Section 108 Foreign Currency Program (FY2020)

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FAS will make foreign currencies available to eligible applicants to provide assistance in market development and agricultural technical assistance activities. This announcement supersedes all previous announcements regarding this program. Funding is currently only available in Morocco under the program. FAS is inviting proposals to use the Moroccan currency for market development projects and technical assistance activities. FAS must disburse local currencies to program participants through the disbursing officers at U.S. embassies. It is the responsibility of the recipient to arrange for the receipt and use of the foreign currencies made available through the program. Activities funded with Section 108 currencies are not limited to the country in which the currency originated. Applicants should note that the Moroccan currency cannot be converted to another currency prior to disbursement. Financial assistance under the Section 108 program will be made available on a competitive basis and applications will be reviewed against the evaluation criteria contained in this notice. All U.S. agricultural commodities, except tobacco, are eligible for consideration. Under the Section 108 program, FAS enters into agreements with eligible organizations to support certain overseas marketing and promotion activities. Applicants may receive assistance only for generic activities that benefit a U.S. agricultural commodity. Proposals should include a justification for funding assistance from the program – an explanation as to what specifically could not be accomplished without Federal funding assistance and why the participating organization(s) would be unlikely to carry out the project without such assistance. Applicants may submit more than one proposal, and the number of projects per participant will not be limited. FAS will not reimburse unreasonable expenditures or expenditures made prior to the approval of a proposal. Although highly encouraged, there is no cost share requirement for Section 108 proposals. FAS will, however, consider the applicant’s willingness to contribute resources towards the project, including cash, goods, and services of the U.S. industry and foreign third parties, when determining which proposals are approved for funding. All applications under this announcement must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, September 30, 2020. Applications received after this date will not be considered. Applications will be reviewed as they are received as long as funding remains available. FAS anticipates that the initial funding selections will be made by the end of November 2019.

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