The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) is inviting applications from organizations interested in submitting concepts for Promoting Democracy and Human Rights in Cuba Program that support the policy objective to foster civil, political, religious, and labor rights in Cuba.

DRL seeks SOIs that aim to strengthen the capacity of independent civil society groups in Cuba to advance civil and political rights on-island and to increase accountability of Cuban officials for human rights violations and corruption.

DRL encourages applicants to foster collaborative partnerships with each other and submit a combined SOI in which one organization is designated as the lead applicant. The applicant should also demonstrate experience programming effectively within Cuba and/or within other closed society environments. Most importantly, the applicant should clearly demonstrate that the proposed activities emanate directly from needs expressed by independent Cuban civil society.

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Program Funding:
  • Award Ceiling: $1,000,000
  • Award Floor: $500,000

Eligibility Criteria

Organizations submitting SOIs must meet the following criteria:

• Be a U.S.- or foreign-based non-profit/non-governmental organization (NGO), or a public international organization;
• Be a private, public, or state institution of higher education;
• Be a for-profit organization or business (noting there are restrictions on payment of fees and/or profits under grants and cooperative agreements, including those outlined in 48 CFR 30, “Cost Accounting Standards Administration”, and 48 CFR 31, “Contract Cost Principles and Procedures”);
• Have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with thematic or in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders including private sector partner and NGOs;
• Have demonstrable experience administering successful and preferably similar programs. DRL reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering federal awards. These applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis.

For more information, visit DRL.