U.S. Consulate General HK, PAS Annual Program Statement | HKG NOFO FY21 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for HKG NOFO FY21 01

The U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong Public Affairs Section (PAS), part of the U.S. Department of State under the U.S. Mission to China, is offering funding through its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program under the annual program statement titled "U.S. Consulate General HK, PAS Annual Program Statement" (Funding Opportunity Number: HKG NOFO FY21 01). This opportunity is set up as an ongoing annual notice that explains the Consulate's public diplomacy funding priorities, the types of activities it is interested in supporting, and the process applicants must use to submit proposals. It also serves as a companion to additional, more targeted funding notices that may be released during the year on Grants.gov or other relevant platforms, meaning applicants should watch for separate announcements that could have specific themes or requirements beyond what is described in the annual statement.

The opportunity is discretionary, and funding may be issued through several instrument types, including grants, cooperative agreements, or other mechanisms. A key practical point is that the funding instrument can affect how closely the Consulate works with the award recipient: a standard grant typically involves less hands-on federal involvement, while a cooperative agreement usually implies more substantial collaboration, coordination, or direction from the U.S. government during implementation. The listing is associated with CFDA number 19.040, which is commonly tied to public diplomacy and educational exchange-related funding administered by the Department of State.

In terms of program focus, the eligible activity categories are broad and include arts, education, environment, humanities, law/justice/legal services, and an "other" category that is further clarified in the full announcement text. In plain terms, this is designed to support public diplomacy programming, which generally means projects that strengthen mutual understanding, expand engagement with local audiences, and advance shared interests through cultural, educational, and policy-related exchanges or events. Because this is an annual program statement for small grants, the intent is typically to fund discrete, well-scoped projects such as public programs, speaker events, workshops, trainings, cultural programming, exchanges, outreach campaigns, community engagement initiatives, and similar activities that align with PAS priorities in Hong Kong and, as relevant, the broader regional context.

Eligibility is relatively inclusive. Applicants may include U.S.-based nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education), individuals, and other applicant types as described in the announcement's additional eligibility guidance. That said, the annual notice emphasizes that applicants should follow the instructions carefully, which usually means paying close attention to required proposal components, budget format, compliance requirements, and any content or audience restrictions that often apply to public diplomacy funding. The announcement also signals that organizations should not rely only on the annual statement; they should also review any separate PAS notices that may appear throughout the year, since those can introduce new priority areas, deadlines, or documentation requirements.

The opportunity was posted on October 21, 2020, with an original closing date of September 1, 2021. The listing indicates an expectation of about 50 awards, suggesting a relatively active small-grants portfolio, though actual award numbers and sizes can vary depending on available funding and proposal quality. Notably, the award ceiling is listed as 0 in the source data, which usually indicates that a specific maximum award amount was not entered into the system record and that applicants must consult the full notice text for any typical grant size ranges, per-project limits, or funding constraints. In practice, small grants programs often fund a range of project sizes, but the exact parameters should be confirmed directly in the full program statement or any supplemental NOFOs posted during the year.

Overall, this opportunity is essentially a standing, annually published roadmap for organizations and individuals who want to propose public diplomacy projects in Hong Kong with U.S. Consulate support. It lays out what PAS is looking for and how to apply, while also directing applicants to keep an eye on additional announcements that may offer more specific themes or funding windows as the year progresses.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to China in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda), education, environment, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), law, justice and legal services, other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. Consulate General HK, PAS Annual Program Statement" 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 Oct 21, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 01, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: 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, Individuals, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HKG NOFO FY21 01

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