U.S. Embassy San Jose Public Diplomacy Annual Program Statement | PD 001 FY2023

Opportunity Information: Apply for PD 001 FY2023

The U.S. Embassy in San Jose, through its Public Diplomacy (PD) Section at the U.S. Department of State, is offering a competitive grant opportunity to support programs that deepen and expand the relationship between the United States and Costa Rica. The focus is on projects that use cultural programming, exchanges, and public outreach to highlight shared values, encourage mutual understanding, and advance bilateral cooperation. Proposed activities are expected to align with U.S. public diplomacy priorities and the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica's strategic goals, meaning applicants should design programs that clearly connect to embassy-defined themes and demonstrate a practical public-facing impact in Costa Rica.

This opportunity uses a two-stage application process designed to reduce the burden on applicants at the start. The first stage is a Statement of Interest (SOI), limited to two pages, where the applicant briefly presents the core program concept, the objectives, and the intended approach. The SOI is not a full proposal; it is a screening step that allows the embassy to assess whether the idea is a strong fit before requiring a complete application package. SOIs that pass an initial merit review move to the second stage, where selected applicants are invited to submit a full grant proposal. Those full proposals then undergo a second merit review, after which final funding decisions are made.

The embassy is running two separate funding rounds under the same announcement, and applicants may choose to apply in either round as long as they meet the relevant deadlines. For Round 1, SOIs were due February 13, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. CST, and applicants with competitive SOIs would be invited to submit full applications by March 17, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. CST. For Round 2, SOIs were due April 1, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. CST, and selected applicants would be invited to submit full applications by May 7, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. CST. The overall closing date listed for the opportunity is May 7, 2023.

Funding is provided as a grant under a discretionary program (Funding Opportunity Number PD 001 FY2023). The award ceiling is $60,000 per award, and the embassy anticipates making about five awards. The activity categories referenced for supported projects include community development, education, environment, and humanities (with cultural affairs also indicated through the CFDA reference). The CFDA number associated with the opportunity is 19.040, and the issuing agency is the Department of State, U.S. Mission to Costa Rica.

Eligibility is limited to specific applicant types. The announcement lists nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education) as eligible, and it also lists individuals as eligible applicants. All required application materials must be submitted through Grants.gov, and applicants are expected to follow the instructions and any attachment requirements tied to the Grants.gov posting. For technical issues with submission, the notice directs applicants to contact Grants.gov Applicant Support by phone at 1-800-518-4726 or by email at support@grants.gov.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Costa Rica in the community development, education, environment, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. Embassy San Jose Public Diplomacy Annual Program Statement" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 13, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 07, 2023 To be considered for the first round of funding, applicants must submit statements of interest by February 13, 2023 (1159 p.m. CST). Applicants with competitive statements of interest will subsequently be notified and invited to submit full grant applications by March 17, 2023 (1159 p.m. CST).Applicants who plan to submit a statement of interest for the second round of funding must do so by April 1, 2023 (1159 p.m. CST), Applicants with competitive statements of interest will subsequently be notified and invited to submit full grant applications by May 7, 2023 (1159 p.m. CST). (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $60,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Individuals.

Apply for PD 001 FY2023

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