2023 NOFO Comprehensive Bilateral Program Zambia - Request for Proposals.docx

U.S. Department of State Notice of Funding Opportunity:

Comprehensive Bilateral Anti-Trafficking Program in Zambia

Federal Awarding Agency: U.S. Department of State

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

Funding Opportunity Title: Comprehensive Bilateral Anti-Trafficking Program in Zambia

Announcement Type: Comprehensive Bilateral Anti-Trafficking Program in Zambia Notification of Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity: SFOP0009917

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 19.019

Deadline for Applications: 5:00 p.m. ET on August 31, 2023

Total Funding Floor: $4,000,000

Total Funding Ceiling: $12,000,000

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) announces an open competition for projects in support of a forthcoming comprehensive bilateral anti-trafficking program between the U.S. Government and the Government of Zambia. The program will be jointly developed and implemented by the U.S. Government, the Government of Zambia, and the selected implementing partner(s) through a multi-year partnership. The purpose of the partnership and program is to strengthen the efforts of Zambia’s government and civil society organizations to prevent human trafficking; proactively identify, protect, and provide comprehensive, trauma-informed care for victims of trafficking; effectively investigate, prosecute, and convict perpetrators of human trafficking; and create an enabling environment to promote effective collaboration and partnerships to address human trafficking. This partnership will encompass all forms of human trafficking and will target both adult and child victims. This program will be modeled after the successful Child Protection Compact (CPC) Partnerships and expanded to comprehensively address trafficking of adults. More information on the CPC is available at: https://www.state.gov/child-protection-compact-partnerships/.

The goal of the partnership is to create an enabling environment for the partner government at all levels and civil society organizations to work in concert to combat human trafficking by employing a multi-sectoral, victim centered approach that addresses targeted risk factors, ensures comprehensive victim protection and investigates, prosecutes, and convicts human trafficking criminals. The anticipated, broad objectives include:

Objective 1 (Prevention): There is widespread awareness and understanding of human trafficking crimes in targeted communities; stakeholders in government, civil society, and communities understand and address the key factors leading to human trafficking and families and individuals are stable and resilient to vulnerabilities that can lead to human trafficking.

Objective 2 (Protection): There is a multi-sectoral, clear, and well understood mechanism for identifying and referring trafficking victims to care. Care is available and readily accessible to trafficking victims. The mechanism and subsequent care are victim-centered and trauma informed.

Objective 3 (Prosecution): According to their respective roles, justice sector actors apply anti-trafficking laws to identify and investigate cases of human trafficking in victim-centered, and trauma-informed manners, and use evidence and build successful cases against perpetrators to secure convictions.

Objective 4 (Partnership): Partnerships, cooperation and coordination are flourishing across multiple sectors and actors involving human trafficking, including, but not limited to, government agencies, government and civil society, trafficking victims and justice sector actors, communities and civil society, and governments and their foreign counterparts when foreign trafficking victims are involved.

The TIP Office will allocate funding for anti-trafficking projects in Zambia through an open, competitive process. Applicants should submit applications demonstrating their experience working on human trafficking, their understanding of the trafficking context in Zambia (including hotspots and trends), - their existing relationships with government entities and local civil society organizations, and their ability to implement multi-year sustainable interventions to advance the four objectives. Applicants must provide examples of previously implemented projects that cover one or more of the four objective areas and document existing relationships with relevant ministries within the Government of Zambia. Applicants should not propose activities to implement in their applications. The initial award to the selected implementer will be up to $4,000,000 with the intent to fund over multiple years through non-competitive continuations (NCC), outlined below. Funding is contingent on Congressional appropriations and availability of funds.

Upon review, the TIP Office will select applicant(s) to fund under the program, with the understanding that selected applicants will convene with the U.S. Government and the Government of Zambia within 90 days of signing the award to co-create an implementation plan for the partnership. Applicants should submit applications that focus solely on the organization’s expertise and understanding of human trafficking issues in Zambia, demonstrating past project performance in anti-trafficking efforts, existing or ability to develop local partnerships, and their ability to work with the U.S. Government and the Government of Zambia.

Selected applicant(s) will work with the two governments to co-create an implementation plan for advancing the goal and objectives listed above.

Once applicant(s) are selected and the partnership between the two governments is finalized, selected applicant(s) will participate in a co-creation workshop to develop projects within the broader program. Applicant(s) will be required to submit project documents including, but not limited to, a project narrative, budgets, a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MERL) plan; a timeline; a results monitoring plan; a risk mitigation and contingency plan; and other documents as needed.

The TIP Office recognizes the importance and added value of partnerships and collaborative efforts in anti-trafficking work. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that reflect partnerships among organizations, particularly local anti-trafficking organizations, and are expected to work collaboratively with relevant regional government ministries and local authorities to coordinate with related activities supported by other donors. Applicants are strongly encouraged to form consortia in order to bring together organizations with varied expertise – including local organizations - to demonstrate potential to implement a comprehensive project.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement. The TIP Office’s level of involvement in this program is listed under Substantial Involvement in the 2023 Guidelines for Submitting Applications for Zambia.

Floor of Award Range: None Ceiling of Award Range: $4,000,000 for initial period of performance; $12,00,000 for total overall ceiling.

Approximate Number of Awards: Minimum: One; Maximum: Three Anticipated Award Date: Early 2024

A cooperative agreement will be awarded for a period of 20 months (base period of performance) with NCCs for two additional 20-month periods (NCCs one and two). The TIP Office will notify the recipient of its intention to exercise or not to exercise a NCC at least 90 days in advance of expiration of the current period of performance after an internal evaluation of the recipient’s performance. The decision to exercise a NCC will depend both on the satisfactory performance of the recipient and the availability of funds.

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 USC 7101 et seq.), as amended (TVPA), established the TIP Office in the U.S. Department of State. The TIP Office leads the United States’ global engagement on the fight against human trafficking and seeks partnerships with foreign governments, civil society organizations, and multilateral organizations to combat human trafficking through the “3P” paradigm: prosecuting traffickers through victim-centered law enforcement, protecting trafficking victims through proactive identification and comprehensive, trauma-informed care, and preventing trafficking in persons. The TIP Office also recognizes the importance of partnerships and collaborative efforts with relevant governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders in anti-trafficking work. TIP Office programs and projects combat human trafficking—a crime involving the exploitation of someone for the purposes of labor or services or a commercial sex act through the use of force, fraud, or coercion—in all its forms. Forms of human trafficking include sex trafficking, child sex trafficking, forced labor, forced child labor, domestic servitude, forced criminality, and the unlawful recruitment or use of child soldiers through force, fraud, or coercion. It should be noted that when a person younger than 18 is used to perform a commercial sex act, it is a crime regardless of whether there is any force, fraud, or coercion.

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

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

· Forced labor, sometimes also referred to as labor trafficking, encompasses the range of activities involved when a person uses force, fraud, or coercion to exploit the labor or services of another person.

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

The TVPA requires that the Department of State submit to Congress an annual report assessing the efforts of governments to address trafficking in persons. The annual Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report) is the primary tool for the Department’s engagement with other governments on human trafficking and informs U.S. policy and assistance priorities to combat this crime. The 2023 TIP Report is available at www.state.gov/j/tip.

Since 2000, when the United Nations adopted the Palermo Protocol and the United States enacted the TVPA, the number of parties to the Protocol has reached 180. In addition, a majority of countries have criminalized all forms of trafficking, and many countries have established specialized law enforcement units, set up trafficking victim assistance mechanisms, and launched public awareness campaigns. Nonetheless, the number of victims identified and assisted and the number of traffickers investigated, prosecuted, and convicted remain low relative to the size of the problem; and governments continue to face challenges in effectively implementing anti-trafficking legal and policy frameworks.

The TIP Office works to address these challenges in a number of ways, including through its foreign assistance programs. Information on U.S. government anti-trafficking efforts is available at https://www.state.gov/humantrafficking/.

The TIP Office’s preference is to avoid duplicating past efforts by supporting new and creative approaches. This does not exclude from consideration projects that improve upon or expand existing successful projects in a new and complementary way.

Applicants are expected to submit proposals that reflect an understanding of victim-centered, trauma-informed, and survivor-informed approaches to anti-trafficking programming. Applicants should also include these approaches in any plans for direct engagement with individuals with lived experience of human trafficking. If possible, applicants are encouraged to work with and/or consult individuals with lived experience of human trafficking in the development of their applications or express how this would be incorporated into the co-creation in the technical approach of projects. When relevant for the proposal, applicants are expected to reflect the provision of comprehensive services to victims of trafficking. The TIP Office defines these concepts as follows:

Victim-Centered Approach Placing the crime victim’s priorities, needs, and interests at the center of the work with the victim; providing nonjudgmental assistance, with an emphasis on self-determination, and assisting victims in making informed choices; ensuring that restoring victims’ feelings of safety and security is a priority and safeguarding against policies and practices that may inadvertently re-traumatize victims. A victim-centered approach should also incorporate a trauma-informed, survivor-informed, and culturally competent approach.

Trauma-Informed Approach A trauma-informed approach recognizes signs of trauma in individuals and the professionals who help them and responds by integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, practices, and settings. This approach includes an understanding of the vulnerabilities and experiences of trauma survivors, including the prevalence and physical, social, and emotional impact of trauma. A trauma-informed approach places priority on restoring the survivor’s feelings of safety, choice, and control. Programs, services, agencies, and communities can be trauma-informed.

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

Comprehensive Services An array of services that should be made available to a trafficking victim. At a minimum, these services include: shelter; intensive case management; safety planning; crisis intervention; victim advocacy; legal assistance; mental health treatment, including individual and group counseling; support in family reunification and community reintegration; medical care; dental care; substance abuse treatment; assistance with educational and/or vocational needs; life skills training; transportation; and other necessary services.

Award Information:

Applicants may only submit one proposal per organization in response to this funding opportunity. The U.S. government may: (a) reject any or all applications, (b) accept other than the lowest cost application, (c) select more than one application for funding, and (d) waive irregularities in applications received.

The U.S. government may engage in discussions and/or negotiations with applicants before making final award(s). Therefore, each initial application should contain the applicant’s best terms from a cost and technical standpoint.

To maximize the impact and sustainability of the award(s) that result from this funding opportunity, the TIP Office retains the right to execute non-competitive continuation amendment(s). The total duration of any award, including potential non-competitive continuation amendments, shall not exceed 60 months, or five years. Any non-competitive continuation is contingent on performance and pending availability of funds. A non-competitive continuation is not guaranteed, and the Department of State reserves the right to exercise or not to exercise this option.

Non-Competitive Continuations (NCCs) Project narratives should include a commitment to implement the program for the base time period, plus up to two potential NCCs, pending successful performance and the availability of funds, as described above.

IMPLEMENTING PARTNER(S) SELECTION OVERVIEW

The required templates and guidelines for submitting applications are available on SAMS Domestic and the Grants.gov. More information and answers to commonly asked questions can also be found on the TIP Office website. Following a technical review, each proposal will undergo a thorough, substantive content review of the applicant’s (and sub-applicants, where applicable) past performance in Zambia addressing human trafficking or related areas. The TIP Office makes the final selection of the applicant(s) to award. Funding for the selected applicant(s) is contingent upon the availability of funds and the applicant(s)’s willingness and ability to collaborate with the U.S. and the Government of Zambia within 90 days of signing the award to develop a program implementation plan. The selected applicant(s) will submit additional documents that reflect the decisions made during this period (see Section E. Application Review Information)

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

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

While foreign governments are not eligible to apply, governments may be beneficiaries of programs provided that funding does not pay salaries of government agency personnel and that such assistance is not restricted by U.S. law or policy.

The eligibility requirements for applying to this funding opportunity do not restrict applicants from receiving other sources of funding from the United States government, including funding from other bureaus within the Department of State. However, the applicant must provide information on any work conducted with U.S. government funding related to human-trafficking issues or cross-cutting (e.g., child protection, health, education, labor, gender, etc.) human-trafficking issues within the project narrative.

Applicants should have existing active partnerships with thematic or in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders, including government interlocutors, private sector actors, and local civil society organizations and/or non-governmental organizations. Applicants should have experience in administering successful projects, preferably in human trafficking or related areas in Zambia. The TIP Office reserves the right to request additional background information on applicants that do not have previous experience administering federal grant awards, and these applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis.

Under this funding opportunity, applicants may form a consortia and partner with other organizations to implement and carry out project activities. Applicants proposing to partner with other organizations must clearly identify the lead applicant, and the applicant may designate one or more partner organizations as sub-recipients. For the purposes of this funding opportunity, a partner organization is any organization that would receive sub-award funding from a successful applicant to help the applicant organization implement anti-trafficking projects. All mandatory terms and conditions for a successful applicant also apply to any sub-awards awarded.

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

The TIP Office encourages proposals that advance racial equity and support and promote equitable representation of underserved communities.

“Race Equity” is defined as the condition where one’s race identity has no influence on how one fares in society. Race equity is one dimension of racial justice and includes the elimination of policies, practices, attitudes, and cultural messages that reinforce unjustified differential outcomes by race.

“Underserved Communities” is defined as populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life. In the international context, the terms “marginalized populations” and “vulnerable populations” are often used and may include, but are not limited to, women and girls, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, people of African descent, racial and ethnic minorities, refugees and internally displaced people, religious minorities, LGBTQI+ persons, rural residents, migrants, as well as those who are otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

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

3. Phase Funding

The TIP Office intends to award a cooperative agreement of up to $4,000,000 for an initial period of performance, plus up to two non-competitive continuations (NCCs). Please see section C. on Federal Award Information for additional details.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package

All proposals must be fully submitted via SAMS Domestic by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on August 31,2023. All application documents must be submitted in English. The TIP Office will NOT accept proposals or updated documents submitted by any other method, including email, fax, the postal system, delivery companies, couriers, or U.S. embassies. Each organization should submit their application once.

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

Applications Submitted Through SAMS Domestic

Organizations using SAMS Domestic for the first time must register on the SAMS Domestic site to create a New Applicant account as soon as possible. This application step must be completed before an application can be submitted.

To register with SAMS Domestic, follow the “create an account” link and complete the “SAMS Domestic User Registration Request” application form. Users will receive an email requesting account verification. This verification step must be completed before an application can be submitted. If the applicant has previously received funding from the Department of State, please contact JTIPGrants@state.gov after the user account has been created to ensure the account is associated with the correct organization. If an applicant has not previously received funding from the Department of State, the TIP Office cannot associate a new account in SAMS Domestic to an organization. Please note a new user account does not need to be associated with an organization in order to submit an application. Electronic applications submitted via SAMS Domestic must contain completed SF-424 online forms and documents specified in this funding opportunity.

To upload the application, go to SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants), select “Apply,” then “Funding Opportunities,” and select the “Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Programs” funding opportunity. Select the “Apply Here” button, enter the applicant organization’s information, and click Save. Complete each section of the application in the corresponding section of the Additional Documents to Be Submitted Tab: SF 424 Information (SF-424, SF-424 A, SF-42B if applicable); Project Narrative (applicants MUST type within the grey box); Summary Budget; Resumes and CVs for Key Personnel; Letters of Intent to Cooperate; and a NICRA Agreement (if applicable).

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

For assistance with SAMS Domestic, please contact the ILMS Support Desk at 1-(888)-313-4567 (toll free for international callers) or submit a ticket using the ILMS Self Service Portal (https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home). Customer Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please note support hours may change on Federal holidays. Direct questions regarding the process of uploading applications to Customer Support. Technical difficulties not resolved by the Support Desk by the time of submission must be fully documented, including a ticket number documenting communication with Customer Support, and reported to the TIP Office at JTIPGrants@state.gov only. Please do not contact any other Department of State personnel.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

To be considered for funding, all applications must indicate past experience advancing at least one objective listed in this funding opportunity. All required documents submitted must be written in the English language using documents preferably with one-inch margins formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper only, unless otherwise stated. All documents should use text that is black-colored and no less than 12 point in Calibri font.

The required project narrative template is available on SAMS Domestic. The project narrative must not exceed four pages filled using 14-point Calibri font. The project narrative template header, footnotes, and charts are included in the four-page limit. Please double check the page count before submission, as exceeding the limit or not complying with font restrictions will result in a failure of the technical review. All budget figures must be in U.S. dollars.

Submission of PDF files will not be accepted and will result in automatic failure of the technical review.

Applicants are responsible for reviewing and incorporating the 2023 Guidelines for Submitting Applications for Zambia when preparing an application. The documents include guidelines for preparing the application. This guidance is available on the TIP Office website, SAMS Domestic, and grants.gov.

Complete applications must also include the following documents in the required templates (found on SAMS Domestic) to be considered for funding:

· Online Forms/Standard Forms – SF 424, SF 424A and SF 424B (Required)

· Project Narrative (Required) – Required template available on SAMS Domestic, four-page limit with font no less than 14 point in Calibri, Microsoft Word Document (No PDF files)

· The project narrative should include the following components:

· Contextual Understanding and Human Trafficking Situational Assessment

· The application describes current problem(s), trends, and hotspots related to human trafficking in Zambia. This assessment should contextualize these problem(s) and trends, including but not limited to: the cause of the problem(s); its magnitude; the impact on human trafficking (specifically within the four objectives listed in the NOFO); who or what is being impacted by the problem; and relevant conditions (e.g., economic, political, social, environmental, etc.) affecting the problem. At least one objective should be reflected in this assessment. Strong applications include a brief summary of the economic, political, social, and cultural context as it related to human trafficking.

· Organizational Capacity

· The application describes the capacities and qualifications that enable the applicant to address the problems stated above. The application clearly demonstrates the applicant’s ability to implement project activities that incorporate trauma- and survivor-informed principles to combat human trafficking in Zambia. The applicant has appropriate knowledge of human trafficking, specifically in one or more of the four objectives listed in the NOFO. Applicants should describe any demonstrable experience in administering long-term projects of similar size and scope with sustainable interventions, and experience administering projects within similar or related subject matter areas. Applicants should include their experience managing sub-awards as relevant.

· Partnerships

· All applicants must describe existing or proposed partnerships with anti-trafficking and other related stakeholders, including the Government of Zambia and other entities, that would enhance their ability to carry out implementing partner activities effectively, meet program objectives, and contribute to the partnership’s goal. This may include partners with government entities, civil society organizations, institutions of higher education, private companies, and/or other donors. In cases where an applicant is not able to partner with a local organization or institution, does not consider it feasible to do so, or does not consider it in the project’s best interest, the application must clearly explain why. Applicants are encouraged to work with survivor-led organizations as sub-recipients or partners.

· Proposal Annexes:

· Annex A: Budget Summary (Required)

· Annex B: Resumes/CVs for Key Personnel (Required)

· Annex C: NICRA Agreement (Required if applicable)

· Annex D: Letters of Intent to Cooperate (Preferred)

· Annex E: Donor History Form (Required)

4. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)—Required

A valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) (formerly the Data Universal Numbering System or DUNS) is required for submission of an application on SAMS Domestic. Organizations should verify their UEI number or take the steps needed to obtain one as soon as possible. The DUNS number will formally be replaced by a UEI (SAM) as of April 3, 2022, however, SAMS-Domestic will be asking for the UEI number in the SF-424 submission and organizations who have existing DUNS numbers need to instead input the UEI number they have been assigned in SAM.GOV in lieu of their pre-existing DUNS number.

All applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov/SAM/) and/or maintain an active registration prior to award issuance. Selected applicants will be required to have an active registration in SAM.gov. Organizations that have SAM.gov accounts must log in at least once every 13 months (395 days) to maintain an active registration. When submitting applications, please reactivate any accounts that have become inactive. SAM.gov is a free government-managed website; applicants do not need to pay to have their organization registered or renewed annually and should ignore any SPAM emails associated with payment for renewal.

Please note that selected grantees may not make a sub-award to a sub-recipient unless that sub-recipient has obtained and provided to the recipient a UEI. A sub-recipient is not required to be fully registered in SAM.gov but must complete a UEI-only request within SAM.gov.

5. Submission Dates and Times

All applications must be submitted via SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants) by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on August 31, 2023. The TIP Office will not accept application materials submitted by any means other than uploading to SAMS Domestic. If an organization experiences difficulty submitting an application near the deadline, their application will only be considered for late acceptance if they open a ticket with the ILMS Support Desk to resolve the problem prior to the deadline. To be competitive under this funding opportunity, applicants must be fully responsive to all directions in this document.

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

6. Funding Restrictions

The TIP Office will not consider applications that reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated terrorist organization. Please refer the link for Foreign Terrorist Organizations: https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/. Project activities whose direct beneficiaries are foreign militaries or paramilitary groups or individuals will not be considered for TIP Office funding given purpose limitations on funding.

The selected applicant will work with the TIP Office to develop a terrorist financing risk assessment.

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

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

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

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

In addition, applicants should refer to the U.S. Department of State Policy on the Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment, which is described under the “Administrative and National Policy Requirements” section of this NOFO.

7. Non-Compete Continuations (NCCs) Pending successful performance and the availability of funds this award will utilize NCCs as discussed above.

a. For competitions that will exercise a NCC applicants must submit:

· The SF-424A which must include the budget request amount for the base-year of the program.

· A detailed proposal narrative and budget for the base year of funding (Please refer to the 2023 Guidelines for Submitting Applications for Zambia for general budget guidance.). The narrative should also include a brief commitment to implement the program for the base year, plus two additional NCC years, pending successful program performance and the availability of funds.

· An abbreviated/estimated summary budget presenting the total projected costs for the anticipated total duration of programming (base year, plus one/two NCC years).

b. To exercise the NCC mechanism the recipient will be required to submit:

· Performance and financial reports on time.

· A request in writing to the TIP Office at least 30 days in receipt of the NCC invitation.

· A summary budget that projects expenses through the end of the current year.

· A detailed budget outlining expenses for the requested NCC year.

· A brief narrative to support the continuation of the award.

c. For awards using NCCs, in addition to the Substantial Involvement for the Cooperative Agreement, the TIP Office Grants Officer and Program Officer/Grants Officer Representative will:

· Closely monitor the recipient’s performance through site visits, desk audits, mandatory performance and financial reports, consultations, and other forms of communication and dialogue before exercising additional NCCs. (Additional details regarding monitoring and oversight of the program by TIP Office representatives will be provided at the time the base-year award is made.)

· Review and evaluate all quarterly or semi-annual program and financial reports;

1. All program and financial reporting requirements must be current and up-to-date before the TIP Office will exercise additional NCCs.

2. Any/all concerns, issues, or modifications requested by the Grants Officer or Program Officer to the original program design or method of implementation must be responded to in writing.

3. The TIP Office Grants Officer and Program Officer will review and advise of the TIP Office’s approval or disapproval of the response before issuing subsequent NCCs.

· Prior Grants Officer approval is required to utilize any unobligated balance from a prior funding period to the subsequent funding period.

· The Grants Officer may, at their discretion, use the unobligated balance to reduce or offset future funding for a subsequent funding period. An unobligated balance at the end of a funding period is not sufficient justification to utilize the remainder of funds. A final determination and approval to utilize the remainder of any funds will be communicated via a cost amendment with adjustment, if any, to new obligation amounts.

· The request to utilize the remainder from an unobligated balance must include:

1. A brief narrative why funds remain unobligated and how the unobligated funds will be used to complete the previously approved goals and objectives of the program; and,

2. A detailed budget that reflects the amount of unobligated funds to date, and anticipated expenditures in the subsequent period of performance for all cost categories under the authorized budget.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria

Reviewers will evaluate applications based on their own merits. Reviewers will use the below evaluation criteria. Applicants are responsible for reviewing the criteria below to fully understand how applications will be reviewed and evaluated for potential funding. Applications will be evaluated against their responses to the questions listed in the 2023 Guidelines for Submitting Applications for Zambia, as listed below:

· Understanding of the Context: The applicant demonstrates an understanding of the economic, political, social, and cultural situation in Zambia. The applicant appropriately describes the human trafficking problem(s) and hotspots and trends related to human trafficking, including any efforts to address these problems or trends. The applicant expresses a strong understanding of the key government and civil society partners crucial to anti-trafficking efforts in Zambia.

· Organizational Capacity: The applicant demonstrates capacities and qualifications that enable the organization and partner organization(s) if applicable, to address the problem(s) stated above, including subject matter expertise, and how the organization will bring necessary expertise to the project. Applicants describe experience in administering long-term projects with sustainable interventions of similar size and scope within similar or related subject matter areas in the country.

· Partnerships: The applicant exhibits strong partnerships with government and civil society stakeholders or demonstrates an ability to develop partnerships with government or civil society stakeholders in Zambia. Applicants describe experience engaging with academia, the private sector, and other funders, to advance the goal and objectives of the program. If applicable, applicants demonstrate a strong ability to manage sub-awards with USG requirements.

2. Review and Selection Process

Following the submission deadline, all proposals will be screened to determine whether they meet the technical requirements stated in this announcement. As a reminder, the TIP Office will only consider proposals that meet the specific considerations outlined in Section A of this funding opportunity, and that also meet all the technical requirements.

Applications will be deemed ineligible during the technical review process and will not be considered for funding if they (1) do not address work on human trafficking in Zambia; (2) do not address organizational past performance in Zambia; (3) do no use the required templates; or (4) do not meet the technical review requirements listed in Section D: Application and Submission Information.

Following the technical review, a formal content review of each proposal that passes the technical review will commence. Proposals will be reviewed by members of the TIP Office and by an intra- and interagency review panel. Panel recommendations will be presented to the TIP Office’s Ambassador-at-Large or Senior Official for consideration and final approval. Funding will be notified to Congress through a congressional notification before the award is officially signed.

Final award decisions will be influenced by whether the applicant is prepared to convene with the U.S. Government and the Government of Zambia within 90 days of signing the award to develop an implementation plan for the program. This implementation plan will be reflected in revisions to the selected applicant(s)’s project narrative and budget summary, and the addition of proposal documents including, but not limited to: monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MERL) plans; timelines; risk mitigation and contingency plans; line-item budget; and budget narrative that will be amended to the award(s).

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

3. Pre-Award Risk Assessment

Applicants will be subject to a TIP Office risk assessment process that may include a pre-award site visit. The assessment may consider a variety of risk factors, including: (1) financial stability of the applicant; (2) quality of management systems and ability to meet prescribed management standards; (3) past performance in managing previous federal awards, if applicable, including compliance with reporting requirements, conformance to the award’s terms and conditions, and the extent to which previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to future awards; (4) past performance in managing previous federal awards, if applicable, including compliance with reporting requirements, conformance to the award’s terms and conditions, and the extent to which previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to future awards; (5) reports and findings from available audits; and (6) applicant ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements applicable to non-federal entities.

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

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

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

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

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

5. Anticipated Federal Award Dates

The TIP Office anticipates making decisions on the applications by December 2023 and will notify all applicants of their proposal status at that time through JTIPGrants@state.gov. Within 90 days of applicant selection for funding, the Program Officers will begin coordinating with selected organization(s) and the Government of Zambia to begin developing an Implementation Plan. All funding decisions are conditional until a final award is signed by both the TIP Office and the applicant selected to receive the award.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

Following the internal review process, applicants can expect to hear from the TIP Office via email regarding the status of their application between October-November 2023. However, a letter stating an applicant is chosen for further consideration does not constitute authorization to begin performance on the proposed project. All selected applications are conditional until the funds have officially been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed through internal bureau procedures, and are authorized and awarded by the Grants Officer.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Standard Terms and Conditions: Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications which will apply to this award, to ensure that they will be able to comply. These include:

2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 600, Certifications and Assurances, and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, all of which are available at: https://www.statebuy.state.gov/fa/pages/home.aspx

Note the U.S. Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.

Anti-Prostitution Policy and Requirements: Grantees are required to agree to the following conditions prior to a grant being awarded:

1. None of the funds made available herein may be used to promote, support, or advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be construed to preclude assistance designed to combat trafficking in persons, including programs for prevention, protection of victims, and prosecution of traffickers and others who profit from trafficking in persons, by ameliorating the suffering of, or health risks to, victims while they are being trafficked or after they are out of the situation that resulted from such victims being trafficked.

2. The recipient shall insert this provision in all sub-agreements under this award.

Training Certification: All organizations receiving funds must agree to the following:

· “This organization hereby certifies that, to the extent practicable, persons or entities providing legal services, social services, health services, or other assistance have completed, or will complete, training in connection with trafficking in persons.” The recipient shall insert this provision in all sub-agreements under this award. TVPA §107A(b)(1) (22 U.S.C. §7105A(b)(1)).

Special Provision for Performance in a Designated Combat Area: Each federal assistance award within areas of combat operations or future contingency operations, as designated by the Secretary of Defense, over $150,000 or providing for performance over 30 days must be registered in the Department of Defense maintained Synchronized Pre-deployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT) system. Each federal assistance award shall be registered in SPOT before personnel deployment.