Increasing Awareness of the U.S.-Pakistan Partnership Through Reporting Tours | SCAISB 24 AW 003 01282024

Opportunity Information: Apply for SCAISB 24 AW 003 01282024

The U.S. Consulate General Karachi Public Diplomacy Section (PDS Karachi), under the U.S. Mission to Pakistan, is offering a single cooperative agreement to support a project called "Increasing Awareness of the U.S.-Pakistan Partnership Through Reporting Tours." This opportunity sits under the Public Diplomacy Grants Program and is intended to strengthen public understanding of the U.S.-Pakistan relationship by improving the quality, reach, and credibility of reporting on U.S. programs and assistance in Pakistan. The award is contingent on funding availability, and the competition is structured to select one organization that can design and run a combined training-and-reporting initiative focused on rural media voices.

At the core of the project is the idea that journalists and emerging digital creators are more likely to produce balanced, accurate, and detailed coverage when they have direct exposure to people, places, and programs rather than relying on secondhand narratives. The selected grantee is expected to create immersive, on-the-ground experiences that help participants see the "multifaceted dimensions" of U.S. engagement in Pakistan, then translate that exposure into nuanced, fact-based stories. The intended downstream effect is broader: better reporting and stronger professional networks should help Pakistani audiences and established opinion leaders develop a clearer understanding of the strategic partnership between the United States and Pakistan.

The program is designed to train a total of 120 participants drawn from rural areas of Sindh and Balochistan, specifically local broadcast journalists, digital journalists, and emerging social media influencers. The training component is meant to be practical and relationship-building, not just classroom-based. The NOFO signals that the curriculum should use both formal and informal tools, should create opportunities for journalists to meet and collaborate, and should include a mix of in-person and virtual engagement. In other words, the project should develop skills while also building a durable peer network that can continue sharing knowledge and contacts beyond the grant period.

The second major component consists of reporting tours within Pakistan. These tours are supposed to connect participants with experts, policymakers, and community leaders so that participants can better understand and report on the U.S.-Pakistan partnership in real contexts. A key deliverable is required at the end of each reporting tour: participants must produce a written or broadcast product, reinforcing that the tours are not simply study visits but are structured around publication-ready outputs and tangible public-facing content.

Proposals must clearly outline the timeline for achieving objectives. The overall implementation period is expected to run between 12 and 18 months, and both the training/workshop activities and the reporting tours must be completed within that maximum 18-month window. The funding range is tightly defined, with a floor of USD 200,000 and a ceiling of USD 250,000. Only one award is expected, so the applicant must demonstrate the capacity to manage the full scope at scale, including recruitment, training delivery, tour logistics, participant safety and support, content deliverables, and coordination with relevant stakeholders.

Eligibility is limited to not-for-profit entities. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based organizations, foreign or domestic non-profits, civil society and non-governmental organizations, and public or private educational institutions, as long as they are not for-profit. For-profit entities are explicitly ineligible even if they otherwise resemble the listed categories. The prime recipient must be a single non-profit, non-governmental organization, although subcontracting is allowed. If subcontractors or partners are involved, the proposal must clearly define who is responsible for what, which is especially important for applicants planning to use local implementing partners for recruitment, training delivery, translation, travel coordination, or media production support.

The opportunity is issued as a discretionary cooperative agreement (Funding Opportunity Number SCAISB 24 AW 003 01282024; CFDA 19.501). The ideal applicant is described as either U.S.- or Pakistan-based, but with a strong on-the-ground presence through offices or partner organizations in Pakistan, reflecting the logistical and relationship-heavy nature of provincial recruitment and in-country tours. The original application closing date listed is April 3, 2024, and the overall aim is to build a more informed, better connected cohort of rural media professionals who can produce credible reporting that improves public understanding of U.S.-Pakistan cooperation.

• The U.S. Mission to Pakistan in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Increasing Awareness of the U.S.-Pakistan Partnership Through Reporting Tours" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.501.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-01-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-04-03. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for SCAISB 24 AW 003 01282024

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: