2024 NOFO Island Led Climate and Energy Resilience 2030-Deadline Updated .docx

United States Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): Island Led Climate and Energy Resilience 2030 Funding Opportunity Number: DFOP0013983

Assistance Listing Number: 19.0017 Solicitation Type: Open Competition Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement Application Deadline: 11:59 PM EST on June 7, 2024 Total Funding Ceiling: $1,938,972 Funding Authority: Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA) Cost Sharing: Not Required Anticipated Number of Awards: 1 Period of Performance: 36 months Notification of Recommendation for Funding: 11:59 PM EST on May 31, 2024 Application Submission: Electronic Eligibility Applicants: U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations with or without 501(c) (3) status of the U.S. tax code Number of Applications: 1 per applicant organization.

Table of Contents

Section A: Funding Opportunity Description A.1. Background The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) announces an open competition for organizations (see eligibility information in C.1) to submit applications to implement the Island Led Climate and Energy Resilience 2030 (ILCER). ILCER aims to support island economies to develop and implement United States and international priorities to strengthen climate adaptation, green growth, and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

President Biden’s National Security Strategy affirms that the United States will help its partners around the world adapt to the effects of climate change, and the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have identified climate change and natural disasters as the greatest threat to their national security, sovereignty, and prosperity. Recognizing that the impacts of the climate crisis are already here, the Biden-Harris administration has been working to build stronger diplomatic, technical, and capacity-building partnerships with island economies and other vulnerable countries around the world to support their efforts to build resilience to extreme weather events and climate-related slow onset impacts such as sea level rise.

In 2021, and in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), the U.S. Department of State launched the Island Led Resilience 2030 (ILR2030) initiative to increase the capacity of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to achieve their resilience and sustainability goals. Since 2021, ILR2030 has employed a three-pronged approach which builds on existing collaborative island networks:

1. Island-to-island network support to build communities of practice around shared, high priority climate issues;

2. Climate data dissemination, platform development, and stakeholder engagement to promote whole-of-community goal-setting, implementation, and tracking for climate change adaptation and SDGs more broadly; and,

3. The delivery of technical assistance to implement climate adaptation and green growth activities to reduce vulnerability to climate impacts and put islands on a path to net-zero development.

To date, this multifaceted program has supported and worked through peer-to-peer networks and platforms to direct and deliver technical assistance and advisory support services to a range of small island stakeholders, including government officials, coastal and marine resource managers, energy utilities, university consortiums, and local communities, to:

· Develop adaptation plans and strategies for sectors such as energy, water, and transportation, among others;

· Foster public-private partnerships to incorporate local and indigenous island knowledge into innovative and scalable resilient infrastructure solutions;

· Create new fellowships and scholarships for Pacific and Caribbean Islanders at U.S. academic institutions to learn innovative coastal zone technologies and practices, coastal engineering techniques, natural infrastructure restoration and rehabilitation, and sustainable tourism among other topics; and

· Build new open data platforms and dashboards to track progress on achieving local island sustainable development and climate adaptation policies and goals.

In its next phase, the ILR2030 initiative seeks to expand these efforts by strengthening partnerships with relevant regional institutions and transition from planning to implementation of locally-led climate adaptation and green growth solutions.

Island Led Climate and Energy Resilience 2030 (ILCER) aims to supplement current ILR2030 activities including island-to-island network support to build and strengthen communities of practice around shared, high priority climate issues; climate data dissemination and platform development; and the delivery of technical assistance. Interventions will cover the sectors of marine and coastal resource management, coastal adaptation, blue economy, nature-based solutions, health, water, and climate-resilient energy infrastructure, such as solar, wind, transportation, etc.

A.2. Problem Statement The impacts of climate change are being felt around the world, particularly in SIDS, where the climate crisis is an existential threat. Many islands are facing changes in sea levels and coastal flooding, shifting temperature and rainfall patterns, and extreme events such as storms, droughts, marine heat waves, and ocean acidification. These events often compound and lead to cascading challenges including ecological degradation, loss of livelihoods, setbacks in development, and growing debt.

SIDS need improved tools to assess climate risks and pursue effective adaptive pathways that are developed in coordination with advocates and professionals with expertise on their respective islands. These networks require resources to establish fora for learning and collaboration to tackle climate challenges and grow capacities that suit their needs. Tailoring development goals and decision tools to their realities, in combination with technical expertise, will make islands more resilient in the decades to come.

A.3. Project Goal Build and expand on existing ILR2030 and SIDS efforts by strengthening partnerships with relevant regional institutions and leveraging existing networks and communities of practice to transition from planning to implementation of locally-led climate adaptation and green growth solutions.

A.4. Objectives Objective 1: Strengthen interactive, participatory networks and consider the need for 1-2 new Communities of Practice . Activities to achieve this objective must include:

· Strengthen extensive island-based, peer-to-peer learning network(s) for island economies globally to support green growth, sustainable development, and climate resilience.

· Coordinate existing topic-specific Communities of Practice in which member islands can engage to support the implementation of climate resilience and net zero pathways plans.

· Launch 1-2 new Communities of Practice based on network members’ interest, such as on the climate-health nexus to support island economies with preparing for and responding to the health-related impacts of climate change, or on nature-based solutions.

· Establish strong relationships with bilateral development partners, UN organizations, development agencies, and other key stakeholders to facilitate long-term, sustainable pipelines of financial and technical support for implementation of activities for Communities of Practice member islands.

Objective 2: Provide direct technical assistance to at least 10 SIDS policymakers and/or practitioners to develop and implement adaptation, clean energy, and sustainable development actions that combat climate change. Activities to achieve this objective must include:

· Develop locally relevant, open-data platforms that enable partner countries to identify economy-wide adaptation, clean energy, and sustainable development goals and targets and to track progress towards targets in a transparent manner.

· Establish public-private partnerships within and among select island economies that support diverse stakeholders in integrating sustainability priorities into policy and planning.

· Create innovative and cost-effective assistance mechanisms to facilitate support to island partner countries, which could include small grant opportunities and/or the establishment of a roster of experts to deliver on-demand climate solutions in key thematic areas of particular relevance for islands.

· Serve as a global thought leader on island-led climate solutions and produce materials – which could include policy briefs, toolkits, infographics – that provide strategic guidance and technical assistance to island economies to support climate resilience, sustainable development, and clean energy objectives.

Objective 3: Create and implement a lean secretariat function for ILR2030 with clear governance, organizational structure, and efficient communications to oversee and spur network development and maintenance. Activities to achieve this objective must include:

· Facilitate effective global convenings and efficient implementation of activities in member islands.

The above list of activities is not intended to be exhaustive, and the State Department, Office of Global Change (EGC) encourages organizations to generate and submit in their proposal additional, innovative approaches to achieve the goals and objectives of this grant.

Countries eligible for activities under this grant include: Antigua and Barbuda; The Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Cape Verde; Comoros; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Federated States of Micronesia; Fiji; Grenada; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Jamaica; Kiribati; Maldives; Marshall Islands; Mauritius; Nauru; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Samoa; São Tomé und Príncipe; Seychelles; Solomon Islands; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Suriname; Timor-Leste; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago; Tuvalu; Vanuatu; and Tanzania A.5. Expected Outcomes ILCER will achieve:

· Sustained and enhanced stakeholder engagement and public-private partnerships that advance the integration of climate knowledge and information into sustainable development policy and planning in participating SIDS.

· Increased long-term capacity of SIDS to understand and monitor the changing climate, its impacts on social, economic and ecological systems, and progress towards sustainable development and climate adaptation.

· Identification and creation of island context specific and culturally-appropriate technical and financial delivery mechanisms to facilitate direct support to island economies to implement climate change adaptation, green growth, and sustainable development priorities.

· Sustainable, efficient, and effective secretariat model that attracts contributions and investment from a wide range of sources and leverages existing resources in countries of implementation.

A.6. Performance Indicators

The project will monitor and report on performance indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable, and time bound. Reporting on outcome results will be required under each programmatic report due under this grant. The project should include all relevant standard climate indicators from the list below and include cumulative targets by the end of project:

· EG.11-1 NUMBER OF PEOPLE TRAINED IN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION SUPPORTED BY USG ASSISTANCE

· EG.11-2 NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONS WITH IMPROVED CAPACITY TO ASSESS OR ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE RISKS SUPPORTED BY USG ASSISTANCE

· EG.11-5 NUMBER OF PEOPLE SUPPORTED BY THE USG TO ADAPT TO THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

· EG.11-6 NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING CLIMATE INFORMATION OR IMPLEMENTING RISK-REDUCING ACTIONS TO IMPROVE RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AS SUPPORTED BY USG ASSISTANCE

· EG.12-1 NUMBER OF PEOPLE TRAINED IN CLEAN ENERGY SUPPORTED BY USG ASSISTANCE

· EG.12-2 NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONS WITH IMPROVED CAPACITY TO ADDRESS CLEAN ENERGY ISSUES AS SUPPORTED BY USG ASSISTANCE

· EG.12-3 NUMBER OF LAWS, POLICIES, REGULATIONS, OR STANDARDS ADDRESSING CLEAN ENERGY FORMALLY PROPOSED, ADOPTED, OR IMPLEMENTED AS SUPPORTED BY USG ASSISTANCE

· EG.12-4 AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT MOBILIZED (IN USD) FOR CLEAN ENERGY AS SUPPORTED BY USG ASSISTANCE

· GNDR-2: PERCENTAGE OF FEMALE PARTICIPANTS IN USG-ASSISTED PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO INCREASE ACCESS TO PRODUCTIVE ECONOMIC RESOURCES (ASSETS, CREDIT, INCOME OR EMPLOYMENT)

· GNDR-4: PERCENTAGE OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTING INCREASED AGREEMENT WITH THE CONCEPT THAT MALES AND FEMALES SHOULD HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND POLITICAL RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES

· GNDR-8: NUMBER OF PERSONS TRAINED WITH USG ASSISTANCE TO ADVANCE OUTCOMES CONSISTENT WITH GENDER EQUALITY OR FEMALE EMPOWERMENT THROUGH THEIR ROLES IN PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SECTOR INSTITUTIONS OR ORGANIZATIONS Additionally, OES welcomes organizations to develop, as applicable, a limited number of custom indicators as necessary to the capturing of the range of accomplishments and outcomes of this project. Please submit any proposed custom indicators and corresponding disaggregates in the submission of this proposal.

A.7. Key Considerations The selected organization must coordinate closely EGC who will engage U.S. government Departments and technical agencies currently leading ILR2030 activities, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), the Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Agency for International Development, to support coherent implementation of Island economies' climate priorities.

To date, OES has supported an Interagency Agreement with partners in both NOAA and DOE. NOAA has made substantial contributions to regional conversations on ecological management, the development of adaptation metrics for the islands, and building out national development dashboards, as well as providing technical and logistical support to professional Communities of Practice on climate data and regenerative tourism. DOE has provided technical policy assistance to multiple island partners to enable transitions to renewable energy.

A.8. Substantial Involvement OES anticipates awarding a cooperative agreement. The distinction between grants and cooperative agreements revolves around the existence of “substantial involvement.” Cooperative agreements require greater Federal government participation in the project. OES will undertake reasonable and programmatically necessary substantial involvement. Substantial involvement areas can include, but are not limited to:

· Serve as a liaison between U.S. government Departments and technical agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab, the Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Agency for International Development to support coherent implementation of Island economies' climate priorities across U.S. government projects.

· Advise and approve the selection of countries for in-country implementation;

· Advise and approve technical assistance work programs, ensuring they are coordinated, as appropriate, with USAID and other U.S. government activities in selected countries;

· Participate in the selection process and final approval of key personnel to join staff to work on the Secretariat; and

· Collaboration on selection and/or review of project beneficiaries Specific areas of substantial involvement will be dependent upon the objectives of the proposal and outlined in the final Agreement. The final determination on award mechanism will be made by the Grants Officer.

Section B: Federal Award Information B.1. Available Funding This notice is subject to availability of funding. The authority for this funding opportunity is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA).

Applicants can submit one application in response to the NOFO. If more than one application is submitted by an organization, only the first application received, and time stamped by either grants.gov or SAMS/MyGrants will be reviewed for eligibility.

Organizations may form a consortium and submit a combined proposal. However, only one organization must be designated as the lead applicant, with the remaining organizations designated sub-awardees. The lead applicant must meet the eligibility criteria listed in Section C.

The Department of State reserves the right to (a) fund any or none of the applications received; (b) reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase the budget in accordance with bureau proprieties and the availability of funds; (c) accept other than the lowest cost application.

The U.S. government may make award(s) on the basis of initial applications received, without discussions or negotiations. Therefore, each initial application should contain the applicant's best terms from a cost and technical standpoint. The U.S. government reserves the right (though it is under no obligation to do so), however, to enter into discussions with one or more applicants in order to obtain clarifications, additional detail, or to suggest refinements in the project description, budget, or other aspects of an application.

B.2. Award Management The successful applicant will need to routinely collaborate with OES through regular meetings and conference calls to discuss progress, challenges, emerging topics, etc. The successful applicant must ensure that all funds are used in a manner consistent with any applicable restrictions on funding. See D.5 below for funding restrictions.

Section C. Eligibility Information C.1. Eligible Applicants:

OES welcomes applications from U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations with or without 501(c) (3) status of the U.S. tax code.

Please see 2 CFR 200.307 for regulations regarding program income.

C.2. Cost-Sharing or Matching The non-Federal share of costs, frequently called “cost share” or “matching costs”, refers to that portion of the project or program costs not borne by the Federal Government. This may include cash and third-party in-kind contributions. These costs must reflect the realistic capacity of the applicants and any third-party contributors.

Providing cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not an eligibility factor or requirement for this NOFO and providing cost share will not result in a more favorable competitive ranking. Per 2 CFR §200.306, items that are proposed for cost share must be allowable per 2 CFR §200, Subpart E—Costs Principles.

Voluntary cost-share: Should the applicant choose to contribute voluntary cost-share, in the event the applicant does not meet the minimum amount of the voluntary cost-sharing stipulated in the applicant’s budget, DOS contribution may be reduced in proportion to the Applicant’s contribution.

C.3. Other Eligibility Criteria Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships, local in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders and have demonstrable experience in administering successful and preferably similar projects.

Any applicant with an exclusion in the Exclusions section of the System for Award Management (sam.gov) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in sam.gov to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

Section D: Application and Submission Information D.1. Address to request Application Package Applicants can find application forms, kits, or other materials needed to apply on grants.gov and SAMS/MyGrants under the announcement title “Island Led Climate and Energy Resilience 2030,” funding opportunity number “DFOP0013983.” Please contact the OES point of contact listed in Section G if requesting reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or for security reasons. Please note that reasonable accommodations do not include deadline extensions.

D.2. Content and Form of Application Submission Proposal packages must adhere to the attached Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI). Proposal submissions that do not meet all of the requirements outlined in this NOFO and the PSI will be deemed technically ineligible. To ensure that all applications receive a balanced evaluation, the review panel will review from the first page of each section up to the page limit and no further.

Complete applications must include the following as defined in the PSI:

1. Completed and signed SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B forms

2. Organizations that engage in lobbying the U.S. government, including Congress, or pay for another entity to lobby on their behalf, are also required to complete the SF-LLL “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” form (only if applicable).

3. Cover Page/Executive Summary-

4. Proposal Narrative

5. Budget Documents (two (2) component submission requirement)

6. Program Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative and Plan

7. Key Personnel

8. Timeline

9. Racial Equity and Underserved Communities Analysis

10. Attachments, (if applicable):

· Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner

· Official permission letters, if required for project activities D.3. Unique entity identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (sam.gov) The Unique Entity Identifier (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 federal government's primary database for complying with FFATA reporting requirements is www.sam.gov. OMB designated www.sam.gov as the central repository to facilitate applicant and recipient use of a single public website that consolidates data on all federal financial assistance. Under the law, it is mandatory to obtain a UEI number and register in sam.gov before submitting an application. OES may not review applications from or make awards to applicants that have not completed all applicable UEI and SAM.gov requirements.

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 the award is processed and/or directed to a sub-grantee.

UEI is assigned by sam.gov assigned to organizations that have to register/or renew their sam.gov registration.

Note: The process of obtaining a sam.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible. Numerous errors require correction, such as an address mismatch, and can delay final registration. If the application is not corrected within 90 calendar days of original registration/or renewal submission, it will be automatically deleted, and the organization will need to re-start the process.

· 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). Also, a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code is needed and issued through SAM.gov as is the UEI number. Once received continue with the remainder of the SAM.gov registration.

· Organizations based outside of the United States and 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 2023 respectively, newly registering 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 CAGE (NCAGE).

All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations. All are free of charge:

· NCAGE/CAGE code (as applicable)

· www.sam.gov UEI and registration If you are an organization based outside the U.S. and DO NOT plan to do business with the Department of Defense:

Step 1: Proceed to SAM.gov to obtain a UEI and complete the registration.

If you are an organization based outside the U.S. and plan to do business with the Department of Defense:

Step 1: Apply for an NCAGE number NCAGE Homepage:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/sc/CageList.aspx NCAGE Code Request Tool (NCRT):

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/Codification/CageTool/home For NCAGE help from within the U.S., call 1-888-227-2423 For NCAGE help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766 Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code.

Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to SAM.gov to obtain a UEI and complete registration.

All prime organizations must also continue to maintain active SAM.gov registration with current information at all times during which they have an active federal award or application under consideration by a federal award agency. SAM.gov requires all entities to renew their registration once a year in order to maintain an active registration status in SAM.gov. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure it has an active registration in SAM.gov and to maintain that active registration. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements at the time of application, the applicant may be deemed technically ineligible to receive an award and that determination will be used as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Note: SAM.gov is not the same as SAMS/MyGrants. It is free to register in both systems, but the registration processes are different.

Information is included on the SAM.gov website to help international registrations: Please note, guidance on SAM.gov and the guidance on GSA’s website about requirement for registering in SAM.gov is subject to change and currently being updated. Applicants should review the website frequently for the most up-to-date guidance.

The attached “UEI and SAM.gov FAQ updated 013124” is a resource provided by the grants policy office. Any content shown from SAM.gov is not owned by the Department of State. The guidance and instruction provided are to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting this solicitation. Where guidance in this attachment differs from the SAM.gov website, SAM.gov prevails and the applicant is encouraged to seek and document clarity provided by the SAM.gov helpdesk.

D.3.1 Exemptions An exemption from the requirements listed above may be permitted under the following circumstances:

· For any applicant or recipient, if the Federal awarding agency determines that it must protect information about the entity from disclosure if it is in the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States, or to avoid jeopardizing the personal safety of the applicant or recipient's staff or clients.

· For a foreign organization or foreign public entity applying for or receiving a Federal award or subaward for a project or program performed outside the United States valued at less than $25,000, if the Federal awarding agency deems it to be impractical for the entity to comply with the requirement(s). This exemption must be determined by the Federal awarding agency on a case-by-case basis while utilizing a risk-based approach and does not apply if subawards are anticipated.

· 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 and provide 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.

D.4. Submission Dates and Times Applications are due no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST), on June 7, 2024 on grants.gov or SAMS/MyGrants under the announcement title “Island Led Climate and Energy Resilience 2030,” funding opportunity number “DFOP0013983.”

Faxed, couriered, or emailed documents will not be accepted. Reasonable accommodations may, in appropriate circumstances, be provided to applicants with disabilities or for security reasons.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that it has an active registration in grants.gov or SAMS/MyGrants and that an application has been received by the system in its entirety. Application submissions are automatically logged by date and time when made in Grants.gov and SAMS/MyGrants, and the Department of State will use this information to determine whether an application has been submitted on time. Late applications are neither reviewed nor considered. Applicants should not expect a notification upon OES receiving their application. grants.gov and SAMS/MyGrants , and the Department of State will use this information to determine whether an application has been submitted on time. Late applications are neither reviewed nor considered. Applicants should not expect a notification upon OES receiving their application.

OES bears no responsibility for disqualification that results from applicants not being registered before the due date, for registration errors in either system, or other errors in the application process.

D.5. Funding Limitations, Restrictions, and Other Considerations OES 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/.

Consistent with Department guidance on State Funding and the Risks of Terrorist Financing, for all State Department funded programs and requirements, Department bureaus must assess the likelihood that the funds or Department funded activities, goods, services, training, expert advice or assistance, or other benefits to be provided, could inadvertently or incidentally benefit terrorist organizations or their members or supporters, and put in place appropriate risk mitigation measures to mitigate such risk. In accordance with 14 FAM 247, and consistent with the 2 FAM 050, Counterterrorism (CT) name-check vetting may be performed in countries and programs designated by the Department.

The following activities and costs are not covered under this announcement (this list is NOT exhaustive):

· Construction or renovation is not an allowable activity under this award;

· Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the applicant organization;

· Projects seeking funds for personal use;

· Administration of a project that will make a profit;

· Expenses incurred before or after the specified dates of award period of performance (unless prior written approval is received);

· Projects designed to advocate policy views or positions of foreign governments or views of a particular political faction;

· Alcoholic beverages;

· Costs of entertainment, including amusement, diversion, and social activities, and any associated costs, are unallowable, except where specific costs that might otherwise be considered entertainment have a programmatic purpose and are authorized either in the approved budget for the federal award or with prior written approval of the Grants Officer.

Representation by Organization Regarding a Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Criminal Conviction: In accordance with section 7073 of Division K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (Public Law 113-76) none of the funds made available by that Act may be used to enter into an assistance award with any organization that –

(1) Was “convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency has direct knowledge of the conviction, unless the agency has considered, in accordance with its procedures, that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government”; or

(2) Has any “unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, unless the Federal agency has considered, in accordance with its procedures, that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.”

For the purposes of Section 7073, it is the Department of State’s policy that no award may be made to any organization covered by (1) or (2) above, unless the Procurement Executive has made a written determination that suspension or debarment is not necessary to protect the interests of the U.S. Government.

Organizations should be cognizant of these restrictions when developing project proposals. Funding restrictions will require appropriate due diligence of program beneficiaries and collaboration with OES to ensure compliance with these restrictions. Program beneficiaries subject to due diligence vetting will include any individuals or entities that are beneficiaries of foreign assistance funding or support. Due diligence vetting will include a review of open-source materials.

Section E: Application Review Information E1. Proposal Review Criteria An OES review panel will evaluate each application individually against the following criteria, listed below in order of importance, and not against competing applications. Please use the below criteria as a reference, but do not structure your application according to the sub-sections.

Applications should contain the applicant’s best terms from both cost and technical standpoints. The implementing partners (sub-recipients) of the primary recipient will be subject to Department of State approval.

Quality and Feasibility of Project Idea (20 points) The program idea is well developed and responsive to the policy and program objective of the NOFO. The applicant describes the project’s potential contribution to solving the problem addressed in the problem statement. The application clearly defines the problem; it’s causes; stakeholders; and existing research/data; the approach taken to solve the problem; realistic milestones to indicate progress.

Organizational Capacity and Record of Performance (20 points):

The applicant demonstrates an institutional record of successful projects in the content area proposed. The applicant demonstrates experience (e.g., has previously worked and/or has established contacts/partners) in the proposed country/territory/region. The organization has expertise in its stated field and has adequate staffing to manage the proposed project. The applicant demonstrates capacity for responsible fiscal management of donor funding (e.g., successful management of a previous grant or sub-award).

Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives (20 points) Goals and objectives are clearly stated and project approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results. The applicant proposes activities that are feasible, and are also practical, and/or experiential in nature to encourage innovation. The applicant addresses how the project will engage or obtain support from relevant stakeholders and/or identifies local partners. Program logic is sound showing plausible pathways to achieve project outcomes. Key assumptions and risks have been identified and their potential influences described. The applicant acknowledges if activities similar to those proposed are already taking or have taken place previously and provides an explanation as to how proposed new activities will not duplicate or merely add to existing/recent activities.

Financial Capacity and Cost Effectiveness (20 points):

The budget justification is detailed, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results and provide detail of calculations, including estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, labor in-put and responsibilities, procurement practice and policy information, and other similar quantitative detail. Applications that maximize direct activity costs and minimize administrative costs are encouraged. Final approval of the budget resides with the Grants Officer.

Monitoring & Evaluating and Sustainability (10 points):

Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provides 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 and who will be responsible for them. The applicant clearly details how activities will result in benefits that will continue beyond the funding period.

Support of Equity and Underserved Communities (10 points):

Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the program will support and advance equity and engage underserved communities in program administration, design, and implementation.

E.2. Review and Selection Process The Department of State is committed to ensuring a competitive and standardized process for awarding funding. Applications will be screened initially in a Technical Eligibility Review stage to determine whether applicants meet the eligibility requirements outlined in section C and have submitted all required documents outlined in section D. Applications that do not meet these requirements will not advance beyond the Technical Eligibility Review stage and will be deemed ineligible for funding under this NOFO.

All applications that are deemed eligible will move forward to the Merit Review Panel consisting of U.S. government subject matter and/or country-specific experts and will be rated on a 100-point scale. OES reserves the right to request the assistance of non-US government Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), if appropriate to the solicitation. Panel Reviewers will determine scores based on the strengths and weaknesses of the afore-mentioned categories and for consistency with the program goals and objectives outlined in this NOFO. Panel Reviewers’ ratings, and any resulting recommendations, are advisory. Panel Reviewers may provide conditions and recommendations on applications to enhance the proposed project, which must be addressed by the applicant before further consideration of the award. To ensure effective use of US Government funds, conditions or recommendations may include requests to increase, decrease, clarify, and/or justify costs and project activities.

OES reserves the right to make an award based on the initial application received with or without discussion or negotiations. Therefore, applications should contain the Applicants’ best terms from both cost and technical standpoints.

Final selection authority resides with OES senior level official. Final award decisions will be influenced by whether the application meets the Department of State’s programmatic goals and objectives, how it supports the Department’s overarching foreign policy priorities, and the geographic distribution of the top-ranking applications.

E.3. Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov (formerly FAPIIS) The Department of State, 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 (formerly FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313).

The applicant, at its option, may review information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through www.sam.gov. Currently, federal agencies create integrity records in the integrity module of the Contractor Performance Assessment and Reporting System (CPARS) and these records are visible as responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov.

The Department of State 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.

Applicants are reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law prohibits transactions with or support to individuals or organizations associated with terrorism.

· Proposals that reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative or a designate to terrorist organization or narcotics trafficker, including elected members of government, will NOT be considered. This provision must be included in any sub‐awards/sub-contracts issued under this award.

· U.S. Applicant organizations must demonstrate adherence to equal opportunity employment practices and commitment to non-discrimination with respect to beneficiaries. Non-discrimination includes equal treatment without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, and political affiliation.

· Applicants under DOS-funded projects are responsible for complying with all applicable tax treaties and federal, state, and local laws on tax withholding and reporting for project participants.

Section F: Federal Award Administration Information F.1. Federal Award Notices OES will provide a separate notification to applicants on the result of their applications. Successful applicants will receive a letter electronically via email requesting that the applicant respond to review panel conditions and recommendations. This notification is not an authorization to begin activities and does not constitute formal approval or a funding commitment.

Final approval is contingent on the applicant successfully responding to the review panel’s conditions and recommendations, Congressional Notification requirements, registration in required systems; and completing and providing any additional documentation requested by OES or the Department’s warranted Grants Officer.

The Grants Officer is the U.S. Government official delegated the authority by the U.S. Department of State, Procurement Executive to write, award, and administer grants and cooperative agreements. The notice of Federal award signed by the Grants Officers is the sole authorizing document. 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 awarded, the notice of Federal award will be provided to the applicant’s designated Authorizing Official via SAMS/MyGrants to be electronically counter-signed in the system.

Additional information that successful applicants may be required to submit after notification of intent to make a Federal award, but prior to issuance of a Federal award, may include:

· Written responses and any revised application documents addressing any conditions or recommendations from the Review Panel and awarding bureau;

· Completion of the Department’s Financial Management Survey, if receiving funding for the first time or requested by the Grants Officer;

· If applicable, submission of required documents to register in the Payment Management System (PMS) managed by the Department of Health and Human Services if receiving funding for the first time. PMS registration is bureau-specific;

· Other requested information or documents included in this funding opportunity or subsequent communications with the recommended applicant prior to issuance of a federal award.

Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.400(g), it is U.S. Department of State’s policy not to award profit under assistance instruments.

Payments under this award will be made through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Payment Management System (PMS) or by completing form SF-270—Request for Advance or Reimbursement and submitting the form. Final determination will be made in conjunction with the Grants Officer. Unless otherwise stipulated, the Recipient may request payments on a reimbursement or advance basis. Instructions for requesting payments via PMS are available at: https://pms.psc.gov/. Instructions for requesting payments via SF-270 are available at: https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/post-award-reporting-forms.

Advance payments must be limited to the minimum amounts needed and be timed to be in accordance with the actual, immediate cash requirements of the recipient in carrying out the purpose of this award. The timing and amount of advance payments must be as close as is administratively feasible to the actual disbursements by the Recipient for direct program or project costs and the proportionate share of any allowable indirect costs.

2 CFR §200.501 requires domestic/US non-federal entities that expend $750,000, or more, in federal assistance during organization’s fiscal year to have a single or program-specific audit conducted for that year. In addition, the entity must report the collected audit data elements on the form SF-SAC and submit it to the FAC. Any findings such as material weaknesses, significant deficiencies, or material noncompliance are reported on the SF-SAC.

To maximize the impact and sustainability of the award(s) that result from this NOFO, OES 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 54 months, or four and a half 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.

F.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements OES requires all recipients of foreign assistance funding to comply with all applicable Department and Federal laws and regulations, including but not limited to the following:

The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards set forth in 2 CFR Chapter 200 (Sub-Chapters A through F) shall apply to all non-Federal entities, except for assistance awards to Individuals and Foreign Public Entities. Sub-Chapters A through E shall apply to all foreign organizations, and Sub-Chapters A through D shall apply to all U.S. and foreign for-profit entities. The applicant/recipient of the award and any sub-recipient under the award must comply with all applicable terms and conditions, in addition to the assurances and certifications made part of the Notice of Award. The Department’s Standard Terms and Conditions can be viewed at https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/.

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 25 - UNIVERSAL IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

· 2 CFR 170 - REPORTING SUBAWARD AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION INFORMATION

· 2 CFR 175 - AWARD TERM FOR TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

· 2 CFR 182 - GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE)

· 2 CFR 183 - NEVER CONTRACT WITH THE ENEMY

· 2 CFR 600 – DEPARTMENT OF STATE REQUIREMENTS

· U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS

In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department of State will review and consider applications for funding, as applicable to specific programs, pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity in accordance with the following:

· The President’s September 2, 2020, memorandum, entitled Memorandum on Reviewing Funding to State and Local Government Recipients of Federal Funds that Are Permitting Anarchy, Violence, and Destruction in American Cities;

· Executive Order on Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Violence (E.O. 13933); and

· Guidance for Grants and Agreements in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR), as updated in the Federal Register’s 85 FR 49506 on August 13, 2020, particularly on:

· Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based…