2024 Holocaust Educators NOFO.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. MISSION POLAND

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

Funding Opportunity Title: Building a Network of Holocaust Educators in Poland

Funding Opportunity Number: WAW-NOFO-FY24-05

Deadline for Applications: July 9, 2024

CFDA Number: 19.900 AEECA/ESF PD Programs

Number of awards and amounts: Up to one award, $150,000

Estimated Total Program Funding: Up to $150,000

Contact Email: grantspoland@state.gov

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

U.S. Mission Poland welcomes proposals for projects to build a network of Holocaust educators in Poland and to empower members of that network as they work to enhance the effectiveness of Holocaust and human rights education programs at their home institutions. An award will be made subject to the availability of appropriated funds and final selection. Please carefully follow all instructions below.

Purpose of Award: U.S. Mission Poland invites proposals from potential partners in Poland to develop projects to build a network of Polish educators, potentially including secondary school teachers, school administrators, public education officials, and museum and cultural institution staff, and to provide continued activities to empower those individuals as they enhance Holocaust and human rights education programs at their home institutions. This project would be announced in connection with U.S. remembrance of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the end of WWII.

Priority Program Area: Accurate education about the history of the Holocaust, teaching the Holocaust and human rights in context, countering antisemitism and other forms of discrimination, and other forms of Holocaust memorialization or remembrance.

Participants and Audiences: Proposals should describe both the primary and secondary audiences for the program, including anticipated numbers to be reached. Primary audiences are those who will participate directly in the program, while secondary audiences are those who will be reached by the project’s primary audiences as a result of their participation. (For example, a workshop for educators would have teachers as the primary audience and the students in their classrooms as the secondary audience benefiting from the teachers’ professional development.)

All project participants in (the primary audience for) the activities must be citizens or residents of Poland living and working in Poland, potentially including, but not limited to, secondary school teachers, school administrators, ministry of education officials, and public historians who work in museums and cultural institutions supporting secondary school or tertiary history education in their communities.

The following types of programs are not eligible for funding:

• Programs relating to partisan political activity;

• Legal services and direct physical and mental health services provided to individuals (legal guidance and/or psychological, social or emotional development activities offered in a group setting may be supported by the grant);

• Construction programs;

• Programs that support specific religious activities;

• Fund-raising campaigns;

• Lobbying for specific legislation or programs;

• Academic or scientific research (note that curriculum development is an eligible activity);

• Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization; and

• Individual travel to attend a conference and/or courses at any educational institution.

This funding opportunity aims to support specific projects with objectives that can be achieved within a set timeframe. We will not accept applications that are aimed more broadly at supporting your organization’s usual or typical daily activities and operations. Those will be deemed technically ineligible and will not be considered for funding by the review committee.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

This notice is subject to the availability of funding. U.S. Mission Poland reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.

Length of performance period: Up to three years. The Department of State will consider applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.

Number of awards anticipated: Up to one

Award amounts: Up to $150,000

Total available funding: Up to $150,000

Type of Funding: Fiscal Year 2023 AEECA Funding

Anticipated program’s start date: Awards under this funding opportunity must be issued before the end of the United States government Federal Fiscal Year 2024 on September 30, 2024. Activities funded through an award under this funding opportunity must be executed within 36 months after the award is signed. Project work must begin in the fall 2024. Costs incurred in preparing the application or prior to the award date are not eligible for funding.

Funding Instrument Type: Grant or Cooperative Agreement. Cooperative Agreements are different from grants in that PD Poland staff are actively involved in program activities beyond routine monitoring, i.e., “substantial involvement.” The appropriate instrument may vary depending on the nature of the project proposed and will be determined during pre-award negotiations with successful applicants. Examples of “substantial involvement” include the review and approval of program modifications, such as project locations, participant numbers, implementing organizations, or program structure; provision of guidance and concurrence on participant outreach, recruitment, and selection;

and a review of implementing organizations’ program descriptions and program plans/schedules.

The Department of State will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S.

Department of State.

Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 36 months or less.

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

• Polish and U.S. not-for-profit organizations are eligible to apply, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations.

• Polish and U.S. cultural and educational institutions, including public and private universities, museums, and cultural or educational centers, are eligible to apply.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing is allowed, but not required and will not impact funding decisions.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via www.SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for more information.

http://www.sam.gov/

Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization per funding opportunity.

To be eligible to apply, the applicant organization must be appropriately registered to operate in Poland and/or the United States.

Applicants with open U.S. government grants for other projects must be in good standing and current on all their reporting obligations. Applicants that have not met the obligations of other open grants with the U.S.

government will be disqualified.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package Application forms required below are available at: https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.

Content of Application Please ensure:

• The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity.

• All documents are in English.

• All budgets are in U.S. dollars.

• All pages are numbered.

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

The following documents are required:

a. Mandatory application forms at: https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/

• SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations);

https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/ https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/

• SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs); and

• SF424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs)- if the organization is fully registered in SAM.gov then the mandatory SF424B requirement has been completed and not required to be submitted.

b. Summary coversheet should state the following:

• the applicant’s name and organization;

• proposal date;

• program title;

• program period;

• proposed start and end date; and

• brief purpose of the program.

c. Proposal (5 pages maximum): The proposal should contain sufficient information so that anyone not familiar with it will understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. We highly recommend that applicants use the proposal template provided here. If you choose not to use the template provided, you may use your own proposal format, but must provide all the items listed below. Proposals that include collaborations with U.S. organizations or individuals and/or that adapt U.S. best practices and lessons learned to the local context are encouraged. Applicants should detail such elements in their proposals.

• Proposal Summary: Provide a short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives and anticipated impact.

• Introduction to the Organization or Individual applying: Provide a description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U.S.

Embassy, U.S. Consulate General, and/or U.S. government agencies. Experience managing grants from other organizations should also be included to demonstrate the capacity of the organization to manage grants.

https://pl.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/Grant_application_2024.docx

• Problem Statement: Provide a clear, concise, and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and how the proposed program will address the problem. A strong problem statement clearly explains the outcomes of the project and how it will strengthen the work of Holocaust and human rights educators.

• Program Goals and Objectives: Outline the project goals and objectives describing what you intended to achieve. Objectives refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to achieving goals. Please propose SMART objectives for your project: Specific, Measurable, realistically Achievable within the period of the grant, Relevant to an actual problem or challenge, and Time-based, meaning that you will be able to finish the project and measure the impact by a set date. Please also explain how you will measure or evaluate the progress achieved or the impact you have made on the participants or audiences through your project activities.

• Target Audience: Carefully considering the challenge or problem you are addressing, together with your goals and objectives, will help you clearly define who the participants or primary audiences for your project will be and shape the activity outlined in your proposal. You might have secondary audiences or beneficiaries, too. Please be specific with your primary audience and avoid the use of “general public.” At least 90 percent of the project participants in (the primary audience for) the activities must be citizens of Poland living in Poland, including Polish educators, including secondary school teachers, school administrators, and ministry of education officials, and/or public historians who work in museums and cultural institutions supporting secondary school or tertiary history education in their communities.

A clear methodology of participant recruitment and selection should be detailed in the proposal, including efforts to promote gender parity, support geographic and socio-economic diversity, and provide access for diverse groups of Polish citizens, including individuals with disabilities and members of ethnic and religious minority groups representative of Polish society as a whole.

• Program Activities: Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.

• Program Methods and Design: Describe how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal.

• Proposed Program Schedule: Outline the timeline for the program activities. Include the proposed dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events. Please note: Funding may not be available in time for the specific timeline you propose. Please indicate whether you have the flexibility to shift the program schedule to later dates if funding become available at a later date.

• Key Personnel: Provide the names, titles, roles, and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program.

What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program?

• Program Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations.

• Program Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants. Describe activities you will conduct to determine whether the project has achieved its goals and objectives. Throughout the timeframe of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant?

• Future Funding or Sustainability Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable.

d. Budget Justification Narrative: After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate file to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.

e. Attachments:

• 1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program;

• Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner (optional);

• If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file;

• Official permission letters, if required for program activities; and

• Documentation of non-profit or non-commercial status.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov)

Required Registrations:

All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration with the SAM.gov, which are free of charge. The assignment of a Unique Identity ID does not equate to SAM.gov registration. Once you receive your Unique Identity ID, you must complete your SAM.gov registration. A UEI is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards.

The 2 CFR 200 requires that sub-grantees obtain a UEI number. Please note the UEI for sub-grantees is not required at the time of application but will be required before an award is processed and/or directed to a sub-grantee.

Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.

• Organizations based in the United States, or that pay employees within the United States, will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov.

• Organizations based outside of the United States and that do not pay employees within the United States do not need an EIN from the IRS but do need a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov.

• Please note that as of November 2022 and February 2022 respectively, organizations based outside of the United States that do not intend to apply for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awards are no longer required to have a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code or CAGE code to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities. If an applicant organization is mid-registration and wishes to remove a CAGE or NCAGE code from their SAM.gov registration, the applicant should submit a help desk ticket (“incident”) with the Federal Service Desk (FSD) online at fsd.gov using the following language: “I do not intend to seek financial assistance from the Department of Defense. I do not wish to obtain a CAGE or NCAGE code. I understand that I will need to submit my registration after this incident is resolved to have my registration activated.”

Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO NOT plan to do business with the DoD should follow the below instructions:

Step 1: Proceed to SAM.gov to obtain a UEI and complete the SAM.gov registration process. SAM.gov registration must be renewed annually.

Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO plan to do business with the DoD in addition to Department of State should follow the below instructions in addition to Step 1:

Step 1: Apply for an NCAGE code by following the instructions on the NSPA NATO website linked below.

NCAGE Homepage:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/sc/CageList.aspx

Exemptions An exemption from the UEI and sam.gov registration requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if:

https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=c81018e71b1601d0937fa64ce54bcb57 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=c81018e71b1601d0937fa64ce54bcb57 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/sc/CageList.aspx

• An applicant’s identity must be protected due to potential endangerment of their mission, their organization’s status, their employees, or individuals being served by the applicant.

• For an applicant, if the Federal awarding agency makes a determination that there are exigent circumstances that prohibit the applicant from receiving a unique entity identifier and completing SAM registration prior to receiving a Federal award. In these instances, Federal awarding agencies must require the recipient to obtain a unique entity identifier and complete SAM registration within 30 days of the Federal award date.

Organizations requesting exemption from UEI or SAM.gov requirements must email the point of contact listed in the NOFO at least two weeks prior to the deadline in the NOFO providing a justification of their request. Approval for a SAM.gov exemption must come from the warranted Grants Officer before the application can be deemed eligible for review.

4. Submission Dates and Times U.S. Mission Poland will accept proposals submitted no later than July 9, 2024, at 23:59, and will review those proposal in July 2024.

5. Funding Restrictions

• Fees and travel cost to attend conferences in the United States, unless the travel is part of a larger-scope program/project and will tie directly to activities in Poland;

• Construction costs, vehicle purchases, or real estate purchases;

• Refreshments (exception: expenses for coffee breaks and working lunches which are essential to the realization of the program might be funded);

• Costs associated with providing alcoholic beverages; and

• Costs which are determined as unallowable in 2 CFR 200.

Please see Section H of this funding opportunity for more information on budgets.

6. Other Submission Requirements All application materials must be submitted by email to grantspoland@state.gov.

The subject line of the email should list the name of the applying organization followed by the NOFO number, which is WAW-NOFO-FY24-05.

mailto:grantspoland@state.gov

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria Each application will be evaluated and rated based on the evaluation criteria outlined below. The criteria listed are closely related and are considered in judging the overall quality of an application.

• Organizational capacity and record on previous grants: The organization has expertise in Holocaust education programming and U.S. Mission Poland is confident of its ability to undertake the program. This includes a financial management system and a bank account.

• Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea: The program idea is well developed, with details about how program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline.

• Goals and objectives: Goals and objectives are clearly stated, and the program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.

• U.S. Mission Poland Priorities: Applicant has clearly described how stated goals are related to and supports this funding opportunity’s priority areas and target audiences.

• Budget: The budget justification is detailed. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities.

• Monitoring and evaluation plan: Applicant demonstrates it can measure program success against key indicators and provide milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The program includes output and outcome indicators and shows how and when those will be measured.

• Sustainability: Program activities will continue to have a positive impact after the end of the program.

• Support of Equity and Underserved Communities: Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the program will support and advance equity and engage underserved communities in program administration, design, and implementation.

2. Review and Selection Process A grants review committee will evaluate all eligible applications. Please note that you may be asked to submit additional information and/or a revised budget in response to committee deliberations.

3. Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov (formerly, 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 over the period of performance (see §200.01 Simplified Acquisition Threshold), this section must also inform applicants that:

i. 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 U.S. government designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.gov (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);

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

iii. 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.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices The grant award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the consulate general’s grants officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document, and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the grants officer.

If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the discretion of the Department of State.

Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S.

government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.

Payment Method: Payments will be made in at least two installments, as needed to carry out the program activities.

Organizations whose applications will not be funded will also be notified via email.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements Terms and Conditions: Before applying, 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.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/. Note the U.S Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.

3. Reporting Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports as specified in the award agreement and its supporting documents.

Foreign Assistance Data Review: As required by Congress, the Department of State must make progress in its efforts to improve tracking and reporting of foreign assistance data through the Foreign Assistance Data Review (FADR). The FADR requires tracking of foreign assistance activity data from budgeting, planning, and allocation through obligation and disbursement. Successful https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/ applicants will be required to report and draw down federal funding based on the appropriate FADR Data Elements, indicated within their award documentation. In cases of more than one FADR Data Element, typically program or sector and/or regions or country, the successful applicant will be required to maintain separate accounting records.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact the Public Affairs Section at: grantspoland@state.gov.

H. OTHER INFORMATION

Guidelines for Budget Justification

Personnel and Fringe Benefits: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the program, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the program.

Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this program. If the program involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.

Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the program, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the program), and costs at least $5,000 per unit.

Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, which are needed for the program. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under equipment.

Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor. Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the program activities.

Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the program, which do not fit in the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials mailto:grantspoland@state.gov and equipment or applicable taxes. All “other” or “miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained.

Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the program activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating.

If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10 percent of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.

“Cost Sharing” refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S. Government. It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues.

Alcoholic Beverages: Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.