Opportunity Information: Apply for AF ARS FY20 04
The FY 2020 Regional Journalism Workshops in Africa Program is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of African Affairs (Africa Regional Services) grant opportunity designed to strengthen the skills, professionalism, and cross-border networks of working journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa. Through an open competition, the Department seeks one organization to run a region-wide training effort that primarily delivers digital education to journalists, with an option to add in-person convenings if travel and public health conditions allow. The overall focus is practical capacity building for journalists who are actively gathering and reporting information in challenging environments, while also fostering durable professional ties between American and African media practitioners.
The program centers on two broad goals. First, it aims to improve participants knowledge and understanding of core journalism competencies, including newsgathering strategies, media ethics, investigative reporting, crisis reporting, journalist safety, and the business side of journalism. Second, it aims to create structured interaction between American and African journalists so that learning is paired with mentorship, peer exchange, and long-term relationship building across countries and languages. In other words, the program is not just about one-off training sessions; it is meant to help strengthen professional communities and reinforce standards that support accurate, ethical, and resilient reporting.
In terms of activities and scale, the project is built around 12 virtual workshops delivered between October 2020 and December 2021, with continued programming extending into early 2022. Approximately 300 African journalists between the ages of 25 and 40 are expected to participate across the full virtual series. The virtual workshops are divided by language into three parallel tracks: four workshops in French for about 80 francophone journalists drawn from at least five francophone African countries, four workshops in Portuguese for about 80 lusophone journalists drawn from at least three lusophone African countries, and four workshops in English for about 80 anglophone journalists drawn from at least five anglophone African countries. The workshops are to be led by experienced American journalists, emphasizing hands-on instruction and real-world newsroom challenges relevant to frontline reporting.
If travel becomes feasible in early 2022, the award recipient is expected to organize three in-person conferences in Africa, one in each language (French, Portuguese, and English). These conferences would bring together roughly 35 participants per language track, or about 100 participants total, selected from the virtual workshop cohorts using a process developed jointly with Africa Regional Services. The in-person component is intended to reinforce and deepen the virtual learning through interactive exercises, scenario-based activities, and networking, while also creating space for journalists from different countries to compare experiences and strategies for navigating similar pressures in different political, security, and media-market contexts.
A key design feature is the emphasis on facilitation teams that blend American and African expertise. The recipient organization is expected to engage at least two different American journalists as presenters per language series to ensure participants hear varied perspectives and approaches. In addition, working with Africa Regional Services and relevant U.S. Embassies, each American presenter should be paired with a deputy presenter who is a seasoned African journalist from the relevant region. The deputy presenter is meant to help ensure effective communication and contextual grounding during the virtual sessions, and to play an even more substantial role during the in-person conferences if those occur. The program also explicitly calls for attention to diversity and gender equity in both facilitators and participants, signaling that representation and inclusive participation are part of the program expectations.
From a funding and award standpoint, Africa Regional Services intends to make a single cooperative agreement, with an estimated total award of up to $400,000, contingent on the availability of FY 2020 funds. As a cooperative agreement, the structure implies an ongoing partnership in which the Department of State may have substantial involvement in key aspects of implementation, such as coordination with U.S. Embassies, alignment with foreign policy objectives, and participant selection approaches for any in-person events. The agency notes it may adjust the final award composition or funding level depending on proposal quality, available funds, and other factors connected to longer-term foreign policy priorities.
Administratively, the opportunity is listed as discretionary funding under Funding Opportunity Number AF ARS FY20 04, with CFDA (now Assistance Listing) 19.040. The posting was created July 24, 2020, with an original closing date of August 25, 2020, and an anticipated number of awards of one. Eligible applicants are listed broadly as "Others" (with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice), reflecting that a range of capable organizations may apply as long as they can credibly deliver multilingual, multi-country journalism training and manage the logistical and partnership demands of a program spread across Sub-Saharan Africa.Apply for AF ARS FY20 04
- The Department of State, Africa Regional Services in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2020 Regional Journalism Workshops in Africa Program" 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 Jul 24, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 25, 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 $400,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the FY 2020 Regional Journalism Workshops in Africa Program?
The FY 2020 Regional Journalism Workshops in Africa Program is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of African Affairs (Africa Regional Services) grant opportunity focused on strengthening the skills, professionalism, and cross-border networks of working journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Which U.S. government office is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of African Affairs, through Africa Regional Services (Africa Regional Services).
What is the main purpose of the program?
The program is designed to build practical capacity for journalists actively gathering and reporting information in challenging environments, and to foster durable professional ties between American and African media practitioners through structured interaction, mentorship, and peer exchange.
What are the two broad goals of the program?
The program centers on two broad goals: (1) improving participants' knowledge and understanding of core journalism competencies, and (2) creating structured interaction between American and African journalists to support mentorship, exchange, and long-term relationship building across countries and languages.
What topics or competencies will the workshops cover?
The opportunity highlights core journalism competencies such as newsgathering strategies, media ethics, investigative reporting, crisis reporting, journalist safety, and the business side of journalism.
How will the training be delivered (virtual vs. in-person)?
The project primarily delivers digital (virtual) education through a series of virtual workshops. It also includes an option to add in-person convenings in Africa if travel and public health conditions allow.
How many virtual workshops are planned, and when will they take place?
The project is built around 12 virtual workshops delivered between October 2020 and December 2021, with continued programming extending into early 2022.
How many journalists are expected to participate overall?
Approximately 300 African journalists are expected to participate across the full virtual series.
Is there an age range for expected participants?
Yes. The opportunity indicates that participants are expected to be African journalists between the ages of 25 and 40.
How are the virtual workshops organized by language?
The virtual workshops are divided into three parallel language tracks: French, Portuguese, and English.
How many workshops are in each language track?
Each language track includes four virtual workshops (four in French, four in Portuguese, and four in English).
How many participants are expected per language track?
Each language track is expected to include about 80 journalists (about 80 francophone, about 80 lusophone, and about 80 anglophone journalists).
How many countries are represented in each language track?
The French track draws from at least five francophone African countries, the Portuguese track draws from at least three lusophone African countries, and the English track draws from at least five anglophone African countries.
Who will lead the workshops?
The workshops are to be led by experienced American journalists, with an emphasis on hands-on instruction and real-world newsroom challenges relevant to frontline reporting.
Is the program intended to be more than one-off training sessions?
Yes. The program is described as not being limited to one-off training sessions; it is intended to strengthen professional communities, reinforce standards, and support accurate, ethical, and resilient reporting through continued engagement and relationship building.
Will there be in-person conferences, and when would they occur?
If travel becomes feasible in early 2022, the award recipient is expected to organize three in-person conferences in Africa, one in each language (French, Portuguese, and English).
How many people would attend the in-person conferences?
The in-person conferences would bring together roughly 35 participants per language track, or about 100 participants total.
How will participants for in-person conferences be selected?
Participants for the in-person conferences would be selected from the virtual workshop cohorts using a process developed jointly with Africa Regional Services.
What is the purpose of the in-person conferences (if held)?
The in-person component is intended to reinforce and deepen virtual learning through interactive exercises, scenario-based activities, and networking, while providing space for journalists from different countries to compare experiences and strategies.
What is the expected facilitation model for presenters?
The program emphasizes facilitation teams that blend American and African expertise, pairing American presenters with deputy presenters who are seasoned African journalists from the relevant region.
How many American presenters are required per language series?
The recipient organization is expected to engage at least two different American journalists as presenters per language series.
What is the role of the African deputy presenter?
The deputy presenter is intended to support effective communication and contextual grounding during the virtual sessions, and to play an even more substantial role during the in-person conferences if those occur.
How will U.S. Embassies be involved in the program?
The opportunity notes coordination with relevant U.S. Embassies, including in connection with pairing presenters and supporting implementation in partnership with Africa Regional Services.
Is diversity and gender equity part of the program expectations?
Yes. The program explicitly calls for attention to diversity and gender equity in both facilitators and participants.
What type of award is anticipated?
A single cooperative agreement is anticipated.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
As described in the opportunity summary, a cooperative agreement implies an ongoing partnership in which the Department of State may have substantial involvement in key aspects of implementation (for example, coordination with U.S. Embassies, alignment with foreign policy objectives, and approaches to participant selection for any in-person events).
How much funding is available?
The estimated total award is up to $400,000, contingent on the availability of FY 2020 funds.
How many awards will be made?
The anticipated number of awards is one.
Can the final award amount change?
Yes. The agency notes it may adjust the final award composition or funding level depending on proposal quality, available funds, and other factors connected to longer-term foreign policy priorities.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is AF ARS FY20 04.
What is the CFDA / Assistance Listing number for this opportunity?
The CFDA (now Assistance Listing) number is 19.040.
When was this opportunity posted?
The posting was created on July 24, 2020.
What was the original application closing date?
The original closing date was August 25, 2020.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice. The description suggests a range of capable organizations may apply if they can credibly deliver multilingual, multi-country journalism training and manage the logistical and partnership demands across Sub-Saharan Africa.
How many organizations will be selected to run the program?
Through an open competition, the Department seeks one organization to run the region-wide training effort.
What kind of organization is the Department looking for?
Based on the summary, the Department is looking for an organization capable of running region-wide training across Sub-Saharan Africa, delivering multilingual virtual journalism workshops, coordinating presenters and deputy presenters, and managing partnerships and logistics (including potential in-person conferences if conditions allow).
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