Questions and Answers Week of 6.1.20.pdf

FAS FY 20 McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program Notice of Funding Opportunity

Questions/Answers Week of 6/1/20

1. Does a PPR for a subrecipient count toward the 3 required PPRs?

No. Please submit a past performance review for a proposed subrecipient is in addition to the three required of the applicant.

2. If an applicant is submitting a PPR for a subrecipient, may that PPR be for a McGovern- Dole project?

Yes. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to include at least one form from a reference with knowledge of the Applicant’s performance of a past or active award outside of the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, the USDA Local and Regional Food Aid Procurement Program, or the Food for Progress Program.

3. USDA’s “Budget Narrative Example” contains the following footnote: “Please note IFAD will not consider cost share on indirect costs.” Please confirm that the intent of this footnote is to stipulate that USDA will not consider unrecovered indirect costs as contributions towards the applicant’s total cost share.

That is correct. Indirect costs may not be considered towards the applicant’s total cost share.

4. We are interested in submitting one proposal for Guatemala and a separate proposal for Honduras, as our work focuses in Latin America. I am hoping to confirm that a private for-profit entity is considered an eligible organization under "other organizations" eligibility within for USDA-FAS-10-608-0700-20-1.

Yes. Under part §1599.1 Purpose and applicability of the McGovern Dole regulations, other organizations include organizations that are for-profit entities.

5. The evolving COVID pandemic is likely to increase food insecurity and malnutrition in many of the targeted McGovern Dole countries. Would USDA consider applications under the 2020 NOFO which utilize ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF), lipid-based nutrient supplement for school feeding (LNS-SF), or lipid-based nutrient supplement-medium quantity (LNS-MQ) to enhance operational agility and improve the nutritional effectiveness of take home rations as implementers adapt to unpredictable circumstances?

The Applicant should clearly describe the appropriateness of each type of commodity selected for the proposed project. Per Appendix H of the FY 2020 McGovern-Dole NOFO, applicants may propose ready-to-use nutritional food (RUSF or MQ) and lipid-based nutrient supplement for school feeding (LNS SF).

6. In appendix H of the Notice of Funding for McGovern-Dole 2020, the description of Lentils is vague compared to the other commodities available for solicitation. Is there a way to ensure that if awarded, we can call forward the same type of lentils each time (i.e.

red, unpeeled lentils) to account for cultural acceptance and preferences?

Based on U.S. Standards, there is only on class of this commodity and it’s simply called “lentils.” Since there is no inspection criteria or classes for red lentil, Federal Grain Inspection Service inspectors will not certify anything other than just plain lentils. Consequently, USDA cannot guarantee such lentil variety in successive shipments.