The Embassy of the United States of America has announced a new competition for assistance awards through the Democracy Grants Program. The award amount is up to $24,000 for a period of up to 12 months. In a press release, the U.S. Embassy says that Moldovan NGOs and independent media outlets are invited to submit projects whose purpose is to further the development of democracy and civil society in Moldova, Info-Prim Neo reports. For this competition, the U.S. Embassy welcomes projects related to the following priorities: civic education; strengthening and promotion of civil society and democratic institutions; independent media, free flow of information, freedom of speech, transparency in government and good governance; public participation in decision making; institutionalization of open, pluralistic, and democratic political processes at the local level. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis. Decisions are based on the eligibility and quality of the grant application. Once approved by the Democracy Commission in Chisinau, the application undergoes a technical review and receives final approval by the Department of State in Washington D.C. The program does not support humanitarian assistance or charitable activities; political or partisan activities; scientific research; conferences and/or individual trips abroad; trade activities; projects aimed at primary institutional development of the organization. Direct funding for U.S. and third-party organizations is not available under this program. Applicants must submit their applications electronically. The deadline for submissions is February 15. The Democracy Grants Program was initiated in 1994 as a flexible mechanism to enable American Embassies to support the development of democracy in Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, and the CIS. The Democracy Commission in Moldova started its activity in 1996.