The Department of State established the AFCP in 2001 at the request of Congress (Conference Report 106-1005 accompanying H.R. 4942). At the time, the Senate noted that the preservation of cultural heritage “offers an opportunity to show a different American face to other countries, one that is non-commercial, non-political, and non-military.” The projects recommended for funding advance U.S. foreign policy goals and show respect for other cultures. Cultural preservation is effective public diplomacy that resonates deeply with opinion leaders and local communities, even in countries where ties may be otherwise limited. AFCP projects help to preserve cultural heritage, strengthen civil society, encourage good governance, and promote political and economic stability around the world. In Mongolia, AFCP has given 1.6 million USD in implementing 21 projects over the years. These projects include restoration of Yadam Temple of the Choijin Lama Temple Museum in Ulaanbaatar, Barcoding Inventory Project within the National Museum of Mongolia, and Preservation of Deer Stones in Khanui Valley.

Eligible embassies may propose a maximum of three projects per country for funding. The Center will select from among them using a process with two rounds. In their Round 1 concept notes, embassies are to focus on the public diplomacy objectives to be accomplished through the proposed project. Embassies invited to participate in Round 2 will flesh out the technical aspects of the proposed project and submit a full application. Awards will range from $10,000 to $500,000. The Center anticipates funding 20 to 30 projects in 2023 around the world.

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)
8. Stabilization (reducing the physical disturbance of an object or site).

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.  Applicants considering preservation projects with a religious connection are encouraged to contact the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy at grants@usembassy.mn with any questions.

Some of the most impactful AFCP projects have been designed as part of a greater PD programming arc promoting specific U.S. policy goals and host-country or community objectives. Accordingly, in FY 2023, ECA will give preference to projects that do one or more of the following:

1. Directly support U.S. treaty or bilateral agreement obligations
2. Directly support U.S. policies, strategies and objectives in a country as stated in the Integrated Country Strategy or other U.S. government planning documents
3. Support disaster risk reduction for cultural heritage in disaster-prone areas or post-disaster cultural heritage recovery
4. Partner, connect with, or feed into other public diplomacy programs.

The AFCP defines eligible project applicants 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, ministries of culture, or similar institutions and organizations, including U.S.-based organizations subject to Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, that are registered and active in www.SAM.gov and able to demonstrate that they have the requisite experience and capacity to manage projects to preserve cultural heritage.  The U.S. Embassy vets applicants for eligibility, suitability, and reputable performance in cultural preservation or similar activities.

AFCP does not award grants to individuals, commercial entities, or to embassies or past award recipients that have not fulfilled the objectives or reporting requirements of previous AFCP awards.

Eligible embassies, in collaboration with their prospective implementers, will submit concept notes electronically using the AFCP Concept Note app. The embassy will not accept concept notes or applications submitted in hard copies. Concept notes must be submitted by Tuesday, December 20, 2022, 11:59 p.m. EST. Embassies may submit a maximum of three concept notes per country. Each concept note submitted must include:

1. Project Basics: including working title, anticipated project length (Note: Applicants may propose project periods of up to 60 months), location/site, and project cost estimate (amount requested from AFCP; in U.S. dollars).
2. Project Implementer (including name, SAM and Unique Entity ID (ID) registration status (if obtained)
3. 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).
4. 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.).
5. Budget Estimate using the budget worksheet provided.

Note: 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.

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 connection 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 unless allowable per 2 CFR 200.458 and approved by the grants officer
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 $10,000 or more than $500,000
24. Independent U.S. projects overseas

The U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar must receive all proposals by 11:59pm on Tuesday, December 20, 2022. Project Concept Notes are received only in English language via email grants@usembassy.mn.

The U.S. Embassy’s AFCP Selection Committee will shortlist nominations by January 20, 2023 for reviewers in the Center, ECA, and the U.S. Department of State’s in Washington, DC.

Reviewers in Washington DC will conduct its review in early 2023. In Spring of 2023, the Round 2 results will be announced and a subset will be invited to submit full project proposals for Round 2.

Round 2 full project proposals will be submitted in April 2023. Reviewers of AFCP will rate full applications using point-based system. This selection period takes another 3-4 months.

Award announcement for AFCP 2023 Grants Program will occur during July-August of 2023.

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, which requires either a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) or a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code, can take weeks or months, especially for non-U.S. applicants. Non-U.S. based applicants may request a NCAGE code at https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx. SAM will assign a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) automatically to any entity registering or renewing its record in the system. http://fedgov.dnb.com/webformRegistration in SAM is free: https://sam.gov/.

Issuance of this Notice of Funding Opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government.  AFCP/Cultural Heritage Center reserves the right to waive program formalities and to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and availability of funds.

Applicants may refer to the resources available below.

1. Suggested Template for ‘AFCP 2023 Grants Program – Round 1 Concept Note’
2. Budget Template
3. AFCP FAQ
4. AFCP Image Guidelines

Please direct inquiries staff at Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar via grants@usembassy.mn. The embassy with the support of the Cultural Heritage Center in ECA has expertise in the preservation of cultural heritage and is available for technical guidance.