COVID-19 Small Grants Program | ND NOFO 20 111

Opportunity Information: Apply for ND NOFO 20 111

The COVID-19 Small Grants Program (Funding Opportunity Number: ND NOFO 20 111) was a discretionary U.S. Mission to India grant opportunity created to strengthen U.S.-India collaboration in responding to COVID-19 in India and with potential spillover benefits globally and across the broader Indo-Pacific region. Rather than funding one standalone project, the program was designed to fund a lead grantee that could run and oversee a small-grants mechanism, using the award to solicit, select, and administer sub-awards to a range of local and regional stakeholders. The overall intent was to build effective coalitions, accelerate practical solutions, and create joint U.S.-India action that produced tangible public health and societal impact during the pandemic.

At the core of the opportunity was the expectation that the selected grantee would function as a hub or manager for a competitive small-grants program, working in close coordination with the U.S. Mission to India. This meant the grantee would be responsible for organizing proposal calls, conducting fair and transparent reviews, making awards to qualified sub-recipients, and monitoring activities and outcomes. The small-grants program was meant to mobilize diverse implementers, including government-linked entities, nonprofits, think tanks, academic institutions, and innovation ecosystem organizations such as incubators and accelerators, with an emphasis on initiatives that either contributed to or built upon ongoing COVID-19 response efforts.

The opportunity highlighted several example project directions to guide applicants. One priority area was improving accurate, credible public messaging on COVID-19 to reduce misinformation, including dissemination of authoritative public health guidance (such as CDC and HHS-aligned information) through civil society channels. This messaging component explicitly contemplated multilingual outreach, including English, Hindi, and other vernacular languages, reflecting the need to reach communities in locally relevant formats. Another emphasized theme was helping local NGOs adapt to pandemic constraints by building their capacity to convene communities virtually, for example through online speaker programs and digital engagement approaches focused on resilience and recovery when in-person gatherings were restricted.

A major focus was also on deepening institutional linkages between the United States and India, especially among universities and research and development institutions, business associations, and NGOs. The program encouraged either forming new partnerships or expanding existing ones to support intensive collaboration in innovation, entrepreneurship, business development, and public-private partnerships. The goal of these cross-border partnerships was to speed up practical public health solutions and strengthen the broader ecosystem needed to develop, test, and scale effective interventions during the pandemic. In parallel, the program encouraged capacity-building support for startups and innovators working on COVID-19-related challenges, such as workshops, mentoring programs, and webinars aimed at helping young organizations remain operational, stay competitive, and become better prepared to work with partners, investors, and government stakeholders.

The announcement also made clear that U.S. expertise was expected to play an active role in the effort, including bringing in U.S. institutions and mentors to help lead training, advising, and other capacity-building components. While the listed activities were examples rather than an exhaustive menu, all proposed sub-projects were expected to reinforce U.S.-India cooperation and contribute meaningfully to countering COVID-19 impacts on Indian society and connected communities in the region.

From an administrative standpoint, this was a grant (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) categorized under Education (Funding Activity Category). Eligible applicants included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and U.S. nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). The award ceiling listed for the program was $100,000, and the original application closing date was July 31, 2020. The opportunity was created on April 27, 2020, reflecting its rapid deployment during the early phase of the pandemic response.

• The U.S. Mission to India in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "COVID-19 Small Grants Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-04-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-07-31. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for ND NOFO 20 111

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: