2023 Program to End Modern Slavery (PEMS) 7 Notice of Funding .pdf

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

Federal Awarding Agency: U.S. Department of State Program Office: Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in

Persons, International Programs Section Funding Opportunity Title: Program to End Modern Slavery: Full

Proposal Announcement Type: Notification of Funding Opportunity for

Program to End Modern Slavery (PEMS) Funding Opportunity: SFOP0009441 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number(s): 19.019 Deadline for Applications: April 21, 2023, 5:00 pm EDT

FULL TEXT OF NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) is pleased to invite organizations to submit proposals to combat human trafficking outside of the United States to support the Program to End Modern Slavery (PEMS). The TIP Office welcomes proposals for projects that align with U.S. government and TIP Office priorities, address labor or sex trafficking challenges on a significant scale, offer the potential to have systemic and sustainable results, and advance innovation capacity. Funding for anti-trafficking projects will be allocated through an open competitive process. The TIP Office has identified two programming priorities for funding, listed on pages 11 and 16.

The goal of PEMS is to measurably and substantially reduce the prevalence of human trafficking and the harms associated with the crime in targeted populations through innovative interventions driven by research, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, and the expansion of partnerships with government, academia, civil society organizations, international organizations, and the private sector.

PEMS-funded efforts conduct scientifically rigorous research to establish evidence on the effects of anti-trafficking (including forced labor and sex trafficking) programs on the reduction of the prevalence of human trafficking through the advancement of sound prevalence measurement methodologies, strong monitoring and evaluation practices, evidence-based programming, and the application of victim-centered and trauma-informed approaches and interventions.

PEMS-funded efforts also include partnerships with governments, academia, civil society, the private sector, other funders, and international organizations to advance the goals of the program and improve collaboration on the reduction of the prevalence of human trafficking.

The U.S. Congress has appropriated $25 million annually since Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 for PEMS, totaling $200 million to date. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is the TIP Office’s seventh call for PEMS proposals. The TIP Office plans to allocate up to $18 million in FY23 funding to this funding opportunity. For Programming Priority One, the TIP Office plans to issue multiple awards of between $2 and $4 million with a project duration between three (3) to four (4) years. For Programming Priority Two, the TIP Office plans to issue one award of up to $1 million with a project duration between three (3) to four (4) years.

This NOFO supports the advancement of the Foundations for Evidence- Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act) as the approaches proposed require credible use of, and implementation of, evidence building activities (derived from a variety of sources, including exploratory studies and other research), including evaluation, to draw conclusions, inform decision-making, and support adaptation throughout the period of performance.

B. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

Organizations eligible to apply include U.S.-based and foreign non-governmental organizations (including faith-based organizations), non-profits, public international organizations (PIOs), for-profit organizations, and institutions of higher education. For-profit organizations are not permitted to generate profits from grant-funded activities. U.S.

government agencies may respond to this NOFO with proposals that would be funded through an Interagency Acquisition Agreement. While foreign governments are not eligible to apply for awards under this funding opportunity, either as an applicant or as a sub-recipient, 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.

Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process. Additionally, the Department of State prohibits profit to for-profit or commercial organizations under its assistance awards. Profit is defined as any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs. The allowability of costs incurred by commercial organizations is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR 30, Cost Accounting Standards Administration, and 48 CFR 31 Contract Cost Principles and Procedures.

Organizations currently receiving funds from the TIP Office may apply for funding under this funding opportunity. The eligibility requirements for applying for funds under this funding opportunity do not restrict applicants from receiving other sources of funding from the U.S. 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 (health, education, labor, gender, etc.) human-trafficking issues within the project narrative.

Under this funding opportunity, applicants may partner with other organizations in submitting full proposal(s). In instances where the lead applicant is not based in the project target area, applications must include at least one identified local partner engaged in the project from its inception. Applicants partnering 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 and/or activities. All mandatory terms and conditions for a successful applicant also apply to any sub-awards awarded.

Organizations may submit proposals responding to both programming priorities, however, the number of applications from any single organization is limited. Organizations may submit up to (3) proposals as the prime applicant under Programming Priority One and may only submit one

(1) proposal under Programming Priority Two. Any additional submissions received will be disqualified. Applicants with multiple country locations, offices, or entities must coordinate to limit the total number of proposals in which the organization is listed as the prime applicant to comply with the limits above. Each application may be submitted only once. Organizations submitting multiple applications under Programming Priority One should submit separate applications for each model intervention proposed.

There is no limit on the number of applications in which an organization can be listed as a partner organization. Organizations listed as a partner organization in an application may also apply as a lead applicant under the same or a different programming priority (e.g., if an applicant is a partner organization under Programming Priority One, they can submit as the prime under Programming Priority One or Two).

Upon review, the TIP Office reserves the right to ask an applicant to merge submitted applications into a single proposal. Organizations that submit an application as the prime organization under both priorities may or may not receive funding for both awards. The TIP Office reserves the right to request changes in sub-grantees and personnel to avoid conflict of interest between awards under Programming Priorities One and Two.

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 voluntarily proposing 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.

C. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

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 though proactive identification and the provision of comprehensive, trauma-informed care, and preventing trafficking in persons by making it more difficult or risky for traffickers to commit the crime. The TIP Office also recognizes the importance of partnerships and collaborative efforts with relevant governmental and non-governmental stakeholders in anti-trafficking work. TIP Office programs and projects combat human trafficking—to refer to a crime whereby traffickers exploit and profit at the expense of adults or children by compelling them to perform labor or engage in commercial sex. 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 two primary forms of human trafficking are sex trafficking and forced labor.

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 Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) and generally consistent with the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, 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 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.

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 178. 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 build the capacity of partner governments and civil society to address these challenges through foreign assistance programs.

Information on U.S. government anti-trafficking efforts is available at https://www.state.gov/humantrafficking/and a summary of PEMS projects currently funded by the TIP Office is available at https://www.state.gov/program-to-end-modern-slavery.

D. 2023 GRANT COMPETITION OVERVIEW

Any funds awarded under this funding opportunity will be provided through a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement provides for “substantial involvement” between the agency—in this case the TIP Office—and the recipient during the award’s period of performance. The TIP Office will undertake reasonable and programmatically necessary substantial involvement, which may include active participation or collaboration with the recipient in the implementation of the award; review and approval of one stage of work before another can begin; review and approval of all proposed sub-awards or contracts; joint preparation or presentation of results with the recipient; and/or involvement where the TIP Office requires specific programmatic oversight over the award beyond normal monitoring. Other examples of substantial involvement by the TIP Office may include, but are not limited to, reviewing and approving key project deliverables, project materials, training curricula, and evaluation plans produced by sub-recipients. Substantial involvement is in addition to routine monitoring that includes approval of key personnel; approval of the recipient’s budget and plan of work prior to award; standard oversight, monitoring, and administration of federal awards; and unanticipated actions to correct recipient performance or administrative deficiencies identified during the implementation of the award. Projects funded by resources leveraged from other donors are not subject to TIP Office approval.

A. Programming Priority One – Intervention Development Research

Human trafficking is a complex phenomenon which requires a nuanced understanding of the various social, economic, and policy factors at play at multiple levels. Yet limited funding has been allocated to deep, evidence-based research to understand the context in which human trafficking occurs and identify what works to prevent or respond to it. There is an urgent need to develop interventions based on a comprehensive https://www.state.gov/humantrafficking/ https://www.state.gov/program-to-end-modern-slavery understanding of a specific context and the mechanisms by which an intervention produces change. This requires a whole-of-systems approach to design interventions that do not assume that a simple cause and effect relationship is likely to exist between the intervention and intended outcome of reducing human trafficking and requires that interventions are not seen as isolated and functioning independently from their context.

Intervention development research (IDR) – also known simply as intervention research - is based on a model that has traditionally been used to research and design interventions in pharmaceutical and medical research. Critical to this approach is a robust research and development (R&D) phase, followed by pilot testing, prior to scale-up and/or adaptation.

Historically, in interventions designed to prevent and address human trafficking and other complex crimes or social issues, this R&D phase is often minimal or absent.

IDR is a tool that can help address this gap and, in recent years, the TIP Office has started funding programs built on IDR or utilizing components of the approach, such as a project in Kenya that is developing and testing models for preventing trafficking in communities impacted by climate change and a project in Brazil aimed at reducing the prevalence of forced labor in the gold mining industry by basing program design on rigorous research and equipping critical practitioners and policymakers with in-depth knowledge about the nature and scale of the crime.

IDR is defined as research conducted to inform the design and delivery of an intervention. IDR seeks to identify who are the target groups and how we should reach them; what we should aim to change and how we should go about changing it; and how the context might affect the delivery, uptake, and effects of the activities.

IDR identifies the modifiable determinants—the elements that can be changed—among specific target populations and potential mechanisms that will lead to the desired outcomes. It examines how the context will interact with the intervention to influence how it will work with the target population. In doing so, it generates the specific evidence necessary to design activities that will be most effective in preventing and responding to human trafficking.

Ultimately, IDR should give a picture of what the intervention will do to achieve the desired outcomes and how it will do it for a particular population in their context. In short, it allows us to understand the full context, and more accurately and effectively design and test targeted interventions that have the greatest potential to be effective. This requires continued engagement with relevant stakeholders, including survivors and other members of the target population, to not only identify and refine the problem being addressed, but also to design, implement, and refine the intervention.

The results of a successful IDR project are either 1) an evidence-based intervention model for combatting human trafficking that can be adapted or scaled up for other settings, complete with guidance for implementers or

2) analysis that provides conclusions as to why tested interventions did not work that can be used to inform future policy and programming (e.g. avoid funding or implementing approaches that are likely to fail) or call for further research in the area.

IDR is typically conducted when there is a need for a new or improved intervention to address a specific problem or issue. This may occur when:

1. The problem is not well-understood and there is a lack of evidence:

Intervention development research can be used to better understand human trafficking in a particular context (e.g., employment sector, geographical area etc.) or among a specific population, and to identify new or improved ways to address it.

2. Current interventions are not effective: If existing interventions are not achieving their intended goals, IDR can be used to examine why and develop new or improved interventions that are more effective in addressing human trafficking.

3. Evidence on interventions or technologies that have been effective for similar populations or problems could be useful to adapt: IDR can be used to identify new evidence on interventions or technologies that show promise for the anti-trafficking space. Rather than starting from scratch, IDR can also be used to identify and adapt evidence-based or promising interventions or technologies developed for other contexts (e.g., gender-based violence, occupational health and safety, mental health, etc.) or populations

(e.g., trauma survivors) to the human trafficking context.

4. New population or context: When a new population or context is identified as being at risk or affected by a certain problem or issue, intervention development research can be used to develop interventions tailored to their specific needs and characteristics.

IDR Example Projects and Scenarios

In Liberia and Nigeria, the TIP Office is funding a project to develop an intervention to reduce the prevalence of child domestic work (CDW).

Adopting a phased approach, the project began with an extensive formative phase comprised of research into victim profiles, including pathways into and risk and protective factors for trafficking with the goal of better understanding the systems into which an intervention will be introduced. This will allow for the identification of modifiable factors and leverage points for a potential intervention to be co-designed with local stakeholders and subsequently piloted and refined. This will ultimately produce an intervention model to reduce the prevalence of CDWs to be scaled-up and/or adopted to other contexts in West Africa and beyond.

IDR could also be used to develop a model to address forced begging among children on the streets of Kampala, Uganda. Though there has been growing attention on the issue of forced begging over the past fifteen years, there has been relatively little evaluation done to determine the effectiveness of various interventions aimed at reducing this form of trafficking and identifying what might be most successful at addressing the issue at larger scale. Stage 1 of the IDR process could include identifying evidence on interventions in similar contexts, as well as conducting targeted research on factors such as locations of exploitation, modus operandi of traffickers, demographics of victims and entry points to exploitation, vulnerability factors, network size and structure for victims, current protective efforts and shortcomings, etc.

This research could be used to map the complex system in which the forced begging occurs and identify factors most likely to be responsive to an intervention that would reduce exploitation through targeted prevention, prosecution, and/or protection efforts. Through designing and piloting interventions with heavy involvement and feedback from key stakeholders, including individuals most impacted by the issue, successful interventions can be identified, tested, and refined to develop an evidence-based model for addressing the issue. Lessons learned and the model itself can then be scaled-up at the national-level and/or adapted to other countries (e.g., Senegal and Cambodia).

As noted above, intervention research does not always begin with new interventions. A key source of intervention development might be an evidence-based intervention that has been developed in another context or among a similar population and has the possibility of being adapted.

For example, in northern Vietnam and elsewhere, research shows that mental health problems (e.g., depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder) are prevalent among sex trafficking victims. Intervention development research can be used to adapt mental health interventions that have been used for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in similar contexts (e.g., other low- and middle- income countries) for use among women and girls trafficked for sex in northern Vietnam.

The above examples include currently-funded programs or other scenarios to illustrate contexts that apply IDR or a similar approach – these examples do not imply current areas of focus for this funding round;

applicants are encouraged to focus on any labor or sex trafficking scenario for which they can demonstrate a justifiable need for IDR.

PROGRAMMING PRIORITY ONE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Applying IDR to produce model interventions on human trafficking

The TIP Office seeks applications for programs that aim to utilize IDR to conduct comprehensive research, with deep local engagement, to develop a whole-of system understanding of the selected human trafficking situation and identify modifiable elements. This knowledge will be used to design a preliminary intervention model based on a strong, evidence-based theory of change. The implementer will then pilot and refine the intervention model and synthesize and disseminate the evidence, including an intervention manual for potential adaptation and scale-up. The proposal should include:

Stage 1 Objective: Research and plan for the intervention development process Stage 2 Objective: Design preliminary intervention model Stage 3 Objective: Pilot test, refine, and finalize preliminary intervention model Stage 4 Objective: Synthesize and disseminate evidence regarding intervention model

The end-product of the proposed IDR projects should identify either:

1. An intervention model with guidance (e.g., an intervention manual) for potential adaptations for scale up, and optionally for adaptation for other settings; or

2. Conclusions on why the tested intervention model is likely not to be effective in this circumstance. If the piloting uncovers the need for more research or exploratory programming, those recommendations should be included as well.

Projects should focus on one type of trafficking in one population, e.g., forced begging of children in Kampala, Uganda. For human trafficking that involves movement, projects can focus on the source, transit, and/or destination locations., i.e., sex trafficking of women from to Nigeria to Italy via Libya. The TIP Office reserves the right to use all, some, or none of the

IDR projects funded under this funding opportunity to fund larger projects in the future.

Successful applicants under Programming Priority One projects must agree to work in partnership with adaptive learning and evaluation (ALE) staff who will carry out a Developmental Evaluation (DE) funded under

Programming Priority Two. The ALE staff will serve as coaches, mentors, trainers, coordinators, and facilitators, and will work collaboratively with project staff to help strengthen IDR methodology and MEL plans, and in-turn, help partner organizations increase the impact of their IDRs. More specifically, the ALE staff will work collaboratively with successful applicants to consult on the design of activities that support innovation by providing real-time feedback to help adapt interventions to emergent and dynamic conditions, among other activities. More information can be found in

Section B below.

Programming Priority Two – Provide tailored Adaptive Learning and Evaluation (ALE) coaching and support to IDR partners

The TIP Office seeks proposals to support successful Programming Priority One applicants in building adaptive learning and evaluation systems through a developmental evaluation (DE). DE is an approach to continuous learning and adaptation of interventions using evaluative thinking and feedback mechanisms. It includes having one or more ALE staff working alongside project teams to support modifications to project design and implementation. DE is a highly innovative approach to evaluation and relatively few have been done in the human trafficking space. However, many existing DEs have been conducted on human development programs.

Developmental Evaluation Example

A four-year DE commissioned by the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) “Coordinating Implementation Research to Communicate Learning and Evidence (CIRCLE)” project in Tanzania (find more information here https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00Z7MP.pdf) aimed to support real-time evidence generation and adaptive management of health service integration in Tanzania found substantial benefits, including that the DE: 1) led to new learning among stakeholders, as well as actionable information that helped implementing partners and USAID to quickly adapt their programs within the period of performance; 2) engendered collaboration among various stakeholders in the health sector on cross-cutting issues, and engaged these stakeholders in elevated dialogue which led to solutions to more effectively integrate health services in Tanzania; 3) engendered enthusiasm and appreciation for the DE process https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00Z7MP.pdf from stakeholders, as well, and interest in continuing the approach as a management approach to improve health services; 4) demonstrated that integrated health services resulted in more health services being delivered in the regions where the project operated; 5) provided evidence that programs that made more changes saw an uptake of a greater variety of health services including HIV, MNCH, family planning, malaria, and nutrition services, and; 6) increased the speed of uptake of service delivery improvements for project partners.

Find examples of DEs undertaken by USAID and other funders here https://socialimpact.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/DEPA_MERL-web- Lookbook.pdf.

In the context of the IDR, the DE should support activities that will facilitate continuous learning and adaptations to the design and implementation in all stages of the IDR. Since DEs are methodologically agnostic and utilization focused, ALE staff should deploy various data collection activities and methods on an as-needed basis, and in consultation with stakeholders, to facilitate real-time, evidence-based reflection and decision-making.

General examples of implementing DE:

• Using evaluative tools to test the project’s logic (e.g., underlying assumptions) and working with stakeholders to refine strategies accordingly

• Tracking the complex factors that make up the project’s context (e.g., changes in political or natural environment) and helping stakeholders pivot their approach and response, and

• Recognizing areas in which there is a need for institutional strengthening and building stakeholder capacity in those areas (e.g., developing a culture of learning and reflective practice and knowledge management systems).

DEs adjust as the projects change and deliver contextualized and emergent findings on an ongoing basis. Importantly, the more dynamic the context and the more innovative the intervention, the more the DE will be emergent and adaptive. ALE staff should keep the interdependency of the https://socialimpact.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/DEPA_MERL-web-Lookbook.pdf https://socialimpact.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/DEPA_MERL-web-Lookbook.pdf complexity of the environment, the design of the DE, and the implementation of the projects front and center.

The role of the ALE staff will be to:

• Be centered on the implementing partner’s values and commitments to make a difference

• Work within the context of each implementing partner’s existing processes, approaches, and organizational structures

• Enable a learning culture that fosters open, transparent communication without fear of repercussions and willingness to accept (and learn from) both favorable and unfavorable results.

• Emphasize learning needs of stakeholders while maintaining the rigor and integrity of evaluation quality and standards

• Consult with stakeholders throughout the evaluation process to ensure that methods are responsive, and processes are engaging

• Maintain consistent and embedded engagement throughout the life of the project

• Take an active role in shaping the course of a project through ongoing advice and recommendations

• Document major developments that emerge in the project, challenges, major decision points, significant shifts in context, and learning and results in a timely manner in order to provide feedback

• Take actions to facilitate the use of evaluation findings by primary users in discussions and decision-making processes

• Support the mapping and describing of elements in the system in which the projects operate, as well as identification of areas of the system the projects seek to change

• Use evaluation findings to describe implications for further development of the intervention, often framed as options, scenarios, or pathways

• Capture new evaluative questions, triggered by new insights, shifts in context, and the evolution of the project

• Focus on assessing the contribution of stakeholders to observed changes

• Ask probing questions, question assumptions, recommend appropriate methods, and stay empirically grounded

• Create opportunities to reflect and strategize with stakeholders, both on individual and across all Programming Priority One awards, as relevant

• Use deliverables to generate reflection and refinement

PROGRAMMING PRIORITY TWO FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Providing tailored adaptive learning and evaluation coaching and support to IDR partners

The TIP Office seeks applications for a developmental evaluation that aims to:

1. Develop a methodically flexible and adaptable monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning plan that enables the use of rigorous evidence-based perspectives for implementation across all IDR awards funded under Programming Priority One;

2. Provide active coaching, mentoring, training, and technical assistance to project staff to help shape the course of design and implementation, help inform decision-making, and facilitate learning for each Programming Priority One funded award throughout the period of performance;

3. Document the successes, challenges, and learnings across all funded awards under Programming Priority One and use those learnings to develop detailed guidance (e.g., guidance manual, toolkits, etc.) for successful IDR implementation in the human trafficking space.

E. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Submitting the Application Package

All proposals must be fully submitted via SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants) by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 21, 2023. Please note that due to technical issues, SAMS Domestic may incorrectly note a deadline other than 5:00 p.m. EDT, however the required deadline for submission is as stated above.

https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants

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.

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 submissions 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.

If an organization has difficulty submitting an application near the deadline, their application may be considered if they open a ticket with the ILMS Support Desk to resolve the problem prior to the deadline.

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 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.

https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants about:blank

To upload the full proposal, 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-424 B), Project Narrative, Intervention Evidence Review Table, Timeline, Summary of Proposed Research Methods, Results Monitoring Plan, Mapping the System, Security, Risk Mitigation, and Contingency Plan, Budget Summary, Line Item Budget, Budget Narrative, NICRA Agreement (if applicable), Resumes/ CSs for Key Personnel, Certification of Training Requirement for Victim Assistance Personnel, Letters of Intent to Cooperate, Donor History Form, and References.

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

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. Please 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 and reported to the TIP Office at JTIPGrants@state.gov only. Please do not contact any other Department of State personnel.

2. Technical Requirements for Proposal Application Package

There have been significant revisions under this funding opportunity.

Applicants are responsible for reviewing and incorporating the Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office PEMS 7 Full Project Proposals and TIP Office Common Questions and Answers (PEMS 7) when preparing an application.

https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants https://afsitsm.servicenowservices.com/ilms https://afsitsm.servicenowservices.com/ilms mailto:JTIPGrants@state.gov

Please pay close attention to all font and formatting requirements. Note that for accessibility, text should be in the updated Department of State font, Calibri. This guidance is available on the TIP Office website, SAMS Domestic, and grants.gov.

All required documents submitted must be written in the English language using documents 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 Calibri font. 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.

If applicants submit more applications than the restricted number as outlined under the “Eligibility” section on pages three and four, then the additional proposals will not be eligible. This will be determined by the date and time when the proposals were submitted. Only the first three proposals submitted under Programming Priority One will be considered.

Only the first proposal submitted under Programming Priority Two will be considered.

Programming Priority One: Designing and Implementing Intervention Development Research

Complete applications must include the following documents in the required templates (found on SAMS Domestic) to be considered for funding. All documents are required, unless noted otherwise:

i. Online Forms/Standard Forms: SF 424, SF 424A and SF 424B

ii. Project Narrative: The required project narrative template is available on SAMS Domestic as a Microsoft Word Document (do not submit as a PDF file). The template is set to a 30,000 character limit (approximately 14 pages) with Calibri font. Spaces, footnotes, and charts are included within the character limit. NOTE: Applicants MUST use the section headers provided in the template. These headers provided in the narrative template WILL count against the total character count. The total number of characters in the section headers is approximately 750. Any application that does not submit the required template with these restrictions will fail the technical review. See the ‘Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office PEMS 7 Full Project Proposals’:

1. Problem Statement

2. Why Intervention Development Research

3. Contextual Analysis

4. Preliminary Review of Intervention Evidence

5. Project Description

5.1. Project Goal

5.2. Project Objectives and Activities

5.3. Illustrative Indicators, by Objective/Stage

6. Mapping the System

7. Implications and Contributions to Knowledge

8. Project Partnerships

9. Co-Creation

10. Organizational Capacity

10.1. Prime Organization

10.2. Sub-Award and/or Sub-Contract Partners

11. Coordination with Relevant Programs and Stakeholders

12. Ethical Considerations

13. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Integration

14. Survivor Inclusion and Victim Centered Approach

15. Trauma Informed Approach

16. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)

iii. Proposal Annexes: See the ‘Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office PEMS 7 Proposals’ o Annex A: Intervention Evidence Review Table o Annex B: Timeline o Annex C: Summary of Proposed Research Methods o Annex D: Result Monitoring Plan (RMP) o Annex E: Mapping the System o Annex F: Security, Risk Mitigation, and Contingency Plan o Annex G: Budget Summary, by Project Year o Annex H: Line-Item Budget, by Year

Required for both prime and subawards o Annex I: Budget Narrative o Annex J: NICRA Agreement* o Annex K: Resumes/CVs for Key Personnel – Resumes may be no longer than 5 pages, including charts, graphs, logos, and images o Annex L: Certification of Training Requirement for Victim Assistance Personnel o Annex M: Letters of Agreement or Letters of Intent to Cooperate o Annex N: Donor History Form o Annex O: Reference List

*Required only if applicable

Note: Applicants submitting under Programming Priority One must use the TIP Office templates for the: Project Narrative; Intervention Evidence Review Table; Timeline; Summary of Proposed Research Method; Results Monitoring Plan; Security, Risk Mitigation, and Contingency Plan;

Summary Budget and Line-Item Budget.

Programming Priority Two: Provide tailored and adaptive learning and evaluation coaching and support to IDR partners

Complete applications must include the following documents in the required templates (found on SAMS Domestic) to be considered for funding. All documents are required, unless noted otherwise:

i. Online Forms/Standard Forms: SF 424, SF 424A and SF 424B

ii. Project Narrative: The required template is available on SAMS

Domestic as a Microsoft Word Document (do not submit as a PDF file). The Project Narrative template is set to a character limit of 13,000 (approximately 6 pages) with Calibri font. NOTE: Applicants MUST use the provided template with section headers. Spaces, footnotes, and charts are included within the character limit. NOTE:

Applicants MUST use the provided template with section headers.

The section headers provided in the narrative template WILL count against the total character count. The total number of characters in the section headers is: 338. Any application that does not submit the required project narrative template with these font restrictions will fail the technical review.

1. Project Description

2. Activities, Approaches, and Methodologies

3. Illustrative Indicators

4. Organizational Capacity

5. Ethical Considerations

6. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

Integration

7. Survivor Inclusion and Victim Centered Approach

8. Trauma Informed Approach

iii. Proposal Annexes: See the 'Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office PEMS 7 Proposals’ o Annex B: Timeline o Annex D: Results Monitoring Plan o Annex F: Security, Risk Mitigation, and Contingency Plan o Annex G: Budget Summary o Annex H: Line-Item Budget

Required for both prime applicant and sub-awardee(s) o Annex I: Budget Narrative o Annex J: NICRA Agreement* o Annex K: Resumes/CVs of Key Personnel – Resumes may be no longer than five pages each, including charts, graphs, logos, and images o Annex L: Certification of Training Requirement for Victim Assistance o Annex M: Letters of Agreement or Letters of Intent to Cooperate o Annex N: Donor History Form o Annex O: Reference List

*Required only if applicable

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

A valid Unique Entity Identifier (formerly the Data Universal Numbering System or DUNS) is not required for submission of an application on SAMS Domestic; however, a valid UEI number is required for organizations selected for an award. Organizations should verify their UEI number or take the steps needed to obtain one as soon as possible. Instructions for obtaining a UEI number can be found at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

All applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov/SAM/) prior to submitting proposals. Selected grantees 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. Please reactivate any accounts that have become inactive when submitting proposals.

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 registered in SAM.gov.

4. Submission Dates and Times

Proposals must be submitted via SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants) and no applications will be considered for funding after 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on April 21, 2023, to be eligible for consideration. The TIP Office will not accept application materials by email.

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.

5. Funding Restrictions

Construction

The TIP Office 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 that 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, you must complete federal SF-428 forms in order for the TIP Office Grants Officer to evaluate whether the item(s) 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.

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.

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

F. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria for Programming Priority One

Reviewers will evaluate applications based on their own merits. Reviewers will use the below evaluation criteria, which are in line with the priority categories, the Program Design Standards, and the ‘Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office Full Project Proposals.’ Applicants must review the below criteria to fully understand how applications will be reviewed and evaluated for potential funding.

Problem Statement and Contextual Analysis Describes how the overall project will address a critical evidence-to-practice gap in the anti-trafficking field and its potential impact on the broader anti-trafficking field. Application includes a justification for the relevance of intervention development research in the context of the identified problem. Potential for the intervention to be adapted for other settings and scaled-up.

Applicant demonstrates an evidence-based understanding of the human trafficking problem to be addressed.