Funding for English Language, STEAM & Entrepreneurship Programs | 4112 FY20 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for 4112 FY20 01

This grant opportunity, titled "Funding for English Language, STEAM and Entrepreneurship Programs" (Funding Opportunity Number 4112 FY20 01), is a discretionary grant offered by the U.S. Department of State through the U.S. Mission to Costa Rica, specifically the Embassy's Public Affairs Section (PAS). The overall purpose is to strengthen mutual understanding between Costa Ricans and people in the United States while expanding practical education and professional development opportunities that support sustainable, inclusive economic growth in Costa Rica. Proposed projects are expected to complement ongoing Embassy initiatives and can focus on one area or combine multiple areas: English language education, STEAM education, and entrepreneurship. A key limitation is eligibility: only organizations based in Costa Rica may apply.

The program emphasizes three main funding tracks. First, English language proposals should aim to raise the quality of English teaching and learning from preschool through higher education, either by giving young learners more exposure to meaningful English-learning opportunities or by improving teacher skills. While classroom instruction is allowed, the Embassy signals a clear preference for "beyond-the-classroom" enrichment activities, such as clubs, camps, conversation exchanges, competitions, community-based learning, or other supplemental approaches that expand real-world use of English. Proposals score better when they coordinate with existing Costa Rican government or NGO efforts, especially those connected to the Ministry of Education and bilingual schools. Across all English-focused projects, the Embassy prioritizes work that reaches under-represented communities, including migrant populations, women and girls, Afro-descendent communities, and indigenous communities, as well as communities outside the greater San Jose metropolitan area.

Second, STEAM proposals (science, technology, engineering, arts and design, and mathematics) are meant to improve both access and quality for girls in elementary and secondary education and to actively encourage girls to pursue STEAM fields. Similar to the English track, priority is given to beyond-the-classroom programming and to projects built in coordination with the private sector and/or the Ministry of Education, particularly public schools implementing Costa Rica's national STEAM curriculum. The same equity lens applies here as well: the Embassy is looking for projects that intentionally include under-represented populations and regions outside San Jose, rather than concentrating services in already well-served areas.

Third, entrepreneurship proposals should expand understanding of core business and startup skills, including topics like business plans and strategies, access to finance, pitching, digital marketing, scaling operations, and business resilience. The Embassy indicates extra interest in entrepreneurship projects that respond to challenges and opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic and that help strengthen the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem throughout the country, not just in a single community or short-term training cohort. All funded activities must follow Costa Rican health and safety regulations, and applicants are encouraged to design programs that can be implemented virtually or that can pivot between in-person and virtual formats if conditions change.

The intended participants depend on the project design but generally fall within an age range of about 7 to 30 years old, with an emphasis on economically disadvantaged communities and those located outside the San Jose metropolitan area. The opportunity anticipates making around six awards, with an award ceiling of USD 25,000 per grant. The notice states there are no specific funding restrictions, but budgets still need to be realistic, clearly justified, and tightly aligned with activities and expected results.

Applications require standard federal forms (SF-424 or SF-424-I, SF-424A, and SF-424B) available through Grants.gov, along with a summary cover sheet and a proposal of no more than five pages. The proposal must clearly explain what will be done, why it is needed, and how success will be measured. Required content includes an organizational background and relevant experience (including any prior U.S. Embassy or U.S. government grants), a well-supported problem statement, measurable goals and objectives, detailed activities and methods (a logic model is suggested where appropriate), a schedule and timeline with dates and locations, key personnel roles and time commitments, partner and sub-awardee descriptions, a monitoring and evaluation plan with output and outcome indicators, and a sustainability plan describing how impact will continue after the grant ends. Applicants must also include a detailed budget justification narrative tied to the SF-424A and provide attachments such as one-page resumes for key personnel, letters of support from partners, any required permission letters, and an approved NICRA document if indirect costs are being charged.

Organizations must meet federal registration requirements, including obtaining a unique entity identifier (the notice references DUNS), securing an NCAGE/CAGE code, and completing an active SAM.gov registration that is renewed annually. Eligibility is also affected by integrity requirements: applicants and participating entities cannot be listed on the Excluded Parties List System in SAM (debarment/suspension rules). For larger total federal shares above the simplified acquisition threshold, the agency may review integrity and performance information in FAPIIS as part of its risk assessment.

Applications for this specific cycle were due by July 8, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Costa Rica time. Submissions had to be emailed to PAgrantapplications@state.gov for processing (applicants could also submit through Grants.gov, but the email submission was still required). Proposals are reviewed by a Grants Review Committee and scored using published criteria: quality and feasibility of the idea (25 points), planning and likelihood of achieving objectives (25 points), strength of monitoring and evaluation (20 points), applicant capacity and federal funds management readiness (10 points), budget quality and reasonableness (10 points), and sustainability beyond the grant period (10 points).

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Costa Rica in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Funding for English Language, STEAM & Entrepreneurship Programs" 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 Jun 08, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 08, 2020. (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 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for 4112 FY20 01

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