2022 Ambassador's Special Self-Help Program | NGA POLECON GR 22 002 012822

Opportunity Information: Apply for NGA POLECON GR 22 002 012822

The 2022 Ambassador's Special Self-Help (ASSH) Program is a small-grants opportunity run by the U.S. Mission to Nigeria (U.S. Embassy Abuja) to support community-led projects that quickly and visibly improve local living conditions. The program is designed as a flexible, grassroots tool that allows the Ambassador to respond to needs identified directly by communities, while also reinforcing broader U.S. Mission priorities. A core idea behind ASSH is self-reliance: projects should not only solve an immediate problem, but also leave a community better able to sustain the benefit and repeat similar efforts in the future without ongoing outside support.

Projects must be locally initiated and built around strong community involvement, with benefits that extend to a meaningful number of people rather than a narrow set of individuals. Sustainability is emphasized throughout: applicants need to show that the project will continue to function after the one-time U.S. contribution ends. To reinforce local ownership, the community must contribute at least 10 percent of the total project cost, either in cash or in-kind support such as volunteer labor, donated materials, land, equipment, or services. The U.S. funding is provided once (not as recurring support), so budgets and implementation plans need to be realistic and designed to succeed within that single award.

The program invites a wide range of small-scale community development concepts. Eligible objectives include economic diversification and income generation (for example, grassroots entrepreneurship, agricultural initiatives that use local resources, and the purchase of income-generating equipment like weaving looms, threshing machines, oil presses, or beehives). Social services are also a priority area, including efforts that improve conditions for at-risk or disadvantaged groups (such as people with disabilities, minority communities, the elderly, or female-headed households), as well as community-driven health clinic construction or furnishing and water and sanitation projects. Youth and child development activities are encouraged, including projects that create youth opportunities and employment, build school rooms or community centers, or purchase school equipment and furnishings. The opportunity also supports community-based natural resource management, such as strengthening community ownership of resources, developing sustainable community-based tourism, and conserving natural resources.

ASSH funds can be used for construction, but construction projects must remain small in scale (under 10,000 square feet) and provide a clear public benefit. Applicants proposing construction must be prepared to use specific federal forms tied to construction awards, including SF-424C (construction budget), SF-424D (construction assurances), and SF-271 (outlay report/request). The notice also flags a practical risk common to construction projects: material prices can rise between proposal and implementation, so applicants are expected to build budgets carefully to avoid shortfalls that could cause a project to stall.

The program lists many activities that are not eligible, largely to keep the grants focused on neutral, community-benefit infrastructure and equipment rather than politics, ongoing operations, or prohibited sectors. Ineligible activities include partisan political work and fundraising, surveillance equipment, duplicating other U.S. government programs, projects that personally or politically benefit U.S. government employees or their families, charitable donations and consumable handouts, and support for specific religious or military activities or for police, prisons, and law enforcement. It also excludes scientific research and projects primarily aimed at building the applicant organization's institution rather than delivering a community benefit. The program will not fund alcohol, medicine, uniforms, school fees, bursaries, or other personal expenses, and it bars salaries for implementing organization staff or contractors, as well as training and travel costs. It does not support seed capital, loans, or startup financing. Additional restrictions include limits related to abortion-related services, unsafe/toxic products (like hazardous chemicals), facilities heavily used by U.S. employees or dependents, and support to private businesses, private creches, or public/government schools unless the project is pursued through a Parent-Teacher Association.

Eligibility is limited to not-for-profit organizations that are registered at the federal or state level in Nigeria. The program strongly prefers established local grassroots groups that are embedded in the communities where the work will occur, such as self-help associations, youth groups, parent-teacher associations, and community cooperatives. For-profit entities and individuals cannot apply. Importantly, organizations that have previously received funding from the Ambassador's Special Self-Help program are not eligible to apply in this round.

The application process is explicitly two-step. First, applicants submit a short Statement of Interest (SOI) of no more than three pages total (including the budget). This initial submission is not a full proposal; it is meant to communicate the core project idea clearly enough for preliminary evaluation. The SOI must include the project name and location; the legal name, status, and address of the applicant organization; and a contact person with email and phone number. It also needs a brief project description that covers goals, objectives, expected outcomes, performance indicators, target groups, estimated direct and indirect beneficiaries, and a proposed timeline, along with an overview of the organization's background and any prior U.S. government or other donor funding. Applicants must explain their capacity to implement the activity and manage U.S. government funds, and provide a total budget in U.S. dollars that clearly shows costs and the community's minimum 10 percent contribution. Formatting requirements are strict: submissions must be in English, pages must be numbered, and the SOI cannot exceed three pages.

SOIs were due by April 30, 2022, and had to be submitted by email to AbujaPolEconGrants@state.gov with a specific subject line format: "2022 ASSH Statement of Interest - [Applicant Organization Name]." The SOI had to be attached as a single PDF; submissions sent as links (including Google Docs links) were considered ineligible, and illegible scans could also be rejected. The notice also makes clear that any costs incurred to prepare the proposal, or costs spent before an award is made, are not reimbursable.

SOIs are scored using a defined set of criteria. Reviewers assess the quality and feasibility of the program idea and whether it fits the ASSH framework (up to 5 points), including local initiation, community involvement, sustainability, and creativity. They also assess organizational capacity and past performance managing similar projects or grants (up to 5 points). The expected number of direct and indirect beneficiaries matters (up to 3 points), as does the budget (up to 3 points), including whether costs are realistic and whether the applicant meets the cost-share requirement. A Grants Review Committee conducts the review, and SOIs are judged against the criteria rather than directly against each other. Only selected applicants were to be contacted by May 31, 2022 and invited to submit a full proposal, which would then go through a second merit review before final award decisions.

Finally, the notice highlights U.S. federal compliance requirements connected to eligibility and award processing. Applicants cannot be on the Excluded Parties List System within SAM.gov (debarment/suspension rules), and while a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and active SAM.gov registration were not required at the SOI stage, they were required for any applicant invited to submit a full proposal. Because SAM registration can take several weeks, applicants were encouraged to start early. The award ceiling is listed at $10,000, with an expectation of around 10 awards under this opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number NGA POLECON GR 22 002 012822; CFDA 19.220), administered by the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to Nigeria.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Nigeria in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2022 Ambassador's Special Self-Help Program" 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 Jan 28, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 30, 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 $10,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NGA POLECON GR 22 002 012822

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