The United States Embassy in Kingston is welcoming proposals for the 2025 Global US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) grants programme. 

This opportunity, funded by the Department of State, provides grants for the conservation of a wide range of cultural heritage, including historic buildings, ethnographic objects, indigenous languages and other forms of traditional cultural expression.

The AFCP is a global competition open to more than 130 countries and Jamaica has seen it share of winners. The AFCP has played a significant role in Jamaica by supporting the preservation of its rich cultural heritage. It has been instrumental in safeguarding aspects of the island’s diverse cultural traditions and fostering mutual understanding and respect between the United States and Jamaica.

Past recipients and their projects include:

• Institute of Jamaica – Preventative conservation of Taino amulets and other ethnographic objects
• National Museum of Jamaica – Preventative conservation of the collections
• National Library of Jamaica – Conservation of the Enos Nuttall manuscripts collection
• National Gallery of Jamaica – Conservation redevelopment and storage rationalisation project
• The Mico INAFCA Museum – Conservation of archaeological and ethnographic collections 

Embassy spokesperson Mike Lavallee emphasised, “We are excited to announce the opening of the 2025 Global US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) grant programme and invite all eligible Jamaican organisations to submit their proposals”.

“This programme is a wonderful opportunity to preserve and celebrate Jamaica’s rich cultural heritage. We look forward to receiving innovative and impactful proposals that will help safeguard our shared history for future generations,” he added.

The application process for the AFCP 2025 Program involves two rounds:

Round 1: Collection of project ideas in concept notes, due by January 10, 2025, to [email protected].

Round 2: Short-listed applicants will be invited to submit full project applications, due in April 2025.

Programme budgets may vary in range from US$25,000 to US$500,000.