Reimagining the Transatlantic Relationship | BER NOFO FY21 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for BER NOFO FY21 002

Reimagining the Transatlantic Relationship (BER NOFO FY21 002) is a U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to Germany funding opportunity administered by the U.S. Embassy Berlin Public Affairs Section. It supports projects that get young people in Germany to take a fresh look at the U.S.-German transatlantic relationship, connect it to issues they care about today, and help shape ideas for what the partnership should look like in the future. The Embassy frames the relationship as a long-standing pillar of stability built on shared democratic values such as freedom, rule of law, and self-determination, while noting that many younger Germans have little direct, lived experience with the historical conditions that originally shaped the partnership. Because youth expectations often center on present-day concerns like climate change, environmental justice, diversity, employment prospects, and overall quality of life, the program is looking for proposals that make the transatlantic relationship feel relevant, practical, and worth engaging with now.

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically means the Embassy expects to be actively involved in the project as it is carried out (for example, through coordination, guidance, or participation). Awards are intended for projects lasting one year or less. The notice indicates an award ceiling of up to USD 15,000 per project and anticipates around three awards, though the FAQ also notes there is USD 30,000 total available and encourages applicants to request what they need up to the available funding limits described. Applications were originally due April 5, 2021 (with the opportunity created February 4, 2021), and late applications are not accepted.

At the heart of the program is youth engagement and co-creation rather than one-way instruction. Eligible projects can take many forms, including workshops, virtual or in-person speaker events and panel discussions, conferences, and people-to-people exchanges. Regardless of format, proposals are expected to be inclusive, interactive, and designed to spark critical thinking. The Embassy is explicitly encouraging participants to examine where the transatlantic relationship stands today, question the status quo, and then articulate their own expectations for how the partnership should evolve. Strong proposals will also show a clear theory of change: a realistic explanation of how the activities lead to learning, reflection, attitude shifts, civic engagement, or longer-term relationship-building.

The primary target group is youth ages 13 to 26, and applicants are allowed to define their specific audiences within that range as long as the choices make sense and are grounded in a clear rationale. The Embassy is especially interested in reaching diverse participant pools and, ideally, including teenagers and young adults who have had little previous exposure to the United States or to established transatlantic or political youth organizations. When possible and if requested, the Embassy indicates it may complement projects with hands-on elements such as briefings with diplomats or participation in Public Affairs programs, giving participants a practical window into how diplomatic engagement and public diplomacy work.

Implementers (the organizations or individuals running the project) are responsible for designing the program and curriculum, recruiting participants, organizing and leading sessions, and setting up ways to measure quality and impact. A major emphasis is placed on evaluation and learning: the Embassy expects projects to generate actionable insights, including demographic and attitudinal information about participants and evidence about what worked, for whom, and why. In other words, the project is not only meant to deliver activities, but also to produce useful takeaways about youth perspectives and effective engagement strategies that can inform future work on transatlantic relations.

The notice leaves considerable flexibility on content and structure. There are no strict requirements about which policy topics must be covered, what specific materials must be produced, or what exact program format must be used. That flexibility is paired with clear preferences: interactive methods over lecture-style teaching, thoughtful selection of particularly promising audiences and locations, and sustainable designs that continue to have influence beyond the grant period (for example, by building networks, creating reusable toolkits, or establishing ongoing youth forums).

Eligibility is broad and includes U.S. and German-oriented institutional types that commonly participate in public diplomacy programming: state, county, and municipal governments; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with or without U.S. 501(c)(3) status (other than universities); and individuals. The activity category is listed under Humanities (with reference to cultural affairs), and the CFDA/assistance listing number is 19.040.

Budget and administrative guidance is also outlined in the FAQ. Applicants without a federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) may use the de minimis indirect cost rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (a base that excludes certain categories such as equipment, capital expenditures, rental costs, scholarships and fellowships, and the portion of subawards over USD 25,000). The Embassy allows reasonable budget reallocations when circumstances require, but expects changes to be justified and communicated in advance to the grants officer. Applicants may include cost items that might later be deemed unallowable; doing so will not automatically harm the proposal during review as long as those items do not make up the majority of the requested budget, because the Embassy prefers to address unallowable costs during the assessment process. For currency conversions into USD, applicants can choose a rate reasonably close to the current market rate. The Embassy also clarifies that the U.S. fiscal year end does not impose extra spending or reporting constraints beyond the normal award terms. Finally, SAM.gov registration can be completed after the application deadline, but it must be active before the U.S. government can legally issue and obligate the award funds.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Germany in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Reimagining the Transatlantic Relationship" 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 Feb 04, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 05, 2021. (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 $15,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, 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, Individuals.

Apply for BER NOFO FY21 002

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