Opportunity Information: Apply for S NEA PPD 20 CA001
The NEA/PPD Middle East Media Initiative (MEMI) is a U.S. Department of State funding opportunity designed to strengthen ties between American and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) media professionals through hands-on training and creative collaboration. Run by the Department of State's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Press and Public Diplomacy (NEA/PPD), in consultation with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), the program focuses on helping TV, broadcast, and digital media professionals in the United States and the MENA region work together in ways that capture the attention of regional audiences, with a particular emphasis on younger viewers. At its core, the initiative is meant to encourage entertainment and episodic storytelling that is both compelling and grounded in values-based, pluralistic approaches, while also improving technical and business capacity across the sector.
The program is structured around professional and educational exchange activities that connect established and emerging voices from the MENA region with counterparts in the American media industry. It emphasizes practical skills and real-world industry exposure: content development, modern production methods, and the kinds of business standards and production workflows commonly used in the U.S. market. A central aim is to build sustainable linkages so that collaboration does not end with a single workshop or visit, but instead creates ongoing relationships between companies, creators, producers, and other industry stakeholders. By doing that, MEMI seeks to support a higher-quality entertainment ecosystem in the region as demand for content continues to grow.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, MEMI is a discretionary grant program issued as a cooperative agreement, meaning the Department of State expects to remain actively involved in shaping or guiding major aspects of the project as it is implemented. The assistance listing is associated with CFDA number 19.021, and eligibility is limited to U.S.-based nonprofit organizations that have 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (excluding institutions of higher education). The opportunity was posted on May 8, 2020, with an original application deadline of June 21, 2020. The stated award ceiling is $750,000. The notice also lists "ExpectedAwards: 100" in the source data, which indicates the opportunity anticipated multiple awards or projects, though the exact meaning and final number of awards would typically depend on available funds, application quality, and program decisions.
Overall, MEMI is about using exchanges and collaborative production-oriented programming as a tool of public diplomacy: promoting American production practices and business norms, supporting connections between U.S. and MENA media communities, and encouraging entertainment content that reflects pluralism and values-based storytelling for a fast-expanding regional media market.Apply for S NEA PPD 20 CA001
- The Department of State, Press and Public Diplomacy in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NEA/PPD Middle East Media Initiative (MEMI)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.021.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 08, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 21, 2020. (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 $750,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 100 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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NEA/PPD Middle East Media Initiative (MEMI) - Frequently Asked Questions
1) What is the NEA/PPD Middle East Media Initiative (MEMI)?
MEMI is a U.S. Department of State funding opportunity designed to strengthen ties between American and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) media professionals through hands-on training and creative collaboration. It is framed as a public diplomacy effort that uses professional exchange and collaborative, production-oriented programming to build lasting relationships across media communities.
2) Which U.S. government office runs this program?
The program is run by the Department of State's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Press and Public Diplomacy (NEA/PPD), in consultation with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).
3) What is the main purpose of MEMI?
MEMI aims to connect U.S. and MENA media professionals through exchanges, training, and collaboration to improve practical media skills, strengthen business and technical capacity, and promote ongoing linkages between creators, companies, and industry stakeholders. A core goal is to support entertainment and episodic storytelling that is compelling and grounded in values-based, pluralistic approaches.
4) What types of media professionals does MEMI focus on?
The initiative focuses on TV, broadcast, and digital media professionals in the United States and the MENA region, including both established and emerging voices from the region and their counterparts in the American media industry.
5) Which regions are involved?
The collaboration is between media professionals in the United States and those in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
6) What kinds of activities does MEMI support?
MEMI is structured around professional and educational exchange activities. It emphasizes hands-on training, creative collaboration, real-world industry exposure, and practical skill-building related to content development, modern production methods, and business standards and workflows commonly used in the U.S. market.
7) Is the program more focused on training or on producing content?
Based on the description, the program emphasizes both: practical training and industry exposure, alongside collaboration that supports entertainment and episodic storytelling. The initiative is described as "production-oriented" and designed to foster creative collaboration and improved capacity across the sector.
8) What kinds of content does MEMI encourage?
MEMI particularly encourages entertainment and episodic storytelling that is compelling to regional audiences and grounded in values-based, pluralistic approaches. The description also highlights a special emphasis on capturing the attention of younger viewers.
9) Who is the intended audience for the content focus?
The opportunity description places particular emphasis on younger viewers in the MENA region and on creating content that captures the attention of regional audiences.
10) What does "values-based, pluralistic approaches" mean in this context?
The notice characterizes MEMI-supported storytelling as grounded in pluralism and values-based approaches. In practical terms, this signals an interest in entertainment narratives that reflect pluralistic perspectives and align with the initiative's public diplomacy goals.
11) What are the program's capacity-building goals?
MEMI aims to improve technical and business capacity across the entertainment and media sector by exposing participants to modern production methods and the business standards and production workflows commonly used in the U.S. market.
12) What does MEMI mean by building "sustainable linkages"?
A central aim is to ensure collaboration does not end with a single workshop or visit. The initiative seeks to create ongoing relationships between companies, creators, producers, and other industry stakeholders, supporting longer-term collaboration beyond the initial exchange activities.
13) How does MEMI relate to public diplomacy?
MEMI is described as using exchanges and collaborative, production-oriented programming as a public diplomacy tool. It promotes American production practices and business norms, supports connections between U.S. and MENA media communities, and encourages entertainment content reflecting pluralism and values-based storytelling.
14) What type of federal award is this?
MEMI is a discretionary grant program issued as a cooperative agreement.
15) What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement indicates that the Department of State expects to remain actively involved in shaping or guiding major aspects of the project during implementation, rather than issuing an award with minimal ongoing federal involvement.
16) What is the assistance listing (CFDA) number for this opportunity?
The assistance listing is associated with CFDA number 19.021.
17) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based nonprofit organizations that have 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, excluding institutions of higher education.
18) Are universities or colleges eligible applicants?
No. The eligibility statement explicitly excludes institutions of higher education.
19) Is eligibility limited to organizations based in the United States?
Yes. The opportunity states eligibility is limited to U.S.-based nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education).
20) What is the maximum award amount?
The stated award ceiling is $750,000.
21) When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on May 8, 2020.
22) What was the application deadline?
The original application deadline listed is June 21, 2020.
23) How many awards were expected?
The notice lists "ExpectedAwards: 100" in the source data, indicating the opportunity anticipated multiple awards or projects. The description also notes the exact meaning and final number of awards would typically depend on available funds, application quality, and program decisions.
24) Does "ExpectedAwards: 100" guarantee 100 awards will be made?
No. The information provided indicates it anticipated multiple awards or projects, but also notes the final number would typically depend on funding availability, application quality, and program decisions.
25) What broader market context does MEMI respond to?
MEMI positions its work within a "fast-expanding regional media market" and a growing demand for content. It aims to support a higher-quality entertainment ecosystem in the MENA region as that demand continues to increase.
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