Fund to Support Equal Opportunity for Vulnerable Populations | POL BUD FY23 AEECA002

Opportunity Information: Apply for POL BUD FY23 AEECA002

The Fund to Support Equal Opportunity for Vulnerable Populations is a U.S. Department of State grant opportunity run by the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, Hungary (Funding Opportunity Number: POL BUD FY23 AEECA002; CFDA: 19.900). It is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, meaning the selected awardees would implement the program while coordinating closely with the embassy on key decisions, oversight, and monitoring and evaluation. The geographic focus is Hungary, and the overall purpose is to strengthen Hungarian efforts to counter harmful stereotypes and discrimination affecting vulnerable groups, with a specific emphasis on reducing prejudice toward LGBTQI people.

At its core, the program is designed to build the capacity and expand the reach of Hungarian organizations that create and run initiatives aimed at reversing myths, misconceptions, and prejudices that cause real harm to vulnerable populations. The embassy is looking for approaches that combine evidence and practical implementation: applicants can propose research to understand which audiences should be prioritized and what messages actually resonate, and then use those findings to develop communications, education, and engagement activities that are more likely to shift attitudes. Examples of the kinds of outputs the opportunity contemplates include educational materials, trainings, knowledge-sharing formats, and academic publications, along with broader communication and community engagement strategies.

A central feature of this opportunity is a sub-granting model. The primary awardee (the “implementing partner”) would manage a pool of funds and disburse support to sub-recipients (sub-grantees) who carry out on-the-ground initiatives aligned with the objective of reducing societal prejudice. The embassy explicitly prioritizes proposals that help sub-recipients generate new and creative content ideas and try fresh audience engagement methods, rather than recycling generic awareness messaging. In other words, the implementing partner is expected not only to pass through funds, but also to guide, mentor, and strengthen sub-grantees so their work is more strategic, targeted, and effective.

The announcement outlines several funding categories that the implementing partner would be able to support through sub-awards and related program costs. These include conducting market research to identify the best target audiences, content themes, and engagement strategies; mentoring and supporting sub-grantees as they design and deliver initiatives tied to the program goals; providing capacity-building funding so sub-grantees can execute communications and outreach projects using lessons learned from research and mentorship; and covering travel costs connected to research, sub-recipient oversight, and engagements with audiences outside of Budapest. It also allows other relevant programmatic activities if they are approved in advance by the embassy, signaling some flexibility as long as activities stay tightly connected to the overarching anti-prejudice and equal-opportunity aim.

Eligibility and roles are defined in a practical way. The implementing partner is preferably based in Hungary, but may also be based in the Central Europe region or otherwise demonstrate a substantial local presence that enables hands-on management and credible monitoring and evaluation. The partner must be able to disburse funds quickly and compliantly, following U.S., Hungarian, and EU regulations, which implies the need for strong financial controls, due diligence procedures, and grant management experience. The implementing partner must also regularly consult with the U.S. Embassy in Budapest on funding decisions, program activities, and evaluation, reflecting the cooperative agreement structure.

Sub-recipients can include independent civil society organizations, NGOs, community groups, educational institutions, or private individuals. Independence is specifically defined for programming purposes: sub-recipients cannot be directly or indirectly affiliated with, or funded by, a political party, partisan organization, or political candidate. The embassy retains the final say on whether an organization qualifies as independent, which underscores that applicants should build clear screening criteria and documentation processes into their sub-granting approach.

From an award and timing standpoint, the opportunity listed an award ceiling of $300,000 and anticipated making up to two awards. The notice was created June 21, 2023, with an original application closing date of July 31, 2023. Overall, this funding opportunity is best understood as an embassy-backed initiative to finance, professionalize, and scale locally grounded efforts that use research-driven messaging, creative content, and targeted outreach to measurably reduce prejudice and improve equal opportunity for vulnerable populations in Hungary, including LGBTQI communities.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Hungary in the community development, education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fund to Support Equal Opportunity for Vulnerable Populations" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.900.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 21, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 31, 2023. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for POL BUD FY23 AEECA002

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