Funding Wizard

The U.S Embassy Kigali of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit a statement of interest (SOI) to carry out a program (or programs) to support their local communities. Please carefully follow all instructions.The submission of the SOI is the first step in a two-step process. Applicants must first submit a concise two-page statement of interest designed to clearly communicate program idea and objectives. This is not a full proposal. The purpose of the SOI process is to allow applicants to submit program ideas for evaluation prior to requiring the development of a full proposal application. Upon a merit review of eligible SOIs, selected applicants will be invited to expand on their program idea(s) by submitting a full proposal application. Full proposals will go through a second merit review before final funding decision(s) are made. The embassy will not consider SOIs exceeding the two-page limit. The deadline for SOI submission is May 8, 2023, at midnight Central Africa Time.This year U.S. Embassy Kigali is seeking applications for projects which will improve basic economic and social conditions at the grassroots level. Proposed projects to be implemented in Nyamagabe, Nyaruguru, Nyamasheke, and Gisagara districts are particularly encouraged. Projects must support high-impact activities that benefit many people and involve local contribution in cash, labor, and/or material. A successful project must have local support and be within the ability of the local community to operate and maintain. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATIONContent and Form of Application SubmissionPlease follow all instructions in the attached Notice of Funding Opportunity and below carefully. SOIs that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.Statement of Interest (no longer than two pages in length) and should include the following:· Name, address, and point of contact of local cooperative or organization responsible for implementation and management of the project funds.· Brief description of the local organization demonstrating ability to carry out the project and manage U.S. government funds.· Problem Statement: A clear, concise, and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed.· Program Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve. The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable.· Project Activities: A description of the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.· Number and description of beneficiaries.· Target project location. Projects to be implemented in Nyamagabe, Nyaruguru, Nyamasheke, and Gisagara districts are particularly encouraged.· Project Budget (major expenditures only).Documents must be fully in English.The anticipated total budget amount must be in U.S. dollars. Submission Dates and Times:SOIs are due no later than May 8, 2023.Funding Restrictions:Award funds cannot be used for project administration or operating costs of self-help activities.

U.S. Embassy Kigali and the U.S. Department of State announce an open competition for organizations to submit applications to promote responsive governance and accountability with respect to local communities’ priorities by providing training and support for more thorough investigative journalism via a variety of platforms. Please follow all instructions below. Program Objectives: Journalists sometimes refrain from investigating and reporting on tangible local issues affecting citizens’ daily lives because they do not view it as financially sustainable. Funding sources are few and far between, and many journalists lack the financial skills to manage the limited funds available to them. Additionally, reporting on sensitive issues can leave some journalists vulnerable to retaliation. To address these systemic issues, the proposed activity would have the following objective: Objective 1 – Strengthen the capacity of journalists to engage in safe and sustainable investigative journalism on local communities’ priorities Potential activities may include (but are not limited to): providing training and mentorship to investigative journalists, particularly on good governance and promoting human rights. Funds may also be used to provide direct financial assistance to journalists, sub-grants to local media and investigative journalism organizations, and/or competitive small grants to individual or teams of journalists to engage in civic education and public accountability throughout Rwanda. All programs should have the potential for sustainability beyond Department of State resources. Preference will be given to proposals with new and creative approaches. The project proposed must be complete in a twelve-month timeframe. The applicant should budget for any anticipated costs associated with the proposed project for which the applicant seeks funding. Possible costs include equipment, materials, labor, fees, training costs, etc. Funding restrictions are listed below in section D.5.

Background: The Ambassador’s Special Self-Help (SSH) Program is a grants program that seeks to reduce poverty and hunger in sub-Saharan Africa. These community development efforts promote self-reliance through significant local contributions and sustainability requirements. Over the last nine years, the State Department has provided $2 million each year to support SSH projects in 47 countries across the continent.

The U.S. Embassy Kigali of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program of Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE). Please follow all instructions below. The Public Affairs Section of the Embassy of the United States of America to the Republic of Rwanda (PAS Kigali) announces an open competition for organizations to submit proposals to carry out the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program, which promotes women’s empowerment through the “DreamBuilder: Helping Women Entrepreneurs Transform Ideas into Enterprise” online platform. Under this project, a grantee will collaborate with PAS Kigali to host sessions with aspiring women entrepreneurs between the ages of 20-35. Successful applicants will include workshops/sessions to be conducted by expert facilitator(s) and will employ the DreamBuilder online entrepreneurial skill building course, which was designed specifically for women. The proposal must include one cohort in Kigali and two other cohorts that will be outside of Kigali.