FINAL NOFO - DSR PPP Grant (7.27.20).pdf

United States Department of State

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) – SAMS Domestic

Announcement Type: Request for Federal Assistance Awards Applications

Public Opportunity Title: Strengthening Private Sector Engagement to Counter

Synthetic Drug Trafficking

NOFO Opportunity Number: SFOP0007230

Catalog of Federal Domestic 19.704 – Counter-narcotics

Funding Amount: Not to exceed the total amount of $1,400,000 U.S.

Dollars

NOFO Issuance Date: July 27, 2020

Deadline for Receipt of Questions: August 10, 2020

5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

Closing Date and Time for August 27, 2020

Submission of Applications: 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time via www.grants.gov

Program Type: INL/GPP Drug Supply Reduction

Grant Program: INL/GPP Drug Supply Reduction

Assistance Type: Grant

Eligibility Category: Eligible organizations may include: (U.S. based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or educational institutions having a 501(c)(3) status with the

IRS or overseas-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or private/state educational institutions. See complete eligibility criteria below.

Applicant Type: Organizations only http://www.grants.gov/

Award Ceiling: $1,400,000

Award Floor: $500,000

Cost Sharing Requirement: Not required but recommended

INL Points of Contact: Najar Washington - WashingtonND@state.gov

Alan Piracha - PirachaA@state.gov

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The mission of the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement

Affairs (INL) is to minimize the impact of international crime and illegal drugs on the United

States, its citizens, and partner nations by providing effective foreign assistance and fostering global cooperation. This mission, which centers on helping our partner nations establish a capable and accountable criminal justice sector, was expanded during the past decade to include stabilizing post-conflict societies through criminal justice sector development and reform. This mission supports peace and security by stabilizing and strengthening security institutions and by combating narco-trafficking and other transnational crimes such as money laundering and criminal gangs. It promotes just and democratic governments by strengthening justice sector institutions, good governance and respect for human rights.

INL combines forces with other U.S. Government (USG) and international agencies and takes a regional approach to widespread problems. INL also encourages more developed governments to take responsibility as equal partners in global efforts to combat transnational crime, including drug trafficking. The Bureau’s priority programs support three inter-related objectives:

BUILDING CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS: Institutionalize rule of law by developing and expanding criminal justice systems to strengthen partner country law enforcement and judicial effectiveness, foster cooperation in legal affairs, and advance respect for human rights;

COUNTER-NARCOTICS: Disrupt the overseas production and trafficking of illicit drugs through targeted counter-narcotics and institution-building assistance and coordination with foreign nations and international organizations, and;

TRANSNATIONAL CRIME: Minimize the impact of transnational crime and criminal networks on the United States and its allies through enhanced international cooperation and foreign assistance.

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

The United States Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement

Affairs INL is seeking applications from qualified U.S. and non-U.S. based non-governmental

(NGOs)/non-profit organizations or Educational Institutions for a Grant/Cooperative Agreement to implement a program entitled “Strengthening Private Sector Engagement to Counter

Synthetic Drug Trafficking.” The authority for this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.400g, it is U.S. Department of State policy not to award profit under mailto:WashingtonND@state.gov mailto:PirachaA@state.gov assistance instruments. All direct and indirect reasonable, allocable, and allowable expenses, however, that are related to the agreement program and are in accordance with applicable cost standards (2 CFR 200 for U.S. and overseas-based non-profit organizations, and education institutions) may be paid under the grant. NOTE: overseas-based nonprofit organizations are legally required to comply with 2 CFR 200.

Subject to the availability of funds, INL intends to issue an award in an amount not to exceed

$1,400,000 in total funding. The U.S. Dollar amount will be funded from INL allocated funds, for an initial project period of 2 years. INL may award up to 3 additional years contingent on

INL priorities, good performance of the recipient, Department of State management approvals, and funding availability. INL reserves the right to fund any number of applications or none of the applications submitted and will determine the resulting level of funding for each award(s).

Eligible organizations interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of project sought and the application submission requirements and evaluation process.

To be eligible for an award, the applicant must submit all required information and documents in its application through www.grants.gov including the requirements found in any attachments to this funding opportunity. This NOFO consists of the following Sections:

Contents

SECTION I – PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

SECTION II – FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

SECTION III – ELIGIBLITY INFORMATION

SECTION IV – APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

TAB A: PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

TAB B: PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION PLAN, LOGIC

MODEL, and PROGRAM RISK ANALYSIS

TAB C: BUDGET GUIDELINES

SECTION V – APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

SECTION VI – FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

SECTION VII – AGENCY CONTACTS

This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov and may be amended. See Section IV for further details. Potential applicants should regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this NOFO. Applicants will need to have available or download the most updated version of the Adobe program to their computers to view and save the Adobe forms properly. If you have difficulty registering on www.grants.gov or accessing the NOFO, please contact the www.grants.gov helpdesk at: 1-800-518-4726, International callers: 1-606-

545-5035, or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance. The Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except federal holidays).

See https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ for a list of federal holidays.

You may also obtain online assistance at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html or https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/GetStarted/Get_Started.htm.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/GetStarted/Get_Started.htm

Any questions concerning this NOFO should be submitted in writing to Najar Washington and

Alan Piracha via email at WashingtonND@state.gov and PirachaA@state.gov. The deadline for submission of questions for this NOFO is August 10, 2020, 5:00 PM EST. Responses to questions will be made available to all potential applicants as an attachment to this NOFO and posted on www.grants.gov .

INL encourages applicants to submit their applications during normal business hours (Monday

– Friday, 9:00AM- 5:00PM Eastern Standard Time). If an applicant experiences technical difficulties and has contacted the appropriate help desk, but is not receiving timely assistance, (e.g. if you have not received a response within 48 hours of contacting the help desk), you may contact the INL point of contact listed in the NOFO. The point of contact may assist in contacting the appropriate help desk, but an applicant should also document their efforts in contacting the help desk. Applicants may also contact the INL point of contact listed in the NOFO if experiencing technical issues with grants.gov that may result in a late submission.

Applicants experiencing technical difficulties should follow these three steps:

1) Contact the help desk for Grants.gov immediately.

2) Document (including screenshots) technical issues AND efforts to contact the help desk. Provide ticket number(s) and/or reference number(s) provided by the helpdesk in order to assist with the technical issue(s).

3) If there are continued difficulties submitting documents, email all of the required documents to the INL point of contact listed in the NOFO before the deadline.

Note: The INL Grants Officer will determine technical eligibility of all applications and allowability of acceptable proposal submissions if applicants experience technical difficulties without a resolution.

It is the responsibility of the recipient of this NOFO document to ensure that it has been received from www.grants.gov in its entirety. INL bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes associated with electronic or late submissions.

Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S.

government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application. In addition, final award of any resultant grant agreement cannot be made until funds have been fully appropriated, allocated, and committed through internal INL procedures. While it is anticipated that these procedures will be successfully completed, potential applicants are hereby notified of these requirements and conditions for award. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant's expense.

SECTION I – PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

mailto:WashingtonND@state.gov mailto:PirachaA@state.gov

Synthetic drugs can be manufactured virtually anywhere, in facilities ranging from sophisticated laboratories to remote hideouts. The extreme potency of synthetic drugs, including fentanyl and its analogues, allow criminals to reap high profits while trafficking in small volumes. Traffickers now exploit the tools of modern global commerce to develop new methods for trafficking drugs and chemicals, including the use of internet-based marketing and sales, social media platforms, virtual currencies, internet service providers, financial service providers, and international postal and express consignment services. This rapidly evolving paradigm increasingly challenges traditional enforcement paradigms. As a result, a clear and urgent need has emerged for innovative ideas to prevent criminal exploitation of the tools of 21st century trade and to increase the difficulties associated with trafficking these drugs.

In partnership with other governments and international organizations, the Department of State is working to broaden cooperation with private sector actors to encourage voluntary measures to strengthen supply chains and prevent diversion of legitimate commodities toward drug production.

The Department of State has supported the International Narcotics Control Board to organize expert working groups to develop recommendations to strengthen voluntary cooperation between

Member States and private industry to deny criminals access to private sector platforms. INCB has also built relationships with industry to facilitate information sharing to support global investigations.

To drive further progress in private sector engagement to counter synthetic drug trafficking, the

U.S. Department of State has allocated up to $1,400,000 for additional programming that facilitates greater cooperation with private sector industries increasingly misused by traffickers

– information communication technologies, social media platforms, express consignment shipping carriers, online-payment providers, and other relevant sectors – to share information on emerging threats, reduce vulnerabilities, and deny access to criminal actors. Specific industries of interest include, but are not limited to, the chemical, pharmaceutical, express consignment shipping, postal services, e-commerce, social media, e-wallet and financial service providers, and drug manufacturing equipment industry sectors.

The public will benefit from this program because it will allow private industry and government authorities to collaborate to prevent dangerous substances, such as synthetic opioids, from reaching U.S. markets and harming U.S. citizens.

PROJECT PURPOSE/DESCRIPTION

By supporting the development of improved coordination mechanisms between governments and the private sector, and within relevant industries, the State Department intends to create disruptions in the illicit synthetic drug supply chain, making it more difficult for dangerous substances to reach the United States and thereby protecting the public. This project will strengthen relations between government authorities and private sector entities to ensure all parties are knowledgeable on emerging criminal trends that rely on the use of private sector platforms. Activities under this project will further empower the private sector to identify suspicious customers and take remedial action to prevent exploitation of their products, services, and platforms.

Projects activities can focus on developing operational partnerships between law enforcement and private industry in a specific target region or country, or can work to expand engagement and coordination among private sector entities within a specific industry. The geographic focus of this project should be Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, or can be global. Proposals should explain which criteria have been used to select focus countries/regions, and how those criteria apply to the countries/regions selected. Proposals should emphasize mobilizing the private sector as a primary line of effort.

Countries selected by the implementer should have in place the laws, policies, and institutions necessary for law enforcement and other applicable national authorities to coordinate with private sector entities to prevent criminal exploitation of private sector platforms, goods and services, and/or to share information in support of investigations.

The project is comprised of the following objectives and corresponding activities:

PROJECT GOALS

This program will protect the health and safety of U.S. citizens by helping to secure private sector supply chains, digital platforms, and business practices from criminal exploitation, including by strengthening information sharing and fostering innovative approaches to detecting criminal activity globally, or in a specified region, in a manner that incorporates significant private sector participation.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Objective 1: Establish a regular mechanism for government and industry to share information on emerging synthetic drugs and precursors, new trafficking modalities, suspicious orders, and other relevant developments.

Background: Criminals adopt new production and trafficking methods quickly to evade law enforcement detection, and are increasingly adjusting transit routes to exploit countries with limited enforcement and regulatory capacity. At the same time, criminal networks rely on private sector products, goods, and services to facilitate their illicit trade. Private sector entities often do not have up-to-date knowledge of drug market trends to identify suspicious activity on their platforms and intervene to deny access to these criminal actors.

Increased information sharing between law enforcement experts and private sector entities can enable companies to put countermeasures in place to prevent criminal misuse of their products, platforms, and services.

Activities may include but are not limited to:

Activity 1: Compile best practices for public-private sector cooperation on crime prevention efforts.

Activity 2: Create a regional or national action plan to identify areas of potential collaboration between national authorities and the private sector to prevent synthetic drug production and trafficking.

Activity 3: Convene regular meetings, working groups, or conferences to facilitate the exchange of information between national authorities and private sector stakeholders on:

(1) criminal modalities that exploit the applicable industry sector and (2) emerging substances and products in illicit drug markets.

Activity 4: Develop a mechanism for industry to rapidly report suspicious activity to authorities for further investigation.

Objective 2: Enhance industry coordination to identify suspicious actors and prevent those actors from exploiting industry platforms and/or products for illicit drug production and trafficking.

Background: As criminals increasingly rely on private sector entities, such as online retailers, express shippers, online financial service providers, and others, these industries are confronting a new challenge of protecting their platforms from criminal misuse. At the same time, the growth of these industries, means that if one company identifies a suspicious customer and denies services, other companies exist that can provide a similar service, which criminals can use as a ready alternative. As a result, there is a clear need for coordination among companies in similar industries to share solutions to these challenges and prevent criminals from simply vendor shopping when one company denies service for suspicious activity.

Activities may include but are not limited to:

Activity 1: Research and compile existing codes of conduct and/or best practices for crime prevention measures within a specific industry.

Activity 2: Convene industry-specific working groups within a country or region to develop and share innovative solutions to prevent the criminal misuse of private sector platforms to facilitate illicit drug production and trafficking.

Activity 3: Work with a specific industry to develop a tool or mechanism that will allow actors within a given industry to share information on suspicious customers and clients in order to more effectively deny that user from relying on different companies for services.

Activity 4: Develop industry standards for proactive crime prevention measures, with significant private sector input and buy-in.

CROSS-CUTTING AND ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

1. Coordination and De-conflicting of Projects: Project activities must be coordinated with and distinct from efforts of the International Narcotics Control Board to strengthen public-private partnerships under the Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) program. Where other organizations are conducting similar projects, the recipient must engage in collaboration, coordination, and de-conflicting of projects to maximize impact. Include in the proposal a description of any similar work you have performed on these topics in the target countries you propose and if there is overlap specifically with this project. If there is overlap, explain how this previous work will support the projects outlined in this NOFO.

Demonstrate understanding of other organizations (to include U.S. government agencies and

U.S. Embassies) working in the country on this issue and how your program will complement and coordinate with their work. The implementer should expect to brief INL and U.S.

government representatives on project activities and progress.

2. Buy-in and Local Ownership: INL values the development of buy-in and local ownership in counternarcotics efforts. The recipient should expect to develop buy-in on identified priorities, action plans, and follow-up actions, and rely on local stakeholders to inform the process, wherever possible. The recipient will consult INL, U.S. embassies and other U.S.

government entities throughout the project.

3. Community Involvement: The project should incorporate participation of industry and government actors from the relevant countries and regions.

4. Utilize Local Resources and Expertise: INL values involving local community experts to help conduct planning and programming, since their knowledge of regional drug trafficking challenges will strengthen the program’s outcomes. We encourage collaborating with and using local resources and experts in the region when possible.

5. Program Expansion: If the project is successful, INL will consider the option of expanding the project to other areas or countries in the region, or in other regions, subject to availability of future funding. Applicants may include in their proposal a brief section outlining how additional funds could potentially be used to expand work into additional activities or countries in future years. Applicants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate how their project might leverage funding through other organizations.

TARGET POPULATION

Applicants should identify target audiences, specific industries, demographics, and the region(s) in which the project will be implemented. It is particularly important to specify the approximate number of beneficiaries to be directly and indirectly impacted by project activities.

DESIRED RESULTS AND ILLUSTRATIVE INDICATORS

By the end of the two years of the project, the selected applicant is expected to:

Create action plans per country or region on recommendations and commitments to improve coordination between national authorities and the private sector on synthetic drug trafficking challenges.

Facilitate at least one (1) workshop per country or region that brings together public and private sectors to promote the development of regular information sharing mechanisms, which may include, but are not limited to the formation of working groups along industry lines.

Convene at least four (4) information sharing sessions under the review mechanism.

Cite at least five (5) instances in which law enforcement shared actionable information with private industry on emerging synthetic drug production and trafficking trends that rely on industry tools

Cite at least three (3) instances in which industry developed and deployed countermeasures to prevent criminal misuse of its platform, product, or service

Cite at least three (3) instances in which private sector entities inform law enforcement of a suspicious customer or of suspicious activity within their platform.

Facilitate at least one (1) workshop for industry to share effective methods for identifying and denying service to suspicious customers.

Confirm government and private sector buy in are sufficiently in place to sustain the coordination mechanism beyond the period of performance and INL’s initial investment.

The recipient will develop a project-level Performance Monitoring plan (PMP) with annual and end-of- project targets and results anticipated for key performance indicators. The following table shows indicators that will be measured, as well as illustrative targets, upon which the recipient will be responsible for monitoring and reporting during and after the project. In addition, INL will regularly monitor the project’s performance to assess whether project activities are on track and targets are being achieved.

Outcome indicators for the project are provided below. The recipient is expected to identify targets for these indicators based on what it can reasonably achieve within the performance period of the project, and based on the expected overall project results described above.

Example Outcome Indicators Illustrative targets:

Number of information sharing sessions between government and private sector entities

TBD

Number of companies participating in the public-private sector information sharing review mechanism

TBD

Number of suspicious vendors and orders denied and/or content removed by private sector entities related to illicit synthetic drug trafficking

TBD

Output indicators and illustrative targets for the project are provided below. The recipient should review these and either confirm the illustrative targets or propose alternative targets, as appropriate.

Example Output Indicators Illustrative targets:

Percent increase in companies in target region or country implementing crime prevention best practices.

TBD

Number of countermeasures developed by industry to prevent criminal misuse of private sector goods, services, and platforms

Percent decrease in criminal misuse of industry goods, services, and platforms

The recipient may propose additional outputs, indicators, and/or targets as appropriate. The recipient will be required to collect baseline data for all the PMP indicators during the first year of the project. In addition, certain terms included in the outcomes and indicators will need to be defined at the very beginning of the project so it is possible to measure the change during and at the end of the project. Examples of such terms are “capacity”, “spread effect”, etc. Baseline information will be critical for both monitoring and evaluation of project progress and results.

[END OF SECTION I]

SECTION II – FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

INL expects to award one (1) grant agreement(s) based on this NOFO, in an amount not to exceed the total ceiling amount noted on page 1. The anticipated total federal funding amount is not to exceed $1,400,000. The period of performance is two (2) year(s) with an anticipated start date of

September 2020. INL may extend the award up to three (3) additional years(s) contingent on INL priorities, good performance of the recipient, Department of State management approval, and funding availability.

The U.S. government will issue award(s) to the responsible applicant(s) whose application(s), conforms to this NOFO, and is the most responsive to the objectives and criteria set forth in this

NOFO. The U.S. government may (a) reject any or all applications, (b) accept other than the lowest cost application, (c) accept more than one application, (d) accept alternate applications, and/or (e) waive informalities and minor irregularities in applications received.

The U.S. government may make an award on the basis of the initial application received, without discussions or negotiations. Therefore, each initial application should contain the applicant's best terms from a cost and technical standpoint. The U.S. government reserves the right (but is not under obligation to do so) to enter into discussions with one or more applicant(s) to obtain clarifications, additional detail, or to suggest refinements in the program description, budget, or other aspects of an application.

Applicants please be advised that the following will be required if your organization is selected for this announcement.

State Department Leahy Amendment Vetting Requirements:

Funds provided under this award are subject to Section 620M of the Foreign Assistance Act of

1961, as amended, a provision titled “Limitation on Assistance to Security Forces” (the “Leahy

Amendment”). Subsection (a) of that provision states: “(a) In General.—No assistance shall be furnished under this Act [the Foreign Assistance Act] or the Arms Export Control Act to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of State has credible information that such unit has committed a gross violations of human rights.” Accordingly, none of the funds under this award may be used to provide training or other assistance to any unit or member of the security forces of a foreign country if the Department of State has credible information that such unit or individual has committed a gross violation of human rights.

In signing this agreement, the Recipient agrees to exercise due diligence to ensure compliance with the Leahy provision and State Department policy, and to cooperate with the State

Department in implementation of the Leahy requirement for funds under this award. The

Department implements the Leahy requirement by vetting units or individuals proposed for training or other assistance to check for credible information of a gross violation of human rights by such units or individuals. To facilitate State Department vetting, the Recipient must provide the following information for proposed participants at least sixty (60) calendar days prior to commencing award activities. This information should be submitted to the U.S. Embassy in the country where the award will be implemented in order to initiate Leahy vetting procedures:

Information needed: Full name, date of birth, country of birth, country of citizenship, gender, rank, title, and organizational affiliation. Please also include the activity and date that the activity will take place—if the person will participate throughout an extended program, please note the timeframe. Participant information should be submitted in the format attached.

Information required for “security forces” personnel: The above information is needed for each member of a foreign police or military unit (security forces, broadly defined) who will participate in any activity under this award. This includes both civilian and military employees of security forces participating in any activities funded under this award, including training, workshops or meetings, conferences, or other activities.

The Recipient must collaborate with the relevant U.S. Embassy on a case-by-case basis to determine if the Leahy requirement applies to specific activities or proposed participants.

Individuals who are not members of the security forces but who participate in activities under the award (e.g., politicians, academics, etc.) generally do not need to be vetted.

Submission Deadline: Each candidate must be cleared under Leahy vetting in advance of participation in activities funded under this award. The vetting process typically takes approximately one month, but may take longer if there are a large number of candidates or if issues arise. Thus, all information on proposed candidates must be received by the Embassy at least sixty (60) days in advance of the training event or other activity.

The Recipient agrees that it will not include any security forces candidate in training or other activities funded under this award until the State Department advises that the candidate has cleared Leahy vetting and is approved for participation.

[END OF SECTION II]

SECTION III – ELIGIBLITY INFORMATION

(1) Eligibility for this NOFO is limited to:

Applicants that qualify to receive U.S. grants (such as U.S. not-for-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code; foreign not-for-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or foreign based educational institutions, with the ability to develop and successfully implement a project in the target country or region and meet INL’s reporting requirements. Organizations must also be able to demonstrate current (or pending) country registration in the target country, if required by the country of project implementation.

AND

Applicants must have demonstrated experience implementing similar education or capacity building programs, preferably in the target country or region. INL reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering similar programs and/or federal grant awards.

Applicants must have the ability to produce course materials, deliver training, and conduct evaluations in English and the native language in the target country. The applicant’s staff should be proficient in English in order to fulfill reporting requirements.

Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with stakeholders in order to successfully carry out the proposed program.

Organizations may form a consortium and submit a combined proposal. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant and other members as sub-award partners.

Applicants must be able to respond to the NOFO and be able to mobilize in a short period.

PLEASE NOTE: Public International Organizations (PIOs) and For-Profit Organizations are excluded from applying to this grant announcement.

To be eligible for a grant award, in addition to other conditions of this NOFO, organizations must have a commitment to non‐discrimination with respect to beneficiaries and adherence to equal opportunity employment practices. INL is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its programs and activities. INL welcomes applications irrespective of an applicant’s race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status.

Applicants are reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law prohibits transactions with, and the provision of resources and support to, individuals and organizations associated with terrorism. It is the legal responsibility of the recipient to ensure compliance with these Executive

Orders and laws. This provision must be included in any sub‐awards issued under this grant award.

(2) INL encourages applications from potential new partners.

[END OF SECTION III]

SECTION IV – APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

INL urges prospective applicants to immediately confirm their organization’s Unique Entity

Identifier Number (formerly Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) number) as well as a current Central

Contractor Registration via www.SAM.gov.

All organizations must also continue to maintain active SAM.gov registration with current information at all times during which they have an active Federal award or application under consideration by a Federal award agency. SAM.gov requires all entities to renew their registration once a year in order to maintain an active registration status in SAM.gov. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements at the time of application, INL may determine that the applicant is unqualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Note: The process of obtaining a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks.

Please begin your registration as early as possible.

Important Note:

Organizations physically located OUTSIDE of the U.S. and territories and wishing to conduct business (contracts/grants) with the U.S. Government, must FIRST request a NCAGE Code, followed by a DUNS Number and then complete the registration process in SAM.gov.

http://www.sam.gov/

U.S. based Organizations, wishing to conduct business (contracts/grants) with the U.S.

Government to include Foreign Government, please proceed directly to SAM.gov. A U.S. CAGE

Code will be assigned at the end of the SAM.gov Registration process.

CAGE/NCAGE Registration

For US-based organizations, a CAGE code will automatically be assigned to your entity once you submit your entity’s registration in SAM.gov and the TIN validation has been returned.

NCAGE Codes are required for all foreign entities prior to starting a SAM registration. PLEASE

NOTE: The organization’s name, address, and email information must match what you used to request your Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS Number) Please ensure that alphabets, numerical characters, symbols, etc. and spacing is the same in both systems during the registration process..

Otherwise, you will receive error messages when applying for the NCAGE code. Organizations can submit a request for an NCAGE Code using the NCAGE Request Tool at https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAG

E.pdf. Detailed instructions are posted at that site. For additional information, please call 1-269-

961-4623 or send an email message to NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil.

NCAGE registrations for overseas organizations can take up to 10 days (or more) to finalize once a request has been received. Please plan accordingly.

Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS Number)

All applicant organizations (foreign and domestic) must obtain a DUNS number. US-based organizations may request a DUNS number by calling 1-866-705-5711 or email:

SAMHelp@dnb.com; the DUNS number is usually provided immediately.

Foreign organizations that do not have a Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS number) will need to go to the Dun & Bradstreet website at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/CCRSearch.do?val=1 to start the process for obtaining a DUNS number. If further assistance is required, please email:

SAMHelp@dnb.com. NOTE: The organization’s name, address, and email information used to request the NCAGE Code must match what is used to request your Unique Entity Identifier

(DUNS Number). Please ensure that alphabets, numerical characters, symbols, etc. and spacing is the same in both systems during the registration process.

SAM.gov Registration

SAM.gov registration is required of all INL applicants prior to registering with www.grants.gov. If your organization was previously registered in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), you must still create a new Individual User Account in SAM.gov prior to receiving a future federal grant.

Applicant organizations can obtain assistance for SAM.gov registration by using the following link:

https://www.fsd.gov or by calling 1-866-606-8220 (U.S. calls)/or 1-324-206-7828 (international calls). PLEASE NOTE: The organization’s name, address, and email information used to request your organization’s Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS number) and the NCAGE Code must match what is used to request the SAM.gov validation Please ensure that alphabets, numerical characters, symbols, and spacing is the same in both systems during the registration process. Otherwise, you will receive error messages when registering in SAM.gov.

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf mailto:NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html mailto:SAMHelp@dnb.com http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/CCRSearch.do?val=1 mailto:SAMHelp@dnb.com http://www.fsd.gov/

For U.S.-based organizations that already have a TIN (taxpayer identification number), your SAM registration should take approximately 3-5 business days to process. For U.S.-based organizations applying for an EIN (employer identification number), please allow up to 2 weeks.

Foreign organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier number and an NCAGE code prior to completing the SAM.gov registration process. Please follow the above listed instructions to obtain each.

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award

Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and

12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM.gov to ensure that ineligible entities are excluded from their applications.

All organizations must also continue to maintain active SAM.gov registration with current information at all times during which they have an active Federal award or application under consideration by a Federal award agency. SAM.gov requires all entities to renew their registration once a year in order to maintain an active registration status in SAM.gov. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements at the time of application, INL may determine that the applicant is unqualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Please note: If your organization is registered with SAM.gov and your status is NOT listed as

ACTIVE, you will need to update your registration prior to submitting an application through www.grants.gov. SAM.gov requires ALL organizations (foreign and domestic) to register on an

ANNUAL basis.

In October 2017, new information was added to the www.SAM.gov website to help international registrations, including “Quick Start Guide for International Registrations” and “Helpful

Hints”. Navigate to SAM.gov, click HELP in the top navigation bar, then click International

Registrants in the left navigation panel.

SAMS Domestic Registration

Users who had a GrantSolutions account and were assigned to an award in GrantSolutions will already have an account set up for them in SAMS Domestic and will need to unlock their account.

All other applicants will need to create an account for the first time. Applicants using the SAMS

Domestic Portal for the first time should complete their user registration as soon as possible. This process must be completed before an application can be submitted through SAMS Domestic.

For GrantSolutions users who had an account transferred to SAMS Domestic: Users who already have a SAMS Domestic account and need to activate their accounts must log in directly to SAMS

Domestic https://mygrants.service-now.com and click on the “Forgot Password?” link. The username and email address will be the same as in GrantSolutions. A confirmation email will be sent once the account has been created. If users are experiencing difficulties with the registration process, please contact ILMS Support at 1-888-313-4567 or log a ticket via the ILMS Self Service

Portal at: https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home.

To register for the first time, log in directly to SAMS Domestic https://mygrants.service-now.com https://mygrants.service-now.com/ https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home https://mygrants.service-now.com/ and click on the link “Create an Account” on the homepage. Users will then complete the form with the requested information and click “submit.” A confirmation email will be sent once the account has been created. If users are experiencing difficulties obtaining a user login and completing the registration process, please contact ILMS Support at 1-888-313-4567 or log a ticket via the ILMS

Self Service Portal at: https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home. Customer Support is available

24/7/365.

Grants.gov Registration

To apply for a grant, your organization must complete the Grants.gov registration process. The registration process can take 10 business days or longer, even if all registration steps are completed in a timely manner.

Please log into http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html to obtain complete instructions on the registration process.

Foreign Registrants: Anyone residing and doing business outside of the United States is still required to complete the five steps of the Grants.gov registration process, in addition to fulfilling supplementary requirements for doing business with the United States government. Please ensure that you have obtained an NCAGE code, a UEI number (also referred to as DUNS number), and an

“ACTIVE” status in SAM.gov prior to registering in Grants.gov.

Grants.gov Applications

Please refer to the Grants.gov website for definitions of various "application statuses" and the difference between a submission receipt and a submission validation. Applicants will receive a validation e-mail from Grants.gov upon the successful submission of an application. Validation of an electronic submission via Grants.gov can take up to two business days.

Late applications are neither reviewed nor considered unless the INL point of contact listed in the

NOFO is contacted prior to the deadline and is provided with evidence of a system error caused by

Grants.gov that is outside of the applicant’s control and is the sole reason for a late submission.

Applicants should not expect a separate notification from INL upon receiving their application.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that it has an active registration in Grants.gov.

Applicants are required to document that the application has been received by Grants.gov in its entirety. INL bears no responsibility for disqualification that result from applicants not being registered before the due date, for system errors in Grants.gov, or other errors in the application process.

TECHNICAL FORMAT REQUIREMENTS

For all application documents, please ensure:

A. All pages are numbered, including budgets and attachments, B. All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and

C. All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

TECHNICAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home

Technically eligible applications are those that:

Arrive electronically via Grants.gov by the designated due date and time noted in the NOFO.

If reasonable accommodations are granted for persons with disabilities or for security reasons, applications must still be received by INL by the designated due date and time noted in the NOFO;

Are in English and all costs are in U.S. dollars. If an original document within the application is in another language, an English translation must be provided. If any document is provided in both English and a foreign language, the English language version is the controlling version. (Please note: the Department of State, as indicated in 2 CFR 200.111, requires that English is the official language of all award documents);

Heed all instructions contained in the NOFO, including length and completeness of application, including all required documents; and

Do not violate any of the guidelines stated in the NOFO.

It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all of the documents submitted in the grant application package are complete, accurate, and current. INL strongly encourages all applicants, especially foreign or first-time applicants, to submit applications before the designated due date to ensure that the application has been received and is complete.

APPLICATIONS REQUIREMENTS

Complete applications must include the following items listed below:

1. Completed and signed SF-424, SF-424A, as well as SF-424B if applicable

• Submitted via www.grants.gov

Please see Tab D for instructions for completion of Standard Forms 424, 424A, and

424B.

The SF-424B is required only for those applicants who have not registered in SAM.gov or recertified their registration in SAM.gov since February 2, 2019 and completed the online representations and certifications.

2. A copy of your organization’s most recent audit, if applicable

• Required per 2 CFR 200.500 – Subpart F).

• If an audit cannot be provided, an explanation must be submitted with the proposal submission.

3. Cover Page

• Includes a table with the organization name, project title, target country/countries, project synopsis, name and contact information for the application’s main point of contact, project length (period of performance),and requested funding amount in U.S.

dollars (see the award amount ceiling as stated in the NOFO)

4. Table of Contents

• Not to exceed one [1] page in Microsoft Word), listing all documents and attachments, with page numbers.

5. Executive Summary

• Not to exceed two [2] pages in Microsoft Word) that includes:

i. a statement of work or synopsis of the program, including a concise breakdown of the project’s goals, objectives, activities, and expected results, and

ii. a brief statement on how the project is innovative, sustainable, and will have a demonstrated impact.

6. Proposal Narrative

• Not to exceed fifteen [15] pages in Microsoft Word. Please note the page limit does not include the required documents listed in items #2 - 5 and items #7 – 16 (below).

• A proposal narrative should:

i. Fully explain the program’s goals, objectives, and activities. Objectives should be ambitious, yet measureable, results-focused, and achievable in a reasonable time frame. Applicant should explain the project’s significance or contribution to the INL mandate specified in the NOFO.

ii. Activities should be clearly developed and detailed, and the narrative should clearly articulate how the proposed activities contribute to objectives and overall project goal.

iii. Outline the applicant’s organizational capacity to implement the proposed program,

iv. Outline in detail the program approach, sustainability, potential impact, and complementarity to ongoing efforts.

v. Identify target areas for activities, identify target participant groups or selection criteria for participants, address how the program will engage relevant stakeholders, and identify local partners as appropriate, among other pertinent details. If partners are included, the narrative should clearly describe the division of labor between the direct applicant and partners.

The proposal narrative should expand upon the risk analysis to provide greater context, operational or programmatic security concerns, and a contingency plan for overcoming potential difficulties in executing the original work plan.

7. Summary and Detailed Line-Item Budget

• In Microsoft Excel; includes the following three [3] columns: the amount requested from

INL, cost sharing contributions (if any), and total budget (see below for more information on budget format).

• Applicants must submit a budget summary using the OMB-approved budget categories

(see SF-424-A as a sample). Costs must be in U.S. dollars.

• A sample template is provided as an attachment under the announcement via www.grants.gov.

8. Budget Narrative

• In Microsoft Word; includes an explanation and justification for each line item in the detailed budget spreadsheet, as well as the source and a description of all cost-share offered.

• For ease of review, INL recommends applicants order the budget narrative as presented in the detailed budget.

• Personnel costs should include a clarification of the roles and responsibilities of key staff and percentage of time devoted to the project.

• Applicants that have other USG-funded projects must confirm that the total time devoted by personnel assigned to more than one project does not exceed 100%.

• The budget narrative should…