Opportunity Information: Apply for PRMECON 15 GR 001 WHA 030915
Apply for PRMECON 15 GR 001 WHA 030915
- The U.S. Mission to Costa Rica in the business and commerce community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Creating Social and Economic Opportunity to Strengthen Citizen Security Promoting Transparency to Encourage a Culture that Resists Corruption" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.750 Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) Grant Programs (including Energy and Climate Partnership for the Americas).
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 7, 2015 and posted on Mar 9, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 30, 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 $900,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Eligibility Category U.S. Non profit/non governmental organizations (NGOs) having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS or overseas based NGOs, U.S. and overseas based public and private institutions of higher education, and public international organizations
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Opportunity Summary:
This grant opportunity, issued by the U.S. Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica, seeks projects that expand social and economic opportunity as a way to strengthen citizen security, while also improving government transparency to help build a public culture that resists corruption. The funding is tied to U.S. Government goals under the Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI), which supports efforts across Central America to counter organized crime, reinforce rule of law and human rights protections, strengthen institutions, and prevent youth involvement in gangs and illicit activity through community-level prevention and policing approaches. While CARSI is regional, this specific notice is administered through the U.S. Mission to Costa Rica and is focused on programming that advances citizen security and accountable governance outcomes in Costa Rica.
The Embassy planned to make up to four grant awards, with total funding not to exceed $900,000. Individual awards were expected to range from $100,000 (floor) to $250,000 (ceiling), and there was no cost sharing or matching requirement. The anticipated project start date was September 30, 2015, and project periods were limited to no more than two years, signaling an emphasis on initiatives that can deliver measurable results within a relatively short timeframe. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity areas are categorized under business and commerce and community development.
Applicants were asked to propose an implementation strategy that addresses one of two core objectives. The first objective centers on job creation for youth and women in economically disadvantaged communities. The logic behind this track is prevention-oriented: by creating legitimate economic opportunities and pathways to employment or income generation, projects can reduce the appeal of crime, gangs, and the illicit drug economy for at-risk populations, contributing to safer streets and stronger community stability. In practice, proposals under this objective would be expected to show how they will generate real employment or viable livelihood opportunities, target communities with clear economic vulnerability, and connect opportunity creation to citizen security outcomes.
The second objective focuses on promoting and improving government transparency, with a particular emphasis on expanding access to and awareness of government services across levels and formats, including e-government solutions. Projects in this area are meant to strengthen a capable and accountable Costa Rican government by reducing red tape and making public services easier to understand and use. The notice highlights streamlining bureaucracy as a key theme, including practical improvements that help entrepreneurs and businesses navigate processes more efficiently, such as steps required to start a business. This objective aligns transparency and service modernization with anticorruption prevention, aiming to reduce opportunities for opaque decision-making and foster public trust through clearer, more accessible systems.
Eligibility was open to a defined set of organization types: U.S. nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations with 501(c)(3) status, overseas-based NGOs, U.S. and overseas-based public and private institutions of higher education, and public international organizations. The Embassy also noted it retained full discretion to fund any, all, or none of the submitted applications and to determine final award amounts, which is standard language indicating competitive selection and budget negotiation based on merit, feasibility, and alignment with program priorities. The legal authority for the funding was the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, and the program is associated with CFDA number 19.750 under the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) grant programs.
Key administrative details include the opportunity number PRMECON 15 GR 001 WHA 030915, an original and current closing date of April 30, 2015 (with the posting dated March 9, 2015), and an archive date of May 30, 2015. For official guidance and full requirements, applicants were directed to the full NOFO hosted on the U.S. Embassy San Jose website and provided points of contact via email at SanJoseCarsiESF@state.gov and by phone at 2219 2483 (also listed with a country code format), including a named Grants Officer Representative contact.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) Who is issuing and administering this grant opportunity?
This grant opportunity was issued by the U.S. Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica, and is administered through the U.S. Mission to Costa Rica.
2) What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The purpose is to expand social and economic opportunity to strengthen citizen security in Costa Rica, while also improving government transparency to help build a public culture that resists corruption.
3) How does this opportunity relate to CARSI?
The funding is tied to U.S. Government goals under the Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI). CARSI supports efforts across Central America to counter organized crime, reinforce rule of law and human rights protections, strengthen institutions, and prevent youth involvement in gangs and illicit activity through community-level prevention and policing approaches. While CARSI is regional, this specific notice is focused on outcomes in Costa Rica.
4) What country is the programming focused on?
The notice is focused on programming that advances citizen security and accountable governance outcomes in Costa Rica.
5) What types of projects are being requested?
Applicants were asked to propose an implementation strategy that addresses one of two core objectives: (1) job creation for youth and women in economically disadvantaged communities, or (2) promoting and improving government transparency, including access to and awareness of government services and e-government solutions.
6) What is Objective 1 focused on?
Objective 1 centers on job creation for youth and women in economically disadvantaged communities. The intent is prevention-oriented: creating legitimate economic opportunities and pathways to employment or income generation to reduce the appeal of crime, gangs, and the illicit drug economy for at-risk populations, contributing to safer streets and stronger community stability.
7) What does the grant expect from proposals under the job creation objective?
Projects under this objective would be expected to show how they will generate real employment or viable livelihood opportunities, target communities with clear economic vulnerability, and connect opportunity creation to citizen security outcomes.
8) What is Objective 2 focused on?
Objective 2 focuses on promoting and improving government transparency, with an emphasis on expanding access to and awareness of government services across levels and formats, including e-government solutions.
9) What kinds of transparency improvements are specifically highlighted?
The notice highlights streamlining bureaucracy and reducing red tape as key themes, including practical improvements that help entrepreneurs and businesses navigate processes more efficiently (for example, steps required to start a business).
10) How is government transparency connected to anticorruption in this opportunity?
The transparency and service modernization objective is framed as anticorruption prevention by reducing opportunities for opaque decision-making and fostering public trust through clearer, more accessible systems.
11) What are the funding instrument and activity areas?
The funding instrument is a grant. The activity areas are categorized under business and commerce and community development.
12) How many awards were anticipated?
The Embassy planned to make up to four grant awards.
13) What is the total funding available under this notice?
Total funding was not to exceed $900,000.
14) What is the expected award size?
Individual awards were expected to range from $100,000 (floor) to $250,000 (ceiling).
15) Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The notice stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
16) What is the anticipated project start date?
The anticipated project start date was September 30, 2015.
17) How long can projects run?
Project periods were limited to no more than two years.
18) What does the two-year project limit suggest about expected results?
The two-year limit signals an emphasis on initiatives that can deliver measurable results within a relatively short timeframe.
19) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility was open to: U.S. nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations with 501(c)(3) status; overseas-based NGOs; U.S. and overseas-based public and private institutions of higher education; and public international organizations.
20) Does the Embassy have discretion over which applications are funded?
Yes. The Embassy noted it retained full discretion to fund any, all, or none of the submitted applications and to determine final award amounts.
21) What is the legal authority for this funding?
The legal authority for the funding was the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.
22) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The program is associated with CFDA number 19.750 under the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) grant programs.
23) What is the opportunity number?
The opportunity number is PRMECON 15 GR 001 WHA 030915.
24) When was the opportunity posted?
The posting date was March 9, 2015.
25) What was the application deadline?
The original and current closing date was April 30, 2015.
26) When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was May 30, 2015.
27) Where were applicants directed to find the full requirements?
Applicants were directed to the full NOFO hosted on the U.S. Embassy San Jose website for official guidance and full requirements.
28) Who can be contacted for questions about the opportunity?
The notice provided points of contact via email at SanJoseCarsiESF@state.gov and by phone at 2219 2483 (also listed with a country code format). A named Grants Officer Representative contact was also indicated in the notice.
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