Grant Programs
The Office of Public Diplomacy manages the U.S. Embassy in Brussels’ grants program, which is designed to assist non-profit, cultural, and educational organizations in implementing programs that advance U.S.-Belgian ties. All available grant opportunities offered by the U.S. Embassy in Brussels are posted online on this website or at www.grants.gov to ensure open competition and transparency.
General Guidelines
- All forms must be completed in English and all budgets and other figures must be converted to U.S. dollars ($).
- Where flights to and from the United States are part of a program, these flights must adhere to the provisions of the Fly America Act and/or the EU-U.S. Open Skies Agreement.
- If you receive a grant award, you will work with your assigned Grants Officer and/or Grants Officer Representative to ensure that your program costs are allowable to implement your program successfully.
Annual Program Statement
The most recent opportunity advertised is our Annual Program Statement. You can find it by visiting www.grants.gov and searching PAS-BE200-FY23-01 for organization applicants and PAS-BE200-FY23-02 for individual applicants. Applications will be accepted from now until August 13 2023, on a rolling basis. This call for proposals seeks applications for programs up to $100,000. A grants review committee reviews proposals on a quarterly basis to evaluate and prioritize proposals based on the availability of funds. We invite proposals for projects that strengthen ties between the United States and Belgium by highlighting shared values, promoting bilateral cooperation, and enhancing the understanding of the United States in Belgium. All grant proposals must convey an American cultural element, support a priority program area, and include a connection with American expert(s), organization(s), or institution(s) in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.
Our current priority program areas are:
- Programs that demonstrate active partnership between the United States and Belgium to address new and evolving security challenges, including disinformation;
- Programs that counter the influences of radicalization and violent extremism, including political extremism;
- Programs that highlight U.S.-Belgian cooperation that counters terrorism and transnational crime;
- Programs that strengthen social cohesion, economic opportunity, and support for shared U.S. policy goals through promotion of diversity principles;
- Programs that support a long-term investment in U.S.-Belgian ties through educational, cultural, professional, and other exchanges between our two countries;
- Programs that have a national reach and impact by linking like minded organizations across linguistic and regional divides;
- Programs that highlight or foster U.S.-Belgian cooperation to address the climate crisis and/or energy security; and
- Programs that allow engagement with youth audiences on the enduring relevance of our historical bonds.
We welcome applications for programs that reach out to:
- Youth, particularly those from underserved communities;
- Women, particularly entrepreneurs and/or those from underserved communities;
- Underserved/Minority/Refugee communities;
- Cultural institutions;
- Academic institutions;
- Business leaders and entrepreneurs;
- Community leaders;
- U.S. and Belgian thought leaders;
- Social and new media users; and
- Journalists, media organizations.
Grants may be requested for a range of activities, including (but not limited to):
Grassroots programs that address one of the priority program areas mentioned above, including;
- Academic and professional lectures, seminars, and speaker programs;
- Artistic and cultural workshops, joint performances, and exhibitions;
- Youth leadership programs, especially for minority groups;
- Professional and academic exchanges and projects;
- Media co-ops and press outreach;
- Entrepreneurship and innovation in technological or other fields; and
- Sports-related programming.
The following types of projects are not eligible for funding:
- Projects relating to partisan political activity;
- Charitable or development activities;
- Construction projects;
- Projects that support specific religious activities;
- Fundraising campaigns;
- Lobbying for specific legislation or projects;
- Scientific research; or
- Projects that duplicate existing projects.
Submission deadlines
Projects will be accepted on a rolling basis, decisions will be communicated before September 30.
Work Space
In order to submit applications for consideration, individuals and organizations must set up a Workspace account and use it to submit all application materials. You can find information at: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview.html
SAM.GOV Registration
In order to participate in our grant or federal assistance programs, APPLICANTS MUST BE REGISTERED IN THE DATABASE at www.sam.gov . All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations. All are free of charge:
www.SAM.gov registration which will generate a UEI
NCAGE/CAGE code
Please note that the EMBASSY CANNOT ASSIST WITH SAM.GOV REGISTRATIONS.
Important Note
There are NO FEES ASSOCIATED WITH REGISTRATION or other steps in our application or grant management process. This is important to note because there are many organizations that will offer support services for a fee. These organizations are not endorsed or otherwise affiliated with the U.S. government. This applies to any emails or other communication from these entities.
Please also note that your REGISTRATION ON SAM.GOV SHOULD BE RENEWED ANNUALLY (free of charge).
Contact Information
If you have any questions about the above information or working with us through a grant program, please send us an email at USGrantsBE@state.gov.