The United States Embassy to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean announces the 2012 Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation and solicitation of proposals for projects promoting cultural preservation in the Eastern Caribbean. The Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation seeks to support activities that preserve significant cultural sites, objects or traditions. Proposals are due to the U.S. Embassy by December 2, 2011.
The Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) gives top priority to project activities that are in keeping with international standards for the preservation of cultural heritage. 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. Embassy Bridgetown will accept proposals from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Unfortunately Barbados does not qualify for this program.
Project Categories: The AFCP supports projects to preserve cultural heritage in the following three categories:
- Cultural Sites includes historic buildings and sites, sacred places, monuments, and archaeological sites. Qualifying activities may involve restoration of a historic building, preservation of an archaeological site, or documentation of cultural sites in a region for preservation purposes.
- Cultural Objects and Collections from a museum, site, or similar institution. Includes archaeological and ethnographic objects, paintings, sculpture, manuscripts, photographic and film collections, and general museum conservation activities. Qualifying activities may involve conservation treatment for an object or collection of objects; needs assessment of a collection with respect to its condition and strategies for improving its state of conservation; the creation of safe environments for storage or display of collections.
- Forms of Traditional Cultural Expression includes traditional music, rituals, knowledge, languages, dance, drama, and crafts. Qualifying activities may involve documentation and audiovisual recording of traditional music and dance forms for preservation and eventual dissemination, or support for training in the preservation of traditional arts or crafts that are threatened by extinction.
Project Performance and Budget Periods: Applicants may propose performance periods of up to 60 months (five years) with five budget periods of one year each. Projects must begin before September 30, 2012, and conclude no later than September 30, 2016.
Award Evaluation and Selection: Proposals that meet the basic criteria will be reviewed by the U.S. Embassy and submitted to the Department of State which oversees a rigorous competition in which proposals will be evaluated upon: Purpose, Activities Description, Timeframe, and Statement of ;Urgency; Rationale for U.S. Support; Budget; and Supporting Materials.
Submission Deadline: Proposals must be received at the U.S. Embassy by December 2, 2011
Full Criteria for submission: Please visit the Embassy website http://barbados.usembassy.gov/afcp-2012.html for full criteria and more of the rules of submission for this year’s applications.
Send proposals:
Via electronic mail to: bridgetownpublicaffairs@state.gov
Via postal service to: Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation/PAS
Embassy of the United States of America
Wildey Business Park
Wildey, St. Michael BB 14006
Barbados, W.I.
Via facsimile to: 246-429-5316
For further information please contact:
Khalil Goodman
Cultural Affairs Assistant
Tel: 246-227-4101
Email: goodmankl@state.gov
