The United States Embassy in Kenya has announced the start of applications for the US Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) 2022 Grants Program.
In a statement, the US Embassy in Nairobi asked Kenyans to apply for a grant that will range from Ksh1 million to Ksh5 million.
The AFCP Grants Program supports the preservation of archaeological sites, historic buildings and monuments, museum collections, and forms of traditional cultural expression, such as indigenous languages and crafts.
Since the application involves two rounds, the applicants will first be required to pitch ideas in the form of concept notes by December 5, 2021. In round two, the Embassy will invite applicants with promising ideas to submit full project applications by February 27, 2022.
In the statement, the Embassy stated that those invited to participate in the second round will elaborate on the technical aspects of the proposed project and submit a full application.
Notably, the statement from the US Embassy indicated that the AFCP will not award grants to individuals, commercial entities, or past award recipients that have not fulfilled the objectives or reporting requirements of previous awards.
How to apply:
Round 1: The eligible applicants should submit concept notes via e-mail to: NairobiPas@state.gov with the subject line reading: AFCP Concept note.
Each concept note submitted must include:
a) Project basics, including working title, anticipated project length (Note: Applicants may propose project periods of up to 60 months), location/site, and project cost estimate (amount requested from AFCP; in US dollars).
b) Project implementer.
c) Scope of work summarizing (1) the preservation goals and the activities planned to achieve those goals; and (2) any broader host country or community goals and the activities planned to achieve those goals; (i.e., what they hope to gain from the project beyond the preserved heritage and how they plan to get there; 2,000 characters maximum).
d) Rationale for AFCP support, explaining why it’s in the interests of the US government to fund the project (1,000 characters maximum).
e) Five (5) high-quality digital images (JPEGs) or audiovisual files that convey the nature and condition of the site, collection, or tradition and show the urgency or need for the proposed project (collapsing walls, water damage, etc).
Results of the AFCP 2022 Grants Program will be announced in the second half of the year 2022 with projects anticipated to start no earlier than October 1, 2022.
