Large Grants NOFO | PAS ZAF FY22 02

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS ZAF FY22 02

The Large Grants NOFO (Funding Opportunity Number PAS ZAF FY22 02) is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to South Africa, administered through the Public Affairs Section (PAS). It supports projects implemented in South Africa that are designed to strengthen people-to-people ties and deepen relationships between the United States and South Africa. A core requirement is that every proposal has a strong, central American element that is substantive and clearly integrated into the project design, such as collaboration with U.S.-based experts or institutions, use of U.S.-developed curricula, or meaningful incorporation of U.S. culture, history, society, values, perspectives, or policy-related themes. Importantly, the American connection must be separate and beyond any involvement limited to the U.S. Mission itself, its American Corners, or participation by alumni of U.S. government exchange programs (though exchange alumni collaboration can be included as an added feature).

Applications must be submitted by email to PretoriaGrants@state.gov rather than through Grants.gov. Funded activities must take place in South Africa and primarily serve South African participants. PAS signals a strong preference for proposals that extend beyond major metropolitan hubs (Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town) and that reach multiple provinces, townships, and historically underserved communities. Competitive proposals are expected to identify a clearly defined target audience, name or describe participants in concrete terms, explain how outcomes will be measured during the grant period, and show how short-term results can lay groundwork for longer-term impact. The award instrument may be a grant or a cooperative agreement, meaning PAS may have notable involvement during implementation, especially in some categories.

An organization may submit only one application and must choose one of six program categories. The first category, Combatting Climate Change, funds partnerships between Americans and South Africans that build awareness and encourage shared action on climate challenges. Priority themes include sustainable waste management and recycling, clean water solutions in urban and peri-urban settings, countering wildlife trafficking, climate adaptation, urban greening, and healthy oceans. Proposals should be audience-specific (for example youth, students, educators, or entrepreneurs) and should include a plan for measuring impact within the period of performance. PAS is especially interested in projects that leverage institutional links, such as between agencies (for example, the U.S. National Park Service and South African National Parks) or between universities and civil society organizations across both countries.

The second category, Improving Journalism Training, supports initiatives that strengthen professional journalism capacity, particularly for working journalists, editors, and contributors in community media. Strong proposals focus on practical skill-building in areas like investigative reporting, health/science/environment reporting, and legal reporting, while also addressing core competencies such as critical thinking, sourcing, countering disinformation, and ethics. PAS expects multiple engagements rather than one-off workshops, and it emphasizes hands-on field exercises in real-world settings. Sustainability is a key theme here: proposals should include follow-up programming and show potential to expand or continue after the initial grant-supported period. Partnerships between media outlets and educational, NGO, or civil society institutions in South Africa are viewed positively.

The third category, Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship (Expanding Economic Opportunities for Youth), seeks projects that help young South Africans overcome barriers to business success by drawing on American business and management approaches. Projects should build practical capabilities like networking, marketing, and investment readiness, and can support youth in launching new ventures. PAS also highlights intrapreneurship, meaning applying entrepreneurial practices inside existing organizations to improve innovation, strengthen governance and best practices, reduce corruption risks, and drive growth. The idea is to develop emerging leaders who can innovate within their workplaces or later start businesses that contribute to stronger U.S.-South Africa economic connections.

The fourth category, Promoting Equity, Social Justice, and Social Cohesion, funds programs that advance human rights, racial equity, social justice, and societal cohesion by connecting shared U.S. and South African experiences and priorities. PAS encourages proposals that engage historically marginalized groups and that foster dialogue, civic engagement, and education about historical injustices in both countries, with clear links to present-day implications. Priority areas include programming that draws connections between civil rights struggles in the United States and South Africa's liberation struggle, and projects that explore the literature, culture, and histories of marginalized U.S. communities with South African audiences. Intended audiences include high school and university students, professors, journalists, policymakers, and youth aged 15 to 35. Projects may use sports or arts as vehicles, as long as the activities are clearly tied to the American experience and are designed to resonate meaningfully with South African participants.

The fifth category, A Global Crisis: Trafficking in Persons, addresses South Africa's role as a source, destination, and transit country for trafficking victims. PAS seeks projects that raise awareness of trafficking-in-persons (TIP) issues in South Africa and that reflect concerns highlighted in the U.S. Department of State's 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report for South Africa. Programs should aim to improve public ability to recognize trafficking, report it, understand risk factors, and reduce demand tied to labor and sexual exploitation. Priority issues include low public awareness of trafficking crimes, limited knowledge of resources for victims, cultural practices that can increase vulnerability, underreporting, and problems of official indifference or complicity. Strong proposals identify specific audiences and explain why those audiences matter for prevention, detection, reporting, or victim support, and they are strengthened by existing relationships or credible capacity to partner with relevant South African government entities.

The sixth category, Expanding the University Partnership Initiative (UPI), supports strengthening and expanding collaboration between U.S. and South African higher education institutions. PAS is looking for proposals that can potentially scale if additional funds become available and that anticipate meaningful PAS engagement during implementation. While collaboration with U.S. Mission programs and USG exchange alumni is welcomed, proposals should focus on institution-to-institution partnerships and long-term sustainability beyond the period of U.S. government funding. Priority areas include faculty and student exchanges and the development of dual degree pathways that allow South Africans to study locally while addressing shortages of qualified academic staff; instructional technology to broaden access (including in contexts like COVID-19 disruptions); early-career training for academics; joint research (especially agriculture, food security, health, and STEM); professional exchanges on university and community college administration; and public-private partnerships that emphasize commercialization, tech transfer, and job creation. PAS particularly encourages links between South African technical universities and U.S. counterparts. Intended audiences include university and community college students, university administrators, and also high school teachers and students who may use university-developed materials.

Funding is offered with an award ceiling of $250,000, with an expectation of up to six awards. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations both with and without U.S. 501(c)(3) status. The funding activity areas span arts and humanities (cultural affairs), community development, education, environment, and law/justice-related programming. The original posting date is November 22, 2021, and the original closing date listed is April 30, 2022.

Finally, PAS clearly lists what it will not fund. Ineligible projects include partisan political activity; charity or development assistance that is not aligned with PAS public diplomacy objectives; construction; support for specific religious activities; fundraising campaigns; lobbying for legislation or specific projects; proposals mainly aimed at growing the applicant organization rather than delivering public-facing programming; duplication of existing projects; travel to the United States for family/social reasons or for purposes not tied to a larger program; travel intended primarily to amplify South African cultural initiatives; scholarships or tuition assistance; purely social events; and prizes or competition awards that are not connected to a broader, programmatic effort.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to South Africa in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda), community development, education, environment, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Large Grants NOFO" 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 Nov 22, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 30, 2022. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for PAS ZAF FY22 02

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