SGWI RSOI Global WPS 2021 12.15.20 v2.pdf

Department of State Public Notice

Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues (S/GWI) Request for Statements of Interest:

Global Support for Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Implementation by Women-led Civil Society

Statement of Interest (SOI) Deadline: 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST), February 12, 2021 Federal Agency Contact: SGWIProjectProposals@state.gov Date Opened: December 15, 2020 Questions Deadline: 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST), January 8, 2021 Funding Mechanism Type: Cooperative Agreement Estimated Number of Awards: One Estimated Funding Amount: $5,200,000 Award Ceiling: $5,200,000 Award Floor: $5,200,000 Cost Sharing: Not required Length of Project Period: Up to five years Fiscal Year of Funding: FY 2020 Anticipated Award Date: June 30, 2021 Estimated Program Start Date: July 1, 2021

I. Funding Opportunity Synopsis

S/GWI announces a Request for Statements of Interest (RSOI) outlining concepts and capacity to manage a program that will (1) partner equitably with a range of local, women’s civil society organizations1 in no fewer than five countries in three regions to advance locally-designed Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) initiatives, and (2) provide limited, rapid-response WPS support globally. Both components should include optional organizational capacity-building to advance civil society organizations’ core growth and sustainability, as requested by local civil society organizations and approved by S/GWI. Some activities must support women from ethnic and religious minorities and other historically marginalized groups.

Note: S/GWI strongly encourages applicants to immediately access SAMS Domestic, the required system for submission, in order to obtain a username and password. For further instructions, please see Section IV below.

The submission of a Statement of Interest (SOI) is the first step in a two-part process. Applicants must first submit a SOI consisting of: (a) a concise, 3-page concept note that clearly communicates a program idea and its objectives; and (b) a 2-page statement of global capacity, as outlined below. For the purposes of this RSOI, “global capacity” means relevant capacity in

1 Women-led, or women-serving organizations.

- 2 -as many regions and priority countries as possible. The purpose of the SOI process is to allow applicants to submit program ideas for S/GWI to evaluate prior to requesting the development of a full proposal.

Each prime applicant may each submit up to two SOIs. There is no limit to the number of SOIs on which an applicant may serve as a sub-awardee. Upon review of eligible SOIs, S/GWI will invite selected applicants to expand their ideas into full proposal applications. In the event that a prime applicant has submitted two SOIs and both are deemed competitive, the applicant will be asked to submit a full proposal for the more competitive of the two.

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Priority Regions and Countries: Applicants must propose work equal to the planned funding amount ($5,200,000) in no fewer than five countries in at least three of the following regions.

Applicants must demonstrate the ability to work in as many as possible of each of the these regions: Africa (AF); East Asia and the Pacific (EAP); Europe (EUR); the Middle East and North Africa (MENA); the Western Hemisphere (WH) and South and Central Asia (SCA). 2 Final country selection will be confirmed in consultation between the successful applicant and S/GWI. Country selections may be subject to additional approvals and/or vetting.

S/GWI’s priority countries include the following. Work to assist civil society in the priority countries may include work in-country or with populations displaced to other countries:

AF: Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Mali; Somalia; South Sudan

EAP: Burma; Papua New Guinea; Vietnam EUR: Bosnia and Herzegovina; Georgia; Kosovo; Moldova; Turkey; Ukraine MENA: Iraq; Syria; Yemen SCA: Afghanistan; India; Pakistan; Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan WH: Colombia; El Salvador; Guatemala; Haiti; Honduras

Due to existing S/GWI WPS programming, the following countries are not currently priorities for sustained engagements but may be priorities for rapid-response needs: Kenya, Nigeria, and Sudan. Other countries not currently listed as priorities may also be considered for rapid response support during implementation.

Applicants to this RSOI should be aware of, complement, build on, and not overlap with existing in-country programming.

Ineligible Beneficiaries:

2 Due to the determination made for FY 2020 under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), certain assistance may be subject to a restriction under the TVPA. Because the TVPA restriction applies only to assistance to governments, activities proposed for those countries should not include government beneficiaries.

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Given restrictions on funding, no assistance under this RSOI will be provided for military or paramilitary forces. Unless prohibited by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) or other restrictions, programming may provide technical assistance to government officials or include government officials, including potentially law enforcement. It may also provide technical assistance to governments on the development of WPS National Action Plans (NAPs) and similar mechanisms. Otherwise, civil society rather than government officials should generally be the beneficiaries of the program.

Eligible Applicants:

Organizations submitting SOIs must meet the following criteria:

Be a U.S.- or foreign-based non-profit and non-governmental organization (NGO); or Be a private, public, or state institution of higher education; and Have existing, or the capacity to develop, active and equitable partnerships with in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders, including NGOs and private sector actors; and

Have demonstrable experience administering successful and preferably similar programs in size, scope, and focus. S/GWI reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering federal awards. These applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis.

Public International Organizations (PIOs) are not eligible to apply as prime applicants under this RSOI, though they may partner on a proposal as a sub-awardee.

S/GWI maintains an anti-discrimination policy in all of its programs and activities. S/GWI welcomes SOI submissions irrespective of race, ethnicity, heritage, color, creed, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status.

S/GWI works to ensure the integration of gender equality and the advancement of women and girls in the formulation and conduct of U.S. foreign policy. S/GWI programs are flexible, civil society-focused, and global in reach. They are designed to incubate locally informed and implemented civil society-based solutions, inspiring and providing best practices to the Department to advance women’s equality and empowerment as a keystone of U.S. foreign policy. S/GWI does not fund large-scale programs or long-term development work, but instead engages in shorter-term practical efforts to realize U.S. foreign policy priorities. Learning from this program will inform other U.S. policy, programs, and partnerships. S/GWI is dedicated to promoting human rights, fundamental freedoms, and equality for all and seeks partners that will strive to inclusively implement these democratic values.

No entity listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) (www.sam.gov) is eligible for assistance or can participate in any activities under an 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 CFR1989 Comp., p. 235),

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“Debarment and Suspension.” All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

All prime applicant organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number – formerly referred to as a DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) number – and an active SAM.gov registration before submitting an application. S/GWI may not review applications from or make awards to applicants that have not completed all applicable UEI and SAM.gov requirements. A UEI is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards. The 2 CFR 200 requires that subgrantees obtain a UEI number. Please note that the UEI for subgrantees is not required at the time of application but will be required before the sub-award is processed and/or directed to a subgrantee.

All prime organizations must also continue to maintain an 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. Please note that a “pending renewal” registration status will not be considered “active.” SAM.gov requires all entities to renew their registration once a year in order to maintain an active registration status in SAM.gov. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements at the time of application, S/GWI may determine that the applicant is technically ineligible to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Note: The process for obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration has changed. S/GWI encourages all organizations to begin the process of registering or renewing with SAM.gov as early as possible. The registration process may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks on average.

If you are based in the United States or pay employees within the United States, prior to registering in SAM.gov you will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, and a UEI number from Dun and Bradstreet.

If you are based outside of the United States and do not pay employees within the United States, you do not need an EIN from the IRS. Prior to registering in SAM.gov you will need a NATO CAGE (NCAGE) code and UEI number from Dun and Bradstreet.

Legal Business Name and Banking Physical Address (entities must ensure that the physical address used is the same physical address used when establishing the primary banking account and that both addresses match) must be precise and match exactly when entering it into the IRS, D&B DUNS, NCAGE, and SAM.gov websites. Legal Business Name and Banking Physical Address given must be exactly the same—this includes spaces, parentheses, capitalization, small letters, punctuation, letters with accents, etc.; other features not commonly used in U.S. English should be avoided,. A mismatch of information will cause validation to fail.

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

In October 2017, new information was added to the SAM.gov website to help international registrations, including “Quick Start Guide for International Registrations” and “Helpful Hints.”

Navigate to SAM.gov, click Help in the top navigation bar, then click International Registrants in the left navigation panel. Please note, guidance on SAM.gov and the guidance on General Service Administration’s website about requirement for registering in SAM.gov is subject to change. Applicants should review the website for the most up-to-date guidance.

An exemption from these requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if:

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

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

Note: Foreign organizations will be required to register with the NATO Support Agency (NSPA) to receive a NCAGE code in order to register in SAM.gov. NSPA will forward your registration request to the applicable National Codification Bureau (NCB) if your organization is located in a NATO or Tier 2 Sponsored Non-NATO Nation. As of October 2019, NATO nations included Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. As of October 2019, Tier 2 nations included Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Finland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Serbia, Singapore, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, and Ukraine.

NSPA and/or the appropriate NCB forwards all NCAGE code information to all Allied Committee 135 (AC/135) nations, which as of October 2019 also included Afghanistan, Belarus, Bosnia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Egypt, Georgia, Japan, Jordan, North Macedonia, Oman, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Thailand.

All organizations are strongly advised to take this into consideration when assessing whether registration may result in possible endangerment.

II. Requested Objectives for Statements of Interest Background Information:

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Global instability and violent extremism threaten U.S. and global security. The U.S. Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 (WPS Act),3 further expanded upon by the U.S. Strategy on WPS (WPS Strategy),4 and the Department of State’s Plan to Implement the U.S. Strategy on WPS (State Department WPS Implementation Plan)5 have identified women’s safety and women’s leadership in preventing, resolving, and recovering from conflict and crisis as crucial to sustainable peace and security. Promoting women’s meaningful participation across efforts to prevent conflict and build peace is not simply a “women’s issue;” it is a national security issue.

As outlined in WPS Strategy Line of Effort 1 and WPS Implementation Plan Department Outcome 1, women’s meaningful participation in peace and security increases the durability and effectiveness of solutions. Women living in areas affected by conflict, crisis, and violent extremism – the very context in which their leadership is needed most – face heightened risks of violence. For women from religious and ethnic minority groups, these risks are further amplified. As outlined in WPS Strategy Line of Effort 2 and WPS Implementation Plan Department Outcome 2, prevention of and response to violence against women is therefore a key element of the U.S. Government’s approach to advancing WPS and human rights.

Women leaders in crisis and conflict-affected areas around the world consistently raise the need for flexible funding and organizational support as essential to their ability to meaningfully engage in peace and security decision-making. S/GWI therefore seeks to establish a flexible implementing mechanism to grow and sustain the leadership of women’s civil society organizations in peace and security. Some of the activities under this program must provide support to women from ethnic and religious minorities and other historically marginalized groups, including people with disabilities. The program should include young women as appropriate.

Policy Statement:

The National Security Strategy (NSS) mandates the championing of the American value of empowering women and youth. The program resulting from this RSOI will be a cornerstone of S/GWI’s implementation of the WPS Act of 2017, the WPS Strategy, the State Department WPS Implementation Plan, the U.S. Strategy to Support Women and Girls at Risk of Violent Extremism and Conflict,6 and the U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally.7 Activities engaging with partners to build durable mechanisms to resolve conflicts, including advancing women’s leadership and participation in all aspects of conflict prevention, stabilization will also support implementation of the Global Fragility Act (GFA).8 The activities engaging and supporting religious and ethnic minorities and other

3 WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY ACT OF 2017, Public Law 115-68, 115th Congress, 2017.

4 https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/WPS_Strategy_10_October2019.pdf 5 https://www.state.gov/the-department-of-states-plan-to-implement-the-u-s-strategy-on-women-peace-and-security/ 6 https://www.state.gov/u-s-strategy-to-support-women-and-girls-at-risk-from-violent-extremism-and-conflict/ 7 https://www.state.gov/u-s-strategy-to-prevent-and-respond-to-gender-based-violence-globally-gbv-strategy/ 8 https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/727

- 7 -historically marginalized groups support implementation of the International Religious Freedom Act 9 and activities to support women and contribute to efforts to prevent, and be safe from, violence support contribute to the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act10.

Funding for the award resulting from this RSOI must meet the legislative requirements of these Congressional earmarks: support for women and girls at risk from violent extremism and conflict ($2.5 million of the award must be used for this purpose) and to implement the U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally ($2.5 million of the award must be used for this purpose). Please refer to the Annex A: Appropriations Directives for more information on how to align activities with the appropriations earmarks for fiscal year (FY) 2020.

SOIs must support the Congressional directives, strategies, and policy goals described above, while complimenting existing local and national initiatives.

RSOI Results Framework:

Theory of Change:

If a range of women’s civil society organizations have support for implementing and sustaining locally-designed WPS initiatives, along with rapid-response support to address unanticipated WPS opportunities and challenges11 as they arise, then they will be better able to further the WPS agenda.

Goal:

To grow and sustain the leadership of women’s civil society organizations in advancing women’s safety and meaningful participation in processes related to peace and security and decision-making institutions.

Objectives:

1. Support to WPS Initiatives: Partner equitably with a range of local women’s civil society organizations in no fewer than five countries in at least three regions to advance locally-designed WPS initiatives. This will include support for participation in peace processes and other peace and security decision-making institutions as well as engagement on preventing and responding to gender-based violence.

9 International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, PUBLIC LAW 105–292—OCT. 27, 1998, https://www.congress.gov/105/plaws/publ292/PLAW-105publ292.pdf 10 Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018 (the Elie Wiesel Act), PUBLIC LAW 115–441— JAN. 14, 2019, https://www.congress.gov/115/plaws/publ441/PLAW-115publ441.pdf 11 Rapid response support is meant to enable local partner organizations to respond to high-impact gaps or opportunities as they arise, including but not limited to, support for women’s participation in peace processes, transition processes, or political and security decision-making opportunities. Long-term GBV service provision is not a main purpose of this rapid response fund, although rapid response funding may support shorter-term, high-priority needs, such as security for Women Human Rights Defenders or referrals to existing GBV services as a complement to other activities.

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2. Rapid-Response Fund: Provide a limited (up to approx. $1 million), global rapid-response fund to ensure women leaders and women’s organizations can respond to unanticipated, high-impact opportunities and challenges as they arise to advance WPS-related priorities. This must include (but is not limited to) reserve capacity to deploy expert technical assistance for the development, implementation, and/or evaluation of high-impact National Action Plans (NAP) on WPS or similar instruments, if requested.12

Both objectives should include optional organizational capacity-building to advance civil society organizations’ core growth and sustainability, when requested by those organizations and agreed to by S/GWI. For both objectives, activities must align with the Congressional directives associated with the funding. For both objectives, S/GWI plans to support and advance the interests of ethnic and religious minority women.

A program proposed under this RSOI must cover both of the above objectives, though it is not required to cover both objectives within a single country or world region.

Intended Results:

Possible intended results may include:

Women’s civil society organizations are supported to design, implement, evaluate, and provide oversight of locally-designed WPS initiatives.

Women’s civil society organizations have access to limited rapid response support to take advantage of unanticipated, high-impact WPS opportunities or challenges.

Women from religious and/or ethnic minorities and other historically marginalized groups are supported in their leadership on WPS.

Women’s civil society organizations have the ability to fundraise, professionalize, grow, and sustain their organizations and leadership in WPS.

Indicators:

Possible indicators for inclusion in a MEL plan at the later full proposal stage, though not required, may include:

GNDR-1: Number of legal instruments drafted, proposed or adopted with U.S.

Government assistance designed to promote gender equality or non-discrimination against women or girls at the national or sub-national level.

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-5: Number of legal instruments drafted, proposed, or adopted with USG assistance designed to improve prevention of or response to sexual and gender based violence at the national or sub-national level.

12 For some references on high-impact NAP work, see: https://www.inclusivesecurity.org/publication/creating-national-action-plans-a-guide-to-implementing-resolution-1325/; and https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/directories/roli/misc/nap-roadmap-english.pdf

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GNDR-6: Number of people reached by a USG funded intervention providing GBV services (e.g., health, legal, psycho-social counseling, shelters, hotlines, other).

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.

GNDR-9: Number of training and capacity building activities conducted with USG assistance that are designed to promote the participation of women or the integration of gender perspectives in security sector institutions or activities.

GNDR-10: Number of local women participating in a substantive role or position in a peacebuilding process supported with USG assistance.

DR.4.2-2b: Number of women’s rights civil society organizations (CSOs) receiving USG assistance engaged in advocacy interventions.

DR.4-1 Number of USG-supported activities designed to promote or strengthen the civic participation of women.

DR.6.1-2b: Number of women human rights defenders trained and supported.

DR.2.1.4-3 Number of domestic NGOs engaged in monitoring or advocacy work on human rights receiving USG support.

DR.3.1-2a: Number of women’s rights groups trained in conflict mediation/resolution skills or consensus-building techniques with U.S. Government assistance.

SOI Requirements:

Applicants should propose sufficient yet lean and scalable staffing structures that provide adequate oversight and central management, but maximize appropriate and local expertise and leadership (rather than defaulting to in-house experts). S/GWI welcomes creative partnership structures, such as rosters of smaller NGOs or technical experts that can serve as short-term consultants to complement existing local leadership and expertise. As a general guideline however, at least 50 percent of funding under the award (across Objectives 1 and 2 in total) should go to local organizations and their activities—this may include Contractual and Other Direct Costs in support of local organizations, for example, but generally should not include prime grantee staffing, travel, overhead etc. Of the amount of funding allotted to support local organizations, no more than approximately $1 million should be set aside for rapid response needs. Support for the establishment of new in-country offices is not envisioned under this RSOI.

SOIs should propose an inclusive process for mapping and co-creating equitable local partnerships in their selected three countries (Objective 1). Applicants may propose support to civil society groups over an extended period of time to foster capacity building and sustainability, and/or propose support to address specific shorter-term needs. In all cases, designs must reflect concrete plans for local ownership with an eye towards beneficiary organizations’ leadership, growth, and sustainability. Activities within a country should generally include a mix of sub-national and national activities, as well as activities to connect the two.

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Additionally, SOIs should outline a conceptual design and criteria for the limited, global rapid-response mechanism (Objective 2).

Both components should be based on evidence of what works in WPS and GBV programming, while adhering to principles of Do No Harm and conflict sensitivity. Applicants must explicitly address in their SOI(s) how the proposed program can be carried out during challenges related to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

While landscape assessments; gender and inclusion analyses; monitoring, learning, and evaluation (MEL) plans; risk assessment and mitigation plans including safeguards to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA); provision of psychosocial support for staff and beneficiaries; and detailed exit strategies and sustainability plans13 are not required as part of the SOI, all organizations that are invited to submit a full proposal will be required to submit this information at that time. Full proposals, once solicited, should also seek to minimize the harmful effects of local competition for resources14 in their program designs. Please review this RSOI in full – including all annexes – to inform your SOI design and ensure your requested budget amount sufficiently covers these award requirements.

Applicants are advised that an award may be conditioned upon vetting to evaluate the risk that funds may benefit terrorists or their supporters.

Substantial Involvement:

Applicants submitting SOIs should be aware that if their application results in an award, S/GWI will be involved in the program and management performance of the grant in the form of a cooperative agreement, which allows S/GWI consultation and technical collaboration rights on specified project activities. Examples of substantial involvement can include:

a) Approval of Recipient annual work plan, including planned activities for the following year and changes to any activity to be carried out under the agreement;

b) Collaboration in identifying/developing/approving additional countries/projects for implementation in consultation with U.S. Embassies;

c) Approval of sub-award recipients, concurrence on the substantive provisions of the sub-awards, and coordination with other cooperating agencies;

d) Review of any notice of funding opportunities and selection of recipients;

e) Approval of the MEL plan for the Recipient and sub-award recipients;

f) Approval of Terms of Reference (TOR) for program evaluations

g) Approval of hiring/opportunity announcements and selection/assignment of technical experts in areas such as gender, NAPs, and WPS, including but not limited to key personnel;

h) Collaboration in assessing progress and identifying issues that might affect the success of the program; and

i) Other approvals that will be included in the award agreement.

13 Please see Stopping as Success for more information: https://www.stoppingassuccess.org/ 14 Erin Blankenship (2014), “Aid in Contested Spaces: Afghanistan,” Oxfam America Research Backgrounder series, http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/delivering-aid-in-contested-spaces-afghanistan

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Incremental Funding and Non-Competing Continuation:

Continuations beyond the initial budget period or funding amount of an award will be contingent upon the availability of funds; grantee’s progress in meeting grant requirements, including timely submission of required reports and compliance with all terms and conditions of the award; timely submission of a request for additional funding; and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the Department of State.

Pending successful implementation of this program and pending the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, S/GWI may add incremental funding and/or extend the award for additional time, not to exceed a five (5) year total program period.

III. Funding Restrictions This cooperative agreement will be funded from money appropriated under the “Economic Support Fund” (ESF) heading in the Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act, 2020 (Div. G, P.L. 116-94) (SFOAA). ESF is available for foreign assistance programs supporting economic or political stability. Under Section 531(e) of the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA), as amended, ESF may not be used for military or paramilitary purposes. Given restrictions under Section 660 of the FAA, assistance may be provided to law enforcement forces only under certain circumstances. Activities that involve assistance to law enforcement will be subject to vetting to ensure compliance with Section 620M of the FAA (“Leahy Vetting“).

At least $2,500,000 of the funding available under this RSOI is directed for work to support Women and Girls at Risk from Violent Extremism and Conflict, and at least $2,500,000 of the funding available under this RSOI is directed for work to address GBV. Activities must align with those earmarks; please see the appropriations language in Annex A.

Organizations should note that if a full proposal is deemed successful and recommended for award, they will be required to adjust the budget submissions to include the breakdown of these earmarks in its proposed budget and a brief explanation of how the proposed activities align with congressional requirements, which will be confirmed with S/GWI and the Grants Officer during award negotiations.

The recipient is reminded that funds provided under this agreement must be used in a manner fully consistent with U.S. law. The recipient agrees that none of the funds provided by this award shall be used to lobby for or against abortion. The recipient agrees that none of the funds provided by this award shall be used to pay for the performance of abortion as a method of family planning or to motivate or coerce any person to practice abortions.

Due to the determination made under section 110 the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (Div. A, P.L. 106-386) (TVPA), assistance to the governments of certain countries may be subject to a restriction under the TVPA during FY 2021. Because the TVPA restriction applies only to assistance to governments, activities proposed for those countries should not include government beneficiaries or government participants in program activities. For FY 2021,

- 12 -assistance for the governments of the following countries is subject to restriction under the TVPA that has not been waived for ESF: Burundi, China, Comoros, Cuba, DPRK, Eritrea, Iran, Russia, South Sudan, and Syria.

The following activities and costs will not be entertained under this announcement in SOIs or in subsequent proposals submitted by applicants to S/GWI:

Construction Activities that appear partisan or that support individual or party electoral campaigns.

Engagement with religious leaders and communities is encouraged; however, direct support or the appearance of direct support for any religious organization for the sole purposes of promoting religious beliefs cannot be included for funding.

Military assistance of any kind, including weapons buy back or rewards programs.

Purchase of firearms, ammunition, or removal of unexploded ordnance.

Payments for any partner government, military, or civilian government employee salary or pension.

Duplication of services immediately available through municipal, provincial, or national government.

Funds for market research, advertising (unless public service related to grant program) or other promotional expenses.

U.S.-based activities, study tours, scholarships, or exchange projects.

Initiatives directed towards a permanent diaspora community as ultimate beneficiaries.

Projects that have a predominant academic or basic research focus.

Social welfare projects that purely provide service-delivery or humanitarian assistance.

Costs incurred to complete activities begun with other funds.

Medical and psychological research or clinical studies using human subjects.

Projects exclusively of a commercial or profit-making nature.

Cultural presentations, cultural research, cultural clubs, or festivals, etc. unless they have a specific programmatic purpose.

Entertainment costs (e.g., receptions, social activities, ceremonies, guided tours) unless they have a specific programmatic purpose.

IV. Submission Instructions and Technical Eligibility Required Documents:

Complete SOI submissions must include the following:

1. Completed and signed SF-424 and SF424B and SF-LLL, as directed on SAMS Domestic; and,

2. Program Statement (not to exceed three [3] pages in Microsoft Word) that includes:

a) A table listing:

i. Name of the organization;

ii. The target countries;

iii. The total amount of funding requested from S/GWI, total amount of cost-share (if any; cost share is NOT required), and total program amount (S/GWI funds + cost-share); and,

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iv. Program length;

b) A synopsis of the program, including a brief statement on how the program will have a demonstrated impact and engage relevant stakeholders. The synopsis must address how the applicant will conduct gender and inclusion analysis and MEL as well as foster sustainability. The SOI should identify local partners as appropriate;

c) A concise breakdown explicitly identifying the program’s objectives and the activities and expected results that contribute to each objective; and,

d) A brief description of the applicant(s) that demonstrates relevant organizational and staff expertise and capacity to implement the program and manage a U.S. government award. This description can reference and/or refer the reader to additional detail in the Global Capacity Statement as appropriate.

3. Global Capacity Statement (not to exceed two [2] pages in Microsoft Word) that lists:

a) Relevant, WPS-related work for each world region and any of the priority countries in which the applicant has that experience (please indicate relevant experience for as many priority countries as possible/relevant).

b) How recent experience is for the WPS-related work in each country.

c) Program successes from that work.

d) In addition, the applicant may also describe WPS opportunities it sees in one or more countries not listed as priority countries in this RSOI – within the total 2-page limit for this document.

NOTE: Applicants who elect to submit two SOIs rather than one should submit no more than one Global Capacity Statement.

Applicant Questions:

Questions must be submitted by the Questions Deadline to SGWIProjectProposals@state.gov using the email subject line, “2021 WPS RSOI: [Applicant Organization Name] Questions.” To maintain fairness and transparency in competition, S/GWI will compile any substantive questions received along with the responses and post them in a document on grants.gov and SAMS Domestic. Substantive questions will not be fielded outside of this process or after the deadline.

With the exception of technical submission questions, during the solicitation period, U.S.

Department of State staff in Washington D.C. and overseas will not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire proposal review process has been completed and rejection and approval letters have been transmitted.

Technical Eligibility:

S/GWI reserves the right to award more or less than the funds requested, including estimated individual award floor and ceiling amounts, under such circumstances as it may deem to be in the best interest of the U.S. government.

Technically eligible SOIs are those which:

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1. Arrive electronically via SAMS Domestic (see below) by the deadline, under this announcement.

2. Are in English.

3. Heed all instructions and do not violate any of the guidelines stated in this solicitation

For all SOI documents please ensure:

1. All pages are numbered;

2. All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper; and,

3. All documents are single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins.

Captions and footnotes may be 10-point Times New Roman font. Font sizes in charts and tables can be reformatted to fit within one page width.

SAMS Domestic automatically logs the date and time a submission is made, and the Department of State will use this information to determine whether it has been submitted on time. Late submissions are neither reviewed nor considered unless the S/GWI point of contact listed on Page 1 of this RSOI is contacted prior to the deadline and is provided with a screenshot or other evidence of a system error caused by SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com) that is outside of the applicant’s control and is the sole reason for a late submission. Applicants should not expect a notification from S/GWI upon receiving their SOI(s). It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all material submitted in the SOI package is complete, accurate, and current.

Submission:

All application submissions must be made electronically via SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com). S/GWI will not accept SOIs submitted via grants.gov, email, fax, the postal system, delivery companies, or couriers.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that it has an active registration in SAMS Domestic. Applicants are required to document that the application has been received by SAMS Domestic or Grants.gov in its entirety. S/GWI bears no responsibility for disqualification that result from applicants not being registered before the due date, for system errors in either SAMS Domestic or Grants.gov, or other errors in the application process. Additionally, you must save a screen shot of the checklist showing all documents submitted in case any document fails to upload successfully.

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. Applicants must follow all formatting instructions in the applicable NOFO and these instructions.

S/GWI encourages organizations to submit applications during normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 9:00AM - 5:00PM Eastern Standard Time [EST]). If an applicant experiences technical difficulties and has contacted the appropriate helpdesk but is not receiving timely assistance (e.g., if you have not received a response within 48 hours of contacting the

- 15 -helpdesk), you may contact the S/GWI point of contact listed on page 1 of this RSOI. The point of contact may assist in contacting the appropriate helpdesk.

Note: The Grants Officer will determine technical eligibility of all applications.

SAMS Domestic Applications:

Applicants using SAMS Domestic for the first time should complete their “New Organization Registration.” To register with SAMS Domestic, click “Login to https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com” and follow the “create an account” link.

Organizations must remember to save a screen shot of the checklist showing all documents submitted in case any document fails to upload successfully.

SAMS Domestic Help Desk:

For assistance with SAMS Domestic accounts and technical issues related to the system, please contact the ILMS help desk by phone at +1 (888) 313-4567 (toll charges apply for international callers) or through the Self Service online portal that can be accessed from https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home. Customer support is available 24/7.

V. Application Review and Selection Process The Grants Officer will determine technical eligibility for all SOI submissions. All technically eligible SOIs will then be reviewed against the same five criteria by an S/GWI Review Panel:

Organizational Capacity and Past Performance; Program Strategy; Gender Analysis, Inclusion and Do No Harm; Performance Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation; and Sustainability.

Additionally, the Panel will evaluate how the SOI meets the solicitation request, U.S. foreign policy goals, and S/GWI’s overall priority needs. Panelists review each SOI individually against the evaluation criteria, not against competing SOIs. To ensure all SOIs receive a balanced evaluation, the S/GWI Review Panel will review each document up to the specified page limit and no further. All Panelists must sign non-disclosure agreements and conflict of interest agreements.

S/GWI Review Panels generally include representatives from S/GWI policy and program teams as well as other State Department offices. Once a SOI is approved, selected applicants will be invited to submit full proposal applications based on their SOIs. Unless directed otherwise by the applicant organization, S/GWI may also refer SOIs for possible consideration for other U.S.

government related funding opportunities.

The Panel may provide conditions and/or recommendations on SOIs to enhance the proposed program, which must be addressed by the organization in the full proposal application. To ensure effective use of limited S/GWI funds, conditions and recommendations may include requests to increase, decrease, clarify, and/or justify costs and program activities.

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S/GWI reserves the right to make a final determination regarding all funding matters, pending funding availability.

Review Criteria:

1. Organizational Capacity and Past Performance:

Applicant demonstrates an institutional record of successful relevant programs in areas such as women, peace, and security and gender equality.

Applicant demonstrates the expertise and capacity to co-design and implement programs globally in equitable partnership with existing local women’s organizations.

2. Program Strategy Applicant proposes evidence-based approaches to addressing the objectives of the

RSOI.

Applicant demonstrates concrete approaches for equitable partnership with a range of existing women-led civil society organizations to further their impact.

Application complements / builds on / does not overlap with existing in-country efforts.

Applicant proposes sufficient yet lean and scalable staffing structures that leverage appropriate internal and external expertise, but maximize support and funding for local leadership. At least 50 percent of funding goes to local organizations and their activities.

3. Gender and Inclusion Analysis, Do No Harm:

Applicant demonstrates plans and capacity for effectively applying a gender and inclusion analysis to program design and implementation.

Applicant describes sound approaches to inclusion, including but not limited to ethnic and religious minorities and other historically marginalized groups.

Applicant demonstrates application of Do No Harm and conflict sensitivity principles.

4. Performance Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL):

Applicant clearly describes the results to be achieved and demonstrates capacity to measure progress towards those results in a way that reflects local perspectives.

Proposed outcomes are tangible and achievable within the grant program period.

5. Sustainability:

Applicant articulates an approach to building local partner capacity to continue their work once funding from this program ends.

VI. Additional Information S/GWI will not consider SOIs that reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated terrorist organization.

S/GWI may ask successful applicant(s) to incorporate coordination of an implementer and stakeholder meeting into the Scope of Work of the final project. S/GWI will discuss this possibility with particular applicant(s) during the proposal negotiation phase.

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Restrictions may apply to any proposed assistance to police or other law enforcement. Among these, pursuant to section 620M of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA), no assistance may be furnished to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country when there is credible information that such unit has committed a gross violation of human rights. In accordance with the requirements of section 620M of the FAA, also known as the Leahy law, program beneficiaries or participants from a foreign government’s security forces may need to be vetted by the Department before the provision of any assistance.

Organizations should be aware that S/GWI understands that some information contained in SOIs may be considered sensitive or proprietary and will make appropriate efforts to protect such information. However, organizations are advised that S/GWI cannot guarantee that such information will not be disclosed, including pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or other similar statutes.

Organizations should also be aware that if ultimately selected for an award, 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. Please note that as of December 26, 2014, 2 CFR 200 (Sub-Chapters A through E) now applies to foreign organizations.

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 assurance and certifications made part of the Notice of Award. The Department’s Standard Terms and Conditions can be viewed at https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/U.S.-Department-of-State-Standard-Terms-and-Conditions-10-21-2020.pdf. In addition, applicants/recipients of the award and any sub-recipient under the award must comply with the S/GWI-specific award provisions included in Annex B.

The information in this solicitation including its Annexes is binding and may not be modified by any S/GWI representative. Explanatory information provided by S/GWI that contradicts this language will not be binding. Issuance of the solicitation and negotiation of SOIs or applications does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government.

S/GWI reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the program evaluation requirements.

This solicitation will appear on www.grants.gov and SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com) although SOI submissions will only be accepted through SAMS Domestic.

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ANNEX A: Relevant Statutory Language https://www.congress.gov/116/plaws/publ94/PLAW-116publ94.pdf

PUBLIC LAW 116–94—DEC. 20, 2019

133 STAT. 2920

SEC. 7059. GENDER EQUALITY

(c) GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE.—

(1) Of the funds appropriated under titles III and IV of this Act, not less than $165,000,000 shall be made available to implement a multi-year strategy to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in countries where it is common in conflict and non-conflict settings.

(2) Funds appropriated under titles III and IV of this Act that are available to train foreign police, judicial, and military personnel, including for international peacekeeping operations, shall address, where appropriate, prevention and response to gender-based violence and trafficking in persons, and shall promote the integration of women into the police and other security forces.

(e) WOMEN AND GIRLS AT RISK FROM EXTREMISM AND CONFLICT.—Of the funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’, not less than $15,000,000 shall be made available to support women and girls who are at risk from extremism and conflict, and for the activities described in section 7059(e)(1) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2018 (division K of Public Law 115–141): Provided, That such funds are in addition to amounts otherwise made available by this Act for such purposes, and shall be made available following consultation with, and the regular notification procedures of, the Committees on Appropriations.

https://www.congress.gov/115/plaws/publ141/PLAW-115publ141.pdf

PUBLIC LAW 115–141—MAR. 23, 2018

SEC. 7059 GENDER EQUALITY

(e) WOMEN AND GIRLS AT RISK FROM EXTREMISM.—

(1) ASSISTANCE.—Of the funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’, not less than $15,000,000 shall be made available to support women and girls who are at risk from extremism and conflict, and for activities to—

(A) empower women and girls to counter extremism;

(B) address the needs of women and girls adversely impacted by extremism and conflict;

(C) document crimes committed by extremists against women and girls, and support investigations and prosecutions of such crimes, as appropriate;

(D) increase the participation and influence of women in formal and informal political processes and institutions at the local…