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| 19.410 EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE_CONGRESS-BUNDESTAG YOUTH EXCHANGE |
| FEDERAL AGENCY |
| BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF STATE |
| AUTHORIZATION |
| Public Law 87-256, as amended, 22 U.S.C. 2451, et seq. |
| OBJECTIVES |
| Established in 1983 to honor 300 years of German settlements in America. Goals are: To foster interaction between young people from the U.S. and Germany to promote mutual understanding; to foster close ties between Germany and the US. |
| TYPES OF ASSISTANCE |
| Project Grants. |
| USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS |
| CBYX is a reciprocal exchange of U.S. and German young people, three quarters of whom are high school students and one quarter are practical trainees. Annual grants are awarded to American private nonprofit organizations for administering the CBYX American selection process and for placement and monitoring of participating students. The German Government provides grants simultaneously to the German partners of the American organizations. Grants support the costs of travel, insurance, enhancement activities, orientation, selection, and administration. |
| Applicant Eligibility |
| Organizations must be incorporated not-for-profit and have 4 years of experience in exchanges to qualify for grants of more than $60,000. For the grants to place and monitor year program participants, experience conducting academic year high school exchanges is required. Each U.S. organization must have a German partner that meets the German eligibility requirements. The organization providing overall administration and recruitment/selection must have experience administering a national competition. |
| Beneficiary Eligibility |
| There are certain selection criteria (e.g., age, language ability, social skills, academic achievement) for American applicants. Similar criteria are applied by the German side in its selection, with the added layer of the recommendation of an individual Bundestag member. |
| Credentials/Documentation |
| Applicants for participation in the exchange are required to have proof of citizenship or permanent residency, and proof of academic standing. They fill out application forms and submit to interviews during semi-finalist screening. |
| Preapplication Coordination |
| Not applicable. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. |
| Application Procedure |
| An open competition for all components is conducted every 4 years; for placement grants, either an open competition or a limited solicitation is used. For open competitions, the request for proposals is published in the Federal Register. |
| Award Procedure |
| Funding decisions are at the discretion of the Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs and are based on the advice of a panel of State reviewers and various offices. Final technical authority resides with the Grants Division. |
| Deadlines |
| Deadlines for submission of proposals are established in the request for proposals or letters of solicitation. Most solicitations are offered in the fall with proposals due by the end of the calendar year. The open competition for the 4-year cycle commencing in 2005 was announced on October 3, 2003. The deadline for proposals was November 7, 2003. Organizations were selected for grant awards beginning FY 2005 and eligible for renewal grants through FY 2008. |
| Range of Approval/Disapproval Time |
| Decisions are generally made within 3 months of the submission of proposals, subject to the availability and timing of funding. |
| Appeals |
| None. |
| Renewals |
| Grantee organizations are eligible for renewal grants in the years between open competitions, providing they maintain a good track record. |
| Formula and Matching Requirements |
| Formula and matching requirements: Some cost-sharing is desirable but there is no minimum percentage. |
| Length and Time Phasing of Assistance |
| Grants are generally awarded for an 18-month period. |
| Reports |
| Quarterly program and financial reports are required. |
| Audits |
| In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," non federal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in OMB Circular No. A-133. |
| Records |
| As prescribed by grant terms. |
| Account Identification |
| 19-0201-0-1-154. |
| Obligations |
| FY 07 $3,256,000; and FY 08 est not available; FY 09 est not reported. |
| Range and Average of Financial Assistance |
| Grants for the high school student component are each for 50 U.S. and 50 German students. The young professionals component is for 75 U.S. and 100 German participants. The vocational students component is for 25 participants. |
| PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
| Not available at this time. |
| REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE |
| State regulations governing exchange visitor (J-1) programs for high school students. Guidelines for grants are distributed in conjunction with the request for proposals/letter of solicitation. |
| Regional or Local Office |
| The high school component is administered by five nonprofit organizations. The Young Professionals Component is administered by CDS International, 330 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10001. Telephone: (212) 497-3509. The vocational component is administered by Nacel/Open Door, 3410 Federal Drive, Suite 101, St. Paul, MN 55122. Telephone: (651) 686-0080. |
| Headquarters Office |
| Youth Programs Division (ECA/PE/C/PY), Office of Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 301 4th Street SW., Washington DC 20547. Contact: Shalita Jones. Telephone: (202)203-7507. Fax: (202) 203-7529. |
| Web Site Address |
| http://usagermanyscholarships.org |
| RELATED PROGRAMS |
| 19.411, Educational Exchange_NIS Secondary School Initiative. |
| EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS |
| A list of grantee organizations is available from the State Department program office. |
| CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS |
| Programmatic planning, objectives, and quality; organization capacity and track record; support for diversity; cost-effectiveness; project evaluation plan; value to US- partner country relations; multiplier effect. |
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General Services Administration Office of Chief Acquisition Officer Regulatory and Federal Assistance Division (VIR) |
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