Budget Section
Budget Narrative & Budget Breakdown of Expenses
Creative Souls Tech Exchange (CSTX) — Noemi Creative Souls (501(c)(3))
U.S. Creative Tech Exchange (U.S.CTX) — U.S. Department of State, ECA
Total Request
$1,320,000
Project Period
24 Months
Applicant
Noemi Creative Souls
Budget Narrative
The total request is $1,320,000 over 24 months. The budget is built to deliver a high-touch international exchange with genuine technology integration, fair participant compensation, robust embassy-coordinated showcases, and rigorous evaluation. All costs are reasonable, allocable, and necessary to the program's outcomes, and the platform infrastructure is designed to scale beyond the grant period to serve an expanding global community.
- Personnel covers a dedicated Program Director (part-time), Program Coordinator (full-time), and Technical/Platform Lead to manage the CSTX workspace and AI-tool integrations; Noemi Creative Souls' founder/director provides oversight at a modest cost share.
- Participant Stipends & Fellowships provide equitable compensation to exchange participants, with elevated fellowship stipends for fellowship recipients, ensuring the exchange is accessible regardless of participant economic circumstances. Stipend funding is structured to scale with each cohort size.
- Travel funds in-person showcase events, embassy visits, and a U.S.-based capstone convening.
- Technology & Platform covers AI-tool licenses/subscriptions, VR/AR hardware kits, cloud hosting, and platform enhancements to the existing Creative Souls Garden infrastructure.
- Workshops & Events covers honoraria for workshop facilitators, showcase production, translation/interpretation, and materials.
- Communications & Publications covers the dedicated gazette issue, marketing/recruitment, and multilingual outreach.
- Evaluation & Reporting funds an external evaluator and data tools.
- Indirect Costs are budgeted at a modest rate to cover organizational overhead (accounting, audit, legal, communications infrastructure).
Budget Breakdown of Expenses
| Category | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel | $260,000 | Program Director (PT, 24 mo): $110,000; Program Coordinator (FT, 24 mo): $110,000; Technical/Platform Lead (PT, 24 mo): $40,000 |
| Fringe Benefits | $52,000 | ~20% of personnel |
| Participant Stipends & Fellowships | $300,000 | Lab participant stipends ($7,500 each) and fellowship stipends ($15,000 each), scaled to cohort size |
| Travel (Domestic & International) | $210,000 | U.S. capstone convening: $90,000; 4 in-person embassy showcases: $120,000 |
| Technology & Platform | $180,000 | AI-tool licenses/subscriptions: $70,000; VR/AR hardware kits: $50,000; cloud hosting & platform enhancements: $60,000 |
| Workshops & Events | $120,000 | 12 workshop facilitator honoraria: $60,000; showcase production, interpretation, materials: $60,000 |
| Communications & Publications | $80,000 | Dedicated gazette issue: $25,000; recruitment/marketing & multilingual outreach: $55,000 |
| Evaluation & Reporting | $38,000 | External evaluator, surveys, data tools, final report |
| Indirect Costs | $80,000 | ~6.1% of direct costs — accounting, audit, legal, overhead |
| TOTAL | $1,320,000 |
Forecasted Cash Needs — Quarterly Distribution
The $1,320,000 award is distributed across four equal quarters of $330,000 each. Spend ramps up in Q1 for platform setup and technology licensing, peaks mid-program for labs and fellowships, and shifts toward travel and showcase production in the later quarters.
| Category | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel | $65,000 | $65,000 | $65,000 | $65,000 | $260,000 |
| Fringe Benefits | $13,000 | $13,000 | $13,000 | $13,000 | $52,000 |
| Participant Stipends & Fellowships | $75,000 | $75,000 | $75,000 | $75,000 | $300,000 |
| Travel (Domestic & International) | $47,000 | $45,000 | $48,000 | $70,000 | $210,000 |
| Technology & Platform | $75,000 | $50,000 | $35,000 | $20,000 | $180,000 |
| Workshops & Events | $15,000 | $34,000 | $39,000 | $32,000 | $120,000 |
| Communications & Publications | $15,000 | $20,000 | $25,000 | $20,000 | $80,000 |
| Evaluation & Reporting | $5,000 | $8,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 | $38,000 |
| Indirect Costs | $20,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | $80,000 |
| Quarterly Total | $330,000 | $330,000 | $330,000 | $330,000 | $1,320,000 |
Budget section excerpt from the CSTX Grant Proposal draft. Verify all specifics against the official Notice of Funding Opportunity before submission.