00 - APS Impacts COVID-19 - Upd 6.23.2021.pdf

U.S. Department of State Notice of Funding Opportunity

Federal Awarding Agency: U.S. Department of State

Program Office: Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, International Programs Section

Funding Opportunity Title: TIP Office Annual Program Statement to Address Impacts of COVID-19

Announcement Type: TIP Office Annual Program Statement to Address Impacts of COVID-19

Funding Opportunity: SFOP0007233 Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance Number(s): 19.019 Deadline for Applications: April 15, 2022, 5:00pm EDT

FULL TEXT OF NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

This announcement is specifically focused on addressing short-term, targeted needs related to COVID-19 and human trafficking. The Department of State is rising daily to meet the historic challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, all over the world. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, traffickers continue to operate to ensure victims are not free to choose where they live, how they work, or who has access to their bodies.

Economic uncertainty, movement restrictions, lockdowns, and disruptions to state services have made the most vulnerable more vulnerable. Traffickers are capitalizing on the chaos of the pandemic, finding ways to increase their exploitation. As government and philanthropic efforts and resources are stretched to respond to the pandemic, financial support for anti-trafficking efforts is limited. The TIP Office recognizes the impact COVID-19 has on efforts to combat human trafficking, and seeks to address the specific short-term challenges that have arisen from the pandemic.

The Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in

Persons (TIP Office) announces an open competition for funding to address the impacts of COVID-19 on efforts to combat human trafficking and support government measures to counter human trafficking outside the United States.

The Annual Program Statement is an open-ended, annual funding opportunity to generate competition for new awards. The Annual Program Statement is open for an extended period of time (August 14, 2020 – April 15, 2022), during which U.S.-based and foreign non-profits, non-governmental organizations (including faith-based organizations), public international organizations, institutes of higher education, and for-profit entities can submit applications at any time. The TIP Office allocated up to $3.5 million for Series 1 – 4 and plans to allocate additional funding as needed and available for Series 5 – 7 due to the ongoing urgent needs related to the impacts of COVID-19 and related mitigation measures. The TIP Office will continue to issue awards on a regular basis to address the rapidly changing needs and opportunities. Applicants may submit applications for no less than $100,000 to work in one or more countries that directly aligns with the programming priorities listed in this announcement. This announcement is specifically focused on projects that address short-term targeted needs related to COVID-19 and human trafficking.

The TIP Office will evaluate any applications submitted against the evaluation criteria several times throughout the year on a quarterly basis as indicated in the below table:

Applications Received Before Estimated Review Process

Anticipated Award

Series 1 5:00pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on September 30, 2020

Oct – Dec 2020 December 2020 / January 2021

Series 2 5:00pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on December 30, 2020

Jan – Mar 2021 March 2021

Series 3 5:00pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 15, 2021

Apr – Jun 2021 June 2021

Series 4 5:00pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on June 30, 2021

Jul – Sept 2021 September 2021

Series 5 5:00pm on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on September 30, Sept – Dec 2021 December 2021 / January 2022

Series 6 5:00pm on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on December 15, Jan – Mar 2022 March 2022

Series 7 5:00pm on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 15, 2022

Apr – Jun 2022 June 2022

All applicants will be notified regarding their application status as soon as a decision is made.

Applicants may submit more than one application but should note that the TIP Office will prioritize funding for applications that address the greatest need and are mostly likely to make a positive impact. Applicants should not propose the same concept more than once under this funding opportunity.

All applications selected for funding will be awarded pending the availability of appropriated funds.

Applicants must review and incorporate the Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office Full Proposals (COVID Fund), which includes guidance on preparing proposed project documents, as well as program design standards that must be incorporated into any program and or project design. This guidance is available on the TIP Office website

(https://www.state.gov/guidelines-for-submitting-full-project-proposals-fp/), SAMS Domestic, and grants.gov.

Applications must be submitted via SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants). The final date for submitting an application under this funding opportunity is 5:00pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 15, 2022. Applicants may submit applications at any time and they will be reviewed on a quarterly basis until the final submission date. If an organization experiences difficulty submitting an application near the deadline, their application will only be considered if the applicant opened a ticket with the SAMS Domestic help desk to resolve the problem prior to the deadline. A ticket with the help desk can be opened by calling 1- (888)-313-4567 (toll free for international callers) or logging a ticket through the ILMS Self Service Portal (https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home). To be competitive under this funding opportunity, applicants must be fully responsive to all directions in this document.

All questions related to applications under this funding opportunity MUST be sent to JTIPGrants@state.gov.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 USC 7101 et seq.), as amended (TVPA), established the TIP Office in the U.S. Department of State. The TIP Office leads the United States’ global engagement on the fight against human trafficking and seeks partnerships with foreign governments, civil society organizations, and multilateral organizations to https://www.state.gov/guidelines-for-submitting-full-project-proposals-fp/ https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fafsitsm.serivce-now.com%2Films%2Fhome&data=02%7C01%7CVerlaqueMR%40state.gov%7C4dc77b22448245fdc62b08d833fa443a%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637316497258315503&sdata=csaR8NfRpyw7WtLN9WCJNWF4MEJG%2B2pJEZco0D0W6wA%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fafsitsm.serivce-now.com%2Films%2Fhome&data=02%7C01%7CVerlaqueMR%40state.gov%7C4dc77b22448245fdc62b08d833fa443a%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637316497258315503&sdata=csaR8NfRpyw7WtLN9WCJNWF4MEJG%2B2pJEZco0D0W6wA%3D&reserved=0 mailto:JTIPGrants@state.gov combat modern slavery through the “3P” paradigm: prosecuting traffickers through victim-centered and trauma-informed law enforcement, protecting trafficking victims through proactive identification and the provision of comprehensive, trauma-informed care, and preventing trafficking in persons by making it more difficult or risky for traffickers to commit the crime. The

TIP Office also recognizes the importance of partnerships and collaborative efforts with relevant governmental, non-governmental stakeholders in anti-trafficking work. TIP Office programs and projects combat human trafficking—a crime involving compelling a person to work or engage in a commercial sex act through the traffickers use of force, fraud, or coercion. It should be noted that when a person younger than 18 is used to perform a commercial sex act, it is a crime regardless of whether there is any force, fraud, or coercion. The two primary forms of human trafficking are sex trafficking and forced labor.

The U.S. government defines “trafficking in persons” as:

• Sex Trafficking – encompasses the range of activities involved when a trafficker uses force, fraud, or coercion to compel another person to engage in a commercial sex act or causes a child to engage in a commercial sex act.

• Forced Labor – also referred to as “labor trafficking,” encompasses the range of activities involved when a person uses force, fraud, or coercion to obtain the labor or services of another person.

Trafficking in persons does not require the movement of a person. Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) and generally consistent with the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (Palermo Protocol), individuals may be trafficking victims regardless of whether they once consented, they participated in unlawful acts their traffickers compelled them to commit, someone transported them into the exploitative situation, or they were simply born into a state of servitude. The TIP Office will not support projects that use alternate definitions of trafficking.

The TVPA requires that the Department of State submit to Congress an annual report assessing the efforts of governments to address trafficking in persons. The annual TIP Report is the primary tool for the Department’s engagement with other governments on human trafficking and informs U.S.

policy and assistance priorities to combat this crime. The 2021 TIP Report is available on the TIP Office website at: https://www.state.gov/bureaus-https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-civilian-security-democracy-and-human-rights/office-to-monitor-and-combat-trafficking-in-persons/ offices/under-secretary-for-civilian-security-democracy-and-human-rights/office-to-monitor-and-combat-trafficking-in-persons/.

Since 2000, when the United Nations adopted the Palermo Protocol and the United States enacted the TVPA, the number of parties to the Protocol has reached 178. In addition, 154 countries have criminalized all forms of trafficking, and many countries have established specialized law enforcement units, set up trafficking victim assistance mechanisms, and launched public awareness campaigns. Nonetheless, the number of victims identified and assisted and the number of traffickers investigated, prosecuted, and convicted remain low relative to the size of the problem; and governments face continued challenges in effectively implementing new anti-trafficking legal and policy frameworks.

The TIP Office works to address these challenges through its foreign assistance programs. Information on U.S. government anti-trafficking efforts is available at https://www.state.gov/j/tip/response/index.htm and a summary of international projects currently funded by the TIP Office is available at https://www.state.gov/j/tip/intprog/index.htm.

Applicants are expected to submit proposals that reflect an understanding of victim-centered survivor-informed approaches to anti-trafficking activities, and identify and provide victims with trauma-informed and comprehensive services.

Victim-Centered Approach Placing the crime victim’s priorities, needs, and interests at the center of the work with the victim; providing nonjudgmental assistance, with an emphasis on client self-determination, where appropriate, and assisting victims in making informed choices; ensuring that restoring victims’ feelings of safety and security is a priority and safeguarding against policies and practices that may inadvertently re-traumatize victims; ensuring that victims’ rights, voices, and perspectives are incorporated when developing and implementing system- and community-based efforts that impact crime victims.

Trauma-Informed Approach

A trauma-informed approach includes an understanding of the vulnerabilities and experiences of trauma survivors, including the prevalence and the physical, social, and emotional impact of trauma. This approach https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-civilian-security-democracy-and-human-rights/office-to-monitor-and-combat-trafficking-in-persons/ https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-civilian-security-democracy-and-human-rights/office-to-monitor-and-combat-trafficking-in-persons/ https://www.state.gov/j/tip/response/index.htm https://www.state.gov/j/tip/intprog/index.htm recognizes signs of trauma in individuals and the professionals who help them and responds by integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, practices, and settings. Trauma-informed approaches place a priority on restoring the survivor’s feelings of safety, choice, and control.

Programs, services, agencies, and communities can be trauma-informed.

Comprehensive Services An array of services that should be made available to a trafficking victim. At a minimum, these services include shelter; intensive case management;

safety planning; crisis intervention; victim advocacy; legal assistance;

mental health treatment, including individual and group counseling; support in family reunification and community reintegration; medical care; dental care; substance abuse treatment; assistance with educational and/or vocational needs; life skills training; transportation; and other necessary services. These services should be made available for victims identified under this initiative in coordination with other existing governmental resources.

Survivor-Informed Approach A program, policy, intervention, or product that is designed, implemented, and evaluated with intentional leadership, expertise and input from a diverse community of survivors to ensure that the program, policy, intervention, or product accurately represents their needs, interests, and perceptions.

Annual Program Statement to Address the Impacts of COVID-19

This announcement is specifically focused on addressing short-term targeted needs related to COVID-19 and human trafficking. The TIP Office recognizes the pressures governments and civil society organizations are under to combat human trafficking and manage the impacts of COVID-19.

While there will be lasting effects from the impacts of COVID-19 globally including increased vulnerability to trafficking, this announcement is targeted specifically to address short-term targeted needs related to COVID- 19 and human trafficking.

Most importantly, applications should demonstrate a clear urgent need related to the impacts of COVID-19 and human trafficking beyond the general increased vulnerability of populations with specific targeted activities. Applicants should consider proposing projects with a geographic or demographic focus within the technical approach.

While the TIP Office highly recommends applicants develop and propose their own activities, below are a few examples of the types of situations and activities that could be proposed under this announcement.

Examples of situations and activities to respond to the funding opportunity may include, but are not limited to:

• Situation 1: Country A has sent 25,000 migrant workers back to Country B for a variety of COVID-19 related reasons. Country B is enforcing these migrants to remain in quarantine camps on the border in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Traffickers have been targeting these quarantine centers and officials have noted an increase in TIP cases by 64% from March to August 2020. Civil society organizations suspect there are more, but lack the resources to screen and refer identified individuals. The TIP Office would consider funding an initiative that trains frontline health care workers or border officials working in these camps to identify victims of trafficking, refer cases of trafficking, and provide services to identified individuals. The TIP Office would not consider funding a request solely for hygiene kits and blankets for these camps or to develop a National Referral Mechanism.

• Situation 2: Country A has identified three new routes from rural to urban areas traffickers are using during the pandemic to adjust to quarantines or formal border closures. Government officials are working to increase identification in these areas, but once individuals are identified they do not have to capacity to get these individuals immediate support due to the location. Government officials have identified a space to provide shelter to these individuals in the long-term, but need qualified service providers to provide immediate assistance until the shelter is completed. The TIP Office would consider funding temporary support for service providers in this area to provide immediate assistance and support the transport of these individuals to areas with more comprehensive care until the shelter is complete. The TIP Office would not consider funding the construction of a new shelter in this area.

Below are also broader examples of general activities that could be included in a technical approach. If these activities are incorporated into an application, the focus should be specific and targeted in geographic areas or demographic populations most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Examples of activities may include, but are not limited to:

• Activities that support victim identification and screening efforts by:

o Assisting governments to better screen and identify victims of trafficking among specific communities made more vulnerable as a result of COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders;

o Working closely with source and destination governments to increase human trafficking screening procedures in the workplace, particularly for migrant workers who face increased vulnerability to exploitation by traffickers as the economy reopens;

o Facilitating the safe self-identification of victims;

• Activities that support collaborative cross-border case management with law enforcement by:

o Assisting governments with the repatriation of identified survivors of trafficking who may not have the capacity due to

COVID-19;

• Activities that provide access to services and resources for victims and survivors that may have decreased as a result of COVID-19 and government responses;

• Activities that respond to emerging evidence on increased types of trafficking as a result of COVID-19 by:

o Addressing the surge in traffickers using the internet to abuse of their victims by working with governments to identify and crack down on these types of cybercrimes.

Applicants should not propose the following activities:

• Funding to combat longer term human trafficking efforts not directly impacted by COVID-19 (e.g. National Referral Mechanisms, National

Action Plans, legislative changes, etc.);

• Funding that solely requests resources and humanitarian support, such as funding for personal protective equipment, not directly related to combating trafficking;

• Activities focusing on promoting the economy to improve employment opportunities for vulnerable populations, such as livelihood sustainability or micro-loans;

• Activities solely to improve national frameworks, such as National

Action Plans;

• Activities solely focused on convening conferences or coordination events;

• Stand-alone public awareness campaigns and/or public awareness events;

• Activities that duplicate or supplant the efforts of local, state, federal authorities, or other NGOs.

• Funding for salaries or equipment for government officials;

• Activities to lobby for specific legislation or programs;

• Study tours, individual scholarships, or exchange projects; and

• Fundraising campaigns.

The TIP Office has identified several projects for funding under this initiative. To learn more about the projects identified for funding, kindly see the project descriptions on the TIP Office website (https://www.state.gov/tip-office-response-to-covid-19/).

Applicants may propose their own countries or regions to work outside the

United States, keeping in mind the TIP Office generally prioritizes foreign assistance in those countries assessed below Tier 1 on the annual TIP Report and where governments demonstrate political will, but lack the economic resources or anti-trafficking expertise to effectively address the problem.

The TIP Report is available on the TIP Office website (https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-civilian-security-democracy-and-human-rights/office-to-monitor-and-combat-trafficking-in-persons/).

Applicants may propose to work in one or more countries, but when selecting countries applicants should consider a country’s income level as indicated by the World Bank, tier ranking as indicated by the TIP Report, and other anti-trafficking funding.

The TIP Office may fund activities in developed countries, but the use of foreign assistance funding to benefit a developed country requires additional review. Applicants should ensure that inclusion of developed countries is responsive to the TIP Office's programming objectives. The TIP Office considers developed countries to be those designed as high income by the https://www.state.gov/tip-office-response-to-covid-19/ https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-civilian-security-democracy-and-human-rights/office-to-monitor-and-combat-trafficking-in-persons/ https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-civilian-security-democracy-and-human-rights/office-to-monitor-and-combat-trafficking-in-persons/ https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-civilian-security-democracy-and-human-rights/office-to-monitor-and-combat-trafficking-in-persons/

World Bank using the gross national income (GNI) per capita (Atlas method https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519). The current threshold for high-income countries (based on 2019 data) is a GNI per capita of $12,536 or more.

Any funds awarded under this funding opportunity will be provided through a grant or cooperative agreement. While a typical grant provides for involvement between the agency and award recipient, a cooperative agreement provides for substantial involvement between the agency and the award recipient during the award’s period of performance. Substantial involvement by the TIP Office in this award will include the approval of all projects selected for sub-awards with funding awarded under this funding opportunity. Other examples of substantial involvement by the TIP Office may include, but are not limited to, reviewing and approving project materials, training curricula, and evaluation plans.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

Organizations eligible to apply include U.S.-based and foreign non-profits, non-governmental organizations (including faith-based organizations), for-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, and public international organizations (PIOs). For-profit organizations are not permitted to generate profits from grant-funded activities. U.S. government agencies may respond to this opportunity with applications for proposed projects that would be funded through an Interagency Acquisition Agreement. While foreign governments are not eligible to apply, governments may be beneficiaries of projects provided that funding does not pay salaries of government agency personnel and that such assistance is not restricted by U.S. law or policy.

Organizations currently receiving funds from the TIP Office may apply for additional funding under the present funding opportunity. The eligibility requirements for applying to this funding opportunity do not restrict applicants from receiving other sources of funding from the United States government, including funding from other bureaus within the Department of

State. However, related U.S. government funding must be identified in the application. Applicants should demonstrate experience administering https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519 successful projects—preferably in human trafficking or related areas and in the identified country or sub-region.

Under this funding opportunity, applicants may partner with other organizations in submitting application(s). Applicants partnering with other organizations must identify the prime applicant, and the applicant may designate one or more partner organizations as sub-recipients. Please note, all mandatory terms and conditions for a successful applicant also apply to any sub-awards awarded.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing, cost matching, and cost participation are not required to carry out a project under this funding opportunity. While not required, applicants can propose to include voluntary cost-share. Applications that include voluntary cost share will not be evaluated differently than other applications. Applicants voluntarily proposing cost share must read the instructions below regarding budget documents that are required to be submitted under this announcement. Applicants should list the cost share amount in the SF-424 under Section C - 8b and Section D - 14.

3. Other

The TIP Office is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all its projects and activities. The TIP Office welcomes applications irrespective of race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status.

D. APPLICATION INFORMATION AND RESTRICTIONS

1. Address to Request Application Package

All applications must be submitted via SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ilms/portal_login.do). The final submission date for an application to be submitted under this announcement is by 5:00p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 15, 2022. Applicants may submit applications at any time and they will be reviewed on a quarterly basis until the final submission date. The TIP Office will NOT accept applications or updated documents submitted by any other method, including email, fax, the postal system, delivery companies, couriers, or U.S.

embassies. Applicants may submit more than one application for the same country per series review to address different priorities; however, each application should only be submitted once.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to initiate electronic applications early in the application development process and to the application in advance of the deadline. This will aid in addressing any problems with submissions prior to the application deadline. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps to submit applications on SAMS Domestic.

Applications Submitted Through SAMS Domestic

Organizations using SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ilms/portal_login.do) for the first time must register on the SAMS Domestic site to create a New Applicant account as soon as possible. This application step must be completed before an application can be submitted.

To register with SAMS Domestic, follow the “create an account” link and complete the “SAMS Domestic User Registration Request” application form.

Users will receive an email requesting account verification. This verification step must be completed before an application can be submitted.

If the applicant has previously received funding from the Department of State, please contact JTIPGrants@state.gov after the user account has been created to ensure the account is associated with the correct organization. If an applicant has not previously received funding from the Department of State, the TIP Office cannot associate a new account in SAMS Domestic to an organization. Please note a new user account does not need to be associated with an organization in order to submit an application. Electronic applications submitted via SAMS Domestic must contain completed SF-424 online forms and documents specified in this funding opportunity.

To upload the application, go to SAMS Domestic, select “Apply, then Funding Opportunities,” and select the “Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Programs” funding opportunity. Select the “Apply

Here” button, enter the applicant organization’s information, and click Save.

Complete each section of the application in the corresponding section of the https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ilms/portal_login.do

Additional Documents to Be Submitted Tab: Online Standard Forms (SF- 424, SF-424 A, SF-424 B) and Project Narrative.

Please ensure that you select the box, “allow anyone in my organization to edit this proposal”, to ensure members of your organization have access to edit this proposal.

For assistance with SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ilms/portal_login.do), please contact the ILMS Support Desk at 1-888-313-4567 (toll free for international callers) or submit a ticket using the ILMS Self Service Portal (https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home). Customer Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please note support hours may change on

Federal holidays. Please direct questions regarding the process of uploading applications to Customer Support. Technical difficulties not resolved by the Support Desk by the time of submission must be fully documented and reported to the TIP Office at JTIPGrants@state.gov. Please do not contact any other U.S. Department of State personnel.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Applications must address the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity to be considered for funding. All required documents submitted must be written in the English language using documents with one-inch margins formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper only unless otherwise stated. All documents should use text that is black-colored in Times New Roman font.

The required project narrative template is set to a 27,000 character limit with Times New Roman font. Spaces, footnotes, and charts are included within the character limit. Please not that applicants must type within the grey box in the project narrative template. Any application that does not submit the required templates, exceeds the character limit, or submits documents other than those required will fail the technical review. All budget figures should be in U.S. dollars.

To be considered under this funding announcement, applications must include the following documents in the required templates (on SAMS Domestic):

• Online Forms - SF 424, SF 424A, and SF 424B.

• Project Narrative – Required template available on SAMS Domestic (This has template 27,000 character limit).

https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fafsitsm.serivce-now.com%2Films%2Fhome&data=02%7C01%7CVerlaqueMR%40state.gov%7C4dc77b22448245fdc62b08d833fa443a%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637316497258315503&sdata=csaR8NfRpyw7WtLN9WCJNWF4MEJG%2B2pJEZco0D0W6wA%3D&reserved=0

• Annex A: Results Performance Monitoring Plan – Required template available on SAMS Domestic (formerly known as the logical framework).

• Annex B: Budget Summary – Required template on SAMS Domestic.

• Annex C: Line-item Budget – Required template on SAMS

Domestic.

• Optional Annex: Chart or Graphs Submitted in One Page (Optional) o Due to the format restrictions, applicants may submit an optional one-page annex to the project narrative for charts or graphs.

Applicants are not allowed to submit additional documents at this time.

Any additional documents submitted will result in the failure of the technical review process and applications that submitted additional documents will not be reviewed programmatically.

If selected for funding and upon request from the TIP Office, applicants will be required to submit additional documents, including, but not limited to, a project performance monitoring workplan, project budget narrative, project common performance indicators, resumes/CVs for key personnel of the project, letters of intent to cooperate on project activities (if applicable), certification of training requirement for victim assistance personnel (is applicable), and NICRA (if applicable).

Applicants will fail the technical review if applications:

• Do not address COVID-19 and human trafficking;

• Do not submit applications by the indicated submission deadline;

• Do not submit applications in the English language;

• Do not use the required templates in SAMS Domestic;

• Submit documents in PDF files;

• Include a project narrative longer than 27,000 characters;

• Include additional documents outside of the SF 424, SF 424 A, SF 424 B, project narrative, one-page optional annex, project results monitoring plan, project budget summary, project line-item budget;

• Include an optional one-page annex to the project narrative for charts and graphs that is longer than one page.

Please reference the Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office Full Proposals (COVID Fund) when preparing an application. The document includes guidelines for proposed project documents, as well as program design standards, that must be incorporated into any application submitted under this funding opportunity. Applicants must review and incorporate the

Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office Full Proposals (COVID Fund), including the program design standards. This guidance is available on the TIP Office website, SAMS Domestic, and grants.gov.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM – Required

A valid Unique Entity Identifier [formerly the Data Universal Numbering

System (DUNS)] is not required for submission of an application on SAMS Domestic; however, a valid UEI number is required for organizations selected for an award. Organizations should verify their UEI number or take the steps needed to obtain one as soon as possible. Instructions for obtaining a UEI number can be found at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

All selected applicants will be required to register with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov/SAM/) and/or maintain an active registration prior to award issuance. Organizations that have SAM.gov accounts must log in at least once every 13 months (395 days) to maintain an active registration. Please reactivate any accounts that have become inactive when submitting proposals.

The application process is not complete until the applicant receives notification from SAMS Domestic that its application has been validated and forwarded to the granting agency (the TIP Office). Please allow sufficient time before the deadline for entering the application into these systems and to troubleshoot any issues. It is the responsibility of the applicant to monitor its application to ensure that it is successfully received and validated.

4. Submission Dates and Times

This Annual Program Statement is open for an extended period of time (August 14 – April 15, 2022) for applications to be submitted on a quarterly basis.

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform

All applications submitted will undergo a technical review process to determine if the application meets the minimum requirements stated above.

Applications that successfully pass the technical review will be submitted for a thorough programmatic review process according to the criteria stated in this funding opportunity.

All applications must be submitted via SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ilms/portal_login.do) and no applications will be considered for funding after 5:00p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 15, 2022. Applicants may submit applications at any time and they will be reviewed on a quarterly basis until the final submission date. To be competitive under this funding opportunity, applicants must be fully responsive to all directions in this document.

5. Funding Restrictions

Construction The TIP Office restricts the use of Federal assistance for construction purposes. Construction costs are defined as non-major costs for rearrangement and alteration or reconversion or renovation of facilities. Construction would include ordinary or normal alterations, restoration or rehabilitation such as any work that modifies buildings and/or grounds. This includes but is not limited to adding, replacing, modifying, relocating, removing, or painting doors, walls, windows, flooring or the alterations of ceilings, adding on to or dividing existing space or work on any building utility system, electrical, plumbing, ventilation, air conditioning, controls systems, fire alarms, fire sprinklers, security systems and telecommunication equipment. Federal assistance funds cannot be used for capital improvements unless specifically approved in advance by the TIP

Office.

Equipment and Supplies Equipment is herein defined as an article of non-expendable, tangible, personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost in excess of $5,000. Please note that if equipment costs are included in an application, the organization must retain ownership of all equipment obtained throughout the lifetime of the federal award. (This includes any equipment funded with cost sharing or matching funds.) At the end of the award, you must complete federal SF-428 forms in order for the TIP Office Grants Officer to evaluate whether the item(s) be retained, https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants sold, or disposed of without any further obligation to the Department of State.

Supplies are herein defined as all tangible personal property other than those described in Equipment. Note that if there is a residual inventory of unused supplies exceeding $5,000 in total aggregate value upon completion of the project and the supplies are not needed for any other Federal award, your entity must retain the supplies for use on other activities or sell them, but must, in either case, compensate the Department of State for its share. The amount of compensation will be computed in the same manner as for Equipment.

Foreign assistance funds may not benefit countries or entities that are not eligible recipients of United States foreign assistance or for which there are applicable assistance restrictions. Applicants shall work with the Department of State to ensure that any applicable restrictions and requirements are addressed prior to awarding any sub-awards.

6. Other Submission Requirements

All applications under this funding opportunity must be submitted via

SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ilms/portal_login.do). The TIP Office will not accept application materials by email.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria

Reviewers will evaluate applications based on their own merits. Reviewers will use the below evaluation criteria, which are based off the programming priorities and the Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office Full Proposals (COVID Fund) (https://www.state.gov/guidelines-for-submitting-full-project-proposals-fp/). Applicants must review the below criteria to fully understand how applications will be reviewed and evaluated for potential funding. The following criteria will be used to evaluate applications and are listed in order of descending priority. Parenthetical references are directly linked to the Program Design Standards in the Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office Full Proposals (COVID Fund).

https://www.state.gov/guidelines-for-submitting-full-project-proposals-fp/ https://www.state.gov/guidelines-for-submitting-full-project-proposals-fp/

Addressing Urgent Needs The problem statement demonstrates the urgent need for the proposed activities and how these anti-trafficking efforts directly link to the impacts of COVID-19. The application clearly identifies a timeframe for how long the urgent need may persist and how this aligns with the proposed activities under the project.

Articulation of the Problem Statement The application’s problem statement and project goal fits within intent of the funding opportunity to address the impacts of COVID-19 and human trafficking (Alignment). The application demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of the country context and problem or problems that need to be solved. Applicants demonstrate strong knowledge of human trafficking issues and the trafficking context in the country or sub-region where the project would take place. There is a logical or evidence-based connection between the problem statement and the proposed activities. The change that is sought and the goal is relevant to the current context (Relevance).

Project Planning and Ability to Make Change The application’s technical approach is not external and incorporates national ownership in some way. Success of the project is clearly articulated. Objectives articulate one concept each (One Concept) and state the target population central to achieving change and activities engage those with the power to support/prevent the change (Target Population). As appropriate, applications obtain input and expertise from survivor employees/experts in developing the project and/or propose survivor-led organizations as sub-grantees or partners. The application incorporates the identification, assessment and management of key risk factors (included but not limited to physical safety, cyber security, programmatic operating environment, and organizational structure) (Plausibility). Ambiguous terms are clearly defined (Clarity).

Institutional Record and Capacity The application establishes the applicant’s ability to implement the anti-trafficking project in the specific country or sub-region. For prior recipients of both TIP Office and other U.S. government funding, the TIP Office will consider the past performance on awards. For new applicants, the TIP Office will evaluate the organizations potential to successfully implement a project. Applicant is able to adhere to the rules and regulations that govern

U.S. foreign assistance. Applicant identifies well-qualified key personnel to manage the project and oversee implementation.

Sustainability Sustainability may be relevant for some project proposals as it relates to the impacts of COVID-19 and TIP. Sustainability explains how the project’s specific outcomes will be sustained after the project ends. Sustainability is the ability of a local system to produce desired outcomes over time.

Discrete projects contribute to sustainability when they strengthen the system’s ability to produce valued results and its ability to be both resilient and adaptive in the face of changing circumstances.

Local Partnerships

Public International Organizations and/or applicants not based in the proposed region describe any existing or proposed partnerships with in-country stakeholders. Applications demonstrate a clear understanding of the role that local organizations and governmental institutions play in combating human trafficking and describe how they will coordinate with local partners to increase sustainability and to ensure programming is context appropriate.

In cases where an applicant chooses not to partner with a local organization or institution the application must clearly explain why. Applicants should also indicate any local government partners that may be involved in the project and their role in developing and implementing activities.

Coordination with Other Donors and Programs The TIP Office encourages coordination among donors and implementers.

The application identifies related projects or activities that the applicant may already be implementing or planning. Information shall include a brief description of the programming, information on its funder, and a description of how the proposed project would complement and avoid duplicating current or planned activities.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

Applications include a theory of change that is clearly articulated (Clarity).

Project narrative explains how monitoring and evaluation will be carried out and who will be responsible for monitoring and evaluation activities.

External midterm and/or final evaluation should be detailed and if not included then the applicant should share why this is the case.

Budget Detail and Cost Effectiveness:

The overhead and administrative components of the application are well explained and justified. All costs should be necessary and appropriate to the execution of the project. The presentation of each line item and corresponding budget narrative demonstrates that the organization’s efforts will be consistent with sound financial management practices. If cost share is offered, it is shown and broken down into the required budget categories.

2. Review and Selection Process

This Annual Program Statement is an open-ended, annual funding opportunity to generate competition for new awards. It is open for an extended period of time (August 14, 2020 – April 15, 2022) for applications to be submitted on a rolling basis. Applications may be submitted at any time during the year. Applications will be reviewed four times throughout the year on the below schedule.

The TIP Office will evaluate any applications submitted by the following four dates against the evaluation criteria:

Applications Received Before Estimated Review Process

Anticipated Award

Series 1 5:00pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on September 30, 2020

Oct – Dec 2020 December 2020 / January 2021

Series 2 5:00pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on December 30, 2020

Jan – Mar 2021 March 2021

Series 3 5:00pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 15, 2021

Apr – Jun 2021 June 2021

Series 4 5:00pm Eastern Daylight Time

(EDT) on June 30, 2021

Jul – Sept 2021 September 2021

Series 5 5:00pm on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on September 30, Sept – Dec 2021 December 2021 / January 2022

Series 6 5:00pm on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on December 15, Jan – Mar 2022 March 2022

Series 7 5:00pm on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 15, 2022

Apr – Jun 2022 June 2022

*All applicants will be notified regarding their application status as soon as a decision is made.

Applications will be screened to determine whether they meet the technical requirements stated in this announcement. Applications will be deemed ineligible during the technical review process and will not be considered for funding if they: (1) do not address the impacts of COVID-19 on trafficking in persons; (2) propose an activity not considered competitive under this funding opportunity; and/or (3) do not meet the technical review requirements listed in this funding opportunity.

Applications that pass the technical review will proceed to a programmatic content review by representatives of the TIP Office COVID-19 Working Group and other U.S. Government colleagues with specific geographic and thematic expertise. Reviewers will consider each application based on its own merit in accordance with the evaluation criteria established in this funding opportunity. Following the technical and programmatic content review, representatives of the TIP Office COVID-19 Working Group will present recommendations to the Ambassador-at-Large of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons for consideration. Any applications submitted under this funding opportunity may be shared with other U.S. Government colleagues for potential funding.

Please note, with the exception of technical submission questions during the funding process, U.S. Department of State staff in Washington and overseas shall not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire review process has been completed and rejection and approval letters have been transmitted. All questions related to the funding process and content of this funding opportunity must be submitted via email to JTIPGrants@state.gov.

3. Pre-Award Risk Assessment

Applicants will be subject to a TIP Office risk assessment process that may include a pre-award site visit. The assessment may consider a variety of risk factors, including: (1) financial stability of applicants; (2) quality of management systems and ability to meet prescribed management standards;

(3) past performance in managing previous federal awards, if applicable, including compliance with reporting requirements, and conformance to award terms and conditions; (4) reports and findings from available audits;

and (5) applicant ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements applicable to non-federal entities.

4. Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)

For any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity, if the Federal awarding agency anticipates that the total Federal share will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold on any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity may include, over the period of performance (see §200.88 Simplified Acquisition Threshold), this section must also inform applicants:

i. That the Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. §2313);

ii. That an applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM; and,

iii. That the Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

5. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

The TIP Office anticipates making a decision on applications on a quarterly basis and will notify all applicants of their application status at that time through JTIPGrants@state.gov. Shortly after applications are selected, the Program Advisors at the TIP Office will work with the selected organization(s) to clarify aspects of their application and award the funds.

All funding decisions are conditional until a final award is signed by both the TIP Office and the applicant selected to receive the award.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

Fo…