Cultural Preservation/Restoration Project

Cultural Preservation/Restoration Project

Request for Applications (RFA)

The U.S. Embassy Pristina is accepting cooperative agreement applications for projects to preserve important cultural sites within Kosovo. Projects may include sites having a religious connection (Serbian Orthodox Churches, mosques, other); Roman ruins; Illyrian, Turkish or Serbian secular sites (such as Kullas, baths, houses) but must have a broad cultural and historical significance for Kosovo. Detailed information, as well as grants applications, can be found at the links below. Deadline for applications is March 31, 2011.

Link 1 -- Background Information (see below)

Link 2 -- SF424 (Application for Federal Assistance)

Link 3 -- SF424A (Budget Summary)

Department of State

Program Office: The U.S. Embassy Pristina - Request for Application

Funding Opportunity Title: Cultural Preservation/Restoration Project

Announcement Type: Cooperative Agreement

Funding Opportunity Number: S-LMAQM-RFA-CA-11- EUR-002

Deadline For Application: March 31, 2011

CFDA: 00.000

ELIGIBILITY

This funding opportunity is open to private institutions and governmental and non-governmental organizations with experience in the preservation of cultural heritage and with strong knowledge of Kosovo’s history and culture and the importance of the proposed site. Qualified entities are reputable and accountable non-governmental organizations, museums, ministries of culture, or similar institutions and organizations that are able to demonstrate that they have the requisite experience and capacity to manage projects to preserve cultural heritage. A committee comprised of the U.S. Embassy and the Kosovo Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, will vet applicants for eligibility, suitability, and reputable performance in cultural preservation or similar activities.

SUMMARY

The U.S. Embassy Pristina announces a Request for Applications for projects to preserve important cultural sites within Kosovo. Applicants should be organizations with a proven track record of restoring and preserving sites of historical significance and with strong knowledge of the history and culture of Kosovo. Selected applicants will be responsible for all aspects of the project, to include contracting for goods and services; ensuring that timelines are met and work is accomplished according to schedule; receiving necessary government of Kosovo permits and authorizations to conduct the work (the U.S. Embassy may be able to provide facilitative assistance in this regard); submitting all necessary work plans, financial reports and narrative reports to the U.S. Embassy as stipulated in the cooperative agreement.

Total U.S. Department of State funding for these cooperative agreements is $1,472,000. Any non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or private institutions in Kosovo, the Balkans, the U.S. or elsewhere with experience in the work described in the program goals and activities are encouraged to submit proposals.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Contact Persons:

Emilia A. Puma

Public Affairs Officer

Merita Musmurati

Program Assistant

Please carefully read the entire solicitation package if you plan to submit an application; there are steps that you should take immediately in order to make your submissions by the deadline.

SECTION 1 – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

1A. Background Information

The U.S. Embassy Pristina announces a Request for Applications for projects to preserve important cultural sites within Kosovo. Applicants should be organizations with experience preserving or protecting culturally important sites. Additionally, applicants should demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the history and culture of Kosovo and the importance of the site on which they propose to work.

1B. Program Objectives

The objective of this funding opportunity is to support the preservation and protection of culturally important historic buildings, monuments, and archaeological sites within Kosovo that are accessible to the public and protected by law. Through implementation of this one-time cooperative agreement program, the Embassy and the Grantee will strive to achieve the following goals.

· Preservation and protection of important cultural sites in Kosovo

· Broader understanding among Kosovars and internationals of the importance of these sites

1C. Intended Results

The project should strive to achieve the following results.

· Engage local community in supporting the work

· Preserve and protect important cultural sites

· Initiate a plan for ongoing maintenance of the site by local entities

· Prepare an educational component that will teach adults and children about the significance of the site

· Engage local government and non-governmental authorities to ensure that necessary permits and authorizations are received prior to undertaking any preservation work

1D. Priority Activities

This funding opportunity gives top priority to project activities in Kosovo that are in keeping with international cultural heritage preservation standards. These activities may include:

A. Preventive conservation: mitigating or removing the conditions that damage or threaten a site;

B. Stabilization: reducing the physical disturbance (settling, collapse, etc.) of elements of a site;

C. Conservation: addressing damage or deterioration to a site

D. Consolidation: connecting or reconnecting elements of a site;

E. Anastylosis: reassembling a site from its original parts; or

F. Restoration: replacing missing elements to recreate the original appearance of a site (appropriate for historic buildings only).

An appropriate preservation activity is one that protects the values of the site as they are understood by stakeholders. Stakeholders may include national, regional, or local cultural authorities; the local community; and others with vested interests in the site and the outcome of a project.

Specific responsibilities tied to the proposed activities shall include, but shall not be limited to, identifying appropriate vendors for all required materials; engaging qualified craftsmen, laborers, and other workers as required to complete the proposed activities; identifying project managers with knowledge and expertise commensurate with the site and the proposed activities; organizing public outreach and educational meetings to enlist community support for the project; encouraging plans for on-going maintenance of and support for the site by local communities, the government, and businesses and organizations.

Special Note Regarding Sites and Objects That Have a Religious Connection:

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 cooperative agreement 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 U.S. Embassy Pristina with any questions.

1E. Performance Indicators

Projects should be completed on time, in accordance with all applicable laws, and in keeping with international cultural heritage preservation standards, conventions, and charters such as the International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites (also known as the Venice Charter). The project program should incorporate a sustainability component to ensure that the site will be maintained and protected properly beyond the period of the cooperative agreement.

1F. Additional Strategic and Program Principles

· Community Involvement: Local residents, businesses and government entities should be contacted early in the cooperative agreement period to ensure their understanding of and support for the project.

SECTION 2 - AWARD Information

2A. Available Funding and Legislative Authority

Overall cooperative agreement making authority for this project is contained in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended. The U.S. Embassy has funding available for a variety of projects. See chart below.

Summary of Award Information

Type of Award / Grant.
Fiscal Year Funds / FY 2011
Approximate Total Funding: / US $1,472,000. Individual awards may range in value.
Approximate Number of Awards: / Three to ten.
Anticipated Award Date: / 6/2011
Anticipated Project Completion Date: / Applicants may propose performance periods of up to 24 months (two years) with four budget periods of six months each
Projects must begin before September 30, 2011, and conclude by September 29, 2013.

2B. Award Management

The successful applicant awarded under this RFA will need to routinely collaborate with the U.S. Embassy Pristina and the Kosovo Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. The activities and responsibilities of the Embassy are as follows:

· Provide guidance and approval for the Grantee’s comprehensive implementation plan.

· Assist with outreach efforts to local institutions.

· Ensure that financial reports and expenses adhere to U.S. government regulations

· Provide regular monitoring of the reconstruction/preservation work and of ancillary outreach/educational activities

SECTION 3 –ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

All Federal assistance recipients must have a Dun & Bradstreet Number prior to funds disbursement. A DUNs number may be acquired at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNs number request line at 1-866-705-5711 or requesting online at www.dnb.com.

SECTION 4 - APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Application materials are provided on the U.S. Embassy website and on grants.gov website. Forms 424 and 424A must be completed and submitted by the March 31, 2011 deadline, 5 p.m. EST.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS. Project proposals must include or address the following:

A. Project purpose that briefly explains the project objectives and desired results;

B. Project activities description that explains how the applicant intends to achieve the project objectives and results, presents proposed tasks in a logical order, and describes how those tasks directly contribute towards achieving the project objectives and results;

C. Project timeframe or schedule that identifies the major project phases and milestones, with performance target dates for achieving them;

D. Statement of importance highlighting the historic, architectural, artistic, or cultural (non-religious) values of the cultural site(s);

E. Statement of urgency indicating the severity of the situation and explaining why the project must take place now;

F. Detailed project budget, demarcated in six-month budget periods, that lists all costs in cost categories [Personnel, Travel (including Per Diem), Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Other Direct Costs];

indicates funds from other sources; and gives a justification for any anticipated international travel costs;

G. Applicant information, including resumes or CVs of the proposed project director and key project participants, that demonstrates that the applying entity (NGO, etc.) has the requisite experience and the capacity to manage projects to preserve cultural heritage;

H. Proof of official permission to undertake the project and the endorsement and support of the appropriate national authority; [N.B. the U.S. Embassy Pristina can facilitate this in certain instances]

I. Attachments, including at least three high quality digital images (JPEGs) or audiovisual files that convey the nature and condition of the site and show the urgency or need for the proposed project (collapsing wall, water damage, etc).

INELIGIBILITY. These cooperative agreements will not support the following activities or costs. Applications involving any of the activities or costs below may be deemed ineligible:

A. Preservation or purchase of privately or commercially owned personal 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 proposal submission;

B. Preservation of natural heritage (physical, biological, and geological formations, paleontological collections, habitats of threatened species of animals and plants, fossils, etc.);

C. Preservation of hominid or human remains;

D. Preservation of news media (newspapers, newsreels, radio and TV programs, etc.);

E. Preservation of published materials available elsewhere (books, periodicals, etc.);

F. Development of curricula or educational materials for classroom use;

G. Archaeological excavations or surveys for research purposes;

H. Historical research, except in cases where the research is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project;

I. Construction of new buildings;

J. Commissions of new works of art or architecture for commemorative or economic development purposes;

K. Preservation of cultural objects, collections, or intangible heritage;

L. Creation of replicas or re-creation of cultural sites that no longer exist;

M. Relocation of cultural sites from one physical location to another;

N. Removal of elements of cultural sites from the country for any reason;

O. Conservation plans or other studies, unless they are one component of a larger project to implement the results of those studies;

P. Cash reserves, endowments or revolving funds; funds must be expended within the cooperative agreement period and may not be used to create an endowment or revolving fund or otherwise spent over many years;

Q. Costs of fund-raising campaigns;

R. Operating expenses, i.e. expenses incurred during the day-to-day operational activities of an organization, such as office rent, utilities, license fees, and other costs for administrative time, services, or materials not directly related to performing project work;

S. Contingency, unforeseen, or miscellaneous fees;

T. Costs of work performed prior to announcement of the award;

U. International travel, except in cases where travel is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project;

V. Individual projects costing less than $120,000, or

W. Awards to individuals or commercial entities.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION PROCESS:

Applicants must submit proposal project descriptions ELECTRONICALLY using Grants.gov. Thorough instructions on the application process are available on the http://www.grants.gov and http://pristina.usembassy.gov/cultural_preservation_projects.html websites. For questions relating to Grants.gov, please call the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726.

For questions about this solicitation, contact Emilia A. Puma, Public Affairs Officer

or Merita Musmurati, Program Assistant,

All applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application.

Registering with Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, it could take as long as two weeks to have the registration validated and confirmed. Please begin the registration process immediately to ensure that the process is completed well in advance of the deadline for applications. Until that process is complete, you will not be issued a user password for Grants.gov, which is required for application submission. There are four steps that you must complete before you are able to register: