Arctic Indigenous Cultural Heritage Initiative (AICHI) | PAS NUUK FY22 AICHI

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS NUUK FY22 AICHI

The Arctic Indigenous Cultural Heritage Initiative (AICHI) is a U.S. Department of State cultural heritage grant program launched in 2021 by the Cultural Heritage Center (CHC) within the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), working in coordination with the bureaus of European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR) and Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA). The program is designed to support the protection, preservation, and long-term continuation of both tangible cultural heritage (such as objects, collections, sites, and materials) and intangible cultural heritage (such as language, oral traditions, knowledge systems, practices, and other living cultural expressions) in Arctic Indigenous communities. A core aim is to strengthen people-to-people ties and deepen cooperation between the United States and Arctic Indigenous communities, with projects often sitting at the intersection of education, culture, and environmental issues.

Geographically, AICHI prioritizes Arctic-linked countries where U.S. missions participate in the initiative: Canada, Denmark (with Greenland specifically highlighted), Norway, Sweden, and Finland. For this specific notice administered through the U.S. Mission to Denmark, the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk (Greenland) invites proposals for projects based in Greenland/Denmark that align with cultural heritage protection and community-focused preservation. The intended participants and beneficiaries are Indigenous communities and Indigenous-focused organizations, as well as institutions that work closely with them such as museums, government entities, and non-governmental organizations.

Funding is provided as FY2022 ECA support under CFDA 19.036, with authority rooted in the Smith-Mundt Act and the Fulbright-Hays Act. Awards are expected to range from $10,000 to $50,000, with the number of awards varying depending on the application pool and available funds (the listing indicates an anticipated single award in this posting, but the language also notes variability). Projects are expected to run for a relatively short and practical timeline, with a performance period of 1 to 12 months, and programs should be completed within 12 months or less. The Department of State may use different funding instruments depending on the project and oversight needs, including a grant, cooperative agreement, or fixed amount award. While the initial award period is limited, the Consulate in Nuuk notes the possibility of non-competitive continuation funding beyond the first budget period if funds remain available, the project shows strong progress, and continued support is judged to be in the Department of State’s interest.

Eligibility for this opportunity focuses on organizations in Greenland and Denmark, and it is framed as a public diplomacy competition. Eligible applicants include registered not-for-profit organizations (including NGOs, civil society organizations, and think tanks with relevant programming experience), non-profit or governmental educational institutions, and governmental institutions. For-profit or commercial entities are explicitly not eligible. Cost sharing or matching funds are not required, which lowers the barrier for smaller organizations and community-centered efforts. A strict submission rule applies: each organization may submit only one proposal, and submitting multiple proposals causes all submissions from that organization to be deemed ineligible.

The application process is structured as a three-tier competition that begins with a Statement of Interest (SOI). The SOI is meant to be a concise concept note that clearly communicates the project idea and objectives without requiring a full, detailed application upfront. After a merit review of eligible SOIs, selected applicants are invited to submit a full grant application for embassy-level consideration. Proposals that remain competitive at that stage are then forwarded to the Cultural Heritage Center at ECA for final approval. The notice for this round was created May 24, 2022, with an original closing date of June 15, 2022, and it is administered by the Department of State, U.S. Mission to Denmark (with the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk and U.S. Embassy Copenhagen coordinating intake and review).

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Denmark in the community development, education, regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Arctic Indigenous Cultural Heritage Initiative (AICHI)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.036.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 24, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 15, 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 $50,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for PAS NUUK FY22 AICHI

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