05-10-22 Presentation for Info Session for CN Request on PSR Pilot Program.pptx

Request for Concept Notes:

Operational Partners on the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Pilot Program

Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) 5/11/21

Overview of Presentation Background on Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) Pilot Program

Private Sponsor Entities Privately Sponsored Refugee Caseload

Concept Note Guidance

Concept Note Process Specific Guidelines – Core Components of Operational Infrastructure Application and Submission Instructions

Background:

PSR Pilot

PRM is launching a PSR pilot program in calendar year 2022 as part of PRM’s broader efforts to expand community sponsorship in refugee resettlement.

"Community sponsorship" is an umbrella term that describes different models of resettlement where refugees are paired with community groups who commit to provide clearly defined financial and/or in-kind contributions as well as volunteer services to support their welcome and integration in a local community.

"Private sponsorship" is a specific form of community sponsorship whereby private sponsors work independently to welcome refugee newcomers, accepting primary responsibility to provide core services and other core supports to newly arrived refugees to support their resettlement.

PRM seeks to partner with one or more non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to develop and manage the new operational infrastructure to launch the PSR pilot program and scale it over time.

Private Sponsor Entities

Private Sponsor Group: Groups of individual American citizens or permanent residents will be able to apply to sponsor the resettlement of a refugee or a refugee family to the United States.

Groups will be required to accept primary responsibility for providing core resettlement services and supports to the refugee(s) they are sponsoring, including raising a set amount of private funds to be spent on behalf of sponsored refugees.

Private Sponsor Organization: Established and/or incorporated organizations will be able to apply to mobilize, organize, oversee, and/or offer support to Private Sponsor Groups. Organizations can operate at a local, regional, or national level.

Please note that this request for concept notes is not intended to solicit proposals from organizations that are interested in participating in the PSR pilot program as Private Sponsor Organizations. Rather, this request for concept notes is focused on identifying partners who will work with PRM to cover the core underlying operational requirements for the PSR pilot program, including the screening, coordination, and technical support of participating Private Sponsor Organizations. A separate application process will be established for organizations that wish to participate as Private Sponsor Organizations as the PSR pilot program launches later this calendar year. However, funding will not be attached to the application process that is established for Private Sponsor Organizations.

Privately Sponsored Refugee Caseload

Matching Component: Approved Priority 1 (P-1) category cases already in the USRAP pipeline will be matched these with approved Private Sponsor Groups.

Identification Component: Private Sponsor Groups or Organizations will be permitted to identify refugees overseas to be referred to the USRAP through a new Priority 4 (P-4) category and apply to support their resettlement.

Identification will be subject to PRM criteria, including the Private Sponsor Group or Organization’s ties to that refugee and/or their specialized expertise, resources, and/or activities.

Concept Note Guidance:

Process

Process: This Request for Concept Notes is the first step in a two-part process. After reviewing concept notes, PRM will invite selected organizations to expand their concept notes into full proposals with detailed budgets.

Anticipated Timeframe: Within 2 months after the concept note submission deadline, PRM anticipates applicants will be notified.

Funding Floor/Ceiling: Concept note proposals must not be less than the funding floor per year ($500,000) and not more than the funding ceiling per year ($5,000,000).

Proposals can be single year or multi-year (up to a maximum of three years).

Specific Guidelines

Concept notes must propose activities addressing at least one or more of the following core components of operational infrastructure for the PSR pilot:

Application and Screening: Develop/manage application process to receive, screen, and approve applications for Private Sponsor Groups and/or Organizations.

Matching and Placement: Develop and manage a procedure for matching refugee cases to approved Private Sponsor Groups and assessing appropriate placement locations.

Sponsor Training and Support: Prepare Private Sponsor Groups and provide support to both sponsors and sponsored refugees throughout the sponsorship period.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Data Collection/Analysis: Monitor and evaluate the activities of Private Sponsor Groups over the sponsorship period.

Public Mobilization: Mobilize participation in the PSR pilot program by encouraging individuals to form Private Sponsor Groups and/or recruiting Private Sponsor Organizations.

Technical Assistance to Organizations: Provide technical assistance to Private Sponsor Organizations and support the establishment of cohesive private sponsorship infrastructure.

For the six components of operational infrastructure outlined above, PRM will prioritize concept notes that propose to establish operations that could support both the matching and identification components of the PSR pilot program (e.g., PRM is interested in proposals to establish an application process that can handle applications from Private Sponsor Groups that are participating in both the matching and identification components of the pilot program, rather than an application process that can only cover the matching component). PRM will also prioritize concept notes that propose activities that can engage a broad, diverse range of Private Sponsor Groups and Organizations.

Specific Guidelines

7. Specialized Operations for Identification Component: Develop and manage specialized, dedicated operations that may be required to facilitate specific pathways through the identification component of the PSR pilot program.

Specialized and dedicated operations that may be needed to establish and facilitate specific pathways for refugees sponsored through the identification component of the PSR pilot program:

e.g., an education-based sponsorship pathway where higher education institutions would identify, refer, and sponsor refugee students who wish to attend U.S. colleges and universities;

or a labor mobility sponsorship pathway where private sector organizations would identify, refer, and sponsor skilled refugees.

Concept notes proposing such activities should articulate the rationale for why specialized operations are needed and a vision of how such operations will integrate into or complement the broader private sponsorship system.

Eligible Applicants:

Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with IRS Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with IRS Private or public and state-controlled institutions of higher education

Consortia Applicants: Consortia may apply. PRM considers consortia to be a group of no fewer than three NGOs.

Number of Concept Note Applications Organizations may submit a maximum of two concept notes per organization only.

Submissions by organizations as part of a consortium do not count toward an individual organization’s submission limit.

Application Package: Package (including templates) can be downloaded from www.grants.gov:

Concept Note - maximum of 4 pages (or 5 pages if consortia) as PDF Description of proposed activities to address specific component of operational infrastructure, including duration and implementation plan Proposed measurable outcomes and impact of the program Summary of the organization(s) and experience doing similar work Budget Summary - single page in Excel SF-424, SF-424 A, and SF-424 B Forms (as applicable)

Concept Note Submission deadline: Monday, June 20, 2022, at 11:59:59 p.m. EDT.

Questions If we have already submitted a proposal to another PRM Funding Opportunity, are we permitted to submit a proposal for this Funding Opportunity?

If applying as a consortium, must all organizations submit the SF-424 family of forms and provide a valid UEI or just the main applicant?

Are Public International Organizations permitted to apply to this Funding Opportunity (on their own and/or in partnership with other NGOs)?

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