[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 47 (Thursday, March 10, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13256-13263]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5371]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 7360]


Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for 
Grant Proposals: American Music Abroad

    Announcement Type: New Cooperative Agreement.
    Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C/CU-11-09.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.415.
    Key Dates:
    Application Deadline: April 29, 2011.
    Executive Summary: The Cultural Programs Division in the Office of 
Citizen Exchanges in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
(ECA) announces an open competition for a cooperative agreement to 
administer the American Music Abroad program. The program will consist 
of approximately ten tours for a select number of professional American 
artists in a wide range of uniquely American musical genres. The 
program is designed to broadly represent the excellence and diversity 
of traditional American music. Some examples of American music genres 
include, but are not be limited to, contemporary urban music, hip hop, 
rock and roll, jazz and American roots music genres like country and 
western, bluegrass, zydeco, Cajun, and folk. The musicians selected for 
this program must demonstrate high artistic ability, evidence a strong 
commitment to education and exchange activities, and reflect the 
diversity of America and American music. They must be conversant with 
the broader aspects of contemporary American society and culture. 
International tours will include workshops, master classes, and 
outreach activities, in addition to performances.
    U.S. public and non-profit organizations meeting the provisions 
described in Internal Revenue code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may 
submit proposals that support the goals of the American Music Abroad 
program: to promote mutual understanding between the people of the 
United States and other countries, and cross-cultural awareness. The 
tours accomplish this by providing an opportunity for international 
audiences to experience American musical life, highlighting the 
contemporary music scene as well as our country's cultural history, and 
allowing American performers to learn about life and culture in the 
foreign host countries.
    The Bureau is particularly interested in proposals for the 
administration of tours by American musicians representing diverse 
American music genres to countries with significant underserved 
populations that may not otherwise have access to American art forms, 
and countries with significant youth populations. The Bureau is also 
interested in proposals for projects that reach indigenous populations. 
No guarantee is made or implied that a grant will be awarded for tours 
to any particular region or that tours will be organized to any 
particular region.
    To be eligible for this competition, all organizations must 
demonstrate a minimum of five years' experience successfully conducting 
international performing arts exchange programs in

[[Page 13257]]

the music field. The organization must have experience administering 
programs in multiple musical genres.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Authority: Overall grant making authority for this program is 
contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, 
Public Law 87-256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. 
The purpose of the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United 
States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the 
United States and the people of other countries * * *; to strengthen 
the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the 
educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of 
the people of the United States and other nations * * * and thus to 
assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful 
relations between the United States and the other countries of the 
world.'' The funding authority for the program above is provided 
through legislation.
    Purpose: The Bureau seeks proposals to engage people and audiences 
overseas that do not normally have access to American cultural 
performances or American artists by presenting at least ten tours of 
musical groups representing a wide range of American musical genres.
    Specific terms for the selection of the musical groups will be 
developed in collaboration with ECA, and subject to ECA approval. 
Significantly, proposals should describe application and selection 
plans that seek to represent the broadest possible diversity of 
American musical genres. In general, of the 10 selected American Music 
Abroad musical groups, no more than two groups may be repeat or alumni 
groups that have participated in past American Music Abroad programs 
and no single group may participate in the program more than twice. 
Performances are only one aspect of an exchange program focusing on 
people-to-people interactions. American Music Abroad musicians will be 
expected to conduct or participate in master classes, lectures, 
workshops with people from varied age groups and musical backgrounds, 
impromptu musical sessions, radio and TV appearances, and other 
activities with local cultural institutions, musicians, media and 
students. Therefore it is important that the proposal include plans for 
identifying groups who can conduct exchange activities as well as 
perform.
    Participating musicians must be U.S. citizens who are at least 21 
years old; demonstrate the highest artistic, performance and teaching 
abilities; be dedicated to interactive educational activities targeting 
various age-groups and musical abilities; have a strong interest in 
intercultural exchange; be conversant with broader aspects of 
contemporary American society and culture; be adaptable to rigorous 
touring through regions of the world where travel and performance 
situations may be difficult; and represent the diversity of America and 
American Music.
    The search, adjudication and selection process of the musicians 
must consist of an open call to U.S. musicians with clear and 
transparent selection criteria and mechanism approved by ECA, geared to 
final competitive selection by an independent panel that includes an 
ECA representative and culminating in a diverse cadre of musicians.
    Auditions should be held in two cities (one on the East Coast and 
one on the West Coast) and selected in consultation with ECA. A panel 
of judges should be assembled in consultation with ECA. Any pre-
screening of applicant musicians prior to the auditions (such as blind 
musical screenings) must be agreed to in consultation with ECA.
    The selected musicians (approximately 10 ensembles of varying size, 
possibly including trios, quartets, and quintets) must represent the 
diversity of America and American music and be able to use musical 
expression to convey to international audiences and workshop 
participants ideas about American culture, history and society. ECA 
will provide additional guidance during selection process to ensure 
that the diversity of American music is properly represented. For 
example, at least five musical genres are represented among the final 
10 groups, with no more than 2 groups from each genre. Successful 
applicants will have a clearly developed strategy for attracting 
applications nationwide to encourage regional and musical diversity 
from musicians representing urban, rock, jazz and American roots music 
styles.
    To ensure that the program continues to recruit new diversity and 
talent, American Music Abroad musicians may only participate in the 
program twice, and only 2 of the final 10 groups may be American Music 
Abroad alumni groups. Performances are only one aspect of an exchange 
program focusing on people-to-people interactions. American Music 
Abroad participants will be expected to conduct or participate in 
master classes, lectures, workshops, impromptu jam sessions, radio and 
TV appearances, and other activities with local cultural institutions, 
musicians, media and students.
    Applicants should describe their project team's capacity for 
successfully planning recruitment and selection and provide a detailed 
sample program to illustrate planning capacity and ability to achieve 
program objectives.
    Proposals should reflect a practical understanding of global 
issues, and demonstrate sensitivity to cultural, political, economic 
and social differences in regions where tour groups may perform. 
Special attention should be given to describing the applicant 
organization's experience with planning and implementing complex and 
unpredictable logistical undertakings overseas. Applicants should 
describe their project team's capacity for successfully planning 
projects of this nature and provide a detailed sample program (to 
include itineraries) to illustrate planning capacity and ability to 
achieve program objectives.
    Applicants must identify all U.S. partner organizations and venues 
with whom they are proposing to collaborate and describe previous 
cooperative projects in the section on ``Institutional Capacity.'' 
Applicants must include in their proposal supporting materials or 
documentation that demonstrates a minimum of five years experience in 
conducting global exchanges in the music field. The organization must 
also demonstrate it has experience dealing with multiple musical 
genres.
    The successful applicant will incorporate social media and 
innovative technologies into a well-developed public relations and 
outreach strategy. Proposals must include specific information 
regarding online educational materials to supplement the international 
tour activities. Proposals must include references with name and 
contact information for other assistance awards the applicant has 
received so the Bureau may contact them directly.
    Requirements of the Award Recipient: ECA intends to give one 
assistance award to a qualified institution or organization to 
administer the American Music Abroad program globally. Activities 
funded through this cooperative agreement support the organization and 
implementation of approximately ten (10) international tours, and must 
include, but are not limited to:
    1. Designing, organizing, and implementing a transparent, open, 
national competition process to select approximately ten (10) U.S. 
musical groups. Musical genres should be representative of the 
diversity of U.S. society and culture and should include,

[[Page 13258]]

among others, American roots, hip-hop, rock and roll, and jazz.
    2. Programming musical, educational, and media tour activities in 
consultation with U.S. embassies and ECA. For each overseas location, 
the award recipient will be required to coordinate closely with staff 
at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad to help advance their public 
diplomacy objectives, as well as find and secure appropriate venues for 
performances and workshops and manage a broad range of logistics 
issues.
    3. Assisting musicians with passport, visa, immunizations, and 
other pre-tour preparations.
    4. Making all international travel arrangements and coordinating 
with posts on all in-country overseas travel;
    5. Making all financial and administrative arrangements with the 
musicians.
    6. Organizing orientation sessions and pre-travel briefings that 
provide participants with media training, cultural briefings about the 
countries on the tour, and specific information regarding the context 
for their mission as cultural ambassadors.
    7. Scheduling a pre-tour briefing session for each ensemble with 
State Department regional experts and ECA program officers in 
attendance. This event should be scheduled in coordination with a 
Washington, DC, public performance.
    8. Scheduling an associated event as part of the annual American 
Music Abroad program.
    9. Scheduling public performance dates in Washington, DC, for each 
ensemble. Applicants may schedule public performances in the audition 
city as well.
    10. Developing outreach to international and U.S. media as part of 
a comprehensive media and public relations strategy developed by the 
awardee in consultation with and approved by ECA. The successful 
applicant will incorporate social media and innovative technologies 
into their outreach strategy.
    11. Producing press and educational materials appropriate for 
foreign audiences who may not be familiar with the U.S. and/or American 
music (including, as needed, translation of materials). The successful 
applicant will include an online education component to enhance 
international touring activities.
    12. Shipping performance and education materials.
    13. Regularly providing ongoing and detailed information to the 
Program Office regarding tour schedules, venues and program activities, 
performance and workshop results, tour highlights, and media coverage.
    14. Assisting ensembles and U.S. embassies with follow-on program 
development.
    15. Evaluating program activities.
    16. Reporting on tour activities, including audience and 
participant numbers and outreach efforts, to ECA.
    Applicants must have experience in global exchange planning and 
implementation, and should address the above elements in the proposal. 
The grantee must be highly responsive and able to work in close 
consultation with ECA and the Public Affairs Sections of the 
participating U.S. embassies.
    ECA Responsibilities: In a cooperative agreement, ECA/PE/C/CU is 
substantially involved in program activities above and beyond routine 
monitoring. ECA/PE/C/CU activities and responsibilities for this 
program are as follows:
    1. Approval of audition cities, recruitment and selection process, 
and judges and judging criteria;
    2. Participation in the selection of musicians, orientation and 
debriefing activities;
    3. Identification of four to six countries for each tour. Countries 
will be those of importance to the Department of State's public 
diplomacy mission to build mutual understanding in the following world 
regions: Middle East, East Asia and the Pacific, Africa, South and 
Central Asia, Europe and/or South/Central America;
    4. Arrangement of participation by Department of State officers in 
pre-tour briefings and any debriefings that might take place;
    5. Approval of media and public relations strategies and 
arrangements for a showcase event;
    6. Approval of all tour arrangements, including daily program 
schedules.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. ECA's level of involvement in 
this program is listed under number I above.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY-2011.
    Approximate Total Funding: $1,500,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 1.
    Approximate Average Award: $1,500,000.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $1,500,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: June 1, 2011, Pending availability of 
funds.
    Anticipated Project Completion Date: February 28, 2013.
    Additional Information: Pending successful implementation of this 
program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is 
ECA's intent to renew this cooperative agreement for two additional 
fiscal years before openly competing it again.

III. Eligibility Information

    III.1. Eligible applicants: Applications may be submitted by public 
and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described 
in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).
    III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds: There is no minimum or 
maximum percentage required for this competition. However, the Bureau 
encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and 
funding in support of its programs.
    When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the 
applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its 
proposal and later included in an approved grant agreement. Cost 
sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For 
accountability, you must maintain written records to support all costs 
which are claimed as your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by 
the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis 
for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in 
accordance with OMB Circular A-110, (Revised), Subpart C.23--Cost 
Sharing and Matching. In the event you do not provide the minimum 
amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's 
contribution will be reduced in like proportion.
    III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements:
    (a) Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less 
than four years experience in conducting international exchanges be 
limited to $60,000 in Bureau funding. ECA anticipates making one award, 
in an amount up to $1,500,000 to support program and administrative 
costs required to implement this exchange program. Therefore, 
organizations with less than four years experience in conducting 
international exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition. 
The Bureau encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost 
sharing and funding in support of its programs.
    (b) Technical Eligibility: All proposals must comply with the 
following:
    (1) Full adherence to the guidelines stated herein and in the 
Solicitation Package;
    (2) Proposal submission deadline date;
    (3) Non-profit organization status; and
    (4) For purposes of this competition, at least five years of 
demonstrated experience in programming globally in

[[Page 13259]]

the music field, or your proposal will be declared technically 
ineligible and given no further consideration in the review process. 
Please see III.3.b.4 below regarding the eligibility requirements of 
additional experience from prospective applicants.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    Note:  Please read the complete announcement before sending 
inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has 
passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with 
applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.

    IV.1. Contact Information to Request an Application Package: Please 
contact the Cultural Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/CU) in the Office of 
Citizen Exchanges, U.S. Department of State, SA-5, 2200 C Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20037, 202-632-6412, fax 202/632-9355; e-mail 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#115b7063637465655c505162657065743f767e67"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6b210a19190e1f1f262a2b181f0a1f0e450c041d">[email protected]</span></a> to request a Solicitation Package. Please refer to 
the Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/C/CU-11-09 located at the top of 
this announcement when making your request.
    Alternatively, an electronic application package may be obtained 
from grants.gov. Please see section IV.3f for further information.
    The Solicitation Package contains the Proposal Submission 
Instructions (PSI) document which consists of required application 
forms, and standard guidelines for proposal preparation.
    Please specify Melissa Jarrett and refer to the Funding Opportunity 
Number ECA/PE/C/CU-11-09 located at the top of this announcement on all 
other inquiries and correspondence.
    IV.2. To Download a Solicitation Package Via the Internet: The 
entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Bureau's Web 
site at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/menu.htm, or from 
the Grants.gov Web site at http://www.grants.gov. Please read all 
information before downloading.
    IV.3. Content and Form of Submission: Applicants must follow all 
instructions in the Solicitation Package. The original and 10 copies 
(11 proposals total) of the application should be submitted per the 
instructions under IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of 
Submission section below.
    IV.3a. You are required to have a Dunn and Bradstreet Data 
Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant or 
cooperative agreement from the U.S. Government. This number is a nine-
digit identification number, which uniquely identifies business 
entities. Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To 
obtain a DUNS number, access http://www.dunandbradstreet.com/ or call 
1-866-705-5711. Please ensure that your DUNS number is included in the 
appropriate box of the SF-424 which is part of the formal application 
package.
    IV.3b. All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal 
narrative and budget.
    Please Refer to the Solicitation Package. It contains the mandatory 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document for additional 
formatting and technical requirements.
    IV.3c. All federal award recipients and sub-recipients must 
maintain current registrations in the Central Contractor Registration 
(CCR) database and have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering 
System (DUNS) number. Recipients and sub-recipients must maintain 
accurate and up-to-date information in the CCR until all program and 
financial activity and reporting have been completed. All entities must 
review and update the information at least annually after the initial 
registration and more frequently if required information changes or 
another award is granted.
    You must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of 
application. Please note: Effective January 7, 2009, all applicants for 
ECA federal assistance awards must include in their application the 
names of directors and/or senior executives (current officers, 
trustees, and key employees, regardless of amount of compensation). In 
fulfilling this requirement, applicants must submit information in one 
of the following ways:
    (1) Those who file Internal Revenue Service Form 990, ``Return of 
Organization Exempt From Income Tax,'' must include a copy of relevant 
portions of this form.
    (2) Those who do not file IRS Form 990 must submit information 
above in the format of their choice.
    In addition to final program reporting requirements, award 
recipients will also be required to submit a one-page document, derived 
from their program reports, listing and describing their grant 
activities. For award recipients, the names of directors and/or senior 
executives (current officers, trustees, and key employees), as well as 
the one- page description of grant activities, will be transmitted by 
the State Department to OMB, along with other information required by 
the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), and 
will be made available to the public by the Office of Management and 
Budget on its USASpending.gov Web site as part of ECA's FFATA reporting 
requirements.
    If your organization is a private nonprofit which has not received 
a grant or cooperative agreement from ECA in the past three years, or 
if your organization received nonprofit status from the IRS within the 
past four years, you must submit the necessary documentation to verify 
nonprofit status as directed in the PSI document. Failure to do so will 
cause your proposal to be declared technically ineligible.
    IV.3d. Please take into consideration the following information 
when preparing your proposal narrative:
    IV.3d.1. Adherence to All Regulations Governing the J Visa: The 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs places critically important 
emphases on the secure and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J 
visa) Programs and adherence by recipient organizations and program 
participants to all regulations governing the J visa program status.
    A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of 
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://exchanges.state.gov or from: Office of Designation, Private Sector 
Programs Division, U.S. Department of State, ECA/EC/D/PS, SA-5, 5th 
Floor, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037.
    Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.
    IV.3d.2. Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines: Pursuant to 
the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must maintain a non-
political character and should be balanced and representative of the 
diversity of American political, social, and cultural life. 
``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass 
differences including, but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, 
religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, and disabilities. 
Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this 
principle both in program administration and in program content. Please 
refer to the review criteria under the `Support for Diversity' section 
for specific suggestions on incorporating diversity into your proposal. 
Public Law 104-319 provides that ``in carrying out programs of 
educational and cultural exchange in countries whose people do not 
fully enjoy freedom and democracy,'' the Bureau ``shall take 
appropriate steps to provide opportunities for participation in such 
programs to human rights and democracy leaders of such countries.'' 
Public Law 106-113 requires that the governments of the countries 
described above do not have inappropriate

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influence in the selection process. Proposals should reflect 
advancement of these goals in their program contents, to the full 
extent deemed feasible.
    IV.3d.3. Program Monitoring and Evaluation: Proposals must include 
a plan to monitor and evaluate the project's success, both as the 
activities unfold and at the end of the program. The Bureau recommends 
that your proposal include a draft survey questionnaire or other 
technique plus a description of a methodology to use to link outcomes 
to original project objectives. The Bureau expects that the recipient 
organization will track participants or partners and be able to respond 
to key evaluation questions, including satisfaction with the program, 
learning as a result of the program, changes in behavior as a result of 
the program, and effects of the program on institutions (institutions 
in which participants work or partner institutions). The evaluation 
plan should include indicators that measure gains in mutual 
understanding as well as substantive knowledge.
    Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting 
clear goals and outcomes at the outset of a program. Your evaluation 
plan should include a description of your project's objectives, your 
anticipated project outcomes, and how and when you intend to measure 
these outcomes (performance indicators). The more that outcomes are 
``smart'' (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and 
placed in a reasonable time frame), the easier it will be to conduct 
the evaluation. You should also show how your project objectives link 
to the goals of the program described in this RFGP.
    Your monitoring and evaluation plan should clearly distinguish 
between program outputs and outcomes. Outputs are products and services 
delivered, often stated as an amount. Output information is important 
to show the scope or size of project activities, but it cannot 
substitute for information about progress towards outcomes or the 
results achieved. Examples of outputs include the number of people 
trained or the number of seminars conducted. Outcomes, in contrast, 
represent specific results a project is intended to achieve and is 
usually measured as an extent of change. Findings on outputs and 
outcomes should both be reported, but the focus should be on outcomes.
    We encourage you to assess the following four levels of outcomes, 
as they relate to the program goals set out in the RFGP (listed here in 
increasing order of importance):
    1. Participant satisfaction with the program and exchange 
experience.
    2. Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude, 
skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both 
substantive (subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.
    3. Participant behavior, concrete actions to apply knowledge in 
work or community; greater participation and responsibility in civic 
organizations; interpretation and explanation of experiences and new 
knowledge gained; continued contacts between participants, community 
members, and others.
    4. Institutional changes, such as increased collaboration and 
partnerships, policy reforms, new programming, and organizational 
improvements.
    Please note: Consideration should be given to the appropriate 
timing of data collection for each level of outcome. For example, 
satisfaction is usually captured as a short-term outcome, whereas 
behavior and institutional changes are normally considered longer-term 
outcomes.
    Overall, the quality of your monitoring and evaluation plan will be 
judged on how well it (1) specifies intended outcomes; (2) gives clear 
descriptions of how each outcome will be measured; (3) identifies when 
particular outcomes will be measured; and (4) provides a clear 
description of the data collection strategies for each outcome (i.e., 
surveys, interviews, or focus groups). (Please note that evaluation 
plans that deal only with the first level of outcomes [satisfaction] 
will be deemed less competitive under the present evaluation criteria.)
    Recipient organizations will be required to provide reports 
analyzing their evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular 
program reports. All data collected, including survey responses and 
contact information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years 
and provided to the Bureau upon request.
    IV.3e. Please take the following information into consideration 
when preparing your budget:
    IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit SF-424A--``Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs'' along with a comprehensive budget for the 
entire program. The award may not exceed $1,500,000. There must be a 
summary budget as well as breakdowns reflecting both administrative and 
program budgets. Applicants may provide separate sub-budgets for each 
program component, phase, location, or activity to provide 
clarification.
    IV.3e.2. For budgeting purposes, applicants should estimate costs 
based approximately ten musical groups (e.g. trios, quartets, and 
quintets) traveling for four (4) weeks to six (6) destinations in the 
following regions: Africa, East Asia, Eurasia, Central Europe and the 
Balkans, the Near East/North Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. 
Final determination of participating regions and countries will be made 
by ECA in collaboration with U.S. embassies and the successful 
applicant after the assistance award has been given.
    IV.3e.3. Allowable costs for the program include the following:
    (1) Program Expenses, including but not limited to: domestic and 
international travel for the selected ensembles (per The Fly America 
Act); visas and immunizations; airport taxes and country entrance fees; 
honoraria; educational materials and presentation items; excess and 
overweight baggage fees; trip itinerary booklets; press kits and 
promotional materials; follow-on activities; monitoring and evaluation; 
international travel for program implementation and/or evaluation 
purposes; and other justifiable expenses related to program activities.
    The following guidelines may be helpful in developing a proposed 
budget:
    A. Travel Costs. International and domestic airfares. (per The Fly 
America Act), transit costs, ground transportation, and visas for the 
American Music Abroad participants to travel to the tour destinations. 
Travel costs should also include airfare for selected finalists to 
travel to the nearest audition city.
    B. Per Diem: Domestic Per Diem should be estimated for selected 
finalists attending auditions in the nearest audition city. For the 
Washington, DC portion of the tour, organizations should use the 
published Federal per diem rates, and estimate per diems based on a 
two-night stay per ensemble member. The Public Affairs Sections of the 
participating U.S. embassies and consulates generally are responsible 
for per diem abroad. Domestic per diem rates may be accessed at: http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentId=17943&contentType=GSA_BASIC%20.
    C. Sub-grantees and Consultants. Sub-grantee organizations may be 
used, in which case the written agreement between the prospective 
grantee and sub-grantee should be included in the proposal. Sub-grants 
must be itemized in the budget under General Program Expenses. 
Consultants may be used to provide specialized expertise. Daily 
honoraria cannot exceed $250 per day, and applicants are strongly 
encouraged

[[Page 13261]]

to use organizational resources, and to cost share heavily in this 
area.
    D. Health Insurance. Each American Music Abroad participant will be 
covered under the terms of the ECA-sponsored COINS health insurance 
policy. The cost for international travel insurance for staff travel 
may be included in the proposal budget.
    E. Honoraria for American Music Abroad musicians. Daily honorarium 
is $200 per day for each performer, including rest and travel days.
    F. Educational and Promotional Items. Ensemble members may use 
these funds for individual purchases or they may pool funds for joint 
purposes. ECA funds for educational and promotional items (e.g. CDs, 
guitar strings, lapel pins, etc.) should not exceed $500 per ensemble.
    G. Excess Baggage. Excess baggage costs are based on the size and 
weight of the instrument. Excess baggage estimates may be subject to 
change once actual tour itineraries are scheduled; however for proposal 
budget purposes, costs should be estimated at $3,500 per ensemble.
    H. Immunizations/Visas. For purposes of a proposed budget, line 
items for immunizations should be estimated at $400 per musician, and 
visas/visa photos should be estimated at $600 per musician.
    I. Press/Outreach Kits. Each relevant U.S. embassy should receive 
appropriate contents for press kits. Items may be sent electronically 
with the understanding that in some cases, embassies may not be able to 
access large files or attachments. This line item may include funds for 
shooting and duplicating black and white publicity photos and 
duplicating CDs, as well as creating banners or other backdrops for 
display at performances.
    J. Translation of outreach and/or educational materials.
    K. Staff Travel. Allowable costs include domestic staff travel for 
one staff member to attend recruitment/selection events in two U.S. 
cities and to pre-tour briefings and performances in Washington, DC. 
International staff travel will be allowable, especially if associated 
with monitoring and evaluation, as long as costs for a full four-to-six 
week tour for each ensemble are completely covered. Cost-sharing for 
staff travel is strongly encouraged.
    L. Travel, Per Diem, and equipment costs related to scheduling an 
associated domestic event as part of the annual American Music Abroad 
program.
    M. Other justifiable expenses directly related to supporting 
program activities.
    For purposes of this competition, please use the following program 
as a model: One musical ensemble consisting of four musicians travels 
to Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria over the course of four 
weeks.
    2. Administrative Costs. Costs necessary for the effective 
administration of the program may include salaries for grantee 
organization employees, benefits, and other direct and indirect costs 
per detailed instructions in the Solicitation Package. While there is 
no rigid ratio of administrative to program costs, proposals in which 
the administrative costs do not exceed 25% of the total requested from 
ECA grant funds will be more competitive on cost effectiveness. Please 
refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and 
formatting instructions.
    Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget 
guidelines and formatting instructions.
    IV.3f. Application Deadline and Methods of Submission:
    Application Deadline Date: April 29, 2011.
    Reference Number: ECA/PE/C/CU-11-09.
    Methods of Submission: Applications may be submitted in one of two 
ways:
    (1) In hard-copy, via a nationally recognized overnight delivery 
service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS, Airborne Express, or U.S. 
Postal Service Express Overnight Mail, etc.), or (2) electronically 
through http://www.grants.gov/.
    Along with the Project Title, all applicants must enter the above 
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF-424 contained in the mandatory 
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) of the solicitation document.
    IV.3f.1. Submitting Printed Applications: Applications must be 
shipped no later than the above deadline. Delivery services used by 
applicants must have in-place, centralized shipping identification and 
tracking systems that may be accessed via the Internet and delivery 
people who are identifiable by commonly recognized uniforms and 
delivery vehicles. Proposals shipped on or before the above deadline 
but received at ECA more than seven days after the deadline will be 
ineligible for further consideration under this competition. Proposals 
shipped after the established deadlines are ineligible for 
consideration under this competition. ECA will not notify you upon 
receipt of application. It is each applicant's responsibility to ensure 
that each package is marked with a legible tracking number and to 
monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the Internet. Delivery of proposal 
packages may not be made via local courier service or in person for 
this competition. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. 
Only proposals submitted as stated above will be considered.

    Important note:  When preparing your submission please make sure 
to include one extra copy of the completed SF-424 form and place it 
in an envelope addressed to ECA/EX/PM.

    The original and 10 copies of the application should be sent to: 
Program Management Division, ECA-IIP/EX/PM, Ref.: ECA/PE/C/CU-11-09, 
SA-5, Floor 4, Department of State, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20037.
    Applicants submitting hard-copy applications must also submit the 
``Executive Summary'' and ``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the 
proposal in text (.txt) or Microsoft Word format on CD-ROM. As 
appropriate, the Bureau will provide these files electronically to the 
appropriate Public Affairs Section(s) at the U.S. embassies for their 
review.
    IV.3f.2. Submitting Electronic Applications: Applicants have the 
option of submitting proposals electronically through Grants.gov 
(http://www.grants.gov/). Complete solicitation packages are available 
at Grants.gov in the ``Find'' portion of the system.
    PLEASE NOTE: ECA bears no responsibility for applicant timeliness 
of submission or data errors resulting from transmission or conversion 
processes for proposals submitted via Grants.gov.
    Please follow the instructions available in the `Get Started' 
portion of the site (http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted).
    Several of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process could 
take several weeks. Therefore, applicants should check with appropriate 
staff within their organizations immediately after reviewing this RFGP 
to confirm or determine their registration status with Grants.gov. Once 
registered, the amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. In addition, 
validation of an electronic submission via Grants.gov can take up to 
two business days.
    Therefore, we strongly recommend that you not wait until the 
application deadline to begin the submission process through 
Grants.gov.
    The Grants.gov Web site includes extensive information on all 
phases/aspects of the Grants.gov process, including an extensive 
section on frequently asked questions, located under the ``For 
Applicants'' section of

[[Page 13262]]

the Web site. ECA strongly recommends that all potential applicants 
review thoroughly the Grants.gov Web site, well in advance of 
submitting a proposal through the Grants.gov system. ECA bears no 
responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or 
conversion processes.
    Direct all questions regarding Grants.gov registration and 
submission to: Grants.gov Customer Support, Contact Center Phone: 800-
518-4726, Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Eastern Time, E-
mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2754525757485553671b46074f5542411a" http: grants.gov">grants.gov</a>">support@grants.gov</a>.
    Applicants have until midnight (12 a.m.), Washington, DC, time of 
the closing date to ensure that their entire application has been 
uploaded to the Grants.gov site. There are no exceptions to the above 
deadline. Applications uploaded to the site after midnight of the 
application deadline date will be automatically rejected by the 
grants.gov system, and will be technically ineligible.
    Please refer to the Grants.gov Web site, for definitions of various 
``application statuses'' and the difference between a submission 
receipt and a submission validation. Applicants will receive a 
validation e-mail from grants.gov upon the successful submission of an 
application. Again, validation of an electronic submission via 
Grants.gov can take up to two business days. Therefore, we strongly 
recommend that you not wait until the application deadline to begin the 
submission process through Grants.gov. ECA will not notify you upon 
receipt of electronic applications.
    It is the responsibility of all applicants submitting proposals via 
the Grants.gov web portal to ensure that proposals have been received 
by Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA bears no responsibility for 
data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.
    IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order 
12372 does not apply to this program.

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Review Process

    The Bureau will review all proposals for technical eligibility. 
Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the 
guidelines stated herein and in the Solicitation Package. All eligible 
proposals will be reviewed by the program office, as well as the Public 
Diplomacy section overseas, where appropriate. Eligible proposals will 
be subject to compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and 
guidelines and forwarded to Bureau grant panels for advisory review. 
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by 
other Department elements. Final funding decisions are at the 
discretion of the Department of State's Assistant Secretary for 
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final technical authority for 
cooperative agreements resides with the Bureau's Grants Officer.
Review Criteria
    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank 
ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:
    1. Program Planning and Ability to Achieve Objectives: Detailed 
agenda and relevant work plan should demonstrate substantive 
undertakings and logistical capacity. Agenda and plan should adhere to 
the program overview and guidelines described above. Proposals should 
clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's 
objectives and plan.
    2. Multiplier Effect/Impact: Proposed programs should strengthen 
long-term mutual understanding, including maximum sharing of 
information and establishment of long-term institutional and individual 
linkages.
    3. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate substantive 
support of the Bureau's policy on diversity. Achievable and relevant 
features should be cited in both program administration (selection of 
participants, program venue and program evaluation) and program content 
(orientation and wrap-up sessions, program meetings, resource materials 
and follow-up activities).
    4. Institutional Capacity: Proposals should include (1) the 
institution's mission and date of establishment; (2) an outline of 
prior awards--U.S. government and/or private support received for tours 
abroad; (3) descriptions of experienced staff members who will be part 
of the team implementing the program; and (4) all other documentation 
requested herein. Proposed personnel and institutional resources should 
be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program or project's goals. 
The proposal should reflect the institution's expertise in the music 
management arena and knowledge of the conditions in the regions abroad.
    5. Institution's Record/Ability: Proposals should demonstrate an 
institutional record of at least five years of international music 
management planning and implementation, including responsible fiscal 
management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past 
Bureau grants as determined by Bureau Grants Staff. The Bureau will 
consider the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated 
potential of new applicants.
    6. Follow-on Activities: Proposals should provide a plan for 
continued follow-on activity (without Bureau support) ensuring that 
Bureau supported programs are not isolated events.
    7. Project Evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the program's success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of 
the program. A draft survey questionnaire or other technique plus 
description of a methodology to use to link outcomes to original 
project objectives is recommended.
    8. Cost-effectiveness and Cost-sharing: The overhead and 
administrative components of the proposal, including salaries and 
honoraria, should be kept as low as possible. All other items should be 
necessary and appropriate. Proposals should maximize cost-sharing 
through other private sector support as well as institutional direct 
funding contributions.

VI. Award Administration Information

    VI.1a. Award Notices: Final awards cannot be made until funds have 
been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed through internal 
Bureau procedures. Successful applicants will receive an Federal 
Assistance Award (FAA) from the Bureau's Grants Office. The FAA and the 
original proposal with subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall 
be the only binding authorizing document between the recipient and the 
U.S. Government. The FAA will be signed by an authorized Grants 
Officer, and mailed to the recipient's responsible officer identified 
in the application.
    Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of 
the application review from the ECA program office coordinating this 
competition.
    VI.1b. The following additional requirements apply to this project:
Special Provision for Performance in a Designated Combat Area 
(Currently Iraq and Afghanistan) (December 2008)
    All Recipient personnel deploying to areas of combat operations, as 
designated by the Secretary of Defense (currently Iraq and 
Afghanistan), under assistance awards over $100,000 or performance over 
14 days must register in the Department of Defense maintained 
Synchronized Pre-deployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT) system. 
Recipients of federal

[[Page 13263]]

assistance awards shall register in SPOT before deployment, or if 
already in the designated operational area, register upon becoming an 
employee under the assistance award, and maintain current data in SPOT. 
Information on how to register in SPOT will be available from your 
Grants Officer or Grants Officer Representative during the final 
negotiation and approval stages in the federal assistance awards 
process. Recipients of federal assistance awards are advised that 
adherence to this policy and procedure will be a requirement of all 
final federal assistance awards issued by ECA.
    Recipient performance may require the use of armed private security 
personnel. To the extent that such private security contractors (PSCs) 
are required, grantees are required to ensure they adhere to Chief of 
Mission (COM) policies and procedures regarding the operation, 
oversight, and accountability of PSCs.
    VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: Terms and 
Conditions for the Administration of ECA agreements include the 
following:

Office of Management and Budget Circular A-122, ``Cost Principles for 
Nonprofit Organizations.''
Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21, ``Cost Principles for 
Educational Institutions.''
OMB Circular A-87, ``Cost Principles for State, Local and Indian 
Governments''.
OMB Circular No. A-110 (Revised), Uniform Administrative Requirements 
for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, 
Hospitals, and other Nonprofit Organizations.
OMB Circular No. A-102, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants-
in-Aid to State and Local Governments.
OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Government, and Non-
profit Organizations.

    Please reference the following Web sites for additional 
information:
    http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants.
    http://exchanges.state.gov/education/grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI.
    VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You must provide ECA with a hard copy 
original plus two copies of the following reports:
    (1) A final program and financial report no more than 90 days after 
the expiration of the award;
    (2) A concise, one-page final program report summarizing program 
outcomes no more than 90 days after the expiration of the award. This 
one-page report will be transmitted to OMB, and be made available to 
the public via OMB's USAspending.gov Web site--as part of ECA's Federal 
Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) reporting 
requirements.
    (3) A SF-PPR, ``Performance Progress Report'' Cover Sheet with all 
program reports.
    (4) Quarterly program and financial reports showing activities 
carried out and expenses incurred in the calendar quarter.
    (5) Quarterly press updates, including any articles or publicity 
regarding the program and an updated communications calendar.
    Award recipients will be required to provide reports analyzing 
their evaluation findings to the Bureau in their regular program 
reports. (Please refer to IV. Application and Submission Instructions 
(IV.3.d.3) above for Program Monitoring and Evaluation information).
    All data collected, including survey responses and contact 
information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years and 
provided to the Bureau upon request.
    All reports must be sent to the ECA Grants Officer and ECA Program 
Officer listed in the final assistance award document.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For questions about this announcement, contact: Melissa Jarrett, 
U.S. Department of State, Cultural Programs, ECA/PE/C/CU, SA-5, Floor 
3, ECA/PE/C/CU-11-09 L-16, 2200 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20520, 
202-632-2412, fax 202-632-9355; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f7bd968585928383bab6b78483968392d9909881"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a4eec5d6d6c1d0d0e9e5e4d7d0c5d0c18ac3cbd2">[email protected]</span></a>.
    All correspondence with the Bureau concerning this RFGP should 
reference the above title and number ECA/PE/C/CU-11-09.
    Please read the complete announcement before sending inquiries or 
submitting proposals. Once the RFGP deadline has passed, Bureau staff 
may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal 
review process has been completed.

VIII. Other Information

    Notice: The terms and conditions published in this RFGP are 
binding and may not be modified by any Bureau representative. 
Explanatory information provided by the Bureau that contradicts 
published language will not be binding. Issuance of the RFGP does 
not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government. 
The Bureau reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase 
proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program and the 
availability of funds. Awards made will be subject to periodic 
reporting and evaluation requirements per section VI.3 above.


    Dated: March 2, 2011.
Ann Stock,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. 2011-5371 Filed 3-9-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P


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