Zimbabwe Awards, Culture, and Heritage Festivals - ZACHEF | AF HAR FY23 05

Opportunity Information: Apply for AF HAR FY23 05

The Zimbabwe Awards, Culture, and Heritage Festivals (ZACHEF) opportunity is a U.S. Department of State grant competition run through the Public Diplomacy Section at the U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe. Its main purpose is to help Zimbabwean arts festivals and awards organizations expand their scope, reach, cultural diversity, and overall professionalism by building practical collaborations with American artists and U.S. creative institutions. The program is designed to strengthen festival and awards administration, improve the quality and competitiveness of events, and deepen connections between Zimbabwean and U.S. creative communities in ways that benefit both sides. While both new and existing events may be supported, preference is given to festivals and awards initiatives that show sustainability and a track record suggesting they will continue beyond the grant.

A non-negotiable requirement is a strong U.S. collaboration component. Every proposal must include meaningful involvement from U.S. artists, art directors, creative organizations, or relevant experts, and that U.S. connection must be central to the project design rather than an add-on. The partnership should go beyond simply engaging with the U.S. Mission or American Corners and should clearly explain how U.S. participants will enhance the festival or awards event, including how the exchange will increase understanding of U.S. values, perspectives, and policies. Applicants do not need to have fully confirmed U.S. partners at the time of application, but they do need to identify likely or targeted American artists or organizations and make a convincing case for how the collaboration will work and what it will achieve. Programming can be virtual, in-person, or hybrid, depending on practicalities and public health conditions.

The grant is built on a theory of change that links international creative networks and skills development to a more professional, financially sustainable, and inclusive creative industry in Zimbabwe. In practice, that means the program is not only about staging performances or hosting ceremonies, but also about strengthening the ecosystem around them: skills transfer, stronger management practices, better production standards, and durable partnerships that can lead to future collaborations and economic opportunities. The broader public diplomacy aim is to support a more stable and inclusive creative economy while fostering mutual understanding between Zimbabwean and American communities.

Applicants must align their proposals with several core objectives. These include bringing in American artists, directors, managers, or arts groups to perform and/or provide technical support at local festivals or awards events, and to participate in community engagement activities that build cultural understanding with local audiences. Proposals must also show how they will improve Zimbabwean festivals and awards events in terms of inclusion, cultural diversity, and professionalism. Another key objective is building long-term collaboration and networks between Zimbabwe and the United States, with an emphasis on sustainability rather than one-off exchanges. Finally, projects should help generate festival or awards content that attracts and retains significant and diverse audiences in an equitable way across both countries.

Beyond the mandatory objectives, proposals may also include added deliverables that make the project more robust. These can include training and capacity-building for festival managers and arts administrators to help them run sustainable events, manage partnerships, and professionalize their operations. The program also encourages projects that safeguard and celebrate cultural heritage, identity, and diversity, including activities that highlight specific elements of Zimbabwean and American cultural expression. There is also an emphasis on local impact: strengthening local creative economies and increasing citizen participation in community life through arts and culture. For any proposals that include travel to the United States or other international destinations, plans should be flexible enough to adapt to changing COVID-19-related restrictions.

The intended participants and audiences are Zimbabwean festivals and awards events and the communities they serve, with a clear encouragement to design inclusive programming. Proposals can strengthen their competitiveness by demonstrating how they will reach groups that are often underrepresented, including women, youth, people living with disabilities, and rural communities, while still delivering high-quality cultural programming and professional exchange.

In terms of award structure, the funding instrument is a grant or fixed amount award, with performance periods expected to run 12 to 18 months from the date of award. The anticipated program start window was listed as March through December 2023, and the notice states the award is subject to the availability of funds. The opportunity listing notes an award ceiling of $25,000 and anticipates around five awards.

To apply, organizations needed to request the application package by emailing PublicDiplomacyGrants-ZIM@state.gov, which would send an automatic reply with the required forms; the forms were also available through Grants.gov. Proposals were accepted beginning November 1, 2022, with a submission deadline of January 31, 2023. Applications could be emailed to the same address, using "ZACHEF Grant Proposal" in the subject line.

Applications are reviewed competitively by the Public Diplomacy Grants Committee. Organizations not selected are to be notified by email no later than September 30, 2023. The opportunity also notes that qualified proposals may be kept on file for up to 12 months and considered later if additional funding becomes available. Applicants who want a status update are instructed to email the same address with a subject line requesting an update and including the proposal title and submission date. Like many federal opportunities, applicants are expected to comply with U.S. government administrative requirements and standard terms, including relevant federal regulations (such as 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 600), required certifications and assurances, and branding/marking rules including U.S. flag branding requirements. For process questions, the main point of contact is PD Harare at PublicDiplomacyGrants-Zim@state.gov, with the standard restriction that State Department personnel generally cannot discuss the competition with applicants after submission until the review process is complete.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Zimbabwe in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Zimbabwe Awards, Culture, and Heritage Festivals - ZACHEF" 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 Nov 01, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 31, 2023. (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 $25,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for AF HAR FY23 05

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