The Embassy offers small grants to U.S. and Slovenian individuals and organizations for well-designed public diplomacy projects that advance U.S. government priorities and strengthen people-to-people ties between the United States and Slovenia. 

Successful proposals will strengthen bilateral cooperation and mutual understanding in priority areas broadly defined to include security and defense issues; economic and business development; science, technology and innovation; cultural and artistic exchange; democracy; education and research collaboration; and shared values and heritage.

Each application must clearly explain how the project makes the American and Slovenian people safer, stronger, and/or more prosperous.

Typically grant awards range from $5,000 to $10,000 and may supplement other funding. Some exceptional projects may qualify for up to $15,000. The deadline for submitting proposals is by Monday, May 12, 2025. New grantees are given priority over previous grantees. Funding for public diplomacy grants is decided through a competitive application process. Each proposal is reviewed by an Embassy committee to determine the project’s potential to advance U.S. policy priorities. 

This is an Annual Program Statement, outlining our funding priorities, the strategic themes we focus on, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding through the Small Grants Program of the U.S. Embassy Ljubljana and U.S. Department of State. Please carefully follow all instructions below.

Eligibility for this NOFO is limited to: U.S. or Slovenian individuals; U.S. or Slovenian not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations; U.S. and Slovenian higher educational and research institutions; and/or Slovenian independent public entities. 

Other Eligibility Requirements

1)     All organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) issued via SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for more information. Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov.

2)     Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.

3)     Certification Regarding Compliance with applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws None of the funds awarded under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) may be used for any initiatives or programs, or any activities that do not comply with Executive Order 14173 titled Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.

By signing the SF-424 or SF-424I Application for Federal Assistance, the Applicant certifies the following:

1) Its compliance in all respects with all applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws is material to the government’s payment decisions for purposes of section 3729(b)(4) of title 31, United States Code and;

2) It does not operate any programs promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that violate any applicable U.S. Federal anti-discrimination laws.

The initial period of performance is recommended to be from September 1, 2025, onward. Funding authority rests in the Smith-Mundt Act and Fulbright-Hays Act, as amended.