Opportunity Information: Apply for SA PCEPSA 15 002
Apply for SA PCEPSA 15 002
- The U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2015 Performing Arts Programming in Saudi Arabia" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.021 Investing in People in The Middle East and North Africa.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 25, 2015 and posted on Jan 25, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 6, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $150,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The 2015 Performing Arts Programming in Saudi Arabia opportunity was a U.S. Department of State cooperative agreement run by the Public Affairs Section (PAS) at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh. The goal was to partner with one qualified U.S. organization to deliver a multi-phase cultural diplomacy program built around uniquely American performing arts presentations, with an emphasis on (but not limited to) music. The Embassy framed touring performers as "ambassadors of culture" and intended the program to support public outreach objectives in Saudi Arabia through live performances paired with meaningful engagement activities.
The project scope centered on organizing four separate performing-arts events over a 12-month period. The selected implementing organization would recruit and propose a slate of potential U.S. performers and groups representing a range of American cultural expression, including bands, comedians, dramatic presentations, poetry, and dance. From those options, Embassy Public Affairs Officers would select the performers that best fit local conditions and U.S. public diplomacy goals. Each event was expected to generally include programming in Riyadh and at the U.S. Consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran, with the possibility of additional locations elsewhere in the Kingdom depending on Embassy planning.
A key expectation of the program was that performances would not be stand-alone concerts or shows. Participating artists had to commit to workshops, master classes, and other outreach activities designed to create interaction with Saudi audiences and local counterparts, with specific engagement formats determined in coordination with Embassy officers. The cooperative agreement structure also signaled that PAS would be actively involved throughout implementation, including ongoing monitoring, participation in major activities, review of reports, oversight of compliance with U.S. regulations and award conditions, and prior approval of certain actions such as sub-awards and amendments. In practice, the awardee was expected to work closely with PAS on program design to ensure cultural appropriateness for the local environment.
On management and accountability, the awardee would be responsible for the fiscal and logistical execution of the tours and events, with separate budgets established for each program component so they could be tracked and adjusted as needed. Reporting requirements were substantial: quarterly progress and financial reports were required, along with financial status and final reports for each segment within one month after performances were completed, plus a final report for the overall program on the schedule set in the award documents. Applicants were also expected to build monitoring and evaluation into the project from the start, conduct regular evaluations of progress, and provide periodic activity and financial reporting as specified in the cooperative agreement.
Funding for the program was anticipated at up to $150,000 total (pending availability of funds), with an award ceiling of $150,000 and an award floor of $100,000, and the Embassy expected to make one award. While no cost sharing or matching was required, PAS encouraged applicants to propose cost share, in-kind contributions, or other cost participation; any cost share offered would become a binding commitment subject to documentation and audit, with the potential for the U.S. contribution to be reduced proportionally if promised cost share was not provided. The legal authority cited for the award was the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961 (including program authority at 22 U.S.C. 2452(b)(5)).
Eligibility was limited to non-federal entities and nonprofit organizations, including those with 501(c)(3) status (and also nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education, as indicated in the posting data). Applicants needed to meet standard federal registration requirements, including having a DUNS number (as used at the time), maintaining an active System for Award Management (SAM) registration, and using the federal submission platform. The announcement also referenced registration in GrantSolutions for award administration. Applications had to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov, and applicants were urged to start early because registration and validation could take up to two weeks.
The application package requirements followed typical State Department assistance formats. Submissions needed standard federal forms (SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, and, if applicable, the SF-LLL lobbying disclosure), plus an executive summary of about 500 words, a detailed project narrative, and a budget narrative tied to the SF-424A. The project narrative was expected to cover activities and sequencing, methodology and rationale, resource needs, a timeline with milestones, staff qualifications (with CVs/resumes in an appendix), organizational capacity and examples of comparable projects, communications and dissemination, and a monitoring and evaluation plan with corrective-action thinking. The narrative portion was capped at 24 double-spaced pages in 12-point Times New Roman with 1-inch margins, not counting allowed appendices and the required forms.
Proposals were evaluated with equal emphasis on technical strength and the applicant's past performance. Review criteria included alignment with project objectives, demonstrated expertise and capacity, compliance with eligibility and proposal requirements, and adherence to federal regulations and guidelines. PAS would review eligible proposals and make a funding recommendation to the Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, reflecting the internal State Department approval chain for this type of award.
Key administrative details included the funding opportunity number SA-PCEPSA-15-002 (CFDA 19.021) and a posting date of January 25, 2015. The due date in the narrative text was March 8, 2015 (with the posting data showing a March 6, 2015 closing date), and applications had to be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the stated deadline to be considered. The point of contact listed for questions was Joan Ahmed, Public Diplomacy Officer at U.S. Mission Riyadh, reachable by phone at 966-1-488-3800 ext. 4860 and by email at AhmedJ@state.gov, with instructions to reference the opportunity title and funding opportunity number in correspondence.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): 2015 Performing Arts Programming in Saudi Arabia (SA-PCEPSA-15-002)
What is the "2015 Performing Arts Programming in Saudi Arabia" opportunity?
It was a U.S. Department of State cooperative agreement administered by the Public Affairs Section (PAS) at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh to deliver a multi-phase cultural diplomacy program in Saudi Arabia built around uniquely American performing arts presentations.
Which U.S. government office ran this opportunity?
The opportunity was run by the Public Affairs Section (PAS) at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh under the U.S. Department of State.
What was the main goal of the program?
The goal was to partner with one qualified U.S. organization to carry out performing arts events that support U.S. public outreach objectives in Saudi Arabia through live performances paired with meaningful engagement activities.
How many awards did the Embassy expect to make?
The Embassy expected to make one award.
What type of award instrument was used?
This was structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning PAS intended to be actively involved during implementation (including monitoring, participation in major activities, review of reports, and oversight of compliance with award conditions and U.S. regulations).
What was the anticipated funding amount?
Total funding was anticipated at up to $150,000 (pending availability of funds), with an award ceiling of $150,000 and an award floor of $100,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching was required, but PAS encouraged applicants to propose cost share, in-kind contributions, or other cost participation.
If an applicant offered cost share, did it matter after award?
Yes. Any cost share offered would become a binding commitment subject to documentation and audit, and the U.S. contribution could be reduced proportionally if promised cost share was not provided.
What was the project duration and general scope?
The scope focused on organizing four separate performing arts events over a 12-month period.
What kinds of performing arts were eligible or expected?
The implementing organization was expected to propose U.S. performers and groups representing a range of American cultural expression, including (but not limited to) music, and also bands, comedians, dramatic presentations, poetry, and dance.
Who selected the performers?
The implementing organization would recruit and propose a slate of potential U.S. performers and groups, and Embassy Public Affairs Officers would select the performers that best fit local conditions and U.S. public diplomacy goals.
Where were events expected to take place?
Each event was expected to generally include programming in Riyadh and at the U.S. Consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran, with the possibility of additional locations elsewhere in the Kingdom depending on Embassy planning.
Were performances expected to be stand-alone concerts or shows?
No. A key expectation was that performances would be paired with engagement activities and not be stand-alone events.
What kinds of engagement activities were expected?
Artists were expected to commit to workshops, master classes, and other outreach activities designed to create interaction with Saudi audiences and local counterparts, with specific formats determined in coordination with Embassy officers.
What did PAS involvement look like during implementation?
PAS planned to be involved through ongoing monitoring, participation in major activities, review of required reports, oversight of compliance with U.S. regulations and award conditions, and prior approval for certain actions such as sub-awards and amendments.
Did the awardee have to coordinate program design for cultural appropriateness?
Yes. The awardee was expected to work closely with PAS to ensure the program design and activities were culturally appropriate for the local environment.
What management responsibilities did the awardee have?
The awardee would be responsible for fiscal and logistical execution of tours and events, including establishing separate budgets for each program component so they could be tracked and adjusted as needed.
What reporting requirements were described?
Reporting requirements included quarterly progress and financial reports, financial status and final reports for each segment within one month after performances were completed, and a final report for the overall program on the schedule set in the award documents.
Were monitoring and evaluation (M&E) requirements included?
Yes. Applicants were expected to build monitoring and evaluation into the project from the start, conduct regular evaluations of progress, and provide periodic activity and financial reporting as specified in the cooperative agreement.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was limited to non-federal entities and nonprofit organizations, including those with 501(c)(3) status, and also nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education, as indicated in the posting data).
What registrations were required to apply?
Applicants needed to meet standard federal registration requirements, including having a DUNS number (as used at the time), maintaining an active SAM (System for Award Management) registration, and using the federal submission platform. The announcement also referenced registration in GrantSolutions for award administration.
How were applications submitted?
Applications had to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov.
How early should applicants start the registration and submission process?
Applicants were urged to start early because registration and validation could take up to two weeks.
Which standard federal forms were required?
The application package required SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, and (if applicable) SF-LLL (lobbying disclosure).
What written components were required in addition to the forms?
Submissions were expected to include an executive summary of about 500 words, a detailed project narrative, and a budget narrative tied to the SF-424A.
What topics had to be covered in the project narrative?
The narrative was expected to cover activities and sequencing, methodology and rationale, resource needs, a timeline with milestones, staff qualifications (with CVs/resumes in an appendix), organizational capacity and examples of comparable projects, communications and dissemination, and a monitoring and evaluation plan that includes corrective-action thinking.
Was there a page limit or formatting requirement for the narrative?
Yes. The narrative portion was capped at 24 double-spaced pages in 12-point Times New Roman with 1-inch margins, not counting allowed appendices and the required forms.
How were proposals evaluated?
Proposals were evaluated with equal emphasis on technical strength and the applicant's past performance. Criteria included alignment with project objectives, demonstrated expertise and capacity, compliance with eligibility and proposal requirements, and adherence to federal regulations and guidelines.
Who made the funding recommendation and what was the approval chain?
PAS would review eligible proposals and make a funding recommendation to the Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, reflecting the internal State Department approval chain described for this award.
What is the funding opportunity number and CFDA listing?
The funding opportunity number was SA-PCEPSA-15-002 and the CFDA number listed was 19.021.
What was the posting date?
The posting date was January 25, 2015.
What was the application deadline?
The narrative text listed a due date of March 8, 2015, while the posting data showed a March 6, 2015 closing date. Applications had to be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the stated deadline to be considered.
Who was the point of contact for questions?
The point of contact was Joan Ahmed, Public Diplomacy Officer at U.S. Mission Riyadh. Phone: 966-1-488-3800 ext. 4860. Email: AhmedJ@state.gov.
What should applicants reference when contacting the point of contact?
Applicants were instructed to reference the opportunity title and the funding opportunity number in correspondence.
What legal authority was cited for the award?
The legal authority cited was the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, including program authority at 22 U.S.C. 2452(b)(5).
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