U.S. Embassy Gaborone, Ambassador's Special Self-Help Fund Program (ASSHF) | DOS GABORONE GR ASSHF 2022

Opportunity Information: Apply for DOS GABORONE GR ASSHF 2022

The U.S. Embassy in Gaborone is offering small grants through the Ambassador's Special Self-Help Fund (ASSHF), a program designed to support community-initiated development projects in Botswana. The core idea is to fund practical, grassroots activities that can be completed quickly, have a clear and immediate local impact, and visibly demonstrate U.S. foreign assistance in areas that are not already covered by larger, established U.S. assistance programs. The Embassy emphasizes that projects should be ready to implement, well planned from the start, and able to keep operating after the grant ends without ongoing external support. Just as important, the program is meant to encourage long-term self-reliance, so communities are expected to take ownership and build the confidence and capability to repeat similar efforts in the future.

Projects funded under ASSHF must be community-driven and backed by local structures. Before an organization submits a proposal to the Embassy, it must secure approval from the relevant local development committee, tribal authority, and/or local town or district council. Strong community ties are not optional; successful applicants are expected to show local buy-in and support from both the community and appropriate governmental bodies. The Embassy also requires cost-sharing in some form: applicant organizations must contribute either financially or through in-kind support such as labor, locally sourced materials (for example bricks, sand, gravel, seeds), land, buildings, or other inputs that help deliver the project. Since these are U.S. government funds, applicant organizations also need to demonstrate that they have solid internal controls and financial monitoring procedures to manage grant resources responsibly.

The program is open to a range of community development ideas, but the notice highlights several priority objective areas. One major category is economic diversification and income generation, including small business creation, entrepreneurship, using local natural resources for livelihoods, purchasing income-generating equipment, and improving basic economic or living conditions. A second category focuses on social services for disadvantaged or at-risk groups, including people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, the elderly, and female-headed households. This can include construction or furnishing of community-initiated health facilities or clinics, as well as water and sanitation projects such as latrines, wells, pumps, and boreholes. A third category is community-based natural resource management, such as strengthening community ownership of natural resources, preserving or expanding wildlife corridors, developing sustainable community-based tourism, and promoting conservation. A fourth area is youth and child development, including activities that help youth build life skills and improve health, safety, and security, as well as purchasing school equipment, furnishings, and books, constructing classrooms or community centers, and creating opportunities for youth such as pathways to employment.

In terms of award details, the Embassy anticipates issuing roughly five to ten awards, depending on the size of each grant, with an expected total of around seven awards listed in the source summary. Individual grant amounts range from USD 1,000 up to USD 20,000. Projects are expected to be short-term, with a performance period of one year, and proposals should plan to complete all activities in 12 months or less. The anticipated project start date for the referenced cycle was October 1, 2022. Funding is provided as a grant under Economic Support Funds (ESF) authorized by the Foreign Assistance Act and administered by the U.S. Department of State.

Applications require specific U.S. government forms and a tightly structured proposal package. Applicants must include the mandatory Grants.gov forms SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B (these forms are free), completed, printed, signed, and scanned together into a single PDF as part of the submission. In addition, applicants must provide a summary coversheet listing basic details such as the applicant and organization name, date, program title, proposed start and end dates, and a brief purpose statement. The main proposal is limited to five pages and must be in English, with budgets in U.S. dollars, numbered pages, and a specific formatting standard (single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, at least 1-inch margins for Word documents). The proposal content needs to be written clearly enough that someone unfamiliar with the community or the project can understand exactly what will be done and why.

Within those five pages, the Embassy expects several key sections: a proposal summary (including objectives, community contribution and involvement, expected impact, and male/female beneficiary counts), an introduction to the applicant organization (including relevant experience and any previous U.S. Embassy or U.S. government funding), a problem statement explaining the need, and well-defined program goals and measurable objectives. Applicants must also describe activities, methods and design (how the approach will solve the problem), a timeline with dates and locations, key personnel roles and the proportion of time they will dedicate, and any partner organizations or sub-awardees. Monitoring and evaluation is treated as a required element, meaning applicants should explain how they will track progress during implementation and how they will determine whether the project met its goals. Finally, applicants must address sustainability, explaining how results will continue beyond the grant or what other resources may support continuity. A separate budget justification narrative is required to explain each cost item in detail, and the notice references additional required attachments in the full NOFO.

Submission for the stated funding cycle was accepted on a rolling basis up to the deadline, but no applications would be considered after July 29, 2022. Applicants could submit proposals by email to SSHBotswana@state.gov, by mail to the U.S. Embassy (ATTN Small Grants Coordinator, ASSHF Program, P.O. Box 90, Gaborone), or by hand delivery to the Embassy at the Government Enclave in Gaborone addressed to the Small Grants Coordinator.

The review process starts with a preliminary screening by the Small Grants Office for completeness and technical eligibility. If the application meets basic requirements, the coordinator may schedule a site visit or meeting to discuss the proposal and assess the organization's capacity. Eligible proposals then go to the Embassy Small Grants Committee, which reviews and recommends priorities to the Ambassador, who makes the final decision. Applicants are notified of their status by email whether or not they are selected.

Grant administration is handled through a formal grant agreement issued and signed by a Grants Officer (and managed by the Grants Officer or a representative). Recipients are not allowed to incur project expenses until the official award start date shown on the signed grant document. The U.S. government makes clear that selection does not imply future funding, and any renewal, increase, or extension would be purely discretionary. The notice also states that issuing the funding announcement is not a commitment to award funds and that the government may reject any or all proposals, and it will not reimburse costs incurred to prepare or submit an application. Payments are made by electronic funds transfer, typically in at least two advances tied to agreed milestones. Awardees must also comply with relevant federal requirements and standard terms and conditions, including 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 600, along with required certifications and branding/marking rules (including U.S. flag branding requirements) referenced in the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions. For questions, applicants are directed to contact the Small Grants Office via SSHBotswana@state.gov or by phone at (267) 373-2325.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Botswana in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. Embassy Gaborone, Ambassador's Special Self-Help Fund Program (ASSHF)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.220.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 06, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 29, 2022. (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 $20,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for DOS GABORONE GR ASSHF 2022

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