7200AA19APS00001 LON APS Q&A_Amd03.pdf

Local Organizations Network Project (LON)

No. APS 7200AA19APS00001

The responses below address questions received by August 16, 2019; 5:00 pm Washington DC local time. Any questions received after this date and time will be addressed in the future.

1. We are interested in applying for the following grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: 7200AA19APS00001), and since we have previously received funding by USAID, does such disqualify our application? Or is there is a time-frame, to which a prior award has been given?

Local Organizations that are currently receiving or previously received funding from USAID are eligible to submit Concept Papers and Applications under LON APS. USAID welcomes Concept Papers/Applications from local non-governmental organizations which have received USAID funding as well as from local non-governmental organizations which have not received USAID funding.

2. Please confirm the page limit of the Concept Note (CN) to be submitted. Page 27 of the opportunity document mentions the CN to be of five (5) pages excluding cover page, however the CN template mentions CN page limit to be of seven (7) pages excluding cover page.

The page limit for Concept Paper is 5 pages excluding cover page. The APS is amended accordingly.

3. Page no. 32 “Concept Paper Merit Review Criteria” mentions one of the criterias’ to be the degree to which the proposed activity is evidence-based, technically sound, feasible with regards to cost and capacity, and engages the appropriate stakeholders. Please clarify if the “evidence based” mentioned here means applying organisation’s past experience of implementing similar projects or it can be based on other organisation’s past experience/published studies, reports etc. as well?

The “Evidence-based” activity means an activity that relies on scientific evidence of its effectiveness and is supported by data.

4. What timeline (in terms of months) is USAID looking at for determining awards if the Concept Note is submitted in November?

Please see page 26 of the APS: “USAID plans to make determinations on the Concept Paper merit review process for each Concept Paper within approximately 20 work days of the Selection Committee’s initial meeting date and will notify Concept Paper Applicants with “Pass” rating of their status immediately after a decision has been made.” This is the timeline for a determination on “Phase 1: Concept Paper Submission” only. Co-creation and award development will follow after this process. This is illustrative and subject to change.

5. We understand that Local non-governmental consortia as well as independent local non-governmental organizations are welcome to submit Concept Papers/Applications under this APS. Please clarify if the local NGO can partner with private sector consulting organizations to form a consortium.

Eligibility for recipients of LON awards is restricted to local non-governmental organizations, as defined in the APS in Section C; however prime recipients are not restricted from partnering with private for-profit sector as sub-recipients.

6. How many awards will be given under Round 2?

It will be determined by USAID at a later stage depending on the funds availability and quality of received applications, and specific and varying USAID mission needs and priorities.

7. Please share with us what direct and indirect costs would be considered as eligible costs and if there are any ceilings for these costs.

Direct and indirect costs should comply with cost principles provided in 2 CFR 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.

(https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR‐2014‐title2‐vol1/xml/CFR‐2014‐title2‐vol1‐part200.xml)