U.S. Governance Videos | DOS OSLO PAS NOFO FY20 2

Opportunity Information: Apply for DOS OSLO PAS NOFO FY20 2

The U.S. Mission to Norway (U.S. Embassy Oslo, Public Affairs Section) is offering a grant or cooperative agreement to support a public diplomacy video project called "America Watch the Facts." The core idea is to raise awareness and improve understanding among Norwegian youth (ages 15 to 21) about how U.S. governance and politics work, especially in the context of the 2020 U.S. election cycle. The funded project is meant to translate complex civic and political topics into short, engaging, youth-friendly episodes that can live online, with YouTube explicitly mentioned as the intended platform for the show.

Funding for this opportunity is relatively small and tightly scoped: awards are expected to range from USD 25,000 to USD 35,000, with an award ceiling of USD 35,000. The funding opportunity number is DOS-OSLO-PAS-NOFO-FY20-2 and the CFDA number is 19.040. The instrument type may be either a standard grant or a cooperative agreement, which usually implies the U.S. government may be more actively involved in guiding or collaborating on the project under a cooperative agreement model compared to a typical grant.

The program goals focus on two things: first, strengthening Norwegian teenagers and young adults understanding of the U.S. system of governance through innovative episodic digital content; and second, using short video formats to reach young audiences in a way that is engaging, entertaining, and appropriate for the 15 to 21 age range. The subject matter is intended to cover practical and foundational areas like the roles of the three branches of government, U.S. election procedures, and relevant political history and context. The Embassy is clearly aiming for accessible civic education content that addresses common confusion or misinformation about American institutions and elections.

From a production standpoint, applicants are expected to propose and develop a series of 15 to 25 short-form video episodes, each running about 2 to 5 minutes. Applicants may produce the content themselves or subcontract production, but they must be able to manage the work and deliver a coherent series suitable for online distribution. Even though the proposal package itself must be submitted in English, the final published video content is required to be in Norwegian, reflecting the target audience and the public diplomacy purpose in Norway.

The application is more like a mini TV or web-series pitch package than a simple grant narrative. A complete submission must include organizational background (including key leaders and any partners), a video-by-video content overview and format concept, and development materials such as a logline, a one-sheet, and a series bible. Applicants also need to provide a pilot script for the first episode and samples of previously produced content (or content produced through subcontractors) to show they can execute at the expected quality. If partner organizations are involved, letters of support should be included. Standard grant materials are also required: a detailed budget, a timeline with milestones, a project narrative describing planned activities, a strategy for distributing the content to the youth audience, and a monitoring and evaluation plan to show how reach and learning outcomes will be assessed. The awardee must submit a final report at the end of the project and provide clear organizational contact information.

Eligibility is limited to legally recognized non-profit, non-governmental organizations and institutions that meet both U.S. and Norwegian technical and legal requirements. The selected applicant(s) must also register in the U.S. System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov (or indicate they are already registered), which is a common compliance step for entities receiving U.S. federal funds.

Applications were required to be submitted by email to OsloIRC@State.gov by September 27, 2019, using the subject line "NOFO Proposal America Watch the Facts." The same email address was provided for questions, and the Public Affairs Office at the U.S. Embassy Oslo is the contact point for access issues related to the full announcement.

• The U.S. Mission to Norway in the information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. Governance Videos" 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 2019-07-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-09-27. (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 $35,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for DOS OSLO PAS NOFO FY20 2

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