U.S. Consulate General HK, PAS Annual Program Statement | HKG NOFO FY20 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for HKG NOFO FY20 01

The U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong Public Affairs Section (PAS), part of the U.S. Department of State (U.S. Mission to China), is offering funding through its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program under the annual notice titled "U.S. Consulate General HK, PAS Annual Program Statement." This announcement serves as a standing, year-long program statement that explains what PAS is generally interested in supporting, what priorities guide its public diplomacy funding, and how applicants should submit proposals. It also notes that this annual statement is meant to complement (not replace) any additional, more targeted notices of funding opportunities that may be released during the year on Grants.gov or other relevant platforms, so applicants are expected to follow instructions in this notice while also watching for and complying with any requirements in future related postings.

The opportunity is a discretionary funding program, meaning awards are made competitively based on the government’s assessment of merit, fit with priorities, and other selection factors rather than by formula. PAS expects to use several possible funding instruments, including grants, cooperative agreements, and potentially other arrangements. Cooperative agreements typically imply a higher level of ongoing involvement or collaboration by the U.S. government during project implementation compared with a standard grant, so applicants should be prepared for either model depending on the nature of the project and the terms the agency selects.

Projects supported under this program can fall across a broad range of public diplomacy-related fields. The listed funding activity categories include arts, education, environment, humanities, law/justice/legal services, and an "other" category for activities that still align with the program’s goals but do not fit neatly into the named areas. The program is associated with CFDA number 19.040, which is commonly used for U.S. Department of State public diplomacy and international exchange activities. In practical terms, this suggests the Consulate is looking for programs that advance public engagement, mutual understanding, and U.S.-Hong Kong connections through cultural, educational, informational, and civic-oriented programming consistent with public affairs objectives.

Eligibility is relatively broad. Applicants may include U.S.-based nonprofits with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education under the categories listed), individual applicants, and other entities as described in the opportunity’s additional eligibility guidance. This mix indicates PAS is open to proposals from established organizations as well as smaller community groups and qualified individuals, provided they can meet the program’s administrative and reporting expectations and demonstrate the ability to carry out the proposed activities effectively.

Funding amounts are modest and designed for small grants. The award ceiling is $10,000 per award, and the program anticipates making up to about 50 awards over the performance period covered by the notice. Because the maximum is relatively low, proposals that are tightly scoped, realistic, and cost-effective are likely to be most competitive. Applicants generally benefit from presenting a clear plan with achievable deliverables, a well-justified budget, and measurable outcomes that show how the activity will advance public diplomacy goals.

From an administrative standpoint, the notice was created on October 2, 2019, with an original closing date of September 15, 2020. That timeline indicates it was designed as an annual program statement covering a defined period for submissions and awards. Applicants interested in similar opportunities should treat this as a model for how PAS structures its small grants programming and should verify whether a current-year or updated annual statement is available, since annual program statements are often refreshed and reposted with new dates, requirements, or thematic emphases.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a small-grants platform run by the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong to support public affairs and public diplomacy programming. It offers up to $10,000 per project, funds a sizable number of awards, welcomes a wide range of eligible applicants, and supports projects spanning cultural, educational, environmental, humanities, and civic/legal themes, with applications expected to follow the procedures in the annual statement while also monitoring for any additional PAS funding announcements released throughout the year.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to China in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda), education, environment, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), law, justice and legal services, other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. Consulate General HK, PAS 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 Oct 02, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 15, 2020. (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 $10,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: 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, Individuals, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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