FY 2 024 Request for Proposals for Cultural Orientation Technical Assistance | SFOP0010123

Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0010123

The FY 2024 Request for Proposals for Cultural Orientation Technical Assistance (Funding Opportunity Number SFOP0010123) is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) discretionary funding opportunity that will be awarded as a cooperative agreement. It sits under CFDA 19.510 and is designed to support PRM's Cultural Orientation (CO) Technical Assistance Program. The central aim is to improve how cultural orientation is delivered and coordinated for refugees approved for admission to the United States, with a specific emphasis on tightening the connection between what refugees learn overseas before travel and what happens after arrival through Reception and Placement (R&P) services and the Welcome Corps (WC).

At its core, the program is meant to function as a bridge between overseas cultural orientation programming and domestic resettlement supports. PRM is looking for a technical assistance provider that can strengthen operational and informational linkages between overseas CO trainers and domestic partners, so that refugees receive consistent, practical, and timely information as they transition into U.S. communities. The opportunity also makes clear that the technical assistance provider must be able to support both overseas and domestic delivery of cultural orientation, which implies ongoing coordination across time zones, stakeholders, and delivery formats (in-person and virtual), and an ability to respond to PRM requests as needs emerge during the year.

The Year One (2024) scope of work emphasizes several concrete activities. A major component is maintaining a Cultural Orientation website and newsletter, including developing, updating, and managing content so that partners and stakeholders can access current guidance, tools, and resources. Another key requirement is maintaining and upgrading refugee-facing digital platforms, including tools such as "Settle In," with a strong accessibility goal: cultural orientation material should reach all refugees regardless of language, literacy levels, or cultural familiarity with digital learning. That means applicants should expect to focus on user-centered design, multilingual content, and formats that work for low-literacy audiences as well as those with limited digital access.

The program also includes a technical support function for the CO working group and CO leaders, suggesting the awardee will help organize, advise, and assist the network of people responsible for cultural orientation content and delivery. PRM also anticipates that the technical assistance provider may be asked to present at national or regional refugee resettlement conferences, which positions the awardee as a subject-matter resource that can disseminate best practices, highlight lessons learned, and align the field around updated guidance or tools.

Evaluation and learning measurement are another potential responsibility area. If PRM requests it, the awardee would provide technical assistance to overseas and/or domestic CO programs related to evaluating CO activities and assessing student learning and understanding. This signals an interest in not just delivering orientation content, but also measuring whether it is effective, whether refugees are absorbing and retaining key information, and how curricula and delivery methods can be improved based on evidence.

Exchange and convening activities are explicitly included. The program calls for facilitating both in-person and virtual overseas and domestic CO trainer exchanges, which would help standardize approaches, share training methods, and improve continuity between pre-departure orientation and post-arrival realities. In addition, if requested by PRM, the awardee may coordinate or facilitate special forums or workshops, such as a domestic and overseas CO coordinators conference. These convenings would likely serve as structured opportunities for aligning messaging, reviewing updates in U.S. policies or resettlement practices, and improving coordination among implementing partners.

Finally, the notice includes a monitoring and evaluation support task that may be requested by PRM: coordinating a trip for the CORE Director, the PRM CO Program Officer, and the PRM Overseas CO Focal Point Officer to a Resettlement Support Center (RSC) to monitor and evaluate a particular cultural orientation effort. This indicates the awardee may need logistical planning capacity, coordination with overseas entities, and the ability to support PRM oversight and learning objectives through field-based observation and feedback loops.

In terms of eligibility, the opportunity is limited to U.S.-based nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically means PRM expects a more hands-on partnership and substantial federal involvement compared to a standard grant. The posted award ceiling is $1,800,000. The opportunity was created on November 3, 2023, and the original closing date for applications was December 22, 2023. The listing shows "Expected Awards: 0," which may reflect how the opportunity was entered in the system rather than a definitive statement about whether an award will be made, but it does indicate applicants should pay close attention to the official solicitation language and any subsequent amendments or clarifications.

Overall, this grant opportunity is aimed at an organization that can operate as a national-level technical assistance hub for cultural orientation, combining content management, digital product support, stakeholder coordination, training exchange facilitation, and, when asked, evaluation support and convening logistics. The success of the work is tied to improving continuity between overseas preparation and domestic resettlement supports so that refugees receive clearer, more accessible, and more consistent guidance as they move from approval and travel to early integration in the United States.

• The Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2 024 Request for Proposals for Cultural Orientation Technical Assistance" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.510.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-11-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-12-22. (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 $1,800,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

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