history, and culture. A fifth priority supports programming related to freedom of the press, intellectual property protection, effective and responsible use of social media and communications, and human rights promotion.

Applicants are expected to clearly define who the intended participants and target audiences will be and explain why those audiences matter for the selected activities. In other words, proposals should not just describe events; they should explain who will be reached (for example, students, educators, journalists, entrepreneurs, community leaders, or at-risk youth), how they will be selected or recruited, and what changes in knowledge, skills, networks, or attitudes the program is designed to produce.

The announcement also lays out what PAS will not fund. Ineligible activities include partisan political programs, charitable or general development work, construction projects, activities that support specific religious efforts, fundraising campaigns, and lobbying tied to specific legislation or government programs. It also excludes scientific research, projects mainly intended to grow the applicant organization itself (rather than deliver public-facing programming), and proposals that duplicate existing programs. These restrictions signal that the funding is meant for public diplomacy programming with clear exchange or cultural objectives, not for basic service delivery, political organizing, capital projects, or research initiatives.

On funding and logistics, the grants are supported by FY2020 and FY2021 public diplomacy funds. Projects can run from 3 to 24 months, and proposed programs must be completed within 24 months or less. PAS anticipated making roughly five to twenty awards depending on award sizes, with an expected average award around $4,000. Individual awards can be as small as $250 and as large as $50,000, and the total funding available for the opportunity is $50,000. The funding instrument may be a standard grant or a fixed amount award. The anticipated program start date listed is 08/01/2020, and the notice is explicitly subject to the availability of funds. The Consulate may consider continuation funding beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis, but only if funds are available, performance is strong, and continued funding is determined to be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.

Timing rules in the posting indicate that to access FY2020 funds, a grant needed approval before September 15, 2020. To access FY2021 funds, the grant needed to start after October 1, 2020 and be approved before September 15, 2021. The original closing date shown is December 31, 2021, but the announcement emphasizes checking funding availability. Applicants are directed to read the full APS in the related documents before submitting, use the required forms available through the Grants.gov forms tab, and contact the Public Affairs Office at cdjgrants@state.gov before developing a full proposal to confirm whether funding is still available.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Mexico in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda), education, environment, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Annual Program Statemen PAS US Consulate Juarez" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 31, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 31, 2021 To receive FY2020 funds your grant must be approved before September 15, 2020To receive FY2021 funds, your grant must start after October 1 2020 and be approved before September 15 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for DOS MEX PD CJ 2020 21

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: