FY 2019 Ambassador's Special Self-Help Program | DOS COG ECON SSH FY19

Opportunity Information: Apply for DOS COG ECON SSH FY19

The FY 2019 Ambassador's Special Self-Help Program is a small-grants opportunity run by the U.S. Embassy in Brazzaville to support community-driven economic development projects in the Republic of the Congo. The program is designed as a grass-roots assistance mechanism, meaning projects should come from the community, be managed by community members, and include a meaningful local contribution. In practice, the Embassy is looking for proposals where the community is not only requesting funds but also investing its own resources (money, labor, or materials) so the project is locally owned and can realistically be sustained after the grant ends.

Funding priorities focus on practical efforts that can increase local economic activity. The most competitive proposals will do at least one of the following: encourage entrepreneurship, equip people with skills that help them enter or advance in the workforce, or strengthen essential services that make economic life easier and more productive. The notice gives concrete examples of what this can look like, such as building or expanding training centers (including job-skills or language training), improving water/sanitation/hygiene infrastructure, purchasing durable items needed for a community facility (furniture, machinery, appliances), or buying income-generating equipment and inputs (tools, seeds, animals). Overall, the emphasis is on tangible, community-level investments with clear economic development value rather than broad advocacy or recurring operational support.

Eligible applicants must be registered non-profit organizations or associations that have been operating for at least one year, and the application is submitted by an individual leader of that organization. While non-Congolese applicants are not explicitly barred, the program states that competitiveness is higher when applicants are Congolese citizens and when the organization primarily employs Congolese citizens. For-profit entities are not allowed to apply. There are also strict limits to prevent duplicate submissions: only one proposal per Self-Help year per organization, and one proposal per Self-Help year per individual. Submitting multiple applications either for the same organization or across multiple organizations is disqualifying. In addition, the organization must have a bank account with a bank registered in the Republic of the Congo, since awards are paid by electronic transfer.

Award details reflect the program's small-scale, community project focus. Grants are generally around $5,000, with an award ceiling listed as $10,000, and total available funding of about $25,000. The Embassy anticipated making three or more awards (with the source data also noting an expectation of about five awards), depending on funding availability. The performance period is 10 months, with an anticipated program window running from October 1, 2020 through August 31, 2021, funded through FY 2019 Economic Support Funds under the authority of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. The funding instrument is a grant.

The program is very clear about what it will not fund, and these restrictions are important because they shape what a viable proposal looks like. Projects must directly support community economic development and must not duplicate other U.S. Government programs. The grant cannot be used to supplement other U.S. Government funding already supporting the project, and it cannot cover services or construction that are normally the government's responsibility. It also will not support items the community cannot maintain with local expertise and resources. Critically, the program does not pay administrative or operating costs, meaning salaries, stipends, fees, office supplies, or routine travel are not allowable. Other prohibited areas include hazardous chemicals (pesticides, fungicides, herbicides), food and beverages (including alcohol), recreational or play areas, political campaigns or activities, cultural or religious activities, abortion-related services or facilities, human-rights-related activities or refugee support, military/law enforcement/prison activities, and surveillance equipment. These exclusions signal that the Embassy wants concrete, nonpolitical, nonrecurring investments with clear community benefit and manageable long-term upkeep.

Cost sharing is officially not required, but it is strongly encouraged for competitiveness. A strong budget will show how the community or organization is matching the U.S. contribution through cash, donated materials, or contributed labor. This local contribution is consistent with the program's "self-help" model, where the U.S. grant is meant to catalyze a project the community is already committed to carrying forward.

Application requirements are straightforward but strict. A complete submission must include a typed and signed application form (no more than three pages), proof of non-profit registration, proof that the applicant can lawfully work in the country (such as a passport, national ID card, residency permit, or work visa), and a bank statement for the organization's account showing activity for the prior six months. Application forms and instructions are provided online in English and French via the Embassy's Self-Help webpages. Submissions are accepted only during a fixed window: from July 30, 2020 at 00:00 West Africa Standard Time to August 16, 2020 at 23:59 WAST. Applications submitted outside that window are not considered and are deleted, reflecting how competitive and high-volume the program is. Completed applications are submitted by email to CongoGrants@state.gov, and the coordinator responds to confirm whether the application is accepted for review or refused due to ineligibility, incompleteness, or late submission.

The review and selection process has multiple steps. First, the program coordinator checks each submission for eligibility and completeness. Eligible, complete applications then move to a grants review committee made up of U.S. Embassy employees. After the deadline, the committee scores and rank-orders proposals for the Ambassador's consideration, and final approvals depend on both suitability and available funding. Evaluation criteria center on alignment with the program priorities (entrepreneurship, workforce skills, or essential services tied to economic activity), and on whether the application clearly demonstrates a real community need, a realistic project design, measurable objectives, and a detailed implementation plan. Preference is also given to competitive applicants (notably Congolese applicants) and to proposals that include meaningful cost sharing/matching. Successful applicants were to be notified around August 28; those not contacted are expected to assume they were not selected.

If selected, recipients must complete standard U.S. federal assistance onboarding steps before funds can be disbursed. These include obtaining a DUNS number, an NCAGE code, and setting up accounts in SAM and grants.gov, along with completing the relevant SF-424 series forms (with different versions depending on whether the project involves construction). The formal award is issued by a grants officer through a Federal Assistance Award document (referred to in the notice as SF-1909 and also described as a Notice of Award), which must be signed by both parties; only after the award start date listed in that document can recipients begin incurring expenses.

Grant administration includes visibility and accountability requirements. Recipients must publicly recognize U.S. Government support at the project site using a U.S. flag graphic and the phrase "funding provided by the United States Government," and they must participate in a public ceremony to sign the grant agreement. They must also submit financial and program reports during the project period, on a schedule specified in the award document. Payments are typically made in two electronic transfers: an initial payment at the start and a second payment after the Embassy confirms satisfactory progress toward project objectives. The Embassy retains the right to terminate the award and stop obligating funds if the project fails to meet program requirements, and applicants are encouraged to review the U.S. Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions published by the Office of the Procurement Executive. For limited inquiries, the primary contact is the program coordinator at CongoGrants@state.gov, though the notice notes the coordinator generally only answers questions about the statement itself or confirms whether an application is complete and accepted.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to the Republic of the Congo in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2019 Ambassador's Special Self-Help Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.700.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 04, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 30, 2020. (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 $10,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Individuals.

Apply for DOS COG ECON SSH FY19

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