2012dhapp-baa 12-002.pdf

DHAPP-BAA 12-002

BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA)

Number DHAPP-BAA-12-002

“FY12 Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program: Military Specific

HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care, and Treatment Program for non-PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) Funded Countries”

INTRODUCTION

This publication constitutes a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) as contemplated in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.102(d)(2) and the Department of Defense Grants and Agreements (DoDGARS) Subpart 22.315(a). A formal Request for Proposals (RFP), solicitation, and/or additional information regarding this announcement will not be issued. Neither the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) nor the Contracting Office (NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center San Diego) will issue paper copies of this announcement. Interested parties are responsible to check www.grants.gov for possible amendments to this BAA.

The Naval Health Research Center reserves the right to select and fund for award all, some, or none of the proposals in response to this announcement. No funding shall be provided for direct reimbursement of proposal development costs. Technical and cost proposals (or any other material) submitted in response to this BAA will not be returned. All proposals will be treated as sensitive information. Their contents will only be disclosed for the purposes of evaluation.

It is anticipated that awards will take the form of grants or cooperative agreements. Therefore, all proposals submitted as a result of this announcement will fall under the purview of (a) the Federal statute authorizing this award, or any other Federal statutes directly affecting the performance of this Grant and

(b) Department of Defense Grants and Agreements Regulations (DoDGARs).

All prospective grantees for this BAA, Number 12-002, are on actual notice that the Department of Defense and the Department of the Navy (collectively referred to as "Grantor") rely on third-party contractor support. Consultant contractor employees, with appropriate non-disclosure agreements and organizational conflicts of interest clauses in their respective contracts with the Grantor, will be reviewing grant proposals and may be involved in Grant administration for the life of any awarded grant.

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Agency Name:

Requiring Agency:

Naval Health Research Center Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program 140 Sylvester Road San Diego, CA 92106

Contracting Agency:

NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center San Diego 3985 Cummings Rd Building 116 - 3rd Floor San Diego, CA 92136

2. Program Name: Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program

3. Opportunity Title: FY12 President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Military Specific HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care, and Treatment Program

4. Opportunity Number: DHAPP-BAA-12-002

5. Response Date: This announcement will remain open until 4:00 p.m. (PST) 30 September 2013.

Proposals received after this time will not be considered for award.

Concept Papers may be submitted at any time during this period. Up to three evaluations of Submissions received will take place while the announcement is open. Once notified that a full proposal is not desired from a Concept Paper, resubmission of the same Concept Paper is strongly discouraged.

The actual number of evaluations will depend upon the availability of funds. The submission deadline for the first evaluation cycle is 12 March 2012. Submitting within the first evaluation cycle is strongly encouraged due to the possible lack of funding for the later evaluation periods.

6. Opportunity Description

6.1 Background

The US Government has a long history and extensive network of international collaboration and partnerships in the fight against HIV/AIDS, providing funding, technical assistance, and program support. These collaborations increase the fundamental understanding of HIV transmission and provide an evaluative basis for prevention and intervention success. The current HIV/AIDS epidemic is devastating. Militaries, in particular, have been identified as a high-risk population. In order to target this population, the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC), San Diego, California, under the oversight of the Navy Surgeon General, has been tasked to serve as the US Department of Defense (DoD) Executive Agent for the DoD HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP).

DHAPP has successfully engaged over 80 countries in efforts to combat HIV/AIDS among their respective military services. DHAPP is a partner U. S. Government (USG) organization collaborating with the US State Department, Health and Human Services, US Agency for International Development, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Working closely with US Department of Defense, US Unified Combatant Commanders, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, university collaborators, and other nongovernmental organizations, DHAPP assists countries in establishing HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment programs and/or strengthening their capabilities to combat HIV.

The new Partnership Framework within PEPFAR is a 5-year HIV/AIDS national strategy which will work in concert with and support the host country’s national HIV/AIDS strategy. The Partnership Framework will delineate USG’s and host country’s roles and contributions to achieving stated goals and objectives. It is important for offerors receiving an award who work in countries with a Partnership Framework to connect with the military Partnership Framework point of contact. Offerors receiving an award should be aware of the military’s PEPFAR activities and work in concert with these activities without duplicating efforts, creating parallel systems, or conflicting activities.

This BAA allows DHAPP to assist countries where militaries are not funded under PEPFAR.

DHAPP's goal is to maximize program impact by focusing on the drivers of the epidemic specific to the military, and to support the development of interventions and programs that address these issues.

DHAPP works with countries’ militaries to devise plans based on the following process:

Meet with key partners in country to determine provisional major program areas and other technical assistance needs.

Adapt DHAPP support to a country’s need for prevention, care and/or treatment of their HIV/AIDS situation based on an assessment of the country’s epidemic, and more specifically, in that country’s military.

Strengthen the military capacity for ownership and behavioral changes over the long term.

Consider program design by leveraging assets with other country partners who have/had successful prevention, care, and/or treatment efforts.

Focus on prevention, care and/or treatment impact aligned with national implementation plans.

Implement and monitor programs to ensure accountability and sustainability.

Countries and their militaries need strong programs with courses of action that demonstrate:

Visible support from the military sector.

Development of plans of action and policies.

Alignment with PEPFAR, as well as national, strategies and priorities.

Increasing awareness within the military sector.

Country military ownership of its activities.

Prevention plans focusing on prevention of sexual transmission through voluntary counseling and testing, sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention and management, behavioral interventions, reduction of concurrent partnerships, prevention and care of opportunistic infections, male circumcision, changing male normative behaviors, and prevention campaigns.

Reduction of mother-to-child transmission, (The primary focus of these interventions is on behavior change to reduce the risks of sexual transmission, counseling, testing, diagnosis and proper linkages to care and support).

Stigma reduction associated with HIV infection.

Surveillance and infrastructure development through programs focusing on HIV/STI/tuberculosis surveillance, prevalence surveys, laboratory support, monitoring and evaluation, training and strategic information management.

Increasing capacity building.

Promoting sustainability by the partner country.

The DoD HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP), based at the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) in San Diego, California, provides technical assistance, management, and administrative support of the global HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment for foreign militaries. DHAPP administers funding, conducts training, and provides technical assistance to participating militaries. In addition, DHAPP staff members serve on most of the PEPFAR Technical Working Groups and Core Teams through the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. DHAPP provides HIV program execution and monitors outcomes, with staff that includes active duty military, civil service, and contract personnel.

More information about countries in which DHAPP currently operates and existing DHAPP programs can be found on the DHAPP website:

http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nhrc/dhapp/background/Pages/default.aspx

6.2 Program Purpose and Plan

DHAPP continues to rely upon the vital support of various partners, such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), in implementing HIV prevention, care and treatment programs across the globe.

Each country has a customized plan to help the countries’ militaries bring its HIV/AIDS programs to sufficient scale to help reduce the spread of the epidemic and mitigate its impact.

DHAPP’s current priority activities include the following:

- Institutional capacity building and developing military specific HIV strategic and operational plans that incorporate effective monitoring and evaluation procedures.

- Training of master trainers and peer educators.

- “Troop Level” HIV/AIDS prevention education and behavior change communication.

- Evaluating specific prevention interventions in military contexts

- Providing infrastructure and equipment to support HIV testing, care and/or treatment.

- Increasing testing of all military personnel.

- Developing HIV laboratory diagnostic and monitoring capabilities.

- Increasing clinical capability and other human resources for health care of those infected with HIV.

- Developing or revising military specific HIV policies that specifically address leadership roles, gender norms, gender based violence, stigma and discrimination and structural components necessary for access to care.

- Increasing male circumcision (MC) in high prevalence countries who are supportive of MC as an effective prevention intervention.

- Providing peacekeeping prevention and care interventions in militaries that contribute significant peacekeepers.

This BAA is intended to solicit existing partners and establish new partners in furtherance of DHAPP and partner military program goals. Interested sources should submit proposals identifying their plans and capabilities per information in Section IV, Application and Submission information.

Proposals should focus on rapidly extending HIV/AIDS services. Respondents are encouraged to target specific needs with a practical business plan, using small grass-roots organizations to provide community-based services as a way to enhance organic capabilities and sustainability.

6.3 Sources of Funding

The source of funds is the Department of State’s Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (O/GAC) to implement the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The overall program manager for PEPFAR is the Department of State’s Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (O/GAC). DHAPP provides intermediate support for military-specific programs. Country HIV programs supported by PEPFAR funds can be found on the O/GAC website:

http://www.state.gov/s/gac/. PEPFAR funds require additional certifications as identified in Attachment 2.

Quarterly fiscal and activity status reports are required, but monthly submission is encouraged. Training to enable compliance will be provided by the DHAPP office.

Semi-annual Indicator Reports are required. Training will be provided by the DHAPP office.

All human subjects research conducted with DHAPP or PEPFAR funding shall comply with all applicable Federal, State, Department of Defense, and Navy statutes, regulations, and instructions governing human subjects protections in research. This shall include that the Grant Recipient ensure that DHAPP/PEPFAR supported human subjects research only be conducted under a Federal Wide Assurance granted by DHHS (or an Assurance granted by other federal department) and that such research be approved by a properly-constituted and registered Institutional Review Board (IRB). All Grant Recipients shall provide documentation of their Assurance and IRB approval to DHAPP/NHRC IRB and Human Research Protection Official (HRPO) and ensure compliance with requests from the HRPO, before any human subjects recruitment or enrollment.

Appropriate DHAPP and DoD logos should be included in any material deliverables that are developed through funding from DHAPP. The Department of Defense through its agent, DHAPP, will retain ownership of these deliverable products for reproduction and other purposes.

DHAPP serves as the overall program manager for this funding.

7. Point(s) of Contact:

Questions of a business nature shall be directed to:

Latrice Rubenstein Contract and Grant Officer NAVSUP FLC San Diego 3985 Cummings Rd Building 116 - 3rd Floor

San Diego, CA 92136 E-mail: Latrice.Rubenstein@navy.mil

Questions of a technical/programmatic shall be directed to:

Cynthia Simon-Arndt Naval Health Research Center Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program 140 Sylvester Rd., Bldg 304 San Diego, CA 92106

E-mail: Cynthia.SimonArndt@med.navy.mil

Any questions regarding this announcement must be provided to the Points of Contact listed above. All questions shall be submitted in writing by electronic mail.

8. Instrument Type(s) – Assistance Awards

Awards will take the form of Grants. However, NHRC reserves the right to award a Cooperative Agreement if deemed to be in the best interest of the Government.

Grant – A legal instrument which, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6304, is used to enter into a relationship:

(1) The principal purpose of which is to transfer a thing of value to the recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States, rather than to acquire property or services for the Department of Defense’s direct benefit or use. (2) In which substantial involvement is not expected between the Department of Defense and the recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated by the grant.

Cooperative Agreement – A legal instrument which, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6305, is used to enter into the same kind of relationship as a grant, except that substantial involvement is expected between the Department of Defense and the recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated by the cooperative agreement. The term does not include “cooperative research and development agreements” as defined in 15 U.S.C. 3710a.

9. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers

12.350

10. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Titles

Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program

11. Additional Information:

This BAA is soliciting proposals for Fiscal Year 2012. This BAA expires on 30 September 2013.

Proposals come from the following PEPFAR Program Areas, but should focus on the narratives in Attachment 1:

Prevention Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT) Abstinence/Be Faithful (HVAB) Other Sexual Prevention (HVOP) Blood Safety (HMBL) Injection Safety (HMIN) Injecting and Non Injecting Drug Use (IDUP) Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (CIRC) HIV Testing and Counseling (HVCT) Prevention of Gender-based violence (SGBV) Care Adult Care and Support (HBHC) Orphans and Vulnerable Children (HKID)

TB/HIV (HVTB)

Pediatric Care and Support (PDCS)

Treatment ARV Drugs (HTXD) Adult Treatment (HTXS) Pediatric Treatment (PDTX)

Other Health Systems Strengthening (OHSS) Laboratory Infrastructure (HLAB) Strategic Information (HVSI)

II. AWARD INFORMATION

1. Grants are expected to have a base phase with a minimum of one (1) and a maximum of three (3) years, with additional phases at the discretion of the government.

2. For each country where funding is available, Attachment 1 will contain a description of the work that is needed, along with the program areas and an approximation of the available funding. It should be noted that while dollar amounts are listed, this should be taken as an estimate of the funding for an effort whether a single amount or range is listed. Changes to this information will be provided in the form of amendments to this announcement.

3. Anticipated Period of Performance for Awards: The period of performance is generally one year from the effective date of award, with up to two additional phases subject to availability of funding.

Offerors are encouraged to propose additional phases in their submissions, if appropriate.

4. Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:

Based on the availability of funds, up to three evaluation cycles will be conducted during this BAA.

The first round of full proposals will be selected approximately 45 days after the date of this BAA.

Two other subsequent rounds of evaluations are anticipated based upon funding availability. PLEASE MONITOR www.grants.gov FOR MODIFICATIONS TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

Formal proposals are reviewed and selected within six months of submission. Subsequent awards are usually made within three months of notification.

This information is only an estimate and does not obligate the U.S. Government in any way. Estimated funding amounts may increase or decrease at anytime based on current and future appropriations.

Based on the availability of funds, up to three evaluation cycles will be conducted during the period this BAA is open.

5. The notification of award selection must not be regarded as an authorization to begin performance or commit/expend funds. The Government is not obligated to provide any funding until a Government Contracting Officer/Grants Officer signs the respective award document.

6. The Recipient is reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law prohibit transactions with, and the provision of resources and support to, individuals and organizations associated with terrorism. It is legal responsibility of the recipient to ensure compliance with the Executive Orders and laws. This provision must be included in all subcontracts/subawards issued under this agreement.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

All responsible sources from academia, industry, and non-governmental organizations may submit proposals under this BAA. No grants or cooperative agreements may be awarded directly to foreign military establishments. All respondents must demonstrate the active support of the in-country military and the DoD representative in the corresponding U.S. Embassy in the planning and execution of their proposals.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Application and Submission Process

OFFERERS ARE EXPECTED TO SUBMIT A CONCEPT PAPER IN ADVANCE OF A FULL

PROPOSAL. A FULL PROPOSAL SHOULD ONLY BE SENT IF INVITED FORMALLY

AFTER REVIEW OF THE CONCEPT PAPER.

Concept Papers and Full Proposals shall only cover one country. Respondents submitting Concept Papers and full proposals for more than one country shall submit separate proposals, unless the program is non-severable across multiple countries. Non-severable programs would include programs that are regional in nature or have a targeted specific focus that is designed to provide benefit to multiple countries.

Concept Papers shall consist of three sections: (I) Executive Summary, (II) proposed Activities and (III) Cost Summary. The details of each section are described below.

Proposals shall consist of three sections: (I) Technical Approach, (II) Qualifications and (III) Cost. The details of each section are described below.

The first Concept Paper evaluation will commence on or about12 March 2012. Notification of requests for full proposals is anticipated soon thereafter. The due date for receipt of full proposals is two weeks from receipt of the request for a full proposal from the Grants Officer. It is anticipated that final selections of the first evaluation period will be made by May 2012. A Full Proposal shall be submitted only after a formal invitation has been received from the Grants Officer. Upon Completion of the final proposal evaluation process and final selections, the Offeror shall be notified via e-mail of its selection or non-selection for award. Assuming all needed documentation has been received by the grants office;

grants are processed within three months of notification.

Based on the availability of funds, a second and third round of Concept Paper evaluations may occur.

Details of the second and third Concept Paper evaluations, should they occur, shall be posted via an amendment to this BAA at www.grants.gov.

Offerors shall state that their Concept Papers and full proposals are valid for 240 days from the submission deadline.

2. Address for the Submission of Proposals

Respondents to this solicitation must submit an electronic copy, which should be submitted via e-mail to the following individuals:

Latrice.Rubenstein@navy.mil (Grants Officer) cynthia.simonarndt@med.navy.mil (DHAPP Office).

Please include BAA announcement number (DHAPP-BAA 12-002), Country Name, and Offeror Name in the subject line when sending the electronic copy, with 'Country' identifying the country that the proposal is to serve, and 'Offeror' identifying the organization submitting the proposal.

3. Format and Content Proposals

A. Proposal Format –

Proposal submissions will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with applicable law, and DoD/DoN regulations. Respondents are expected to appropriately mark each page of their submission that contains proprietary information.

Proposals, sample materials, letters of support, and all other documentation and correspondence are to be submitted in English. Deliverables developed in the host country language are to be translated, where practical, and provided to the DHAPP office in the host country language and in English. Copies of materials produced as a result of an award from this BAA should be sent within 30 days of completion to Ms. Melissa Myers at Melissa.myers@med.navy.mil.

Proposals shall be submitted electronically and by mail (see paragraph 2 above) in Microsoft Office 2000 compatible or Adobe Acrobat format, within the following guidelines:

Concept Paper Format Paper Size – 8.5 x 11 inch paper Font – Time New Roman, 12 point Margins – 1” inch Spacing – Single or double-spaced Number of Pages –No more than ten (10) pages single-sided pages (excluding cover page, cost breakdown, Staffing Needs/Costs, and Timeline for Completion). Concept Papers exceeding the page limit may not be evaluated.

Copies – one (1) electronic copy in Adobe PDF or Word delivered via e-mail, containing all of the required sections (see section IV.1.). Electronic (e-mail) submissions should be sent to the attention of e-mail addresses reference in Section IV.2. above. The subject line of e-mail shall read “DHAPP-BAA-12-002 Proposal Concept Paper.”

Full Proposal Format

Paper Size – 8.5 x 11 inch paper Font – Time New Roman, 12 point Margins – 1” inch Spacing – Single or double-spaced Number of Pages – Sections I and II are limited to no more than 30 pages. Section III has no page limit. The cover page and table of contents are excluded from the page limitations.

Proposals exceeding the page limit may not be evaluated.

Copies – one (1) electronic copy in Adobe PDF or Word delivered via e-mail, containing all of the required sections (see section IV.1.). Electronic (e-mail) submissions should be sent to the attention of e-mail addresses reference in Section IV.2. above. The subject line of e-mail shall read “DHAPP-BAA-12-002 Full Proposal Submission.”

B. Concept Paper and Full Proposal Content.

Concept Paper Content

Cover Page – The Cover page shall be labeled “PROPOSAL CONCEPT PAPER,” and shall include the BAA number: DHAPP-BAA-12-002, proposed title, Offeror’s administrative and technical points of contact, with telephone numbers, facsimile numbers, and Internet addresses.

It shall be signed by an authorized officer.

Signed Standard Form 424, 424a and 424b as applicable. Forms can be found at www.grants.gov.

Narrative shall include:

o Executive Summary--Briefly summarize the overall proposed program in one page or less. Include information on background, overall goal and objectives.

o Proposed Activities – In more detail describe the proposed activities in more detail, displaying knowledge of the needs of the partner military, how objectives will be met, and how you will evaluate the success of the program. A brief work plan and list of deliverables should be included.

o Cost Breakdown.

o Staffing needs and costs -- To the extent possible, state the personnel management and staffing costs by individual and further break down the percent of time each individual is working on the project. Other administrative costs associated with project management should also be specified. Additionally, distribute the management and staffing costs across PEPFAR program areas other than HVMS.

o Timeline for completion – an outline of the estimated activities for each quarter with a schedule of milestones

Full Proposal Content

Volume 1: Technical Proposal

i. Cover Page: This should include the words “Technical Proposal” and the following:

(1) BAA Number DHAPP-BAA-12-002

(2) Targeted Country;

(3) Title of Proposal;

(4) Identity of Prime Respondent and complete list of subcontractors, if applicable;

(5) Technical Contact (name, address, phone, fax and e-mail);

(6) Administrative/Business Contact (name, address, phone, fax and e-mail);

(7) Duration of effort

ii. Table of Contents: Section, Title and page numbers are required.

iii. Signed Standard Form 424, 424a and 424b as applicable. Forms can be found at www.grants.gov.

Signed Certifications (Attachment 2).

iv. Section I: Technical Approach. The following items shall be addressed:

Executive Summary. Briefly summarize the overall proposed program in one page or less.

Include information on background, overall goal and objectives.

Background Information. Provide general background information about the host country and its military, including conditions and issues that have relevance to HIV transmission and HIV prevention programs. This information should include data on HIV prevalence. Other possible information to include: population size, economic conditions, political conditions, conflicts and border disputes, country infrastructure, and host nation military HIV program accomplishments or priorities to date and other donors, resources leveraged, etc. Information provided in this section should demonstrate awareness of the conditions and needs within the country and its military.

Goal and Objectives. Describe (a) the overall goal of the program described in your proposal, and (b) the objectives that your program hopes to achieve. Priority activities for DHAPP include

(1) training of master trainers and peer educators, (2) “Troop Level” HIV/AIDS prevention education and behavior change communication, (3) providing infrastructure and equipment for HIV testing, care and treatment centers, (4) increasing testing of all military personnel (5) developing HIV laboratory diagnostic and monitoring capabilities, (6) increasing clinical and human resource capabilities for health care of those infected with HIV, and (7) Effective methodologies for monitoring and evaluation procedures. (see section 6.2 above).

Statement of Work. In an Excel spreadsheet, provide a summary of your planned activities for each program area (an example is provided in Attachment 4). Please use the following column headings: Country, Offeror, Program Area Budget Code (use 2-digit - 4-letter abbreviation), Funds Requested, and Brief Statement of Work.

Work Plan. Clearly detail the scope and plan of the effort. Describe the specific methods (e.g., surveys, interviews, surveillance, etc.) you will use to accomplish the proposed objectives. All anticipated work must be within the national guidelines of the host country. If your plan includes a training/education program or other intervention, please describe these in detail. Training should be aligned with national standards where possible. It is anticipated that the proposed plan will be incorporated as an attachment to the resultant award instrument. To this end, such proposals must include a severable self-standing plan without any proprietary restrictions that can be attached to the agreement award.

Deliverables. Offeror should provide detailed description of the results and products to be delivered. Appropriate DHAPP and DoD logos should be included in any material deliverables that are developed through funding from this BAA. The Department of Defense through its agent, DHAPP, will retain ownership of these deliverable products for reproduction and other purposes. It is understood that publications may occur based on program developments that are not necessarily research in nature. Nonetheless, DHAPP personnel should be consulted on, directly involved in, and share authorship in any publications that result from projects that are funded by this BAA. A copy of any and all publications, including appropriate acknowledgement language, that are funded by this BAA shall be provided to the NHRC PAO for approval and comment prior to release. The Grantee will provide all technical data including reports, drawings and blueprints, all research data including data collected, data collection tools, data bases and data tables, and all computer software, that result from work performed under this grant.

Monitoring and Evaluation. State how you will demonstrate that the proposed program will have an impact on military members and/or their families and state the indicators of performance that will be used. Indicators of performance need to be specific and measurable (e.g., 25 peer educators will be trained, 100 military members will receive VCT counseling, 2 laboratories will be established). Also, state how you will collect this information.

Schedule and milestones. Provide a schedule and description of major milestones or tasks to be accomplished in the proposed program by quarter (e.g., by 3-month period). No set number of milestones is required; the number and nature of the milestones will depend on your program and objectives.

Examples:

Quarter 1:

Develop training materials (manuals, posters, drama video or other media) for an HIV prevention education program.

Train 50 master trainers to provide HIV prevention training.

Quarter 2:

Administer knowledge/attitude/behavior pretest survey to 500 military members.

Refurbish 2 military health clinics to provide VCT services.

Quarter 3:

Master trainers will deliver training to 300 military members.

Train 10 laboratory technicians to support VCT services.

Quarter 4:

Administer knowledge/attitude/behavior posttest survey to 500 military members.

Provide counseling and testing to 150 military members at VCT centers.

In-Country Participation. Describe the involvement of the host country’s military and its leadership in: (a) the development of this proposal (and/or the ideas presented in this proposal), and in (b) the planned execution of the proposed program bearing in mind the long term sustainability and host country military ownership of the program.

Relevance of the Program. (a) Describe the relevance of the proposed program to the needs, priorities and circumstances of the host country’s military; (b) describe how the proposed program fits into the overall HIV strategy for the country and/or the country's military. If the respondent has previously performed and accomplished HIV prevention efforts involving the host country’s military, it should describe its past and current efforts.

v. Section II: Qualifications

Primary Staff Members and Roles. Identify the primary staff members who will direct and manage the proposed program objectives and briefly describe the roles and responsibilities of each person. Provide names, title, estimate of percent of time devoted to this proposal, and a paragraph describing area of expertise/relevant experience, qualifications, and capabilities. If sub-contracting significant elements of the proposed work, identify companies by name, the companies area(s) of responsibility with respect to this project, the names and titles of key individuals, along with their area(s) of expertise (if different than title) and the individuals’ roles and responsibilities and percent of time effort for this proposed effort.

Other Partners. List partners (other than DHAPP) that are assisting the country’s military in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Briefly describe the objectives/activities that these other sources support. This information will allow DHAPP to understand the role of all the major players in the development and execution of the military’s HIV prevention program, and should be factored in to the Concept Paper/proposal development to avoid duplication and maximize program efforts.

Volume 2: Cost Proposal

A projected budget should be provided that includes cost breakdowns by category. While we do not require a specific format, a sufficiently detailed projected budget is recommended. Generally, costs for project management and administrative costs (e.g., salaries, overhead, and travel related to management and administration) should generally be no more than 20% of the total budget. A minimum of 40% of the total budget should be for broadly defined HIV prevention/care activities (including the labor and materials needed for these activities). No more than 10% of the total budget should be for executive level workshops. If your budget deviates from these budget guidelines, provide sufficient justification.

The itemized budget must include the following:

Direct Labor – Individual labor categories or persons, with associated labor hours and unburdened direct labor rates. If proposal crosses fiscal years, then provide escalation rates for out years.

Administrative and clerical labors – Salaries of administrative and clerical staff are normally indirect costs (and included in an indirect cost rate). Direct charging of these costs may be appropriate when a major project requires an extensive amount of administrative or clerical support significantly greater than normal and routine levels of support. Budgets proposing direct charging of administrative or clerical salaries must be supported with a budget justification which adequately describes the major project and the administrative and/or clerical work to be performed.

Fringe Benefits and Indirect Costs (i.e., F&A, Overhead, G&A, etc) – The proposal should show the rates and calculation of the costs for each rate category. If the rates have been approved/negotiated by a Government agency, provide a copy of the sufficient detail to enable a determination of allowability, allowability and reasonableness of the allocation bases, and how the rates are calculated. Additional information may be requested, if needed. If composite rates are used, provide the calculations used in deriving the composite rates.

Travel – The proposed travel cost should include the following for each trip: the purpose of the trip, origin and destination if known, approximate duration, the number of travelers, and the estimated cost per trip must be justified based on the organizations historical average cost per trip or other reasonable basis for estimation. Such estimates and the resultant costs claimed must conform to the applicable Federal cost principals.

Subawards – Provide a description of the work to be performed by the subrecipients. For each subaward, a detailed cost proposal is required to be submitted by the subrecipient(s). The proposed subawardee’s or subrecipient’s cost proposal can be provided in a sealed envelope with the recipient’s cost proposal or via e-mail directly to both the Program Officer and the business point of contact at the same time the prime proposal is submitted. The e-mail should identify the proposal title, the prime Offeror and that the attached proposal is either a subcontract or a sub-agreement. A proposal and supporting documentation must be received and reviewed before the Government can complete its cost analysis of the proposal and enter negotiations. Fee/profit is not allowable on any subawards made through assistance agreements. Fee is allowable on subcontract awards.

Consultants – Provide a breakdown of the consultant’s hours, the hourly rate proposed, any other proposed consultant costs, a copy of the signed Consulting Agreement or other documentation supporting the proposed consultant rate/cost, and a copy of the consultant’s proposed statement of work if it is not already separately identified in the prime Offeror’s proposal.

Materials & Supplies – Provide an itemized list of all proposed materials and supplies including quantities, unit prices, proposed vendors (if known), and the basis for the estimate (e.g., quotes, prior purchases, catalog price lists).

Recipient Acquired Equipment or Facilities – Equipment and/or facilities are normally furnished by the Recipient. If acquisition of equipment and/or facilities is proposed, a justification for the purchase of the items must be provided. Provide an itemized list of all equipment and/or facilities costs and the basis for the estimate (e.g., quotes, prior purchases, catalog price lists). Allowable items normally would be limited to research equipment not already available for the project. General purpose equipment (i.e., equipment not used exclusively for research, scientific or other technical activities, such as personal computers, office equipment and furnishings, etc.) should not be requested unless they will be used primarily or exclusively for the project. For computer/laptop purchases and other general purpose equipment, if proposed, include a statement indicating how each item of equipment will be integrated into the program or used as an integral part of the research effort.

Other Direct Costs – Provide an itemized list of all other proposed other direct costs such as Graduate Assistant tuition, laboratory fees, report and publication costs, and the basis for the estimate (e.g., quotes, prior purchases, catalog price lists).

Fee/Profit - Fee/profit is unallowable under grants at either the prime or subaward level but may be permitted on any subcontracts issued by the prime awardee.

NOTE: Your budget should clearly state the personnel management and staffing costs by individual and further break down the percent of time each individual is working on the project.

Other administrative costs associated with project management should also be specified.

Separate from the budget discussed above, your statement of work (SOW) (see Attachment 4), should distribute the management and staffing costs across technical program areas other than

HVMS.

V. EVALUATION INFORMATION

1. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be selected through a technical and business decision process with technical considerations being most important. Criteria are listed in descending order of priority. Any sub-criteria listed under a particular criterion are of equal importance to each other.

A. Technical Approach.

i. Goals and Objectives. The proposal clearly states the overall goal(s) of the program and has specific, measurable objectives. The proposal is relevant to established DHAPP priority activities (see section 6.2 above)

ii. Work Plan and Deliverables. The proposal contains sound scientific methods, an appropriate work plan described in sufficient detail and appropriate deliverables.

iii. Methodology for monitoring and evaluation procedures. The proposed plan includes a description of how the program will have an impact on the country’s military and clearly states the indicators of performance that will be used to monitor effectiveness.

iv. Schedule and milestones. The proposed plan for HIV prevention efforts is feasible and contains concrete, achievable schedule and milestones.

v. Relevance to the host country’s military. The proposal clearly describes the involvement of the host country military and the relevance of the proposed program to the needs, priorities, and circumstances of the host country’s military.

B. Qualifications.

Primary staff members are eligible to perform the work.

C. Cost.

Cost will be evaluated for realism, reasonableness and eligibility. All costs must be listed, justified and match the scope of the effort.

2. Evaluation Panel

Technical and cost proposals submitted under this BAA will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR 3.104-5 and 15.207. The cognizant NHRC/DHAPP Program Officer or other technical experts drawn from Government, industry or academe will perform the evaluation of technical proposals. Cost proposals will be evaluated by Government business professionals. Restrictive notices notwithstanding, one or more support contractors may be utilized as subject-matter-expert technical consultants. Similarly, support contractors may be utilized to evaluate cost proposals. However, proposal selection and award decisions are solely the responsibility of Government personnel. Each support contractor’s employee having access to technical and cost proposals submitted in response to this BAA will be required to sign a non-disclosure statement prior to receipt of any proposal submissions.

3. Evaluation Process.

3.0. Based upon receipt of promising Concept Paper(s), the DHAPP Country Support Team will request a full proposal using the appropriate rating sheet. The Offeror will receive a response either requesting a full proposal or noting the rationale for not requesting one.

3.1. Step 1. Full proposals will first be reviewed by a primary reviewer (generally a member of the DHAPP Country Support Team or a technical expert). Where available an appropriate point of contact at the cognizant US Embassy (for example: the DoD PEPFAR Program Manager in country, Defense Attaché Office, Office of Defense Cooperation, or Security Assistance Office), and a representative from the COCOM will also be given the opportunity to review the proposal. The Embassy and COCOM reviewers will review the proposal’s merit and confirm that the proposal(s) meets the applicable theatre security cooperation guidance and other relevant US DoD policies. An additional reviewer may also be asked to review the proposal. Proposals will be reviewed by a minimum of two such experts (DCST representative, COCOM representative, embassy representative, or other review) prior to moving forward to the review panel.

3.2. Step 2. A team of Government technical experts, including experienced scientists, practitioners, and researchers working in the HIV field will evaluate the proposals’ technical approach, qualifications and cost for realism and reasonableness. This Proposal Evaluation Panel shall include reviewers external to the DHAPP staff. The Government will use selected support contractor personnel as technical advisors to the Government evaluators. Contractor personnel may also provide administrative assistance in the handling of proposals. All contractor personnel will be bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements to protect proprietary and source-selection sensitive information.

The Proposal Evaluation Panel will review all proposals, taking into consideration available input from the previous noted in Step 1 reviewers. Host nation military willingness to support and work with the offeror will be factored into the final selection decision.

Panel members will rate each proposal using a ranging from unsatisfactory to outstanding (see details on evaluation ratings below), as well as, provide a vote on an overall recommendation on whether the proposal should be funded

3.3. The grants officer will ensure all evaluations are fair and reasonable, and ensure primary staff members are eligible to perform work with the U.S. Government. The grants officer will also review costs for realism, reasonableness and eligibility.

4. Evaluation Ratings

The proposals will be rated with the following adjectives and then ranked according to their ratings.

Outstanding – Proposal/factor demonstrates thorough and detailed understanding of requirements.

Technical approach and capabilities significantly exceed performance and capability standards.

Proposal/factor offers one or more strengths. Strengths significantly outweigh weaknesses, if any. The proposal/factor represents a high probability of success with no apparent risk in meeting the Government’s requirements.

Above Average - Proposal/factor demonstrates good understanding of requirements. Technical approach and capabilities exceed performance and capability standards. Proposal/factor offers one or more strengths. Strengths outweigh any weaknesses. The proposal/factor represents a strong probability of success with overall low degree of risk in meeting the Government’s requirements.

Satisfactory - Proposal/factor demonstrates acceptable understanding of requirements. Technical approach and capabilities meet performance and capability standards. Proposal/factor offers no strengths, or, if there are any strengths, these strengths are offset by weaknesses. The proposal/factor represents a reasonable probability of success with overall moderate degree of risk in meeting the Government’s requirements.

Marginal - Proposal/factor demonstrates a limited understanding of requirements. Technical approach and capabilities are questionable as to whether or not they meet performance and capability standards necessary for acceptable contract performance. Proposal/factor contains weaknesses and offers no strengths, or, if there are any strengths, these strengths are outweighed by weaknesses. The proposal/factor represents a low probability of success with overall high degree of risk in meeting the Government’s requirements. Proposal/factor might be made satisfactory with additional information and without a major revision of the proposal.

Unsatisfactory - Proposal/factor demonstrates a lack of understanding of requirements. Technical approach and capabilities do not meet performance and capability standards necessary for acceptable contract performance. Proposal/factor contains major errors, omissions, significant weaknesses and/or deficiencies. The proposal/factor represents a very low probability of success with an extremely high degree of risk in meeting the Government’s requirements. Proposal/factor could only be made satisfactory with major revision of proposal.

Strengths, weaknesses and deficiencies are defined as:

Strength - any aspect of a proposal which, when judged against a stated evaluation criterion, enhances the merit of the proposal or increases the probability of successful performance

Weakness - a flaw in the proposal that increases the risk of unsuccessful performance

Deficiency – a material failure of a proposal to meet a Government requirement or a combination of significant weaknesses in a proposal that increases the risk of unsuccessful performance to an unacceptable level

VI. ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Central Contractor Registration: All Offerors submitting proposals or applications must: (a) be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) prior to submission; (b) maintain an active CCR registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application under consideration by any agency; and (c) provide its DUNS number in each application or proposal it submits to the agency.

Grant and Cooperative Agreement Requirements: Grant awards greater than $100,000; require a certification of compliance with a national policy mandate concerning lobbying. Grant applicants shall provide this certification by electronic submission of SF424 (R&R) as a part of the electronic proposal submitted via http://www.grants.gov (complete Block 17).

2. Certifications/Assurances-

Certification Regarding Lobbying Activities- Grant and Cooperative Agreement awards greater than $100,000 require a certification of compliance with a national policy mandate concerning lobbying.

Grant applicants shall provide this certification by electronic submission of SF424 (R&R) as a part of the electronic proposal submitted via Grants.gov (complete Block 17); the following certification applies to each applicant seeking federal assistance funds exceeding $100,000:

(1) No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the applicant, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of an agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.

(2) If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the applicant shall complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, “Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying,” in accordance with its instructions.

(3) The applicant shall require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all subawards at all tiers (including subcontracts, subgrants, and contracts under grants, and cooperative agreements) and that all subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly.

This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was made or entered into.