Opportunity Information: Apply for SML20018GR0005
The U.S. Embassy in Mali (U.S. Department of State) is offering a competitive grant opportunity titled "Community-Based Activities to Build Civil Society and Youth Capacity in Mali." The program is designed to support projects that counter violent extremism (CVE) by expanding civic dialogue and access to information, mainly through culturally grounded community activities. While projects must take place in Mali, the Embassy places special emphasis on efforts that strengthen community resilience in underserved areas outside Bamako.
This opportunity is funded through the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP), a long-running U.S. Government initiative that works across the Sahel and Maghreb to reduce terrorism and violent extremism by strengthening civilian and security capacities and supporting community stability. Under this notice, the Embassy is looking for proposals that bring youth and other underserved groups into constructive civic engagement using community events, workshops, and cultural gatherings as the main platform. The focus is not only on messaging, but on creating real, local interaction that helps communities identify and address the pressures that extremist groups exploit, such as isolation, mistrust, lack of opportunity, and weak connections to public institutions.
A strong proposal is expected to center on youth-focused cultural gatherings that bring together participants from different communities, including events such as music caravans, sports caravans, and festivals. These gatherings should be structured to do more than entertain; they should create safe and practical spaces where young people can interact directly with local government officials, traditional leaders, civil society representatives, and peers from other communities. The goal is to support locally driven problem-solving, where communities identify threats (including extremist influence) and develop community-based solutions that can work at the local or regional level.
A key requirement is that activities should be organized and implemented by Malian youth activists and apprentices, not simply attended by them. The program wants young organizers to gain transferable professional skills through hands-on leadership, including event planning, budgeting, logistics and coordination, strategic communication and media work, and conflict-related skills such as mediation and negotiation. In other words, the grant is meant to build a pipeline of capable young civic actors who can continue organizing beyond the life of the project.
Proposals are also expected to include a media and outreach component to extend the reach and durability of the activities. This could include citizen reporting on events and workshops, training citizen journalists in basic reporting skills, and/or partnering with established radio outlets to cover programming and amplify constructive community narratives. The intent is to broaden local awareness, strengthen information ecosystems, and counter the influence of extremist narratives by improving credible community-level communication and showcasing positive alternatives and local leadership.
Beyond the event format, the Embassy signals several explicit objectives that applicants should address clearly in their design and results plan. These include building resilience to violent extremism in vulnerable communities; supporting economic development in at-risk regions by involving local community members in execution (so activities also circulate opportunity and paid work locally); providing positive alternatives for people vulnerable to recruitment; strengthening civil society capacity to prevent and respond to extremist influence; countering extremist messaging and narratives; using cultural preservation to increase visibility and pride in geographically isolated regions; advancing women and youth empowerment through economic programs that also include security and peace components; and building stronger lines of dialogue between communities and local, regional, and national government officials.
Inclusion is a required part of project design. Applications must explain how the project will include different ethnic groups, women, and other underserved populations relevant to the target area. The intended participants and audiences are broad and can include youth, residents of economically disadvantaged regions outside Bamako, civil society actors, local leaders, and journalists, among others, as long as the engagement supports the CVE and civic dialogue goals.
On the funding and administrative side, this is a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number SML20018GR0005) offered by the Department of State, U.S. Mission to Mali, with an award ceiling of up to $350,000 and an expectation of up to three awards. Budgets must be presented in U.S. dollars and should include all costs required to deliver the program. Applicants are encouraged to plan for potential local currency fluctuations that could affect final expenses. Certain costs are explicitly not allowed: construction projects will not be funded, and grant funds cannot be used to purchase alcoholic beverages. The official posting link includes mandatory application instructions and additional terms and conditions, and applications that do not follow those instructions will not be considered.Apply for SML20018GR0005
- The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Mali in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Community-Based Activities to Build Civil Society and Youth Capacity in Mali" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.222.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 21, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 20, 2018. (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 $350,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Community-Based Activities to Build Civil Society and Youth Capacity in Mali."
2) Who is offering this grant?
The grant is offered by the U.S. Embassy in Mali (U.S. Department of State), under the U.S. Mission to Mali.
3) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is SML20018GR0005.
4) What is the main purpose of the program?
The program is designed to support projects that counter violent extremism (CVE) by expanding civic dialogue and access to information through culturally grounded, community-based activities. The emphasis is on practical local engagement and interaction, not just messaging.
5) Where must the project activities take place?
Projects must take place in Mali.
6) Is there a geographic priority within Mali?
Yes. While activities must be in Mali, the Embassy places special emphasis on efforts that strengthen community resilience in underserved areas outside Bamako.
7) What funding initiative supports this opportunity?
This opportunity is funded through the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP), a U.S. Government initiative focused on reducing terrorism and violent extremism across the Sahel and Maghreb by strengthening civilian and security capacities and supporting community stability.
8) What kinds of activities are encouraged under this grant?
The Embassy is looking for proposals that use community events, workshops, and cultural gatherings as the main platform for constructive civic engagement, especially for youth and underserved groups. Examples highlighted include youth-focused cultural gatherings such as music caravans, sports caravans, and festivals.
9) Are events expected to be more than entertainment?
Yes. Gatherings should be structured to create safe and practical spaces for dialogue and problem-solving, including direct interaction between young people and local government officials, traditional leaders, civil society representatives, and peers from other communities.
10) What outcomes is the Embassy trying to achieve through these community gatherings?
The activities should support locally driven problem-solving, where communities identify threats (including extremist influence) and develop community-based solutions that can work at the local or regional level. The broader goal is to strengthen resilience against pressures extremist groups exploit, such as isolation, mistrust, lack of opportunity, and weak connections to public institutions.
11) What is the role of youth in project implementation?
A key requirement is that activities should be organized and implemented by Malian youth activists and apprentices, not simply attended by youth participants.
12) What types of skills should youth organizers gain through the project?
The program expects hands-on leadership development and transferable professional skills, including event planning, budgeting, logistics and coordination, strategic communication and media work, and conflict-related skills such as mediation and negotiation.
13) Is a media or outreach component required?
Proposals are expected to include a media and outreach component to extend the reach and durability of the activities.
14) What are examples of acceptable media and outreach activities?
Examples mentioned include citizen reporting on events and workshops, training citizen journalists in basic reporting skills, and/or partnering with established radio outlets to cover programming and amplify constructive community narratives.
15) What is the intent of the media and outreach component?
The intent is to broaden local awareness, strengthen information ecosystems, and counter the influence of extremist narratives by improving credible community-level communication and highlighting positive alternatives and local leadership.
16) What objectives should applicants address in their project design and results plan?
The Embassy signals several explicit objectives that applicants should address clearly, including:
- Building resilience to violent extremism in vulnerable communities
- Supporting economic development in at-risk regions by involving local community members in execution (circulating opportunity and paid work locally)
- Providing positive alternatives for people vulnerable to recruitment
- Strengthening civil society capacity to prevent and respond to extremist influence
- Countering extremist messaging and narratives
- Using cultural preservation to increase visibility and pride in geographically isolated regions
- Advancing women and youth empowerment through economic programs that also include security and peace components
- Building stronger lines of dialogue between communities and local, regional, and national government officials
17) Who can be included as participants or target audiences?
The intended participants and audiences can be broad and may include youth, residents of economically disadvantaged regions outside Bamako, civil society actors, local leaders, and journalists, as long as engagement supports the CVE and civic dialogue goals.
18) Are inclusion and representation required in the project design?
Yes. Inclusion is a required part of project design. Applications must explain how the project will include different ethnic groups, women, and other underserved populations relevant to the target area.
19) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is up to $350,000.
20) How many awards does the Embassy expect to make?
The Embassy expects up to three awards.
21) What type of grant is this?
This is described as a discretionary grant opportunity.
22) In what currency should the budget be presented?
Budgets must be presented in U.S. dollars.
23) Should applicants account for currency fluctuations?
Yes. Applicants are encouraged to plan for potential local currency fluctuations that could affect final expenses.
24) What costs are explicitly not allowed?
Two explicit restrictions are stated: construction projects will not be funded, and grant funds cannot be used to purchase alcoholic beverages.
25) Where do applicants find the official application instructions and requirements?
The official posting link includes mandatory application instructions and additional terms and conditions.
26) What happens if an application does not follow the official instructions?
Applications that do not follow the mandatory application instructions in the official posting will not be considered.
27) What does the Embassy mean by focusing on "real, local interaction" rather than only messaging?
Based on the description, the Embassy is prioritizing activities that bring people together in practical settings where they can build trust, exchange information, engage with officials and community leaders, and jointly identify and address local problems that extremist groups may exploit.
28) How does the program connect CVE goals with economic activity?
The Embassy indicates that proposals should support economic development in at-risk regions by involving local community members in execution so that activities circulate opportunity and paid work locally, alongside the civic dialogue and resilience-building goals.
29) How should cultural preservation fit into a proposed project?
The notice highlights cultural preservation as an objective: using culturally grounded activities to increase visibility and pride in geographically isolated regions. Proposals can reflect this by anchoring events and engagement in local cultural forms while still creating structured opportunities for civic dialogue and community problem-solving.
30) What is the overall emphasis of a strong proposal under this notice?
A strong proposal is expected to center on youth-focused cultural gatherings that connect different communities and create structured, safe spaces for civic engagement; require Malian youth to lead implementation; include a media/outreach component; and clearly address the Embassy's stated CVE, resilience, inclusion, and civic dialogue objectives, particularly in underserved areas outside Bamako.
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