2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity Environmental Lead Exposures from Occupational Sources (4).pdf

United States Department of State

Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Pilot programming to reduce and mitigate environmental exposures to lead from occupational sources in low- and middle-income countries.

Funding Opportunity Number: DFOP0016668

Assistance Listing Number: 19.017

Solicitation Type: Open Competition

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement

Application Deadline: 23:59 PM EST on 29th, July, 2024

Total Funding Ceiling: $739, 875

Funding Authority: Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA)

Cost Sharing: Not Required

Anticipated Number of Awards: 1

Period of Performance: 36 months

Question Submission Deadline: 23:59 PM EST on 25th, July, 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; foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO); Public International

Organizations; Foreign Public Organizations; U.S.-based private, public, or state institutions of higher education; Foreign-based institutions of higher education, and U.S. for-profit organizations or businesses.

Number of Applications: 1 per applicant organization.

Table of Contents

Section A: Funding Opportunity Description

A.1. Background

A.2. Problem Statement

A.3. Project Goal

A.4. Objectives

A.5. Expected Outcomes

A.6. Performance Indicators

A.7. Key Considerations

A.8. Substantial Involvement (if applicable)

Section B: Federal Award Information

B.1. Available Funding

B.2. Award Management

Section C. Eligibility Information

C.1. Eligible Applicants:

C.2. Cost-Sharing or Matching

C.3. Other Eligibility Criteria

Section D: Application and Submission Information

D.1. Address to request Application Package

D.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

D.3. Unique entity identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (sam.gov)

D.3.1 Exemptions

D.4. Submission Dates and Times

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

Section E: Application Review Information

E1. Proposal Review Criteria

E.2. Review and Selection Process

E.3. Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov (formerly FAPIIS)

Section F: Federal Award Administration Information

F.1. Federal Award Notices

F.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

F.3. Reporting

Section G: Federal Awarding Agency Contact

G.1. Contacts

G.2. Question Submission Deadline

Section H: Other information

H.1. Conflict of Interest

H.2. Freedom of Information Act

H.3. Marking Policy (Not applicable to Foreign Public Organizations or Public International Organizations)

H.4. Evaluation Policy

H.5. Monitoring Site Visits

H.6. Privacy Disclosure

H.7. Mandatory disclosures (2 CFR 200.113) (Not applicable to Foreign Public Organizations or Public International Organizations)

H.8. Background Information on OES ....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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 (See eligibility information in C.1), under the Toxic Chemicals earmark to measurably and sustainably, reduce and mitigate environmental and human exposures to lead arising from occupational sources in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in

Central America, South America, South Asia, Central Asia, and East Asia.

Programming under this competition is intended to reduce lead pollution as well as promote and advance environmentally sustainable consumption and production at international, national, and subnational levels.

A.2. Problem Statement

Lead is a well-known and toxic heavy metal that has caused widespread environmental contamination and health issues globally. Based on 2019 Global

Burden of Disease data, the World Health Organization estimated that nearly half of the 2 million lives lost to known chemical exposures were due to lead exposures. Estimates by the World Bank have indicated that in 2019 the global economic costs of the health effects due to lead exposure was $6 trillion USD or

6.9% of global gross domestic product (GDP), with economic costs to be nearly

10% GDP in LMICs.

There is growing evidence to suggest that countries experiencing the greatest environmental and human exposures to lead include those LMICs in Central

America, South America, South Asia, Central Asia, and East Asia. Studies have also indicated that increased lead exposure levels in these countries are linked to occupational sources (including informal and cottage industries) such as lead-acid battery manufacturing/recycling, metal mining, smelting, and other lead-based industries including plumbing materials, alloys, cable sheathing, glazes, spices, metal cookware, and ammunition. These and other attributable occupational sources increase the risk of lead exposures by workers in these industries, their families via take-home exposures, and by community populations living in and nearby those industries where the surrounding environmental media becomes contaminated.

While there is evidence to suggest that these occupational sources have been linked to high exposures of lead in LMICs, less is known about the exposure pathways to nearby environmental media and subsequent human populations.

Furthermore, there is an unmet need for exposure reduction and mitigation practices to help reduce exposures to lead from occupational sources in LMICs.

Pilot programming from this competition will help to identify and implement measurable and sustainable public health mitigation and policy efforts intended to reduce occupational sources of lead and their subsequent environmental and human exposures in LMICs located in Central America, South America, and/or

South Asia, Central Asia, and East Asia. When considering the design of this programming, populations most at risk for high levels of lead exposure and/or its associated adverse health effects should be included.

Specific countries where programming will be focused may include: Argentina, Bangladesh, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Mongolia, Namibia, Nepal, Niue, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Saint

Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Suriname, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, and

Vietnam.

A.3. Project Goal

To reduce and mitigate environmental and human exposures to lead arising from occupational sources in at least one LMIC in Central America, South America, South Asia, Central Asia, and East Asia (See list of eligible countries in Section

A.2.).

Preference will be given to those applications whose focus include LMICs where there is supportive evidence to demonstrate high levels of lead exposures from occupational sources.

Proposals focusing on lead paint remediation or phasing out leaded gasoline will not be considered responsive to the solicitation.

A.4. Objectives

Successful proposals must meet both of the following objectives in one or more of the eligible countries in Section A.2.

Objective 1. Identify and implement public health mitigation efforts that reduce environmental and human exposures to lead from occupational sources and subsequent environmental contamination in human populations.

Activities considered responsive to this objective include but are not limited to:

• A needs assessment that surveys for occupational and subsequent environmental sources of lead pollution and the pathway between contamination and human exposures.

• Programs addressing risks and hazards of environmental and/or occupational lead exposures.

• Occupational safety and health workplace trainings and best practice development.

• Formulation of intervention plans to interrupt exposure pathways between occupational sources, environmental contamination, and human exposures.

• Community-level educational campaigns on occupational and environmental lead sources including town hall meetings, public events, and media outreach to promote knowledge of the health risks associated with lead exposures.

• Assisting local organizations in conducting direct outreach to individuals carrying out economic activities involving lead such as owners/operators of smelters or recycling centers.

Objective 2. Support the establishment and implementation of policy efforts intended to sustain lead exposure mitigation and reduction efforts related to occupational sources and subsequent vulnerable populations at the local, regional, and/or national level.

Activities considered responsive to this objective include but are not limited to:

• Development of regulation and capacity for enforcement of measures to reduce workplace and community-based lead exposures.

• Development and implementation of policies and regulations related to lead exposure reduction, including laws governing the location of occupational sources of lead pollution.

• Capacity building for blood lead-level surveillance among vulnerable populations including children and exposed workers.

• Conduction of policy research and analysis to identify gaps and opportunities for strengthening government policies related to lead occupational and subsequent environmental exposures.

• Providing technical assistance to government agencies on monitoring and enforcement of lead exposure policies.

• Advocating for and work with government agencies and officials to secure necessary resources and funding for lead exposure reduction efforts.

A.5. Expected Outcomes

All projects should aim to have progress that leads to a significant mitigation and reduction of environmental and subsequent human lead exposures arising from occupational sources.

However, because rigorous testing may not be possible within the time and financial constraints of the program, the project should seek to achieve intermediate outcomes among the following, depending on the project’s focus:

• Improved occupational and environmental practices in relevant lead-based industries.

• Increased knowledge among occupational populations about the sources and health effects of lead exposure, as well as effective strategies for reducing lead exposure.

• Increased adoption of lead-safe policies and practices in workplace settings.

• Decreased intermediate levels of blood-lead levels among vulnerable populations.

• Increased understanding among industry representatives of the importance of responsible handling and disposal of lead-containing materials.

• Improved government policies and regulations related to lead exposure reduction.

• Increased capacity for local civil society organizations to carry out public education campaigns on the risks of lead exposure.

• Increased community engagement and participation in lead-reduction efforts.

• Increased capacity for monitoring and enforcement of regulations for lead exposure reduction.

A.6. Performance Indicators

Applicants are strongly encouraged to propose indicators that are context-specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable, time bound and may be used to help monitor and track progress of their programming throughout the period of performance of the cooperative agreement. Indicators should be chosen or crafted carefully to reflect the key outcomes or outputs that reflect project performance.

The applicant will be expected to establish, where possible, performance baseline data and expected performance targets for each expected result and include details on what sources of data will be used to document performance, how the indicators will be measured, frequency of measurement, and units of measure.

Where possible/applicable, indicators should also allow for gender, age, and socioeconomic disaggregation.

The Department of State, per policy, assesses the quality of data reported by recipients as part of the award activities, therefore applicants should be aware that recipients will be engaged in data quality assessments.

Projects may also draw from the following qualitative and quantitative indicators as applicable:

• Decreased levels of lead in blood among target populations, as measured by pre- and post-intervention testing.

• Increased knowledge among target populations about the sources and health effects of lead exposure, as measured by pre- and post-intervention testing.

• The number of people reached through public outreach, disaggregated by in-person events, social media, and traditional media.

• The number of people trained to carry out public education on reducing lead exposure.

• A qualitative characterization of how individual civil society organizations have been enabled to carry out public awareness campaigns on reducing lead exposure.

• A qualitative characterization of how governmental entities have been enabled to implement regulations aimed at reducing lead exposure.

• Number of industry workers and managers trained on implementing best practices.

• Number of regulations and enforcement mechanisms to strengthen regulatory regimes to reduce lead exposure drafted and/or passed.

• Number of government policies or regulations aimed at reducing lead exposure developed and/or implemented.

• Amount of additional funding secured for lead exposure reduction efforts.

A.7. Key Considerations

Proposals should justify the selected geographic location and scope in terms of how the funding will reduce human lead exposure from primary occupational sources to the maximum extent possible and for the greatest number of people.

Proposals should demonstrate supportive reasoning (including qualitative and/or quantitative data) to justify the specific occupational source or sources of lead exposure and the most vulnerable subsequent population(s) they will address.

• These occupational sources may include but are not limited to formal or informal, large and small-scale practices such as industrial facilities;

mines, e-waste sites; lead-acid based battery manufacturing/recycling;

smelting; metal cookware production; ceramic glaze industries;

spice/food manufacturing or processing, and other lead-based industries.

• Subsequent populations may include but are not limited to occupational workgroups/subgroups and their families/cohabitants; local communities living in and/or near the occupational source; regional communities where occupationally sourced lead exposures have traveled.

When designing policy efforts, consideration should be given to those policies that include increased civic engagement and that represent a continuum of context-specific approaches that ideally support vulnerable and disenfranchised populations. In addition, collaboration with national governments, local authorities, local NGOs, and the formal and/or informal private sectors should be considered for the purposes of increasing capacity for the mitigation of known occupational and environmental exposure pathways contributing to increased human exposures.

Consideration will be given to programming that demonstrates opportunity for sustainable practices that could be expanded upon to support future local, regional, and/or national approaches to mitigating and reducing lead exposures.

Moreover, details regarding the sustainability of these programming efforts should be provided in the application.

As Research and Development (R&D) will not be supported by this solicitation, applicants should base their proposals on existing research and/or data available.

Environmental remediation work will not be supported by this solicitation.

A.8. Substantial Involvement (if applicable)

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:

• Active participation or collaboration with the recipient on certain aspects of award implementation.

• Review and approval of one stage of work before another can begin.

• 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 as determined by the time stamped by either grants.gov or 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; foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO); Public

International Organizations; Foreign Public Organizations; U.S.-based private, public, or state institutions of higher education; Foreign-based institutions of higher education, and U.S. for-profit organizations or businesses.

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. 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

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 MyGrants under the announcement title “Pilot programming to reduce and mitigate environmental exposures to lead from occupational sources in low- and middle-income countries”, funding opportunity number

DFOP0016668. Please contact the OES point of contact listed in Section G if requesting reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or for https://sam.gov/ https://sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants/portal_login.do 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

(OPTIONAL but strongly encourage for FPE/PIOs)

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.

http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/

• 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.

http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/Codification/CageTool/home

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.

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 23:59 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST), on

29, July, 2024, on grants.gov or MyGrants under the announcement title “Pilot programming to reduce and mitigate environmental exposures to lead from occupational sources in low- and middle-income countries.”, funding opportunity number DFOP0016668.

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.

http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that it has an active registration in grants.gov or 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 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 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 BUREAU 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):

https://www.grants.gov/ https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/

• 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

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 (15 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 (20 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 (5 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

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-https://pms.psc.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/post-award-reporting-forms https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/post-award-reporting-forms 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

https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/…