U.S. Embassy Belgrade ECON - Building Capacity in the Western Balkans to Understand and Promote Responsible Trade and Investment | SRB10024FO 07

Opportunity Information: Apply for SRB10024FO 07

The U.S. Embassy in Belgrade (U.S. Department of State) is offering a single grant to support a regional project focused on responsible trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Western Balkans. The core idea is to build and sustain a cross-border network of credible stakeholders such as researchers, policy analysts, business leaders, and journalists who can better explain how trade and investment are shaping economic outcomes across all six Western Balkan economies: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The opportunity emphasizes that trade and FDI can drive growth in small, open economies, but that the conditions attracting investment do not automatically lead to long-term prosperity unless they are paired with reforms that strengthen markets, reduce distortions, improve stability, and support rule of law.

The project is designed around two main goals. First, the grantee is expected to create an active regional network that promotes Euro-Atlantic trade and investment relationships and advances a concept of "responsible" investment, meaning investment that takes environmental stewardship seriously, supports human capital development, and contributes to long-term, broad-based prosperity in a market-oriented, rule-of-law setting. This network should not just exist on paper; it should produce research and analysis on how current trade patterns, free trade agreements, and FDI are affecting growth in the region, and it should use public discourse and convenings to encourage deeper Euro-Atlantic economic integration. Second, the program must put durable mechanisms in place so the network continues beyond the grant period, with particular attention to keeping key Serbian stakeholders engaged, including government, civil society, private sector actors, and academia, while still maintaining the regional Western Balkans scope.

Expected results are framed in practical, public-facing deliverables and measurable shifts in awareness. The Embassy is looking for publicly accessible information that helps people understand the real effects of free trade agreements and FDI on growth across the six countries, with an emphasis on highlighting the positive impacts of Euro-Atlantic trade and investment where evidence supports it. Another centerpiece is a substantial trade and investment forum that strengthens Euro-Atlantic commercial connections with the Western Balkans and creates longer-term spillover effects, whether commercial, political, or analytical. The program also aims to elevate attention to the environmental impacts of FDI and to FDI's influence on human capital, such as overall job creation and, importantly, whether foreign-owned firms are creating high-level, high-wage leadership and management positions locally. In addition, the opportunity explicitly encourages work that informs strategies (local, national, or EU-led) to reduce risks tied to existing FDI in sensitive sectors like infrastructure, mining, and automotive and battery production, including concerns about cheap labor exploitation, resource extraction pressures, cultural friction, and political instability.

The solicitation provides illustrative activities rather than a rigid template, but it clearly signals what a competitive program could include. Examples include building a public trade-and-FDI portal and designing a plan to keep it running after the grant ends; organizing and hosting the regional trade and investment forum with a sustainability strategy so it continues to matter after the event; producing articles and op-eds in local languages and/or English that explain trade and FDI dynamics and, when appropriate, underscore the benefits of Euro-Atlantic economic ties; and holding roundtables in the covered countries with local partners to share findings and prompt discussion and follow-on action. The Embassy also indicates it wants the project to be demand-driven and locally led as much as possible, and it ties programming to nondiscrimination and inclusion principles consistent with U.S. policy on equity and underserved communities, encouraging implementers to incorporate diverse perspectives across a wide range of identity and status categories.

Success is expected to be trackable through performance indicators tied to public awareness and sustained engagement. The notice suggests measurement approaches like counting and cataloging media stories that increase attention to trade and FDI and that highlight positive EU and transatlantic commercial ties. Another indicator is the release and dissemination of new, widely publicized data on how Euro-Atlantic trade and investment affect job creation, particularly high-wage managerial jobs, while recognizing that actual increases in those jobs may take years to materialize. Ongoing evidence that the network continues to collaborate on regional trade and investment issues is also part of the intended impact.

On funding and timing, the opportunity anticipates one award with total funding of up to $500,000, using a grant instrument through FY23/24 AEECA funds under the Foreign Assistance Act. The performance period can be up to 36 months, and proposed activities (including evaluation and the final report) must be completed within 36 months or less. The planned project start window is no earlier than October 1, 2024 and no later than September 30, 2025, and the Department of State notes it may consider non-competitive continuation funding beyond the initial period if funds are available and performance is strong.

Eligibility is limited to not-for-profit organizations based in any of the six Western Balkan countries or in the United States. Eligible entity types explicitly include think tanks, business associations, universities, and civil society/non-governmental organizations, while individuals are not eligible to apply. Cost sharing is allowed but not required, and it will not affect award decisions; however, applicants must be able to deliver the full proposed project even if other donor funding they mention does not come through. Applicants must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active SAM.gov registration (and should start early because registration can take 4 to 8 weeks). If the applicant is managing overlapping Embassy grants or multiple submissions, the application must explain how the organization will handle capacity and oversight.

The notice also sets clear funding restrictions. Proposals are ineligible if they involve partisan political activity, humanitarian or charitable aid distribution, fundraising campaigns, commercial activity intended to generate profit or support a business venture, or the direct provision of social services such as health care, childcare, or food subsidies. The Embassy emphasizes it is funding specific, time-bound projects rather than covering an organization’s routine operating costs. International travel can be supported if it is essential to the project. As a general rule, participants should not be charged to attend Embassy-funded activities; if an applicant believes charging is necessary, they are expected to consult the Embassy during application development and justify how any revenue supports the broader objectives without creating profit for the organization.

Applications are due by August 28, 2024, and must be submitted by email to BLGECON@state. The Embassy anticipates final funding decisions by September 13, 2024. Application materials must be in English, budgets must be in U.S. dollars, and formatting requirements include numbered pages and specific document style rules (single-spaced, 12-point Calibri, standard margins). Required forms and components include the SF-424, SF-424A, and in some cases SF-424B, plus the Embassy’s FY2024 grant application form, a detailed budget justification narrative using the provided Excel template, one-page CVs for key personnel, partner letters of support (if applicable), any required permission letters, and proof of SAM registration or a screenshot showing the registration process has started.

• The U.S. Mission to Serbia in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. Embassy Belgrade ECON - Building Capacity in the Western Balkans to Understand and Promote Responsible Trade and Investment" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.900.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-07-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-28. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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