Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation 2012

Call for Proposals

Summary

The Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) invites all cultural and educational institutions in El Salvador to send proposals seeking the preservation of Salvadoran cultural heritage.

The AFCP was established to contribute to projects to protect cultural heritage throughout the world. The Salvadoran proposals will enter a global competition; therefore, there is no guarantee that any Salvadoran proposal will receive a grant.

The available funds per project vary between $10,000 and $50,000 dollars to be invested in a project taking place over a period of a year.

Guidelines

• Dates to receive project proposals:   Monday, October 24^th, through Thursday, December 8^th, 2011 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

• Venue to deliver project proposals:  Proposals should be sent or delivered to this address:  Oficina de Asuntos Públicos, Embajada de Los Estados Unidos, Final Bulevar Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatlán.
  

• Format to deliver the projects:  A paper copy and a digital copy in CD ROM must be submitted to participate.  Projects sent via e-mail won’t be considered.

• addressee:  The projects should be addressed to Carolyn Turpin, Cultural Affairs Officer of the US Embassy.
  

• Who may apply:  Any cultural institution undergoing or planning preservation projects of Salvadoran Cultural Heritage.  Projects submitted by individuals won’t be accepted.  Previous winners of the AFCP can apply again either for new projects or the next phases of the project financed previously.

Conditions:

• Proposals should be presented in English.  Proposals written in Spanish will not be considered

• Proposals not containing the required information will not be considered.

• Proposals will not be considered in hard copy only; they must be accompanied by an electronic version.

Questions:

Any questions related to the AFCP can be submitted to Cultural Assistant Verónica Vásquez at the US Embassy to vasquezvm@state.gov

 The proposals should contain:

1.      Title    

            Descriptive title- No more than 10 words

2.      Purpose and summary of the proposal      

In 50 words or less. It has to answer the following questions: What is the objective? What is the nature of the cultural resource? What is the problem that affects it and what is the expected result?

3.      Detailed Description of the project

The description of the project should not exceed a thousand words and should contain the following:

• It should answer the question: what kind of heritage resource is going to be protected? (For example: archeological or historical site, archeological or historical building, collection or documental archive, historical manuscripts, and museum objects or collections.
• Description of the activities proposed by the project and its objectives: The question that should be answered is: what kind of activity is proposed to achieve the protection of this cultural heritage element? (For example: planning a study and/or inventory; training of those protecting the cultural heritage element; digitalization; restoration; preventive conservation; rescue excavation; buying of equipment or materials for the preservation process).
• Description of the cultural importance of the site, collection, or object to be preserved. How it relates to the history, development, and cultural heritage of El Salvador. 
• Time line of activities. What are the approximate start and end dates of the project? Sequence of activities.
• A complete description of the work to be done: objectives, tasks, methods, previous related actions. Why it is necessary, what actions have been take already, the context in which the work proposed will be carried out, bibliography, etc. Where the heritage resource is located and where the project will be carried out (description of the site)
  

4.      Significance and urgency of the project    

      Description of the cultural / artistic / historical significance of the resource that the project will protect. Is the resource facing an immediate threat, such as possible physical collapse or possible loss of cultural memory?

5.      Letter of approval to do the project          

   Official permission from the local or national authority responsible for the resource or site to carry out the project. The letter should certify the approval of the project and the sponsorship from the entity or agency officially responsible for the administration of the cultural heritage element that is to be preserved.  The letter should be submitted in its original in Spanish with an attached copy of the translation in English.

6.      Information on the institution proposing the project   

Information on the organization presenting the project and on the people who are doing the work.

On the institution: its mission, officers, and its history as a reliable recipient of donations (if applicable). Projects by individuals will not be considered.

• On the people involved in the project: resumes.
• DUNS Number.  The guidelines to obtain it are below.
• Central Contractor Registration.  Guidelines below.

7.      Detailed budget in dollars

      The proposal should be presented in dollars and if possible on an MS Excel work sheet.

The costs should be categorized as follows (if applicable):

a) Consumables, materials and resources;

b) Rental and purchase of electronic equipment and tools;

c) Honoraria for personnel who will execute the project;

d) Travel expenses for key personnel on the project.

The budget should indicate the total of the four sub-categories. 

Please indicate other sources of funding, if any.

8.      Attachments 

            Photographs of the resource that is going to be protected by the project.

Background: In 2001, The Cultural and Educational Affairs Office of the Department of State received from the U.S. Congress the commission to promote the AFCP, which offers U.S. Ambassadors the opportunity to finance projects to preserve the cultural heritage of countries where the United States has diplomatic presence. Funds available vary from $10,000 to $50,000. The U.S. government is pleased to offer this type of funding in order to show its respect for other cultures and traditions. In 2004, the Cultural Patrimony Association of Santa Ana (APACULSA) won the AFCP to complete the second stage of restoration of the Santa Ana Cathedral. In 2005, the National Museum of Anthropology won the award to preserve the archeological artifacts that are located in the archives. In 2007 IZALCUTUR received the award to restore wooden sculptures from the 16^th to 19^th centuries in Izalco.  In 2008, the Museum of Art of El Salvador received the award for the registration, documentation, handling and conservation of the Museum of Art collection.  In 2009, the Secretariat of Culture received funds to map, research, and conserve “El Espíritu Santo Cave” rock art site.  In 2010, the Santa Ana Cathedral won for the second time to continue with the restoration works of the cathedral.  The ProArte Association won the fund in 2011 to restore the roof of their historic Flor Blanca house

Guideline to project presentation:

• Cultural site or sites. Includes but is not limited to: preservation of a historical or archeological site, sacred site or monument; archeological research when this is part of a preservation plan of the site; design of a management plan for the preservation of an archeological site or sites in a region; documentation of a site or sites of a region with preservation as an objective.
• An object or collection of artifacts from an archeological site, museum or similar institution. Includes but is not limited to: conservation of an object or collection of objects; inventory of a collection of objects with the purpose of preservation; creation of an adequate space or conditions for storing or exhibition of a collection of objects; or specialized training for the care or preservation of collections.

Projects that will not be considered for funding by AFCP

• Projects relating to the conservation of natural heritage. 
• Conservation or buying of private collections or of commercial or residential properties.  
• Construction of new buildings or reconstruction of a historical building. Funds will be granted only for restoration of existing architectural patrimony. 

Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) number

The organizations that apply for grants need to provide the Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) number of the organization.  This is a unique nine-digit number that identifies an organization. The organizations must have a different DUNS number for each physical location/address.

The Public Affairs Office (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador is forbidden by law to obtain this number on behalf of local organizations. Every Salvadoran institution that receives funds from PAS must obtain this number.

However, PAS is required to provide all necessary assistance for this purpose.

Procedure for obtaining a DUNS number 

Organizations based outside the United States can obtain the DUNS number, for free, by contacting D & B through the online form or telephone. The web form can be found at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform

This request can also be done by phone. El Salvador is served by the D & B office in Hollywood, FL.

 Latin America Business Information Center (LABIC)
  
+(954) 963-7807 phone
 
+(954) 893-4080 fax
 
D&B
Hollywood, Florida 33021
USA

Information needed to obtain a DUNS number from D&B

• Legal Name
• Trade style, Doing Business As (DBA), or other name by which the organization is commonly recognized
• Physical Address, City, State and Zip Code
• Mailing Address (if different)
• Telephone Number
• Contact Name
• Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code
  • To find the SIC code that best matches your organization go to  http://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/sicsearch.html and search the database
  • If the organization is a non-profit and does not seem to fit any of the categories listed, the SIC code 8999 (Services, not elsewhere classified) can serve.
  • Number of Employees at the location
  • Headquarters name and address (if there is a reporting relationship to a parent corporate entity)
  • Whether the organization is a home-based business.

Recommendations

1. This service is free. If the provider D & B requests a payment please contact the Public Affairs Office in order to solve this problem.

2. Once the form is completed, the DUNS number can take between 1 day and 1 month to be granted.

3. If your organization has more than one physical address (a branch in San Miguel or Santa Ana, for instance), you must obtain a DUNS number for each address.

4. Once you have submitted the request, you should check your e-mail account.  You will receive an e-mail with a tracking number and second e-mail indicating your DUNS number.

5. D & B may contact you by e-mail requesting additional information to process your order. You must send that information in a timely manner, if it is not sent within one week, the system automatically deletes the request. Applications cannot be reactivated and therefore the institution must initiate a new process from the beginning.

If any issues arise during the request process of the DUNS, please contact the Cultural Assistant at the US Embassy at (503) 2501-2390 or the administrator of the Public Affairs Office at 2501-2479.

Procedure to obtain the CCR registration

Who need a CCR registration?

Contractors: A foreign company that performs work outside the United States is required to register in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) system in order to be awarded a contract, except under extenuating circumstances, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations 4.1102(a)(5) in the FAR.

Grantees: A foreign entity that performs work outside the United States is required to register in the CCR system in order to apply for and potentially be awarded a federal grant opportunity advertised on Grants.gov. Grants.gov uses CCR to establish roles and user IDs for electronic grant applications.

Steps to get the registration

Step 1

Obtain a new or existing Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number from Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) by using the online web form process. Guidelines above.

Step 2

• Get an NCAGE code before beginning your registration in CCR.
• Foreign companies must first obtain a North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• (NATO) CAGE (NCAGE) code from the appropriate source. Use the NCAGE online form to obtain an NCAGE. In block 2 of the form, select "Other" if your country is not listed.
• If the form cannot be submitted via internet, or you have any questions about this form or have problems with it, call +9269 9617766.

Step 3

• Register in CCR using this link: https://www.bpn.gov/ccr/default.aspx.  The service is free of charge.
• You may begin your CCR registration 24 hours after you receive both your D&B DUNS number and NCAGE Code.

If you are located in a foreign country, you do NOT need to enter Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) information or a U.S. Tax Identificatio