Public Diplomacy Grants/Small Grants Program - Ghana

The U.S. Department of State’s U.S. Mission to Ghana is soliciting proposals under the Public Diplomacy Grants/Small Grants Program - Ghana (SGHANA-PDS-FY26-001) to implement programs that strengthen U.S.-Ghana bilateral relations and advancing core U.S. foreign policy priorities in West Africa. Eligible applicants must be non-profit, non-governmental organizations with demonstrated capacity to manage federal awards; for-profit entities are explicitly excluded. Projects must focus on economic and commercial engagement, countering malign influence, strengthening law enforcement collaboration, and supporting Ghana’s transition to self-sustainability. Target audiences include youth, students, young professionals, business leaders, academics, policymakers, military personnel, media professionals, and partner organizations. Proposed activities must avoid construction, direct social services, partisan political work, or religious activities, and must align with measurable outcomes that enhance America's reputation among Ghanaian institutions and publics. The period of performance is limited to 3 to 10 months with a projected start date within 90 days of award, and all projects must conclude within 10 months. Proposals must be submitted electronically via email to pdsaccragrant@state.gov by August 14, 2026, and must include the SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B forms, a five-page narrative proposal, key personnel resumes (one page per individual), letters of support from partners (one page each), proof of non-profit status, and a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement if indirect costs are claimed. All applicants must have an active Unique Entity Identifier and current registration in SAM.gov. Budgets must be detailed, justified in U.S. dollars, and reflect reasonable, allowable, and allocable expenses within the $15,000 to $120,000 funding range per award. Proposals will be evaluated on a merit-based trade-off basis across six criteria: program quality and feasibility (30 points), organizational capacity (25 points), project planning (20 points), budget reasonableness (10 points), monitoring and evaluation design (10 points), and sustainability (5 points), with cost considered only as a tiebreaker. High-risk awardees may be subject to enhanced reporting, withheld funds, or RAM vetting for key personnel using Form DS-4184. Upon award, recipients must comply with 2 CFR Part 200, submit quarterly and