2021 MEPI Local Grants NOFO.pdf

U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs

Office of Assistance Coordination

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 19.500

MEPI Local Grants 2021 Opportunity Number: MEPILOCALGRANTS2021

Key Information:

Announcement Type: New Date Opened: May 24, 2021 Deadline for Questions June 27, 2021 Application Deadline: August 1, 2021 Expected Date of Notification: December 31, 2021 Federal Agency Contact: NEA-Grants@state.gov

Funding Opportunity Synopsis

Advancing stability and prosperity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is critical to the achievement of the United States’ foreign policy. There are many challenges, however, which hinder efforts to improve transparent governance, provide inclusive economic opportunities, and encourage civic engagement. Two thirds of the population feel that economic hardship and corruption plague their countries, with trust in civil society decreasing since 2015.

The MEPI Local Grants Program’s mission is to sustain the United States’ commitment to strengthen direct partnerships with local actors to promote prosperity and participatory governance. Its objectives are to support civil society organizations in (1) developing, promoting, and implementing locally-designed solutions to self-identified environmental, economic, or social problems through civic engagement or economic participation; (2) fostering inclusive economic growth that reaches marginalized communities, youth, and women; (3) advancing participatory governance through promoting citizens’ engagement and decision-makers’ willingness to work with citizen groups and civil society organizations; (4) improving civil society’s representation of the needs of citizens through collective action on the local level;

(5) working towards gender parity in economics and/or politics; (6) increasing youth engagement in meaningful economic and civic activities; and (7) fostering innovative approaches to solving social, economic, or political issues.

All applications must be submitted in English. Complete information on how applicants can submit proposals for this opportunity can be found in Section VI below.

Applicants should read this NOFO in its entirety before writing their proposal and should refer to the full Evaluation Criteria provided in Section VII while drafting all materials.

Eligible Countries and Territories

In this announcement, we seek to support projects in Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Please note: Applications that focus on activities in countries and territories other than those listed will NOT be considered.

Background Information about NEA/AC

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Assistance

Coordination (NEA/AC) offers Federal assistance to groups and individuals striving to bring about positive change in the Middle East-North Africa region. The Assistance Coordination

Office works in 20 countries and territories, partnering with governments, civil society organizations (CSOs), community leaders, youth and women activists and private sector groups to advance their efforts. Competitively selected projects aim to foster participatory governance, economic reform, and educational advancement in response to local interest and needs.

The mission of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) is to foster meaningful and effective partnerships between citizens, civil society, the private sector, and governments to resolve local challenges and promote shared interests in the areas of participatory governance and economic opportunity and reform. Focusing on promoting stability and prosperity in the region, MEPI supports partnerships through projects that are responsive to emerging opportunities by being field-driven, applying evidence-based decision-making, and designing results-oriented projects. For more information and additional resources about the MEPI

Program visit: https://mepi.state.gov/.

Table of Contents

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROBLEM STATEMENT

B. ACHIEVABLE OBJECTIVES

C. PROJECT DESIGN

D. GENDER INTEGRATION

E. DEFINITIONS

II. MEASUREMENT OF RESULTS

III. AWARD INFORMATION

IV. SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT

V. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

B. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

C. ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS

VI. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

B. APPLICATION FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS

C. SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

D. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES

VII. FUNDING LIMITATIONS, RESTRICTIONS, AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

A. AWARDS TO COMMERCIAL FIRMS OR FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

B. AUDIT REQUIREMENTS

C. COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE FEDERAL FUNDING REGULATIONS AND DOS TERMS AND CONDITIONS

VIII. APPLICATION REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

A. APPLICATION EVALUATION CRITERIA

B. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

IX. ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. AWARD NOTICES

B. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

C. TRAVEL NOTIFICATIONS

D. APPLICANT VETTING AS A CONDITION OF AWARD

E. SPECIAL PROVISION FOR PERFORMANCE IN A DESIGNATED COMBAT AREA (SPOT) REQUIREMENTS

F. BRANDING AND MARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANTEES

G. UEI NUMBER REQUIREMENT FOR SUB AWARDEES

H. SUB AWARDEE REPORTING REQUIREMENT

X. AGENCY CONTACTS

XI. DISCLAIMER

APPENDICES (Posted with NOFO) APPENDIX 1— Budget Sample Template and Budget Narrative Guidance APPENDIX 2— Logic Model Template APPENDIX 3— Application Guidance APPENDIX 4— Project Narrative Application APPENDIX 5— Step by Step SAM Registration Guide

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

The MEPI Local Grants Program seeks projects that build links between and among citizens, civil society, government, and the private sector, and are responsive to emerging opportunities at the local level in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The program supports projects that align with U.S. foreign policy goals and promote U.S. interests in the region, enhancing stability, and increasing prosperity across MENA.

These grants are designed to support two priority areas of the MEPI Strategic Framework:

• Participatory Governance: Enable citizens and civil society to effectively engage with government officials to increase responsiveness to citizen needs. Enhance citizens’ ability to actively participate in their governments and develop a more informed citizenry. Enable government officials’ engagement with, and responsiveness to, their citizens to resolve issues of shared concern.

• Economic Reform: Enable citizens, policy makers, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector with the skills and resources to provide economic opportunity, foster economic growth, and promote improved business enabling environments.

A. PROBLEM STATEMENT

The MENA region is dynamic with various political, economic, and social challenges on the national and local levels. Nearly three-quarters of the region’s population identifies worsening economic conditions as the single most important challenge facing their countries. Other major concerns include financial and administrative corruption, disenfranchised citizens and marginalized communities, large public sectors, limited opportunities for innovation, and high unemployment rates, especially among youth.

An equal percentage of the population – approximately three quarters - expressed deteriorating trust in government institutions and elected officials, and an increasing number feels that the credibility of civil society is diminishing.

Gender inequalities persist despite recent gains in women’s political participation and countering gender-based violence laws. While many women have surpassed men in their educational attainment around the region, their participation in the labor force remains two to four times lower than men, and their participation in political processes is among the lowest in the world.

While enduring, these challenges have become worse as COVID-19 rampaged across the globe over the past year, closing down countries and impacting economies and vulnerable populations.

Also, as the effects of climate change become broader and more regions are impacted, greater focus is needed on helping economies and populations become resilient in order to adapt to the coming changes.

B. ACHIEVABLE OBJECTIVES

A key objective of the Local Grants Program is developing the capacity of local civil society organizations (CSOs) to effectively and efficiently manage U.S. federal assistance. Applications to this NOFO should address and clearly demonstrate how project-specific objectives and activities contribute to the local grants program objectives outlined below. Working primarily on the local level, and using an evidence-based approach, at least one of the following objectives

MUST be achieved:

1. Develop and promote locally designed solutions to environmental, economic, or social problems.

2. Foster inclusive economic growth that reaches marginalized communities, youth, and women.

3. Encourage citizens’ engagement in participatory governance and decision-makers’ willingness to work with citizen groups and civil society organizations.

4. Increase civil society’s representation of the needs of citizens through collective action on the local level.

5. Work towards gender parity in politics and/or economics.

6. Increase youth engagement in meaningful economic and civic activities.

7. Foster innovative approaches and solutions.

C. PROJECT DESIGN

Competitive applications will include clear, detailed project strategies that illustrate the logic behind each project’s design. All proposed project activities must clearly demonstrate how they will produce impact.

In addition to the overarching MEPI objectives and requirements identified above, projects must meet country-specific project priority areas as outlined below:

Algeria:

Funding Mechanism Type: Cooperative Agreement, Grant, or Fixed

Amount Award

Estimated Number of Awards Five to Ten (5-10)

Estimated Total Funding $500,000

Estimated Award Ceiling $100,000

Estimated Award Floor $50,000

Estimated Length of Project Period 12-36 months

Country Problem Statement: The official youth unemployment rate in Algeria again exceeded 29 percent in 2020. Combined with the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis and ongoing political and economic transition, the situation will likely worsen absent economic reform as the number of those under 30 (who already comprise nearly 70 percent of the Algerian population) increases. Private entrepreneurs face significant challenges including currency controls, import restrictions, bureaucratic hurdles, burdensome regulations, and strict government control of key sectors. Entrepreneurs and small- and medium enterprises (SMEs) also face challenges from a workforce skills gap such as limited managerial skills, training, and difficulties in identifying or connecting with suitable markets. Further, startups rarely manage to scale up or reach a level of sustainability.

Country Priorities:

(1) Support for Civil Society: Enable CSOs to reach out to both constituents and local and national government counterparts in order to increase citizen participation in decision making processes and governance. Sample activities under this priority could include but are not limited to: a. Strengthening CSOs’ administrative, financial, and programmatic capacities; b. Offering interactive spaces for citizens to identify and prioritize local needs;

c. Creating communication channels to promote effective, reliable, and transparent bridges between citizens and local authorities; d. Conducting advocacy activities to advance specific policy goals resulting in demonstrable outcomes and impacts during the project timeframe.

(2) Economic Growth: Increase youth employability through job placements and/or the creation of effective and sustainable businesses. Applicants should have business sustainability plans and established relationships with employers, demonstrated through a letter of intent or formal partnership. Sample activities under this priority could include but are not limited to: a. Equipping youth, especially in rural areas and areas with high unemployment rates, with soft and technical skills and place them in long-term employment opportunities; b. Developing policies and procedures related to job-related training to align with identified market needs based on employer feedback and job placement outcomes; c. Creating mentoring opportunities and incubations mechanism to scale up nascent or small and medium sized businesses to a sustainable level

Geographic/Thematic Focus:

Projects must target at least one of the following populations: youth, women, and/or people living with disabilities. Priority will be given to geographic areas outside the main cities and to

MEPI alumni. Applicants must demonstrate the process of assessing the implications for women, men, and other groups of any planned action at social, economic, and political levels in their project narrative through implementation and evaluation.

Specific eligibility requirements:

• Eligible applicants include: Local civil society organizations, non-profit organizations, community groups, non-governmental organizations, professional associations, private sector organizations, and universities based in Algeria, which have obtained all required registrations.

• Priority will be given to applicants who have previously implemented or managed international awards in an amount of at least $50,000.

Bahrain:

Estimated Number of Awards Two to three (2-3)

Estimated Total Funding $200,000

Estimated Award Ceiling $100,000

Country Problem Statement: A country with a young National Assembly and civil society, Bahrain’s CSOs are building experience and credibility, but need assistance in strengthening the role CSOs play in addressing environmental, social, and economic issues. Current economic and fiscal challenges may limit access to social programs and economic growth opportunities, particularly for youth, and could inhibit future job growth. The country also faces problems of managing environmental pollutants and ensuring sustainable development as the resident population grows. Recently, Bahrain’s King Hamad acknowledged the need to address environmental concerns, and Bahrain’s National Assembly has begun discussing policy options for tackling the issue. To further develop local capacity for partnerships between civil society in these areas, academic institutions, businesses, and the government, Bahrain would also benefit from developing solutions designed to create and strengthen cross-sector connections.

Bahraini youth predominantly depended on the public sector for entry-level employment opportunities. However, Bahrain’s limited market size, lack of professional mentorship, and absence of robust and flexible regulatory frameworks limit advancement opportunities. The government began implementing policies aimed at enhancing competitiveness and increasing employment under the Crown Prince’s Economic Vision 2030, but as many as eight thousand recent university graduates, many of them from underserved communities, have difficulties finding jobs in their chosen fields each year. Maintaining a stable economy with a business-friendly environment, developing more job opportunities, and increasing youth engagement in meaningful economic activities will strengthen economic and social inclusion and stability.

Country Priorities: As civil society matures in Bahrain, CSOs need support for new approaches and solutions to solving Bahrain’s development challenges. CSOs currently operate in environmental, social, and economic fields, but could benefit from additional support.

Additionally, innovation in developing relationships between government, academic institutions, businesses, and civil society will assist in expanding the role local organizations play in promoting equitable political and economic solutions. Empowering youth voices, in particular, to fuel economic development and maturation of civil society, will be important to keeping talented youth invested and participating in its development.

Geographic/Thematic Focus: Proposals are open to all population and policy areas with a special focus on underserved youth.

Specific eligibility requirements: Partnerships will be made with officially registered organizations, professional associations, private sector organizations, or academic institutions.

Jordan:

Estimated Number of Awards Two to five (2-5)

Estimated Total Funding $500,000

Estimated Award Ceiling $200,000

Estimated Award Floor $100,000

Country Problem Statement: Jordan continues to face both external and internal challenges, including regional geopolitical instability, rising unemployment rates, and the ongoing COVID-

19 pandemic, which impacted the economy through business closures and restrictions, and put pressure on the country’s stressed healthcare, and educational sectors.

Jordan’s economic growth slowed to 1.3 percentin the first quarter of 2020, reflecting only partially the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Jordanians have lost their jobs and citizens do not expect the economy will recover in the short term. Citizens likewise do not think

Jordanian government job-creation efforts will be effective; only 14 percent of Jordanians report satisfaction with the government’s policy approach on job creation. Jordan’s unemployment rate increased to almost 24 percent in the third quarter of 2020, the highest since 2005. The constrained economy and lack of opportunities for youth, who make up 70 percent of citizens under 30, remains one of the most pressing issues facing Jordan today. Women’s employment in

Jordan is one of the world’s lowest at 15percent despite high educational attainment.

Jordan’s economic prospects are also complicated by other socio-economic factors, that further constrain its fragile economy and limited job market, including a mismatch between the skills of recent graduates and the jobs available in the private sector, affecting ICT, green technology, hospitality, tourism, and other sectors. The Jordanian private sector labor market also offers limited opportunities outside the capital.

Country Priority:

Inclusive Economic Growth. This goal is in line with Post’s Integrated Country Strategy (ICS) goal of increasing self-reliance through broad-based inclusive economic growth, which contributes to long-term stability. It also aligns with MEPI’s goal of fostering economic growth.

Jordan faced severe economic challenges even before the spread of COVID, but the pandemic worsened the situation around the country, in particular among women and youth in areas outside the capital and in marginalized communities. Accordingly, there is a need to promote inclusive economic growth and development, expand economic opportunities and participation through capacity-building programs, and strengthen linkages between universities and the private sector through academic and professional internships, apprenticeships, and placements. Such programs can also promote leadership and innovation, and help enhance the skills of women and youth outside of the capital.

Cross-Cutting: Youth. This priority is in line with Post’s ICS goal of promoting stability and security through inclusive economic growth and employment. To improve economic opportunities for youth and help more women enter the workforce, there is a need to change attitudes surrounding what are and are not “acceptable” jobs, and cultivate innovative solutions for the digital age. All of this is addressed through this priority, which encourages youth to respond to new opportunities and emerging trends. For example, the digital innovation sector during the pandemic has created new opportunities for a virtual workplace and labor market, as well as home-based businesses with delivery (overcoming the barrier of overhead for expensive office space. Jordanians need encouragement to spot opportunities in private sector jobs and careers.

Geographic/Thematic Focus: Priority will be given to projects that target marginalized communities in, but not limited to: Ajloun, Aqaba, Jerash, Karak, Ma’an, and Tafileh. These areas were chosen based on the relative scarcity of resources and services available, and priorities for Post outreach.

Thematic areas include, but are not limited to:

• Improving the ease of doing business, particularly for small and medium enterprises

(SMEs);

• Assisting informal businesses in overcoming barriers to joining the formal sector and gaining access to finance;

• Increasing the capacity of small and medium enterprises to export their products and fostering increased regional economic cooperation;

• Creating new opportunities in private-sector employment and skills-building suited for digital labor opportunities in the international digital economy;

• Providing demand-based vocational training that has a high likelihood of leading to either self-employment or private-sector job placement (both in the informal and formal sectors);

• Building bridges between the private sector and the educational system to ensure students are being trained for existing jobs and the private sector’s talent pipeline, and building a culture and practice of internship and apprenticeship;

• Address any gaps and unmet needs within the Jordanian entrepreneurship ecosystem, particularly ideas that will help start-ups advance from the seed to growth stage.

• Advancing women’s economic participation, promoting financial literacy, and access to services and training;

• Supporting the implementation of relevant commercial laws, such as the investment law, companies law, insolvency law, and/or other laws that support entrepreneurs and startups;

Specific eligibility requirements: N/A

Kuwait:

Estimated Number of Awards Two to three (2-3)

Estimated Total Funding $200,000

Estimated Award Ceiling $100,000

Country Problem Statement:

Kuwaiti women are highly educated and enjoy many aspects of constitutional and civil rights;

however, they are not widely represented in government or private sector leadership and are not treated equally under the law, such as citizenship transmission to children. Post seeks civil society organizations, interest groups, and nonprofit companies to engage the Kuwaiti government to support public campaigning, advocacy and awareness on gender equality and women’s rights.

The majority of Kuwait’s population is migrant workers, many of whom are subjected to labor violations or trafficking. Victims of these violations typically experience nonpayment of wages, working conditions drastically different from those indicated in the contract, limited freedom of movement, harassment, physical abuse or threats. Employees claimed that passport confiscation by employers, though illegal, remained a common practice. In other cases, workers who pay a fee to get a job in Kuwait find that there is no job waiting for them when they arrive, and must find jobs in the grey market as illegal workers with no rights. COVID-19 has only exacerbated these trends. Post would like civil society organizations to engage the Kuwaiti government to implement existing laws to protect victims and enhance legislation to provide greater rights and mobility to workers.

Finally, Kuwait’s stateless Arab population (Bidoon) of approximately 100,000 is a marginalized community. The government does not uniformly grant government services and subsidies to

Bidoon, including education, employment, medical care, and the issuance of civil documents, such as birth, marriage, and death certificates. There are very few civil society organizations or individuals publicly working on the Bidoon issues. Post would like to invite civil society organizations and private sector organizations to help develop a local solution to this social problem.

Country Priorities: The Embassy encourages applications that target building the CSOs capacity to effectively interact with government officials to promote the following goals:

- Kuwait citizens, and particularly Kuwaiti women, develop greater civil participation in government and increase confidence in political institutions.

- Civil society organizations and/or private sector organizations to help develop local solutions to labor rights violations and trafficking-in-persons, marginalized populations in

Kuwait, and/or gender equality.

Geographic/Thematic Focus: Stateless people, domestic violence, gender parity, civil society organizations.

Specific eligibility requirements:

1. Registered nonprofit companies, registered or unregistered civil society organizations, and societies can all apply to MEPI local grants.

2. It is preferred that applicants have existing private and government sector partnerships, like MOU’s or ongoing partnerships

Lebanon:

Estimated Number of Awards Two to five (2-5)

Estimated Total Funding $500,000

Estimated Award Ceiling $150,000 for one-year awards; $300,000 for two-year awards

Estimated Award Floor $50,000 for one-year awards; $100,000 for two-year awards

Estimated Length of Project Period 12-24 months

Country Problem Statement: Enduring continued misgovernance and a severe economic crisis, the Lebanese people are disillusioned by their government’s inability to respond to the multiple challenges that fuel the crisis and undermine the country’s stability.

Lebanon’s decades-long economic model of reliance on the financial and banking sectors collapsed in 2020, with virtually no productive economic sector on which to fall back.

Lebanon’s GDP contracted by 25 percent in 2020 alone, the third-worst performance worldwide, and the IMF estimated Lebanon’s nominal GDP to be the lowest in the Middle East, behind even

Libya and Yemen.

In 2020, unemployment was between 30-50 percent. In what would be unfathomable just years ago, nearly 60 percent of all Lebanese now live below the poverty line, with 25 percent of all

Lebanese living in extreme poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded human suffering, overwhelming the health sector and further constraining economic activity.

The Government of Lebanon has not adequately responded to the economic and financial meltdown or its own paralysis on implementing badly needed reforms. Exacerbating an already dismal situation, the cataclysmic August 4, 2020 explosion at the Port of Beirut triggered the resignation of the government days later. Lebanon’s political leaders had failed to form a new government by May 2021.

(1) Foster inclusive economic growth: Reduce poverty and help the private sector recover from the deteriorating financial environment to help stabilize the Lebanese economy.

(2) Encourage citizens’ engagement in participatory governance and decision-makers' willingness to work with citizen groups and civil society organizations to advance needed reforms: A public informed about peaceful political participation and civic action is better prepared to engage with Lebanon’s government and/or political parties, including new ones, and to advocate for and implement reforms that will forestall total collapse, spur recovery, and put the country on a stronger footing for the future.

Geographic/Thematic Focus: Priority will be given to proposals which include regions outside the greater Beirut area. Successful proposals should focus on one or both of the following areas of priority:

1. Foster inclusive economic growth: Examples could include, but are not limited to:

• Business incubation centers or other direct assistance to micro and small business start-ups, and expansion of existing businesses;

• Providing training, coaching, and mentoring to the country’s youth to enable them to be economically productive and self-sustaining;

• Fostering Lebanese exports and/or establishing new local production as substitutes for goods typically imported but increasingly unaffordable given the plunge in value of the local currency;

• Programs that combat corruption, improve access to information, or promote a transparent public procurement process to improve Lebanon’s business climate;

• Grants that promote collaboration between the private sector and civil society in order to drive reforms and inclusive economic growth.

2. Encourage citizens’ engagement in participatory governance and decision-makers' willingness to work with citizen groups and civil society organizations to advance needed reforms: Examples could include, but are not limited to:

• Programs that identify and empower new civil society organizations or politicallyoriented groups that can compete nationally to influence electoral outcomes;

• Educate Lebanese civil society organizations so they can build stronger coalitions to support shared causes and political goals;

• Programs that improve the capacity of civil society organizations’ ability to influence change;

• Information campaigns on peaceful, legal, civic actions within the framework of the Lebanese Constitution.

Specific eligibility requirements: Registered civil society organizations (CSOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community groups, professional or educational organizations, or other for-profit or non-profit groups are eligible. Priority will be given to organizations with demonstrated competence in the areas of focus of their proposed activities.

Morocco:

Estimated Number of Awards Three to five (3-5)

Estimated Total Funding $500,000

Estimated Award Ceiling $150,000

Country Problem Statement: Historically heavily dependent on the strength of its agricultural sector and its key trading partners in Europe, Morocco is diversifying its industrial base and its export partners and working to make the country a financial hub and trade gateway to Africa for its Western trading partners. A lower middle-income country by World Bank standards, Morocco’s core economic objectives are to strengthen its workforce, diversify exports, and attract investment from around the world, while recovering economically from the impact of

COVID-19, which devastated key sectors of the economy and caused GDP to contract by about six percent in 2020. With a concerted government focus on improving its World Bank “Doing

Business” ranking, Morocco rose seven places to 53rd worldwide for 2020, coming in 3rd among Middle Eastern countries (after UAE and Bahrain) and 2nd in Africa (after Mauritius).

Among Morocco’s primary challenges are its weak educational system, declining labor productivity, and mismatches between business needs and labor force skills.

In 2014, Morocco launched its Industrial Acceleration Plan, a new approach to industrial development based on establishing efficient “eco-systems” that integrate value chains and supplier relationships between large companies and small- and medium-sized enterprises

(SMEs). The Industrial Acceleration Plan strategy set out to create 500,000 new jobs in manufacturing by 2020 by targeting higher levels of foreign direct investment and strengthening the linkages between the small business sector and Morocco’s industrial leaders. Morocco has also focused on positioning itself as a financial hub for Africa, and offers incentives for firms that locate their regional headquarters in the Casablanca Finance City (CFC), Morocco’s flagship financial and business hub. Despite the significant improvements in its business environment, Morocco continues to face challenges in skilled labor shortages, weak intellectual property rights protection, and a challenging regulatory environment.

Morocco’s “advanced regionalization” initiative has devolved increasing budgetary and administrative authority to regionally and locally elected bodies, and given citizens the right to directly petition and engage those regional and municipal bodies. Those bodies, however, as well as civil society, lack the competencies and experience to fully take advantage of these reforms. Political apathy in Morocco is high, especially among youth, who lack an awareness not only of these reforms but also the knowledge and skills necessary to become more civically engaged.

(1) Foster inclusive economic growth: Proposals must focus on creating jobs, promoting economic advancement, and bridging the gap between the education system and the job market. Activities could include but are not limited to:

a. Promoting the creation of small- and medium-size businesses by providing technical assistance to address challenges to private sector development, including legal procedures, and difficulties in accessing finance.

b. Improving job seekers’ skills and employability through technical and skills training that lead to placement in internships and employment opportunities.

(2) Encourage citizens’ engagement in the electoral process or participatory governance and decision-makers’ willingness to work with citizen groups and civil society organizations: Proposals must be innovative, sustainable, and actively support increased dialogue between citizens, civil society, and local government with the goal of effectively addressing the needs of the community. Activities could include but are not limited to:

a. Expanding local civic education efforts that promote transparency, public safety, gender equality, and a deeper understanding of citizens’ rights in innovative, measurable, and sustaining ways.

b. Increasing citizen awareness and participation, particularly among young women and men, of avenues of participation and communication with local government. This could include knowing who to contact for various services or educational information. Ideally, youth-led organizations would find innovative ways to engage youth on issues that matter the most to them, and provide innovative ways for youth to interact with peers and local government bodies.

Geographic/Thematic Focus: Projects that have a focus on cities or rural areas other than Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, and Beni Mellal are preferred.

Specific eligibility requirements: Applicant organizations must be registered with the

Government of Morocco. Each proposal may not exceed the maximum of $150,000. Projects may be focused on one geographic area or several, and may include the cities of Dakhla and

Laayoune and surrounding areas.

Qatar:

Estimated Number of Awards Two to three (2-3)

Estimated Total Funding $200,000

Estimated Award Ceiling $100,000

Country Problem Statement: Although highly educated and constitutionally-vetted to enjoy almost all civil rights aspects, Qatari women are not adequately represented in government or private sector leadership. The scheduled Shura Council elections in 2021 (the first general elections for one-third of the so-far fully-appointed body), may see greater female representation in government. Elected parliaments in Kuwait have brought fewer female representatives than in the fully-appointed Shura Councils of neighboring Saudi Arabia, so prospects for more Qatari women elected into office anytime soon may remain bleak.

Despite the Qatari government’s support of female entrepreneurship, there is still much to be accomplished in terms of shoring up women’s participation the Qatari economy. Barriers to women’s equal access to the banking and financial sectors continue. While women are generally able to start their own businesses, sustained business success remains challenging for many women entrepreneurs. One reason is that guardianship laws require single women age 25 and under to receive permission to apply for loans to support their businesses.

This year, Qatar prosecuted its first trafficking in persons (TIP) case since 2016. Better coordination among government authorities, the private sector, and the international community will be critical to ensure access to adequate protections by some of Qatar’s most vulnerable populations, namely unskilled migrant workers. The same susceptibilities are shared by women and children who are vulnerable to violence. Further, Qatar needs to remain vigilant on these issues and prepare to confront the threat of TIP and abuse of women and children in the lead up to the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Qatar remains a Tier 2 country and relevant stakeholders would benefit from continuous engagement to stem TIP in the country.

Priority Area 1: Strengthening Women’s Political Participation

The anticipated 2021 Shura Council elections present an unprecedented opportunity for Qatari women to become more politically engaged. Proposals should develop innovative programs to engage and strengthen the professional skills of women to participate in the decision-making process and make use of the upcoming elections as an opportunity to partake effectively in political life. Special consideration will be given to proposals that focus on electoral and campaign skills development, voter education, young female leadership development, and other approaches to strengthen women’s participation in future Qatari elections and political life.

Projects should support participation of women in various sectors of Qatari society.

Priority Area 2: Strengthening Women and Children’s Protection Against Abuse and TIP

We welcome proposals to professionalize civil society organizations, focused on supporting victims of abuse and/or countering TIP, in order to build organizational and communication capacity to connect effectively with decision makers and citizens. Proposals should focus on providing opportunities to build leadership and managerial skills to effectively engage with civil society, the private sector, and/or government actors to increase awareness, develop robust resources, enforce Qatar's domestic worker law passed in 2018, and further develop the operations of trafficking shelters.

Priority Area 3: Strengthening Women’s Economic Participation

We welcome proposals that promote female entrepreneurship. Proposals should focus on developing innovative programs to engage and strengthen the skills of women to join and sustainably succeed in the business community.

Geographic/Thematic Focus: N/A

Specific eligibility requirements: Project applications are open to all Qatari civil society, non-governmental, and private organizations. Applicants should have prior experience working in

Qatar on the issues their projects address.

Saudi Arabia:

Estimated Number of Awards Two to three (2-3)

Estimated Total Funding $200,000

Estimated Award Ceiling $100,000

Country Problem Statement: A recent roundtable discussion with several influential women entrepreneurs in Jeddah highlighted the challenges women face as they begin entrepreneurial projects, particularly the need for high-quality, basic information targeted at local conditions, and the need for ongoing mentorships with experienced entrepreneurs. Participants noted a particular desire to connect with successful American entrepreneurs as mentors, noting the leading role that the U.S. has played in entrepreneurship development.

Country Priorities: ICS Objective 2.2 aims to support Saudi efforts to diversify its economy and expand job opportunities, in line with U.S. interests in Saudi Arabia’s long term economic and social stability. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 focuses in part on developing Small and Medium

Enterprises (SMEs), one of the most important agents of economic growth and job creation. The

Vision also recognizes the importance of female participation in the growth of the economy.

Over 50 percent of KSA university graduates are female. Saudi Arabia plans to continue to develop the talents of young Saudi women, invest in their productive capabilities and enable them to strengthen their future and contribute to the development of the economy.

Geographic/Thematic Focus: Saudi female university students with a demonstrated interest in entrepreneurship as well as emerging female entrepreneurs. While the majority of participants can come from the major cities, we wish to support female entrepreneurship in smaller cities and towns. Geographic representation should be a component of the project.

Specific eligibility requirements: Post would prefer proposals that include a U.S. and a local partner, include a plan to provide high quality entrepreneurship training in Arabic, attuned to local conditions, provide access to mentorships and exchanges between U.S. and Saudi participants, and have a clear vision for long-term sustainability.

For each country listed above the following activities and costs are NOT ALLOWED under this announcement:

• Job training that does not lead to an internship or job placement opportunities;

• Development of mobile applications (apps);

• Cash awards/prizes;

• Foreign travel, unless specifically justified within the project;

• Agriculture, unless it focuses on job creation and economic diversification to combat the effects of climate change and promote resiliency;

• Polling/surveying;

• Handicrafts;

• Costs related to renovation, remodeling, or purchase or lease of real estate beyond usual office rent;

• Purchase of office décor;

• Purchase of equipment (tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year and is $5,000 or more per unit);

• Language training courses;

• Exchange activities with other countries or territories;

• Social welfare and healthcare projects;

• Paying to complete activities begun with other funds;

• Activities that appear partisan or that support individual or party electoral campaigns;

• Academic or analytical research (if not necessary as part of a larger project);

• One-time events, such as stand-alone conferences and one-off round tables;

• Medical and psychological research and clinical studies;

• Projects of a commercial or profit-making nature;

• Cultural presentations, cultural research, cultural clubs, or festivals, etc.; and

• Entertainment costs (e.g., receptions, social activities, ceremonies, alcoholic beverages, guided tours).

NOTE: Applications that include any of these activities or costs above may be eliminated at the

Technical Eligibility Review stage and will not advance to the Merit Review Panel.

D. GENDER INTEGRATION

NEA/AC requires that all activities fully address gender considerations, ensuring that both men and women benefit from support where applicable, and that gender awareness is a built-in component of project activities. This should be documented through gender analysis in the project narrative that identifies any relevant gender gaps and ways the proposed activities will address those gaps. Proposals should demonstrate how addressing relevant gender gaps will enhance the project’s goals and objectives. Applicants who are unfamiliar with integrating gender in foreign assistance programing should view the training video located here:

https://encompassworld.com/elearningfiles/DOS/DOS_Gender_Integration_E-

Course/story_html5.html

E. DEFINITIONS

The following are definitions of activities accepted under this announcement:

Capacity Building:

Strengthen the capacity of CSOs for policy analysis, advocacy, coalition-building, internal governance, membership representation and services, and engage in other activities aimed at fostering more peaceful and democratic societies. CSOs include, but are not limited to, human rights organizations, women’s groups, labor unions, business and professional associations, youth movements, religious organizations, indigenous organizations, think tanks, and organizations representing vulnerable populations. Areas of capacity building may include, but are not limited to, technical expertise (e.g. human rights, legal reform); CSO self-regulation (e.g.

establishing NGO Codes of Conduct); organizational capacity (e.g. strategic planning, financial management and accountability, public relations, issue management, and outreach, revenue generation, accountable fundraising); and targeted advocacy training and technical assistance.

II. MEASUREMENT OF RESULTS

The proposal should articulate a clear, measurable, relevant, and realistic set of objectives that the project aims to achieve over the lifetime of the award. Without a well-articulated set of project objectives, it is difficult to objectively assess project success. Project objectives should be distinct from the application’s proposed activities.

Successful applicants will work with the NEA/AC program and monitoring and evaluation

(M&E) teams to create a plan based on the proposed logic model/theory of change to measure qualitative and quantitative indicators as part of the award negotiations process. The successful applicants will be responsible for collecting data against these indicators, which will be monitored throughout the period of performance of the award to gauge necessary modifications to the project’s design, and assess the results of the project’s success in meeting expected outcomes.

All projects funded as a result of this NOFO will be required to complete a final evaluation of the project at the end of the period of performance with support from the NEA/AC M&E team.

III. AWARD INFORMATION

Funding Mechanism Type: Cooperative Agreement, Grant, or

Fixed Amount Award

Estimated Number of Awards: 19-37

Estimated Total Program Funding: $2,800,000

Estimated Award Ceiling: See country specific information above

Estimated Award Floor: See country specific information above

Cost-Sharing or Matching: Encouraged; NOT Required

Estimated Length of Project Period: 12-36 Months

Contingent on the availability of funds, approximately $2,800,000 in Economic Support Funds for approximately 19-37 awards will be awarded through this announcement. If selected to receive an award, an applicant will be awarded funds for up to 12-36 months, depending on the activities and countries proposed. The estimated start date for this project is October 1, 2021.

NEA/AC reserves the right to award more or less than the estimated program funding, and reserves the right to award funding under this announcement for a period of up to two years after the announcement’s close date.

This request for full applications does not constitute an award or commitment on the part of the

U.S. government to make any awards, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application.

IV. SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT

NEA/AC may be involved in the program and management performance of any cooperative agreements through consultation and technical collaboration on specified project activities.

Examples of NEA/AC responsibilities for a cooperative agreement may include:

• Collaboration in development of training materials;

• Collaboration in finalizing project work plan, including monitoring and evaluation plans;

• Collaboration in assessing progress and identifying issues that might affect the success of the project; and

• Participate in selection process of candidates.

V. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

All applicants will be screened by NEA/AC to determine whether they meet all of the program eligibility requirements detailed below.

NOTE: Applications that do not demonstrate that they meet all of the eligibility requirements in Section A and Section B will not advance past the Technical Eligibility

Review stage and may be deemed ineligible for funding under this announcement. Nothing can be added to an application once the competition deadline has passed.

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligible applicants include local civil society organizations, non-profit organizations, community groups, non-governmental organizations, professional associations, private sector organizations, and universities based in the Middle East and North Africa region, specifically Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

NEA/AC is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its programs and activities.

NEA/AC welcomes applications irrespective of an applicants’ race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. We encourage applications from organizations working with underserved communities, including women, people with disabilities, and youth.

All applicants should meet the following eligibility requirements, in addition to specific eligibility requirements detailed per country in Section 1:

1. Location Requirement: Only organizations that have an established local office in the country they propose to implement their project will be eligible to apply.

Awards will be issued to the local office and not any partner or affiliate office that may be located outside of the country of implementation.

2. Formal Registration: Only organizations that formally operate in the country for which they are applying will be eligible.

3. Organizational Capacity: Applicants must be able to demonstrate meeting the following criteria:

• Established for at least one (1) year; and

• Managed at least one (1) project/initiative with donor funding (governmental, private, etc.).

NEA/AC will consider the following special considerations when reviewing applications:

1. Previous MEPI Connections: We value the alumni of our many MEPI-sponsored projects and programs and would like to enhance the connection between ongoing initiatives of our implementing partners and our ever-growing base of alumni.

Therefore, we will give priority to projects that include and detail MEPI alumni engagement in activities and project components. For the purposes of this evaluation criteria, MEPI alumni are considered as former participants of MEPI exchange projects; or beneficiaries in previous MEPI training projects lasting more than five weeks; or previous recipients of a MEPI Local Grant. Alumni of other USG exchanges will also be considered.

B. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

To apply for NEA/AC (Federal) funding, organizations, whether based in or outside the

U.S., must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, currently referred to as a DUNS number, and an active account for your organization with the System for Award

Management (SAM). Applicants who do not meet all registration requirements are NOT eligible for funding under the opportunity.

UEI Number

The UEI number is a nine-digit number established and assigned by Dun and Bradstreet, Inc.

(D&B) to uniquely identify business entities.

All applicants must have a UEI number. To obtain a UEI number, please follow the steps below:

Go to http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/pages/CCRSearch.jsp.

Select the country or territory where your organization is physically located. Complete and submit the form.