Q: How will I know if CPB has received my proposal?
A: We will acknowledge by mail all proposals received on or prior to the Crossroads deadlines. If you do not receive a post card by mail from CPB, please inquire at crossroads@cpb.org.
Q: What is the best way of contacting the Crossroads staff?
A: The best way to contact members of the Crossroads staff is by e-mailing your questions or comments to crossroads@cpb.org.
Q: What type of genres/formats will be considered for grants?
A: Other than children's programming, all genres and formats, including drama and performance, are welcome. However, given our limited resources, our review process will weigh carefully the production value and potential impact of each proposal.
Q: What about children's programming?
A: CPB's Television Programming Department is currently developing a multi-million dollar history and civics initiative to explore ways in which public broadcasting can serve the learning needs of middle and high school students. We expect to announce this initiative in the late summer or fall 2004 through a Request for Proposals that will be posted on the CPB Web site.
Q: Are there any requirements regarding the participation of advisory board members or pre-proposal conference panelists as on-camera interview subjects?
A: No. There are no requirements for content other than the guidance contained in the RFP.
Q: If I am appearing as an expert in a documentary by another film maker related to September 11 issues, will I reduce the chances that my own Crossroads proposal will be successful? In other words, will I be competing against myself?
A: We will review each proposal on its own merits. Your participation in another film, as an on-air talent or in some other capacity, has no bearing on your own proposal.
Q. When will CPB award grants for Crossroads projects? Can you explain the mechanics of the proposal review process?
A. We hope to process all proposals and begin to award Crossroads R&D grants by the end of this calendar year. All grant related announcements will be posted on CPB's Web site.
The review stages will follow these general procedures:
Step 1 All proposals will be reviewed for their compliance with the specific criteria and requirements stated in the RFP (number of pages/copies, budget present, signed release letters, etc.). CPB will acknowledge by mail all proposals received at CPB.
Step 2 All proposals will be read, and given a preliminary review generally/collectively based on (1) the strength of the proposed idea and substance, (2) its potential to make good television, and (3) the demonstrated capacity of the producer/team to achieve its objective.
Step 3 Those proposals which are considered most competitive will be sent to a panel of at least two, but in many cases we anticipate three to five, outside readers. Generally, these readers will be chosen based on their expertise and ability to assess the film project's validity based on its substance (the importance, relevance, clarity of the theme/concept) and its technical merit (will it make good television). In addition, in this and each subsequent stage, proposals will be evaluated based on their adherence to standards of objectivity and balance and their compliance with journalistic standards. In keeping with standard practice in proposal competitions, the names of these readers will remain confidential.
Step 4 The Crossroads staff will evaluate the proposals based on the readers' comments, eliminate the less competitive proposals and select finalists. At this point or any other in the review process, CPB staff may contact an applicant to clarify questions regarding the proposal or to request samples of past work.
Step 5 Some finalists may be asked to pitch their proposal to CPB at this point or at other intersections of the review process.
Step 6 The finalists' proposals will be summarized and forwarded to the members of the Crossroads Advisory Board. Board members will review the summaries and advise the Crossroads staff of their views/recommendations as to the importance, relevance, and clarity of the individual proposals, as well as discuss their views as to the appropriate mix and balance of the larger Crossroads package.
CPB requests that applicants not contact members of the Advisory Board to discuss their proposal while proposals are under review.
Step 7 CPB will make final selections.
Q: Can a for-profit entity submit a proposal for consideration?
A: Yes. Please see section 3 on page 5 of the RFP.
Q: Can a single organization submit more than one proposal?
A: Yes. However, CPB does not encourage organizations to submit more than three or four proposals.
Q: Will transcripts or audio files of the pre-proposal conferences be available on the Web site?
A: Yes. The transcripts are posted on the Crossroads home page so that those who were not able to attend can have access to the information and ideas shared at the various meetings around the country.
Contact CPB
If you have more questions after reviewing the FAQs and the Crossroads RFP announcement, please contact crossroads@cpb.org. We will respond to you generally within five business days. Check these pages for the latest updates and project status information.