U.S. Embassy Port of Spain Public Affairs Section (PAS) Annual Program Statement

The Public Affairs Office in the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy Port of Spain of the U.S. Department of State has issued an open competition for assistance awards through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

The purpose of funding projects under this NOFO is to further contributions to economic growth and the development of human and government capacity in Trinidad and Tobago, while developing people-to-people, institutional, and economic ties between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago. 

PAS Program Areas in Trinidad and Tobago:

 • Strengthen local institutions to build long-term, self-sustaining relationships and institutional linkages between U.S. and Trinidad and Tobago organizations, including capacity building support for organizations working in the areas below.

• Enhance community engagement through positive messages and tolerant perspectives that confront drivers leading to recruitment into violence and violent extremism.

• Empower civil society and media to strengthen diversity, rule of law, transparency, and minority rights. 

• Contribute to economic growth, opportunity, and good governance. 

• Build critical thinking skills throughout Trinidad and Tobago society.

• Expand Media’s ability to confront disinformation, non-transparency and corruption by building  investigative journalism capacity and other skills.

• Increasing tech skills in photography, filmmaking, app creation, and makerspace initiatives.

• Demonstrate shared values between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago, to build respect and trust, and increase effective communication, especially concerning disaster response.  

Project Objectives

Programming funded under this NOFO will help to strengthen ties between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago through programming that highlights shared values and promotes bilateral cooperation. To that end, all programs must include an American element or connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.  Proposals must include a clear plan to measure and evaluate the impact of the program; proposals that fail to include a monitoring and evaluation plan will not be considered.  Preference will be given to proposals that include target audiences outside the urban centers of Port of Spain.