NOFO Uzbekistan Fiscal Transparency ver final.docx

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. EMBASSY TASHKENT

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Section A. Funding Opportunity Program Description

Eligibility Category: U.S. Non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, and overseas-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations.

A.1. Program Description

The Embassy of the United States in Tashkent announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to assist the Ministry of Finance of Uzbekistan in reinforcing recent progress in enhancing fiscal transparency and provide support to the government in improving the disclosure and transparency of public finance information consistent with international standards by regularizing the Ministry’s publication of budget information in a format that is easily accessible and understandable to the public. The period of performance for the grant will be 24 months. Funding authority rests in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

SalzmanEA@state.gov

A.2. Program Objectives:

The implementer will support the Ministry of Finance’s reforms to improve fiscal transparency in Uzbekistan, assisting their efforts to make accurate, comprehensive, reliable, and complete government budget reports available to the public in a timely manner. The program will enhance the capacity of civil society and other stakeholders to effectively engage government and citizens in the transparent formulation of the budget and management of public finances.

Objective 1: Develop and disseminate future Citizens’ budgets, which are simplified versions of a budget document that use informal language and friendly formats to facilitate better understanding of the key budget elements to general audience. Citizens’ budgets are less technical and incorporate visual elements to help non-specialist readers understand information on the budget and basics of the budget process, budget execution, the draft budget, state programs, public hearings and other information.

Objective 2: Increase public knowledge and understanding of Uzbekistan’s budget and budgetary process through public outreach.

Objective 3: Support Uzbekistan in joining the International Budget Partnership by meeting the requirements for membership and ensure Uzbekistan’s participation in the Open Budget Survey. The Survey is the world’s only independent, comparative assessment of the three pillars of public budget accountability: transparency, oversight, and public participation.

Objective 4: Increase the capacity of parliament members, civil society, mass media and others in the area of parliamentary and public oversight over the budget revenues and expenditures to manage the budget process in a transparent and accessible manner.

A.3. Expected Results

Expected Results include:

· Establish a new national budget format “citizens budget” that will allow untrained members of the public to understand how their tax money is being allocated.

· A successful public outreach campaign related to Uzbekistan’s budget and budgetary process through social media and television that reaches an estimated 10 million people.

· Uzbekistan joins the International Budget Partnership and participates in the Open Budget Survey.

A.4. Main Activities

To achieve these objectives, programs should include the following activities:

· Develop a Citizens Budget product that can be sustained by the Ministry of Finance.

· Support civil society and the general public’s participation in the budgetary process by conducting an awareness-raising campaign about the Citizens Budget and inviting input.

· Print, publish, and promote the Citizens Budget within civil society.

· Upgrade the “Open Budget” web portal and strengthen its functionality and reporting capabilities. Improve the website interface and other features to make it more user-friendly.

· Develop mobile versions of the “Open Budget” web portal to provide better access to budget information and to facilitate involvement of the public and civil society into the budgetary process.

· Support preparatory work to conduct an Open Budget Survey in Uzbekistan.

· Prepare Uzbekistan’s government representatives in joining the International Budget Partnership by helping them meet the requirements and sustain their membership.

· Conduct capacity development activities for various targeted groups, including parliament members, civil society, mass media and others in the area of parliamentary and public oversight over the budget revenues and expenditures.

A.5. Performance Indicators The project should monitor and report on performance indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable, and time-bound. 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. Indicators should also allow for disaggregation by key variables such as tracking the level of engagement of U.S. and international companies in all relevant indicators as well as gender disaggregation, as applicable. Indicators should reflect key project outputs or outcomes that reflect on the primary goals or objectives of the project and that the implementer can collect with high quality data.

Applicants must fill out the table below and insert it into the proposal document. Additional non-DOS indicators may be added that are relevant to the project by adding rows to the chart.

All applicable indicators should be included in the proposal and subsequent to the award, routine, periodic reporting of all indicators will be required. The implementer will be responsible for quarterly reporting on each performance indicator included in the grant as well as analysis of progress or impediments to reach indicator targets.

The following are required indicators. Applicants are free to add other indicators relevant to the primary objectives and expected results of the project.

The following are suggested indicators for this project:

The State Department takes into consideration the quality of data reported by recipients as part of the award activities, therefore applicants should be aware that recipients will be subject to data quality assessments.

Section B. Federal Award Information

B.1. Available Funding

Overall grant-making authority for this project is contained in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended. The period of performance will be approximately 24 months. Depending on the quality of performance and other factors, additional supplemental funding may be considered to continue activities and extend the period of performance, if funds are available and the U.S. Embassy of Dushanbe and the Recipient mutually agree. Eligible competitive proposals may be considered for support if additional funds are made available.

Summary of Award Information

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

The Recipient must ensure that all funds are used in a manner consistent with U.S. Government laws on the use of foreign assistance funds, including any applicable restrictions on funding.

Section C. Eligibility Information

C.1. Eligible Applicants

Eligibility is limited to U.S. Non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, and overseas-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations.

Technically eligible submissions are those which: 1) arrive electronically to www.grants.gov by the designated deadline; 2) have heeded all instructions contained in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), including registrations and length and completeness of submission; and 3) do not violate any of the guidelines stated in the solicitation and this document.

C.2. Cost Share There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this competition.

Cost-sharing or matching is not an evaluation criteria of this NOFO.

When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal and later included in an approved agreement. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability, recipients must maintain written records to support all costs that are claimed as their contribution, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with OMB 2 CFR 200.306 - Cost Sharing and Matching.

C.3. Other Eligibility Requirements In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (Data Universal Numbering System/DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations. Individuals are not required to have a unique entity identifier or be registered in SAM.gov.

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) 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 to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

Organizations must have a commitment to equal opportunity employment practices and to non-discrimination practices with regard to beneficiaries, without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or political affiliation

Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System (FAPIIS): For any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity, if the Federal awarding agency anticipates that the total Federal share will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold on any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity may include, over the period of performance (see §200.88 Simplified Acquisition Threshold), this section must also inform applicants:

· That the Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);

· That an applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM;

· That the Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

D. Application and Submission Information

NOTE: Applications that do not include all the required documentation described in this Section will not advance to the Technical Review stage. Further, applications that exceed the allowable page limits will not be reviewed by the review panel. Applicants may not add any materials to an application once it has been submitted and the competition deadline has passed.

D.1. Address to Request Application Package

Application forms required below are available at grants.gov.

D.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

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

Application must have the following format:

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

· All documents are in English

· All budgets are in U.S. dollars

· All pages are numbered

· All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and

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

The following documents are required:

1. Mandatory application forms

· SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – Organizations)

· SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs)

· SF424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) The SF-424 B is required only for those applicants who have not registered in SAM.gov or recertified their registration in SAM.gov since February 2, 2019 and completed the online representations and certifications.

2. Grants Application Summary Coversheet: This coversheet should include the applicant name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program.

3. Proposal (10 pages maximum): The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. You may use your own proposal format, but it must include all the items below.

· Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives and anticipated impact;

· Introduction to the Organization Applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies.

· Program Description: Clear, concise, and well-supported description of why the proposed program is needed and how the program will achieve the objectives listed in Section A.

· Program Activities: Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives listed in Section A.

· Program Methods and Design: A description of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal. Include a logic model as appropriate.

· Proposed Program Schedule and Timeline: The program schedule should resemble a work plan, indicating what activities or phases of the program will take place in each months of the proposed timeframe. The timeline for the program activities should include the proposed dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events. Tentative information should also be included.

· Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program?

· Program Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees, if applicable.

· Program Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants. Throughout the time-frame of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the objectives listed in Section A. Please use the table provided.

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

4. Detailed Line-Item Budget: The detailed budget should follow the OMB budget categories (see SF-424A for budget categories). A template budget is provided (see attachment 2), but is not required, as long as the submitted budget follows OMB categories.

4. Budget Justification Narrative: After completing the detailed budget, use a separate sheet of paper to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. Attachment 3 is provided as a reference. See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.

5. Attachments:

· 1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program.

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

· If your organization engages in lobbying activities, a Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) form is required.

· Letter of Disclosure for proposed consultants/personnel (if applicable) of potential conflicts of interest, employment with a local/state/federal government; and

· Letter(s) of Institutional Support to indicate that your organization’s leadership is providing their support of the application.

· Official permission letters, if required for program activities

· Results Monitoring Plan A Results Monitoring Plan (RMP) describes the measures proposed by an applicant to capture and demonstrate progress toward achieving the objectives of the proposed project. Please see section A for further guidance. The quality and feasibility of the proposed RMP will be among the elements on which applications are evaluated. The RMP should be attached as a separate document and has no page limit.

· Risk Assessment Applicants should include all assumptions and external factors identified in the logical framework in the risk analysis. See attachment 6.

· Sustainability Plan The sustainability plan outlines how the proposed project will be sustained beyond the initial award period. Capacity development, new services, and any tools or platforms must be sustainable and last beyond the initial investment. Sustainability Plans should be attached as separate document and may not exceed two pages.

· Work Plans, Project Timeline, and/or Calendar of Activities A work plan is a detailed list of proposed activities, milestones, and approximate dates. Applicants may choose to include a work plan, project timeline, and/or calendar of proposed activities.

· Contingency plan. Due to the work disruptions and travel restrictions caused by COVID-19, the applicant must include a contingency plan outlining how to mitigate restrictions/interruptions to the project implementation during the period of performance. Contingency plans may include project implementation through remote or virtual training tools.

Required Registrations:

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) 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 to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

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

· Unique entity identifier from Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS number)

· NCAGE/CAGE code

· www.SAM.gov registration

Step 1: Apply for a DUNS number and an NCAGE number (these can be completed simultaneously).

DUNS application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet. If your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866-705-5711 or visiting http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform

NCAGE application: Application page here: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx Instructions for the NCAGE application process:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf

For NCAGE help from within the U.S., call 1-888-227-2423 For NCAGE help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766 Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code.

Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM.gov by logging onto: https://www.sam.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.

D.3. Submission Dates and Times

Applications are due no later than 11:59PM EDT on August 21, 2020.

D.4. Funding Restrictions

The following activities and costs are not covered under this announcement:

· Construction is not an allowable activity under this award.

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

· Direct support or the appearance of direct support for any religious organization, to include repair or building of structures used for religious purposes.

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

· Purchase of firearms, ammunition, or removal of unexploded ordnances.

· Para-police (i.e., militias, neighborhood watch, security guards) and prison-related projects. This restriction includes no funding of any secondary need in a law-enforcement organization.

· 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.

· Expenses made prior to the approval of a proposal or unreasonable expenditures will not be reimbursed.

· Charitable or development activities;

· Fund-raising campaigns;

· Lobbying for specific legislation or projects;

· Scientific research;

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

· Projects seeking funds for personal use;

· Projects that require a participation fee.

D.5. Other Submission Requirements

Applications must be submitted electronically through www.Grants.gov.

E. Application Review Information

E.1. Criteria

Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below. The criteria are designed to assess the quality of the application and to determine the likelihood of its success and impact. The criteria are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application. Applications will be reviewed on the basis of their fullness, coherence, clarity, and attention to detail. Points are awarded only to applications that are responsive within the context of this program announcement.

Achieved Results (25 points)

· The applicant describes how the expected results will be accomplished within the timeframe of the proposed award as well as anticipated long-term impacts:

· The applicant clearly explains how they will plan and complete the required activities.

· The applicant provides realistic milestones to indicate progress toward expected results and indicators as described in the program announcement.

· The applicant explains how monitoring and evaluation activities will be carried out and who will be responsible for them.

· Analysis of applicant’s selected indicators and how realistic/feasible are they to the project and what are the expected project results.

· The sustainability plan outlines how the proposed project will be sustained beyond the initial award period. Capacity development, new trainings, and any tools or methods must be sustainable and last beyond this initial investment.

Project Design (15 points)

· The applicant clearly describes how each proposed project activity will address the expected results outlined in the announcement.

· The applicant addresses how the project will design and promote financial products and managing potential financial risk.

· 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.

· The applicant articulates potential challenges or delays to project implementation and proposes contingency plans and mitigation plans with a specific focus on COV-19 limitations.

· The application describes the division of labor among the applicant and any partners.

· The applicant clearly explains why the proposed project design is feasible.

Organizations Capacity and Record on Previous Grants (25 points)

· The applicant demonstrates technical experience (e.g., has previously worked and/or has established contacts/partners) in the areas of anti-money laundering and preventing terrorist financing.

· The applicant demonstrates knowledge and experience working with the banking sector.

· The applicant demonstrates capacity for responsible fiscal management of donor funding (e.g., successful management of a previous sub-award or grant).

· The applicant demonstrates a recent history of successful work in Eastern Europe or Tajikistan.

· The applicant demonstrates access to experts – individuals or organizations – that could be mobilized to meet the unique needs of the project.

Sustainability (10 points)

· Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program.

Budget (10 points)

· The costs proposed are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results, which are clearly explained in the budget narrative.

· The budget provides details of calculations, including estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to be duplicated.

· The preponderance of the budget is spent on supporting the project participants/activities in country and includes costs dedicated to management, monitoring, and evaluation.

· Adequate travel costs are proposed using reasonable estimates of international and ground travel needs and costs.

· The budget demonstrates a reasonable cost per participant.

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (15 points)

· Applicant demonstrates ability 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.

E.2. Review and Selection Process

A Grants Review Committee will evaluate all eligible applications.

E.3. Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)

For any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity, if the Federal awarding agency anticipates that the total Federal share will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold on any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity may include, over the period of performance (see §200.88 Simplified Acquisition Threshold), this section must also inform applicants:

i. That the Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);

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

iii. That the Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

F.1. Federal Award Notices

The grant award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer.

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

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

F.2. Payment Method:

Request for Payment via SF 270. Payments shall be disbursed via EFT upon receipt of a signed SF-270 form and required reporting.

F.3. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Terms and Conditions: 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 200, 2 CFR 600, and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions which are available at: https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/.

Note the U.S Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.

F.4. Reporting

Reporting Requirements:

Recipients will, at a minimum, be required to submit Quarterly Progress Reports and a Quarterly Financial Report. Progress Reports will compare actual to planned performance and indicates the progress made in accomplishing each assistance award tasks/goals noted in the grant agreement and will contain analysis and summary of findings, both quantitative and qualitative, for key indicators. Financial Reports provide a means of monitoring expenditures and comparing costs incurred with progress.

Recipients must report immediately when a program faces unplanned delays in implementation, fails to meet program targets or milestones, or costs increase. Any changes or revisions to the approved budget require prior approval from the Embassy Grants Officer.

Progress Reporting

At minimum, it is expected that progress reports include:

· Significant activities of the period and how activities reflect progress toward achieving goals;

· Evaluation of progress on goals/objectives with quantitative and qualitative data, as appropriate;

· Any problems/challenges in implementing the project and a corrective action plan;

· Evaluation of accomplishments with quantifiable information on goals and objectives to date as available, including reporting on agreed-upon indicators;

· An update on expenditures during the reporting period; and

· Supporting documentation or products related to project activities (such as surveys, travel, etc.).

· Performance indicator results and supporting documentation;

· As applicable, Project Spotlight highlighting a significant area of progress under the grant as well as photos of implementation.

Final Report

The final report will be due no later than 90 days after the end date of the award or termination of all project activities.

Additional guidance may be provided prior to the award end date.

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact: SalzmanEA@state.gov

Additional resources and information, as well as questions and answers will be posted on the U.S. Embassy’s website here: uz.usembassy.gov

H. Other Information

I. Guidelines for Budget Justification

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

· Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this program, for program staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. If the program involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.

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

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

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

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

Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the program activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating. If your organization has a NICRA and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA.

Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs

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

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

H.1. Conflict of Interest

In accordance with applicable Federal awarding agency policy, applicants must disclose in writing any potential conflict of interest to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity.

H2. Applicant Vetting

Applicants are advised that proposals will be evaluated against the potential risk that federal funds may inadvertently be passed to the wrong hands and that funds may benefit terrorists groups or their supporters. Applicants may be asked to submit information required by DS Form 4184, Risk Analysis Information (attached to this solicitation), about their company and its principal personnel. Vetting information is also required for all sub-award performance on assistance awards identified by DOS as presenting a risk of terrorist financing. When vetting information is requested by the Grants Officer, information may be submitted on the secure web portal at: https://ramportal.state.gov, via Email to RAM@state.gov, or hardcopy to the Grants Officer.

Questions about the form may be emailed to RAM@state.gov. Failure to submit information when requested, or failure to pass vetting may be grounds for rejecting your proposal.

H3. Marking Policy

Applicants are advised that recipients and sub-recipients of Federal assistance awards are subject to the State Department’s Marking Policy. More information on this policy can be found on:

http://r.state.sbu/visiblyamerican/default.aspx

H4. Evaluation Policy

Applicants are advised that recipients and sub-recipients of Federal assistance awards are subject to the Department of State Evaluation Policy. More information on this policy can be found here: http://www.state.gov/s/d/rm/rls/evaluation/2015/236970.htm

H5. Monitoring Site Visits

A monitoring site visit, at least once during the lifetime of a grant, is required by Department of State grant policy. The site visit is conducted to gather additional information on the recipient’s ability to properly implement the project, manage funds, and share substantiating document for programmatic, indicator, and financial reporting. Specifically, the site visit will involve the review of the programmatic progress (progress on activities, sub-recipient/consultant work, data quality, etc.) as well as administrative and financial management and controls.

Attachments:

Attachment 1: Grants Application Summary Coversheet Attachment 2: Budget Template Attachment 3: Budget Narrative Template Attachment 4: Monitoring & Evaluation Plan Template Attachment 5: Organizational Information Sheet Attachment 6: Risk Analysis