Cultural Property Agreement Implementation Grants (CPAIG) 2026 Program

CHINA

 

BACKGROUND

U.S. Mission China is pleased to announce the start of the 2026 program cycle for Cultural Property Agreement Implementation Grants (CPAIG) to fund projects designed to protect China’s cultural property from looting, theft, and trafficking, or other security threats.

Bilateral cultural property agreements protect American collectors from buying looted and trafficked cultural objects and disrupt the financing networks of terrorists, criminal gangs, and cartels. They also encourage legal sharing of cultural property for scientific, cultural, and educational purposes. Many embassies also leverage cultural property agreements to strengthen bilateral relations and law enforcement cooperation between the United States and other countries.

The CPAIG Program, established in 2020 in consultation with the interagency Cultural Antiquities Task Force (CATF), provides funding to support the implementation of cultural property agreements or emergency import restrictions. Projects should be designed to protect cultural property from looting, theft, and trafficking in addition to addressing clear needs in the country or region and supporting U.S. foreign policy objectives. Text of the agreement signed between the United States and China is found here.

The application process involves two rounds. Round 1 includes submission of project ideas, due to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, February 22, 2026. In Round 2, the Embassy will invite shortlisted applicants to submit full project applications due in April 2026.

Pending the availability of funds, awards will range from $25,000 to $150,000. The CHC expects to fund three to eight projects worldwide.

We strongly advise potential partners to work closely with U.S. Consulates or the U.S. Embassy in China to develop strong proposals.

 

Concept Notes should follow this format:

CHINA CPAIG Concept Note Guide Round 1

Concept notes for CPAIG 2026 Round 1 must be submitted in English to BeijingEOLPolicy@state.gov with the subject line: “CHINA CPAIG 2026-Project Name-Applicant Name” by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, February 22, 2026.

Proposals received after this date and time will not be considered.

 

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Projects should leverage the bilateral cultural property agreement signed between the United States and China to protect American collectors from buying looted and trafficked cultural objects, disrupt the financing networks of terrorists and criminal gangs, and to encourage legal sharing of cultural property for scientific, cultural, and educational purposes.

The U.S. Mission China will prioritize projects that directly support the cultural property agreement.

 

ELIGIBLE PROJECT IMPLEMENTERS

Eligible project implementers are reputable and accountable non-commercial entities that demonstrate they have the capacity to manage projects to protect

cultural property. Eligible implementers may include non-governmental organizations, museums, educational institutions, ministries of culture and antiquities, or similar institutions and organizations, including U.S.-based educational institutions and organizations subject to Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. The CPAIG will not award grants to individuals, commercial entities, or past award recipients that have not fulfilled the objectives or reporting requirements of previous awards.

Potential implementing partners must be registered and active in the U.S. government’s System for Award Management (SAM) to receive U.S. federal assistance. (Note: An active SAM.gov registration is not required for Round 1 applications.)

FUNDING AREAS Successful CPAIG projects must adhere to international standards for the protection of cultural property, and focus on fostering cooperation, building best practices, and engaging communities through the following types of activities:

  1. Training: Build capacity of foreign law enforcement and cultural property managers to protect sites and objects. Examples include country-specific or regional workshops on investigation and interdiction techniques, effective record keeping, the role of the judiciary, increased communication between ministries of culture/antiquities and law enforcement authorities, and training for cultural property stewards.

  2. Inventories: Support the creation and maintenance of centralized, digital, and secure inventories of cultural objects or sites to better support resource allocation, aid in recovery in cases of theft, and promote public appreciation for cultural property protection.

  3. Site Security and Protection: Support practical and sustainable measures to more effectively secure archaeological sites (on land or underwater), museums, libraries, archives, and other collecting institutions against looting and theft. Examples include development of site security plans, installation of security systems, and training for guards or site stewards.

  4. Public Education and Outreach for Crime Prevention: Support strategies to prevent looting and trafficking through heightened public awareness and outreach. Examples include educational materials, community engagement and media programs, storytelling, distance learning courses, 3D models, and virtual experiences like games and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR).

 

Note: Sites and Objects Having a Religious Connection: The Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution permits the government to include religious objects and sites within an aid program under certain conditions. For example, an item with a religious connection (including a place of worship) may be the subject of a cultural protection grant if the item derives its primary significance and is nominated solely based on architectural, artistic, historical, or other cultural (not religious) criteria.

 

INELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES AND UNALLOWABLE COSTS

CPAIG does not support the following activities or costs, and the Cultural Heritage Center (CHC) will deem applications requesting CPAIG support for any of these activities or costs ineligible:

  1. Privately or Commercially Owned Property: Preservation or purchase of privately or commercially owned cultural objects, collections, or real property, including those whose transfer from private or commercial to public ownership is envisioned, planned, or in process but not complete at the time of application.

  2. Natural Heritage: Preservation of natural heritage (physical, biological, and geological formations, paleontological collections, and other natural collections) unless the natural heritage has a cultural heritage connection or dimension.

  3. Mandated Educational Materials: Development of curricula or educational materials for required classroom use.

  4. New Construction: Construction of new buildings, building additions, or permanent coverings (over archaeological sites, for example).

  5. Relocation: Relocation of cultural sites from one physical location to another unless under imminent threat of irreversible damage or destruction.

  6. Removal: Removal of cultural objects or elements of cultural sites from the country for any reason.

  7. Digitization: Digitization of cultural objects or collections, unless part of a clearly defined documentation effort.

  8. Repatriation: Repatriation of cultural property from the United States to another country unless part of a larger, clearly defined protection, documentation, or public diplomacy effort.

  9. Cash Reserves or Endowments: Cash reserves, endowments, or revolving funds (funds must be expended within the award period [up to five years] and may not be used to create an endowment or revolving fund).

  10. Fund-Raising Campaigns: Costs of fund-raising campaigns.

  11. Contingency Costs: Contingency, unforeseen, or miscellaneous costs.

  12. Pre-Award Costs: Costs of work performed prior to the announcement of the award unless allowable per 2 CFR 200.458 and approved by the GO.

  13. Project Cost Limits: Individual projects which cost less than US $25,000 or more than $150,000.

  14. Independent U.S. Projects: Independent U.S. projects overseas.

 

ROUND 2 FULL APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS (Deadline: April 2026)

Those invited to Round 2 will submit a full application, including technical details of the project as follows:

  1. Updated Project Description: Expand on the project summary provided in the Round 1 concept note. Clearly describe the goals of the project. Explain the outputs and outcomes the project will produce to achieve each goal, and the activities that will generate these outputs and outcomes. Do this for both primary goals (such as updating a museum inventory) and secondary goals (such as reducing the risk of theft and trafficking of museum collections). Successful CPAIG Round 2 applications describe a clear, logical pathway from activities to goals, including the necessary steps in between. Unsuccessful applications state broad goals but omit details on how they will be achieved. In addition to the description, applicants may include a list, table, or Gantt chart of activities in chronological order, along with major outputs and outcomes and target dates for achieving them.

  2. Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the project.

  3. Statement of Importance: Highlight the historical, architectural, artistic, or cultural (non-religious) values of the cultural heritage.

  4. Project Maintenance Plan: Outline the steps or measures that the applicant will take to maintain capacity, coordination, public awareness, site, or collection in good condition after the CPAIG-supported project is complete.

  5. Implementer Public Outreach Plan: Describe, as appropriate and in close coordination with the U.S. embassy, how the implementing partner will build awareness, engage communities and stakeholders, and promote U.S. branding of the project. Awareness-building activities typically include social media posts, ribbon-cutting events, and news stories. Community and stakeholder engagement activities may include community-led or community-produced workshops, short videos, documentary films, oral histories, storytelling or interpretive exhibits, and educational or enrichment events tailored for specific audiences, such as young people. Successful Round 2 applications feature strong and innovative public outreach activities. In some cases, the cultural heritage or personnel involved may be put at risk if publicized. In this case, explain why publicity will be limited during the project and indicate whether post anticipates future PD benefits.

  6. Data and Information Access Plan: Outline how the implementing partner will share, as appropriate, raw data or processed information, such as publications, generated from the project with the public and the State Department.

  7. Detailed Project Budget: Provide a detailed project budget that lists all costs in separate categories (Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel [including Per Diem], Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Other Direct Costs, Indirect Costs) and indicates funds from other sources. CPAIG budget template will be shared with shortlisted applicants.

  8. Budget Narrative: Explain how the costs were estimated (quantity x unit cost, annual salary x percentage of time spent on project, etc.) and any large budget line items.

  9. Resumes or CVs: Provide resumes or CVs of the proposed project director and other key personnel.

  10. Support Letters: If applicable, letters of support from project partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner.

  11. Proof of Official Permission: Official permission letters, if required for project activities.

  12. Relevant Supporting Documentation: Provide relevant supporting documentation, as applicable, such as historic structure reports, security plans and studies, digitization needs assessments and recommendations, etc., compiled in preparation for the proposed project.

  13. (Optional) Additional Visual or Audiovisual Documentation: As requested by the CHC or as appropriate, provide additional high-quality digital images (JPEGs or PNGs) or audiovisual files that convey the nature and condition of the cultural property and show the urgency or need for the proposed project (e.g., looters’ trenches, obsolete technology).

  14. NICRA: If applicable, provide the latest Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) as a PDF file.

  15. Mandatory Application Forms (SF-424): Include Application for Federal Assistance—Organizations (SF-424), Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A), Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B; only if applicant is not registered in SAM.gov), and, if applicable, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL).

 

COST SHARING AND OTHER FORMS OF COST PARTICIPATION

There is no minimum or maximum percentage of cost participation required. When an implementing partner offers cost sharing, it is understood and agreed that the partner must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the budget of the application and later included in an approved agreement. The implementing partner will be responsible for tracking and reporting on any cost share or outside funding, which is subject to audit per 2 CFR 200. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs.

 

QUESTIONS

Please direct any inquiries regarding the submission process to BeijingEOLPolicy@state.gov.

 

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