Opportunity Information: Apply for SCAKAB 14 GR 015 SCA 06232014
Apply for SCAKAB 14 GR 015 SCA 06232014
- The U.S. Mission to Afghanistan in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Educational Opportunities for Community Leaders" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.501 Public Diplomacy Programs for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 23, 2014 and posted on Jun 23, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 25, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Eligibility is open to all U.S., Afghan, and international organizations or companies with direct experience working with religious leaders at the provincial and district level in Afghanistan, and a proven track record of success implementing projects in Afghanistan. Organizations must demonstrate current country registration license (when applicable), competent programmatic ability, and capacity to meet reporting requirements. Non Afghan organizations or companies are required to partner with an Afghan organization or company. Local knowledge about the communities involved in the programmatic activities will be vital to the success of the program.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Educational Opportunities for Community Leaders grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number SCAKAB 14 GR 015 SCA 06232014) was a discretionary U.S. government funding program administered by the U.S. Mission to Afghanistan through the Public Affairs/Public Diplomacy portfolio. Its central goal was to create grassroots-level community impact by working directly with local religious leaders in Afghanistan, who are described in the announcement as the "cognitive center of gravity" within their communities because of the influence they hold over social attitudes, learning, and civic behavior. The program focus was practical and skills-based: providing English language and Information Technology (IT) training to religious leaders in multiple locations across the country so they could gain access to information and tools they might not otherwise have, particularly through the internet. The underlying idea was that once these leaders are more comfortable with English and digital technologies, they can model the value of education, information access, and connectivity for the wider community, potentially shaping norms around learning and engagement with global information sources.
The funding instrument for this opportunity was a cooperative agreement, meaning the U.S. government anticipated an active role in the project beyond simply providing funds, typically through coordination, oversight, and collaboration during implementation. The opportunity fell under the CFDA number 19.501, labeled as Public Diplomacy Programs for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the activity category was listed as "Other," clarified as Public Diplomacy. Only one award was expected, indicating that the funding was intended for a single implementer (or a lead organization with partners) to run the program at scale, rather than being split among many smaller grantees.
Financially, the opportunity offered an estimated total of $500,000, with an award ceiling of $500,000 and a floor of $400,000. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement, so applicants were not required to contribute their own funds as a condition of receiving the award. The announcement was posted on June 23, 2014, with an original and current closing date of July 25, 2014, and it was later archived on August 24, 2014, reflecting that it was a time-bound competition with a specific application window.
Eligibility was comparatively broad but experience-heavy. The competition was open to U.S., Afghan, and international organizations or companies, but applicants needed to show direct experience working with religious leaders at the provincial and district levels in Afghanistan and demonstrate a proven record of successful project implementation in the country. The announcement emphasized operational readiness: organizations had to show they were properly registered in-country when applicable, had solid program management capacity, and could meet reporting requirements. For non-Afghan organizations or companies, partnering with an Afghan organization or company was mandatory, reflecting a strong preference for local embeddedness and an understanding that local knowledge and relationships would be crucial to successfully recruiting participants, delivering training, and navigating community dynamics. The application also implicitly required an implementer capable of operating across "various locations nationwide," which typically demands logistics planning, security awareness, provincial coordination, and adaptable training delivery models.
For applicants needing assistance obtaining the full announcement, the listed point of contact was Deborah B. Smith, Grants Manager in the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Overall, the opportunity was designed as a public diplomacy and capacity-building effort that used targeted education (English and IT) as a lever to influence broader community attitudes and behaviors by empowering trusted local leaders who could pass along the perceived benefits of internet access, technology use, and language skills.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Educational Opportunities for Community Leaders.
2) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number provided is SCAKAB 14 GR 015 SCA 06232014.
3) Which U.S. government entity administered this program?
The program was administered by the U.S. Mission to Afghanistan through the Public Affairs/Public Diplomacy portfolio.
4) What was the central purpose of the program?
The central goal was to create grassroots-level community impact by working directly with local religious leaders in Afghanistan, based on the premise that they strongly influence social attitudes, learning, and civic behavior within their communities.
5) Who were the intended participants or target audience?
The intended participants were religious leaders in Afghanistan, including those at the provincial and district levels.
6) Why did the opportunity focus on religious leaders?
The announcement described religious leaders as the community "cognitive center of gravity" due to the influence they hold over community norms, attitudes toward education, and civic behavior.
7) What kinds of activities or training did the program emphasize?
The program focus was described as practical and skills-based, specifically providing English language and Information Technology (IT) training.
8) What was the intended benefit of English and IT training in this program?
The underlying idea was that improved comfort with English and digital tools would help religious leaders gain access to information (particularly via the internet) and then model the value of education, information access, and connectivity for the wider community.
9) Was this opportunity intended to operate in one location or multiple locations?
The announcement indicated training would occur in multiple locations across the country, described as operating across various locations nationwide.
10) What type of funding instrument was used?
The funding instrument was a cooperative agreement.
11) What does it mean that this was a cooperative agreement?
Based on the description provided, a cooperative agreement meant the U.S. government anticipated an active role beyond simply providing funds, typically involving coordination, oversight, and collaboration during implementation.
12) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed was 19.501, labeled as Public Diplomacy Programs for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
13) What activity category was this opportunity listed under?
The activity category was listed as "Other", clarified as Public Diplomacy.
14) How many awards were expected?
Only one award was expected.
15) What does "only one award expected" imply for applicants?
It indicates the funding was intended for a single implementer (or a lead organization working with partners) to run the program at scale rather than being divided among many smaller grantees.
16) What was the estimated total funding available?
The estimated total funding was $500,000.
17) What was the award ceiling?
The award ceiling was $500,000.
18) What was the award floor?
The award floor was $400,000.
19) Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity stated there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
20) When was the announcement posted?
The announcement was posted on June 23, 2014.
21) What was the application closing date?
The original and current closing date were both listed as July 25, 2014.
22) When was the opportunity archived?
The opportunity was archived on August 24, 2014.
23) What does it mean that the opportunity was archived?
In context, it reflects that the grant competition was time-bound with a specific application window, and it was later marked as archived after the period had passed.
24) Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was open to U.S., Afghan, and international organizations or companies, subject to the experience and operational requirements described in the announcement.
25) What experience did applicants need to demonstrate?
Applicants needed to show direct experience working with religious leaders at the provincial and district levels in Afghanistan and a proven record of successful project implementation in the country.
26) Were there requirements related to local registration and operational readiness?
Yes. The announcement emphasized that organizations needed to show they were properly registered in-country when applicable, had solid program management capacity, and could meet reporting requirements.
27) Did non-Afghan organizations have any special requirements?
Yes. For non-Afghan organizations or companies, partnering with an Afghan organization or company was mandatory.
28) Why was partnering with an Afghan organization required for non-Afghan applicants?
The requirement reflected a strong preference for local embeddedness and the expectation that local knowledge and relationships would be essential for recruiting participants, delivering training, and navigating community dynamics.
29) What implementation capabilities did the opportunity implicitly expect?
Because the program was described as operating in various locations nationwide, the implementer was implicitly expected to be able to handle logistics planning, provincial coordination, adaptable training delivery, and security awareness consistent with multi-site operations.
30) Who was the point of contact for obtaining the full announcement?
The listed point of contact was Deborah B. Smith, Grants Manager in the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
31) What broader strategy did this opportunity support?
It was designed as a public diplomacy and capacity-building effort that used targeted education (English and IT) as a lever to influence broader community attitudes and behaviors by empowering trusted local leaders.
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