Amendment 1 - PEPFAR Community Grants_NOFO_COP23_March 2023_FINAL.pdf

United States Mission to South Africa President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

Community Grants Program

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. EMBASSY SOUTH AFRICA

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Amendment 1

Amendment 1 to this NOFO removes the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance

(PLGHA) policy requirement which was included in Section 5 (p7) of the original NOFO released on March 13, 2023. The PLGHA policy is no longer in effect. All other terms and requirements of the NOFO remain the same.

Funding Opportunity Title: South Africa - PEPFAR Community Grants 2023

Funding Opportunity Number: 2023-CGSA

Deadline for Applications: April 28, 2023

CFDA Number: 19.029

Total Amount Available: $1,841,771million

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Embassy South Africa through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

(PEPFAR) Community Grants Program of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to the Community Grants Program. The program provides an opportunity for direct funding to community-based organizations in the districts with the highest HIV burden in South Africa to implement community-level interventions required to achieve the national HIV response. Organizations that are providing comprehensive services within HIV prevention and/or community-based care and support for people living with HIV (PLHIV) are eligible to apply. Please carefully follow all instructions below.

Priority Regions:

Organizations operating within the 27 PEPFAR priority districts are eligible to apply:

▪ Eastern Cape: Alfred Nzo, Buffalo City, Chris Hani, O R Tambo, Amatole

▪ Free State: Lejweleputswa, Thabo Mofutsanyane

▪ Gauteng: City of Johannesburg, City of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Sedibeng

▪ KwaZulu-Natal: eThekwini, uGu, uMgungundlovu, uThukela, King Cetshwayo, Zululand, Harry Gwala

▪ Limpopo: Capricorn, Mopani

▪ Mpumalanga: Ehlanzeni, Gert Sibande, Nkangala

▪ North West: Bojanala Platinum, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, Ngaka Modiri Molema

▪ Western Cape: City of Cape Town (focusing on townships, informal settlements)

Please note, applicants in high burden areas will be given preference for funding.

Program Objectives:

The Community Grants Program seeks applications from eligible entities to support the following tailored, person-centered services:

1) Targeted HIV Prevention – This includes targeted, evidence based* prevention programs. Prevention programs may focus on one or more of the following categories:

-Comprehensive HIV prevention (including promotion and facilitating linkage to PrEP, PEP, VMMC and condom distribution among others), targeting children, adolescents and young people, and men

-Social Norms and Behavior Change (including stigma and discrimination)

-Sexual and Gender based violence (GBV) and post-GBV care services

- Key and Priority Populations

-Positive parenting and family strengthening

*Evidence based means that the program uses a specific approved curriculum, implementation is monitored and can be measured, and the program has been proven to yield positive results.

2) Targeted HIV Case Finding Services* with the aim of identifying and newly testing, newly linking or re-linking diagnosed individuals to antiretroviral treatment (ART).

Examples include using a strategic mix of modalities for identification, linkage, and retention in care (demonstrated evidence of treatment initiation and retention). Targeted

HIV Case Finding Services should offer and support immediate linkage to treatment for those who are diagnosed HIV positive and/or comprehensive prevention services -examples include PrEP, PEP, VMMC, and condom distribution among others for those who test HIV negative. Target populations for these services are men, children (under 19’s) and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). High yield modalities like community-level ethical index testing (also referred to as contact tracing, partner notification or partner services) should be prioritized.

*Case Finding must be able to demonstrate evidence of existing partnerships with local facilities (i.e., letter of support from the facility).

3) Community-based Care and Treatment Support – This is service delivery specifically for people living with HIV (PLHIV) and/or HIV/TB co-infected, including children and adolescents affected by and living with HIV (C/ALHIV), as well as orphaned and vulnerable children. Activities may include facilitating linkage to care, treatment initiation and retention in care, adherence clubs, psychosocial support services, treatment literacy, tracking and tracing of newly diagnosed and people who experience treatment interruption or are not fully virologically suppressed, community level case management, and family-based supportive interventions. Additionally, responses that prioritize underserved populations such as men and adolescents will be given preference.

More information on the program areas and guidance can be found at https://www.state.gov/reports-pepfar/ or 2023 COP/ROP Guidance and Fiscal Year 24 Technical

Considerations, to guidance download the PEPFAR Fiscal Year 2024 Country Operational Plan.

https://www.state.gov/reports-pepfar/ http://www.state.gov/2023-country-and-regional-operational-plan-guidance-and-technical-considerations/ http://www.state.gov/2023-country-and-regional-operational-plan-guidance-and-technical-considerations/

The PEPFAR Community Grants Program will fund the programmatic costs associated with these activities, which may include supplies/materials, personnel, transport, equipment, furniture, training related to program implementation and/or administration in the context of the above activities. Effective implementation of any of these activities may also require building the capacity of civil society organizations in areas such as monitoring and evaluation and community level case management.

Participants and Audiences:

All eligible community-based organizations are encouraged to apply, especially women, PLHIV, and key populations-led organizations serving these populations and other priority populations, as well as faith-based organizations.

Key populations include female sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender persons, people in prisons and people who inject drugs.

Priority populations include adolescent girls and young women, adolescent boys and young men, adult men, clients of sex workers, displaced persons, military, mobile/migrant populations, and non-injecting drug users.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Length of performance period: 12months - Grant implementation will be for one year with a maximum budget request of $50,000

Number of awards anticipated: 40 awards (dependent on amounts)

Award amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $30,000

(approximately R450,000) to a maximum of $50,000

(approximately R750,000).

Total available funding: $ 1,841,771million

Type of Funding: FY24 U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

(PEPFAR) Community Grants Program

Anticipated program start date: October 1, 2023

This notice is subject to availability of funding, pending congressional approval for the next fiscal year.

Funding Instrument Type: Grant

Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 months.

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

▪ Be a registered NPO, NPC or Trust in South Africa

▪ Serve HIV-affected, infected and/or high-risk populations

▪ Be implementing within one or more of the 27 PEPFAR priority districts (listed above)

▪ Been in operation for at least two years

▪ Not be receiving any other direct funding from the U.S. Government

▪ Not be receiving funding as a sub-recipient of a PEPFAR implementing partner

▪ If an organization is a previous Community Grants Program recipient, the previous award must have closed more than two years prior to the start of this grant period, which means prior to October 1, 2021.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Not applicable to this NOFO.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (UEI), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package

The Community Grants Program application is an online process. To apply, please visit www.CommunityGrantsSA.com.

Please note, in order to apply to the Community Grants Program, an organization must first register on the Community Grants Program website, click on the link in the confirmation email that will be sent to the email address that was registered and then log in to successfully complete the online application process before the deadline of 12:00pm South African Standard Time (SAST) on April 28, 2023. Please be aware if you registered an organization on the website last year, you do

NOT need to re-register this year; you log in with the same log in details you used last year.

No email or hard copy applications will be accepted; the only way to apply is through the

Community Grants Program website.

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.

Content of Application

Please ensure:

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

• All documents are in English.

• Budgets are submitted in South African Rand (ZAR), and they will be converted to US

Dollars on the Community Grants Portal.

http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.communitygrantssa.com/

The following documents are required:

1. Mandatory application forms

• Completed SF-424 and SF-424A (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) to be attached on the online application system, along with the other attachments

2. Summary Page: This is the organizational profile that you will be required to complete when you register on the Community Grants Program website, which includes information such as your organization’s legal name (as per NPO certificate), address, and contact information.

3. Proposal: Once in the application, organizations are required to complete six sections including organizational structure, service delivery, community linkages, financial situation, financial management and funding request. An organization can only submit if all mandatory fields are complete and if anything is missing, the system will alert the applicant to where the error is. In addition to the auto alerts on all mandatory fields, there is also live chat support on the site to answer any questions when completing the application.

4. Budget Justification Narrative: The funding request section of the online application form will ask you to provide a narrative description of what you are requesting funding for and how the funds will be used.

5. Attachments:

a) A short overview of your organization’s services and history

b) NPO certificate

c) Itemized budget proposal

d) A signed letter of support (not older than 12 months) for your proposed program from the relevant government department (Department of Health (DOH)/Department of

Social Development (DSD)/Department of Basic Education (DBE)) where the program will be implemented

e) One letter of reference from any other stakeholder who is not part of your organization (not older than 12 months)

In addition, while this is NOT required at this stage, please note that shortlisted applicants will be required to submit the following documents at a later stage in the process:

• A copy of the organization’s latest audited annual financial statement

• A copy of last month’s bank statements for every account held by the organization

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov)

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.gov to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

All organizations applying for grants must obtain these registrations. All are free of charge:

• UEI/www.SAM.gov registration – NOT required at the time of application but will be requested at a later stage in the process for shortlisted applicants only.

• SAM registration must be renewed annually.

Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.

• Organizations based outside of the United States and that 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.

Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO NOT plan to do business with the DoD should follow the below instructions:

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

SAM.gov registration must be renewed annually.

Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO plan to do business with the DoD in addition to Department of State should follow the below instructions:

• Step 1: Apply for an NCAGE code by following the instructions on the NSPA NATO website linked below:

- NCAGE Homepage: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/sc/CageList.aspx

- NCAGE Code Request Tool (NCRT):

Exemptions

An exemption from the UEI and sam.gov registration 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.

• 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 https://sam.gov/ https://sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/sc/CageList.aspx 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 providing 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.

4. Submission Dates and Times

The application deadline is 12:00pm SAST on April 28, 2023.

5. Funding Restrictions

CONSCIENCE CLAUSE IMPLEMENTATION: An organization, including an FBO, that is otherwise eligible to receive funds under this agreement for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, or care;

(a) Shall not be required, as a condition of receiving such assistance:

(1) To endorse or utilize a multi-sectoral or comprehensive approach to combating

HIV/AIDS; or

(2) To endorse, utilize, make a referral to become integrated with, or otherwise participate in any program or activity to which the organization has a religious or moral objection; and

(b) Shall not be discriminated against in the solicitation or issuance of grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements for refusing to meet any requirement described in paragraph (a) above.

PROHIBITION ON THE PROMOTION OR ADVOCACY OF THE LEGALIZATION OR

PRACTICE OF PROSTITUTION OR SEX TRAFFICKING:

(a) The U.S. Government is opposed to prostitution and related activities, which are inherently harmful and dehumanizing, and contribute to the phenomenon of trafficking in persons. None of the funds made available under this agreement may be used to promote or advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution or sex trafficking. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be construed to preclude the provision to individuals of palliative care, treatment, or post-exposure pharmaceutical prophylaxis, and necessary pharmaceuticals and commodities, including test kits, condoms, and, when proven effective, microbicides.

(b)(1) Except as provided in (b)(2) and (b)(3), by accepting this award or any subaward, an

NGO or public international organization awardee/sub-awardee agrees that it is opposed to the practices of prostitution and sex trafficking.

(2) The following organizations are exempt from (b) (1): U.S. organizations; the Global Fund;

the World Health Organization; the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative; and any United

Nations agency.

(3) Contractors and subcontractors are exempt from (b)(1) if the contract or subcontract is for commercial items and services as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 2.101, such as pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, logistics support, data management, and freight forwarding.

(4) Notwithstanding section (b)(3), not exempt from (b)(1) are recipients, sub-recipients, contractors, and subcontractors that implement HIV/AIDS programs under this assistance award, any sub-award, or procurement contract or subcontract by:

(i) providing supplies or services directly to the final populations receiving such supplies or services in host countries;

(ii) providing technical assistance and training directly to host-country individuals or entities on the provision of supplies or services to the final populations receiving such supplies and services; or

(iii) providing the types of services listed in FAR 37.203(b)(1)– (6) that involve giving advice about substantive policies of a recipient, giving advice regarding the activities referenced in (i) and (ii), or making decisions or functioning in a recipient’s chain of command (e.g., providing managerial or supervisory services approving financial transactions, personnel actions).

The following definitions apply for purposes of this provision:

- Commercial sex act means any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person.

- Prostitution means procuring or providing any commercial sex act and the practice of prostitution has the same meaning.

- Sex trafficking means the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.

- The recipient shall insert this provision, which is a standard provision, in all sub-awards, procurement contracts, or subcontracts.

6. Application Support Resources

The Community Grants Program website provides detailed information and instructions, but if you have any questions, please contact us at CommunityGrantsSA@state.gov. You can also use the live chat or ‘contact us’ options on the website for additional assistance.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria

Each application will be evaluated and rated based on the evaluation criteria outlined below.

• Alignment with PEPFAR objectives

• Feasibility of program implementation

• Financial management

• Organizational systems, policies, and structures

• Organizational governance

• Level and quality of service delivery

• Linkages and relationships with the community and stakeholders

• Signed letter of support from the relevant government department (DOH, DSD, DBE) from the proposed district of program implementation (no later than 12 months)

• The applicant's ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements mailto:CommunityGrantsSA@state.gov as stated by law, donors, and governing bodies.

• Organization must be located in the community where services will be provided.

2. Review and Selection Process:

Applications will be evaluated based on the assessment criteria. If an applicant meets the minimum requirements and scores above the threshold, a Community Grants Program Coordinator will schedule a phone interview. Successful interviews will result in a site visit to evaluate the proposed project and to conduct an organizational risk assessment. Applicants who complete a successful site visit will then be recommended for the next stage which entails the development of a detailed costed workplan. Final selection and recommendations for awards will be informed by a clear and comprehensive workplan, service quality, PEPFAR alignment and funding availability.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates:

Awards are expected to begin on October 1, 2023. All organizations should be notified of the outcome no later than August 31, 2023. However, if you have not received any communication regarding your application by September 1, 2023, consider your application unsuccessful.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

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. 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.

Payment Method: The funds are paid by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) into the organization’s bank account in two tranches.

2. 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/.

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.

3. Reporting

Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.

• Financial Reporting (expenditure reporting + SF-425) o Monthly expenditure reporting on the Community Grants Program Portal o SF-425 by April and October

• Beneficiary Reporting o Due quarterly for the following report periods: Oct-Dec / Jan–Mar / Apr–Jun / Jul-Sep

• Narrative Reporting o Due quarterly for the following report periods: Oct-Dec / Jan-Mar / Apr-Jun / Jul-

Sep

Applicants should be aware of the post award reporting requirements reflected in 2 CFR 200 Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact:

CommunityGrantsSA@state.gov https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp&SID=027fb85899500d580fc71df69d11573a&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML%20-%20ap2.1.200_1521.i&ap2.1.200_1521.xii https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp&SID=027fb85899500d580fc71df69d11573a&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML%20-%20ap2.1.200_1521.i&ap2.1.200_1521.xii mailto:CommunityGrantsSA@state.gov