CASE FY 25 NOFO DFOP0017260 - 30 May 2025.docx

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Countering Iran and DPRK’s WMD, Nuclear, Ballistic Missile, and Drone Proliferation INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION OFFICE OF COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION, DEPARTMENT OF STATE Opportunity number: DFOP0017260 Application deadline: 30 July 2025, 11:59 P.M. EDT

Contents

U.S Department of State

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION OFFICE OF

COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION

Notice of Funding Opportunity

A. Basic Information

1. Overview

Funding Instrument Type: Grant, cooperative agreement, Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA) Cooperative agreements include substantial involvement of the bureau or embassy in program implementation of the project.

Project Performance Period: Proposed projects should be completed in 15 months or less.

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

2. Executive Summary

Priority Region: Africa (AF), East Asia Pacific (EAP), Europe (EUR), Near Eastern (NEA), South and Central Asian (SCA), Western Hemisphere (WHA) Executive Summary ISN/CTR administers the Counterproliferation and Sanctions Enforcement (CASE) program to increase global capacity to implement and enforce U.S. and international sanctions imposed on Iran and DPRK and thwart these nations’ abilities to develop ballistic missile (BM), drone and unmanned aerial system (UAS), and nuclear capabilities that pose a threat to U.S. national security. Established in 2017 to support the Trump Administration’s pressure campaign against the DPRK, the CASE trains partners to enforce U.S. and international sanctions constraining DPRK weapons of mass destruction (WMD) proliferation. In parallel, CASE is ISN’s flagship programmatic tool to implement Maximum Pressure on Iran through National Security Presidential Memorandum 2. In support of these campaigns, CASE facilitates sanctions implementation by equipping partner governments and private sector leaders with expertise and enforcement tools to detect, disrupt and prevent Iranian and DPRK sanctions evasion activities that enable their acquisition of proliferation sensitive technologies, materials, and expertise. CASE activities ultimately strengthen maritime security, cybersecurity, and global sanctions regimes; disrupt Iran and DPRK revenue generation; and protect U.S. supply chains, U.S. companies’ global investments, and U.S. access to international markets.

B. Eligibility

1. Eligible Applicants The following organizations are eligible to apply: U.S. for-profit organizations or businesses; U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations with or without 501(c) (3) status of the U.S. tax code; U.S.-based private, public, or state institutions of higher education; foreign-based non-profit organizations/non-government organizations (NGO); Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs); Public International Organizations (PIO) ; Foreign Public Entities (FPE); and foreign-based institutions of higher education.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Providing cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not an eligibility factor or requirement for this NOFO and providing cost share will not result in a more favorable competitive ranking. Per 2 CFR §200.306, items that are proposed for cost share must be allowable per 2 CFR §200, Subpart E—Costs Principles.

Voluntary cost-share: Should the applicant choose to contribute voluntary cost-share but does not meet the minimum amount of the voluntary cost-sharing stipulated in the applicant’s budget, DOS’ contribution may be reduced in proportion to the applicant’s contribution.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements All organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) issued via SAM.gov as well as a valid registration in SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for more information.

Applicants can submit one application in response to the NOFO. If more than one application is submitted by an organization, only the final application received, and time stamped by grants.gov will be reviewed for eligibility. Each application can include multiple projects that will be evaluated independently.

C. Program Description Goals

The CASE program aims to prevent Iran and DPRK from developing WMD, BM, UAS, and nuclear programs.

· ISN/CTR CASE directly supports President Trump’s Maximum Pressure Campaign on Iran by impeding Iran’s ability to develop and export ballistic missiles and UAS, slowing its nuclear enrichment and chemical weapons pursuits, and constraining its military support to Iranian-back proxies and terrorists. To carry out this campaign, CASE-funded projects should enhance partner government and private sector capacity to identify and disrupt Iran’s efforts to procure components and other materials for its BM and UAS programs and comply with U.S. and other international financial sanctions targeting Iran’s BM and UAS programs.

· CASE counters DPRK’s WMD and missile programs by disrupting DPRK illicit revenue generation activities, exposing its sanctions violations, and limiting the flow of proliferation-sensitive components and materials to the DPRK. To achieve this, CASE funded projects should enhance partner government and private sector capabilities to curtail DPRK WMD and ballistic missile proliferation by constraining DPRK revenue generation, procurements of certain resources and commodities, and other activities prohibited by UNSCRs, U.S., and other international sanctions.

CASE deploys a data-driven approach to ensure every project across the Iran and DPRK lines of effort is targeted, measured, cost effective, and implemented in alignment with the Administration’s priorities to prevent Iran and DPRK WMD proliferation. As part of this approach, CASE commissions open-source investigations on Iran and DPRK sanctions evasion activity across the globe. These investigations span weapons component tracing, procurement networks and financial activities, and maritime sanctions evasion activities and typologies. CASE-funded investigations should help inform where, how, and with whom ISN engages programmatically and diplomatically to achieve the CASE mission.

CASE Activities:

ISN/CTR seeks proposals that address the following Iranian and DPRK sanctions evasion activities:

1. Transfer of Ballistic Missile, Nuclear, and UAS-Related Technology and Materials: Iran seeks to import proliferation-sensitive, dual-use technologies (including those found on the Common High Priority Items List), certain high-quality raw materials, and machine tools and testing equipment with the goal of indigenizing its ballistic missile production, advancing its uranium enrichment program, and continuing to produce UAS. Iran has escalated its nuclear program by increasing its stockpile of near weapons-grade enriched uranium. Further, Iran has used its ballistic missiles in major attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq, as well as on Israel in April and October of 2024. Iran continues to supply missiles and UAS to its regional proxies, including Lebanese Hizballah, the Houthis, and militias in Iraq, who continue to attack U.S. interests in the region. Iran relies on trusted procurement agents and networks to obfuscate its procurement activities.

ISN/CTR is seeking proposals that undertake the following activities:

· Engage relevant technology manufacturers, distributors, and developers on public-private sector cooperation, information sharing, Know-Your-Customer (KYC) best practices, suspicious transaction reporting, and characteristics of sanctions evasion techniques that Iran uses to procure components, materials, and equipment to advance its UAS, nuclear fuel, and ballistic missile production capabilities;

· Assist partner country governments in raising awareness among the private sector of U.S. and international sanctions concerning Iranian procurements of ballistic missile, nuclear, and UAS technologies and components; and

· Assist partner county government in ensuring entities in their jurisdiction are not supplying prohibited items, technology, and knowledge to Iran’s nuclear enrichment program.

For FY25, ISN/CTR’s priority countries for this line of effort lie in the following geographic regions, as defined by the U.S. Department of State: Europe and Eurasia (EUR), Middle East/North Africa (NEA), East Asia and Pacific (EAP), South and Central Asia (SCA), Western Hemisphere, and Sub Saharan Africa (AF).

2. Counter-Proliferation Finance. The DPRK and Iran use networks of shell companies, foreign representatives, foreign banks, and, in the case of DPRK, cryptocurrency exchanges, to launder money, evade sanctions, and ultimately fund their weapons programs.

ISN/CTR seeks proposals that will enhance the abilities of partner governments to identify and disrupt DPRK and Iranian proliferation finance activities, including but not limited to the following activities:

· Train supervisors and other relevant government officials to ensure that financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions operating in their jurisdictions adopt effective anti-money laundering and counterproliferation finance controls to prevent the DPRK and Iranian exploitation;

· Build the capabilities of anti-money laundering officials to implement targeted financial sanctions and conduct proliferation finance risk assessments consistent with Financial Action Task Force recommendations;

· Support critical foreign partners in developing, drafting, refining, and implementing domestic sanctions and counterproliferation finance legislation and regulation, including for virtual asset service providers (VASPs) and virtual assets;

· Enhance the ability of judicial officials to try proliferation finance and sanctions evasion cases involving DPRK and Iranian-linked entities; and

· Train government entities such as financial intelligence units and law enforcement personnel to identify proliferation finance activity, respond to mutual legal assistance and other action requests from foreign partners, and prosecute DPRK sanctions evasion activities as well as relevant ancillary crimes.

For FY25, ISN/CTR’s priority countries for this line of effort lie in the following geographic regions, as defined by the U.S. Department of State: East Asia and Pacific (EAP), South and Central Asia (SCA), Sub-Saharan Africa (AF), Western Hemisphere (WHA), Middle East/North Africa (NEA) and Europe and Eurasia (EUR).

3. Disrupting DPRK Cyber-Enabled Theft and Laundering of Virtual Assets: The DPRK generates substantial revenue for its WMD and missile programs through widespread and increasingly sophisticated cyber operations against vulnerable institutions worldwide. DPRK cyber actors conduct cyber-enabled heists targeting cryptocurrency exchanges, decentralized financial applications, and other virtual asset service providers (VASPs) such as blockchain-based games and casinos, as well as their software service providers, operating in dozens of countries across all State Department regions. DPRK actors then launder stolen virtual assets across blockchains to obfuscate the origin of the funds, eventually using facilitators and over-the-counter traders to cash out, or convert virtual assets into fiat currency.

ISN/CTR seeks proposals that engage VASPs, private financial institutions (FIs), software service providers, and other industries vulnerable to DPRK cyber operations as well as relevant public sector stakeholders to reduce the risk of DPRK cyber-enabled thefts, including but not limited to the following activities:

· Train technical and non-technical staff at VASPs, FIs, and other likely targets of DPRK cyber activity to prevent DPRK cyber-revenue generation by identifying common social engineering techniques such as phishing attacks, and adopting enhanced cybersecurity measures including basic cyber hygiene practices;

· Train government officials to promote effective cybersecurity practices at VASPS and FIs to counter DPRK-linked exploitation, including public-private information sharing on cyber threat intelligence and designing effective cyber incident response plans;

· Train law enforcement officials to investigate malware and other malicious cyber activity for links to the DPRK;

· Educate and encourage VASPS to utilize blockchain transaction monitoring software to detect and block DPRK-linked funds before a transaction is executed;

· Provide relevant law enforcement officials with the knowledge and tools to successfully trace, freeze, and seize stolen virtual assets in their jurisdictions, and utilize these capabilities in cooperation with international law enforcement efforts to disrupt DPRK-linked virtual asset laundering; and

· Support international adoption of novel efforts to address DPRK virtual asset enabled revenue generation.

For fiscal year 2025 (FY25), ISN/CTR’s priority countries for this line of effort lie in the following geographic regions, as defined by the U.S. Department of State: East Asia and Pacific (EAP), South and Central Asia (SCA), Sub-Saharan Africa (AF), Western Hemisphere (WHA), Middle East/North Africa (NEA) and Europe and Eurasia (EUR).

4. Disrupting DPRK Information Technology (IT) Workers and Laborers: The DPRK uses overseas laborers and globally located IT workers to generate revenue for its sanctioned WMD and missile programs. DPRK nationals, based within the DPRK and in third countries, disguise their identities to apply for remote jobs at technology companies around the world. Non-technology sector DPRK laborers continue to work outside the country under authority of the regime and for its exclusive financial benefit despite the obligation of all UN Member States to repatriate North Koreans in compliance with UNSCR 2397 (2017). The highest-earning and most common fields for tens of thousands of DPRK laborers include information technology, building and public arts construction, and medical services.

ISN/CTR seeks proposals for engaging government bodies, prosecutors, private sector employers, and other relevant audiences to disrupt DPRK remote IT worker employment and continue implementing the global repatriation of DPRK laborers in all sectors, including but not limited to the following activities:

· Raise awareness among the tech industry of DPRK IT worker tactics to secure jobs, including interview techniques and application red flags, to prevent revenue generation drawing from the U.S. Government IT workers advisory, published in 2022 and updated in 2023;

· Convene officials from ministries of labor, health, immigration, and foreign affairs, and law enforcement officials to improve inter-agency collaboration to identify and expel DPRK nationals working abroad on behalf of the DPRK regime, including those whose nationality has been obscured or falsified, or whose visa types have been fraudulently changed to evade deportation;

· Raise awareness among government and media leaders about additional risks associated with employing DPRK laborers;

· Work with prosecutors to develop new approaches to disrupting DPRK laborers working abroad on behalf of the DPRK regime where national immigration or related authorities for expulsion are not in place; and;

· Train immigration and customs personnel in database analysis and relevant open-source research techniques to identify DPRK nationals working abroad on behalf of the DPRK regime in partner countries’ territories.

For FY25, ISN/CTR’s priority countries for this line of effort lie principally in the regions of East Asia and Pacific (EAP), Europe (EUR), Sub-Saharan Africa (AF), South and Central Asia (SCA), Middle East/North Africa (NEA), and Western Hemisphere (WHA). Other countries or regions will be considered if a strong nonproliferation and threat reduction justification is supplied.

5. Maritime Sanctions Implementation: The DPRK exploits ship registries to evade UN sanctions on maritime commerce and to generate revenue for WMD development. DPRK-linked entities, including trading partners, evade sanctions by using falsified documents to register vessels, disabling ships’ identification/location transponders to conduct dark voyages, registry-hopping to evade enforcement action, and exploiting inconsistent documentary requirements for “provisional” registration of commercial vessels. Similarly, Iran takes steps to obfuscate the origin of Iranian oil in pursuit of revenue in violation of U.S. sanctions. Registries with lax enforcement mechanisms fail to identify, deregister, and when applicable, report Iranian and DPRK-linked vessels.

ISN/CTR seeks proposals that incentivize and enhance ship registries and maritime authorities’ abilities to prevent, detect, and halt DPRK and Iranian sanctions evasion, including but not limited to the following activities:

· Train publicly and privately-operated ship registries to conduct proper due diligence to identify, deregister, and report Iran and DPRK-linked vessels already on, or applying to, their respective registries;

· Convene bilateral and multilateral engagements to standardize rigorous compliance practices, and find creative opportunities to reach registries exploited by Iran and DPRK, which ISN/CTR has not yet engaged;

· Assist countries to conduct audits of their ship registries and deregister Iran and DPRK-linked vessels, and training maritime administration staff to conduct their own audits;

· Help countries to develop stronger registry oversight measures, including requirements for beneficial ownership information and best practices to identify whether ships have been physically altered to avoid sanctions evasion detection or have undertaken suspicious activities at sea such as turning off automatic identification systems (AIS) and loitering in known ship-to-ship transfer zones;

· Encourage and train ship registry personnel, when deregistering or denying DPRK-linked applications, to comply with information-sharing and reporting agreements with other ship registries, the United Nations, the United States, and the wider maritime community;

· Engage the International Maritime Organization (IMO) secretariat and/or IMO member states to improve sanctions compliance and facilitate information sharing about DPRK and Iran sanctions evasion activities through multilateral information sharing mechanisms databases; and

· Advise countries that outsource ship registry management to a private entity on how best to design their ship registry management contract, conduct oversight of the private entity, and ensure sanctions compliance.

6. DPRK uses ship-to-ship transfers to export coal and import refined petroleum in violation of UN sanctions: Despite robust UNSCR and U.S. sanctions, the DPRK continues to conduct illicit ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum and coal, and obfuscates its connection to this activity and to various commercial stakeholders involved in the supply chain.

ISN/CTR seeks proposals that enable and incentivize global commodity trading, supplier, and brokering companies, financial institutions, insurers, shipping industry associations, ship owners, operators, and charterers, shipyard owners, port managers, classification societies, vessel captains and crewing companies, and other commercial stakeholders to proactively identify and report clients that facilitate potential DPRK-linked ship-to-ship transfers. ISN/CTR also seeks to engage policy and law enforcement stakeholders to generate interest and motivation to investigate commodity smuggling networks through activities such as the following:

· Train law enforcement agencies to identify DPRK-linked smuggling networks involved in the illicit transfer of coal and oil in East and Southeast Asia and to investigate these networks;

· Build private sector capabilities to identify and report DPRK oil and coal shipping activities, ship-to-ship transfers, and attempts to obtain access to additional vessels;

· Train port authorities on proper sanctions compliance and vessel inspection practices, with the aim to prevent the sale or transfer of sanctioned or missile-related, proliferation-sensitive technology;

· Train large private sector institutions to adopt and standardize advanced due diligence practices in their respective sectors as documented in numerous U.S. Government advisories, and to showcase this work to smaller institutions with weaker compliance systems; and

· Workshops that facilitate information sharing and coordination across sectors and stakeholders involved in the oil/coal supply chain to identify and disrupt potential links to DPRK-associated activities.

6. Open-Source technical data on continually evolving sanctions evasion is key to informing ISN/CTR programming:

Iran operates a diverse procurement network involving procurement agents, brokers, and front companies; exploits the international financial system; and utilizes vessels and aircraft to move raw and manufactured materials, items, and commodities to Iran to support the regime’s ballistic missile, UAS, and nuclear programs. ISN/CTR seeks proposals for projects that:

· Identify and provide in-depth insight into these activities, as well as to provide quick-turn, actionable, unclassified data for capacity-building purposes in response to ISN/CTR requests;

· Investigate Iranian procurement and import trends, particularly on products that violate U.S. sanctions and that support Iran’s nuclear advancements; and

· Identify and map ownership networks, structures, and personnel involved with known or suspected front companies and procurement activities for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). ISN/CTR is especially interested in activities and networks involving or impacting entities within the jurisdiction of U.S. foreign partners.

The DPRK employs an evolving network of witting and unwitting individuals, corporate entities, maritime vessels, and diplomatic missions to conduct and conceal its sanctions evasion activities. ISN/CTR seeks:

· Reporting based on rigorous collection and analysis of open source and commercially available information for the purpose of providing unclassified information to foreign governments to make them aware of, and assist their investigations into, DPRK sanctions-evasion activity.

· Investigative projects that span domains including blockchain analytics, regional virtual asset activity (chain-hopping and cashout) trends, cyber supply chain vulnerabilities, DPRK IT worker indicators, and illicit maritime trade.

ISN/CTR is interested in deliverables that provide immediate, actionable information on specific entities or activities to this end, and that serve as case studies to include in capacity-building programming. ISN/CTR does not seek to build an in-house, open-source analytical capability and does not seek to fund the development of new analytical tools, nor does ISN/CTR seek its time-constrained staff to be trained to use such tools.

For FY25, ISN/CTR’s priority countries for this line of effort lie in the following geographic regions, as defined by the U.S. Department of State: East Asia and Pacific (EAP), South and Central Asia (SCA), Sub-Saharan Africa (AF), Western Hemisphere (WHA), Middle East/North Africa (NEA) and Europe and Eurasia (EUR).

Expected Outcomes

Improved foreign partner awareness of and capacity to disrupt DPRK and Iranian sanctions evasion activities including:

· Disrupt Iranian ballistic missile and UAS procurement: Deliver trainings for key private sector stakeholders in EAP, EUR, and NEA to ensure compliance with U.S. sanctions and export controls through robust KYC programs to identify and disrupt missile and UAS procurement.

· Deter Iranian nuclear weapons development: Deliver trainings that sensitize governments to the risk of Iranian nuclear procurement activity in their jurisdictions and equip the private sector to identify and disrupt Iranian nuclear procurement by implementing rigorous Know Your Customer (KYC) and due diligence programs. Conduct open-source investigations to identify actions that foreign partners can take to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program, focusing on the material and expertise necessary for Iran’s enrichment efforts.

· Detect and stop proliferation-driven money laundering: Deliver trainings to governments on implementing their Financial Action Task Force (FATF) obligations, and train private financial institutions to implement KYC and anti-money laundering practices to better identify and disrupt Iranian proliferation-related financial activities.

· Improve Global Enforcement of U.S. and UN sanctions: Empower government organizations to identify proliferation financing activity; cooperate with U.S. authorities, legal process, and other action requests; and understand and implement targeted financial sanctions. Sensitize financial institutions, cryptocurrency exchanges, and other relevant private sector stakeholders to the business risks associated with noncompliance with U.S. and international sanctions pertaining to the DPRK.

· Deny DPRK illicit revenue (e.g., crypto heists and DPRK IT workers): Counter DPRK’s exploitation of the cryptocurrency ecosystem by hardening the blockchain community against DPRK cyber threats, supporting partner government incident response and attribution efforts, and improving foreign authorities’ abilities to oversee virtual asset service providers in their jurisdictions. Train governments and the tech industry on methods to detect deceptive DPRK tactics to gain remote tech jobs that earn money for the Kim regime and provide DPRK access to private sector networks.

· Stop DPRK maritime sanctions evasion (e.g., oil imports, coal exports): Teach flag registry operators to conduct proper due diligence to identify, deregister, and report DPRK-linked vessels, and detect illicit shipping practices supporting the DPRK. Train port authorities on effective sanctions enforcement and vessel inspection practices to detect illicit cargo and enhance law enforcement abilities to investigate DPRK-linked coal and oil smuggling networks.

Performance Indicators All proposals will measure partner capacity before and after training and engagement, with the expectation that skills, procedures, and abilities have increased due to ISN/CTR support.

ISN/CTR uses multiple indicators across all lines of effort to demonstrate our partner countries are making progress towards achieving self-sustaining, proliferation-resistant security culture that reduces the threat posed by proliferator states to obtain WMD and delivery systems for the purposes of threatening the United States and its interests. Please identify how your proposed projects will contribute to the larger effort.

Key Considerations

ISN/CTR will view the following attributes favorably in the FY25 proposal process:

· Proposals that emphasize train-the-trainer methodologies, build indigenous capacity within a partner country, and establish relationships between partner countries;

· Proposals that promote burden sharing by enabling partner countries to enforce U.S. and UN sanctions and reduce enforcement costs to U.S. agencies.

· Leveraging champions from local and regional partners to expand ISN/CTR’s reach in priority countries and difficult environments, and support the long-term sustainability of these efforts;

· Outcomes that go beyond basic sanctions implementation and awareness-raising and address specific challenging threats;

· Proposals that reference the current threat landscape specific to the country of engagement;

· Nonproliferation benefit clearly evidenced by data-driven analysis and targeted approaches to current threat information;

· Multi-phased proposals to scope vulnerabilities and develop country-specific targeted solutions and exercises;

· Proposals tailored to fit local technical capacities as well as the local, country-specific threat environment;

· Financial and/or in-kind cost-sharing, including but not limited to subject matter expertise, facilities, equipment, technology, or other forms of cost-sharing;

· Proposals that leverage multiple implementers, including from the American private sector, to deliver innovative, technical, and/or logistical solutions; and

· Virtual or web-based activities and low-cost equipping solutions for difficult operating environments that promote participant retention throughout the engagements.

1. Substantial Involvement ISN/CTR will be involved in the project development and planning. ISN/CTR staff will work closely with the implementer to select participants, grant awards, and review event agendas, curriculum, and all other materials to ensure that they align with the proficiency level, needs and interests of each ISN/CTR partner country audience. ISN/CTR will approve all foreign participant, advise on training logistical implementation and will consult on all aspects of event logistical planning and all participants including process and lead-time required for obtaining U.S. visas.

D. Application Contents and Format 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.

ISN/CTR is looking for one proposal package per application. Each package can include multiple standalone projects that can evaluated independently. Each proposal packet will include one of the following documents that incorporate information on all proposed projects: SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B (Optional), SF-LLL (if Applicable), Summary Page, Key Personnel, Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative, and a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan/Tracker. To ensure that all applications receive a balanced evaluation, the review panel will review from the first page of each section up to the page limit and no further. Each proposed project should have a unique set of the following documents: Project Narrative, Detailed Line-Item Budget Document, and Budget Narrative Document.

Content of Application Please ensure:

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

· All documents are in English

· All budgets are in U.S. dollars (no cents)

· All pages are numbered

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

· All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Calibri font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins. Font sizes in charts and tables, including the budget, can be reformatted to fit within 1 page width.

· All application materials must be submitted through www.Grants.gov unless you are a U.S. government entity applying for Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA) funding. If you are applying for an IAA please submit proposals to ISN-CTR-DPRK@state.gov and ISN-CTR-BUDGET@state.gov.

The following documents are required:

1. Mandatory application forms

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

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

2. Optional Application Forms

· SF-424B forms (strongly encouraged for for-profit entities and other organizations (FPEs/PIOs))

· SF-LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities)

3. Summary Page Include a table with the organization name, project title, target country/countries, name and contact information for the application’s main point of contact, and brief section that clearly outlines the (1) the problem statement addressed by the project (2) research-based evidence justifying the applicant’s approach, and (3) quantifiable project outcomes. (Template not provided, not to exceed one (1) page, preferably as a Word document)

4. Key Personnel Identify staff within your organization or outside of your organization (subgrantee, consultants, contractors), carrying out administrative and/or technical responsibilities, who are integral to the success of each project. Provides names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications, time they will support each project of key personnel involved in each project. Given the limited space, inserting CVs are not recommended but may be submitted in as an attachment. Generally limited to 3-5 individuals. (Template not provided, not to exceed two (2) pages, preferably as a Word document).

5. Program Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative and Plan/Tracker This is a two (2) component submission requirement. (Template not provided)

(1) Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative: (3 pages maximum) Preferably a one-page Word document, the narrative outlines how a project’s M&E system will be carried out and by whom. It details how you will track your project’s performance toward its objectives over time and provides a clear description of the approach and data collection strategies and tools to be employed (e.g., pre- and post-test surveys, interviews, focus groups). The description should include how the applicant will track and document whether activities occurred (outputs) and the results or changes caused by these activities (outcomes). If the project includes work with local partners or sub-partners, explain how M&E efforts will be coordinated amongst these organizations. Explain if an external evaluation will be included. Evaluations, internal or external, should be systematic studies that use research methods to address specific questions about project performance. They should provide a valuable supplement to ongoing monitoring activities. Evaluation activities generally include baseline assessments, mid-term and final evaluations.

(2) Monitoring and Evaluation Plan:

The monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan should draw on the objectives, activities and expected changes outlined in the proposal, and link those areas to indicators. The M&E plan is generally structured as an Excel table with output- and outcome-based indicators. It explains how data will be collected (data collection methods) to measure the effect of programming against declared objectives. It outlines baselines (where your project is starting) and quarterly targets (what you would like to achieve) for each indicator. Please see “Sample Monitoring Indicator Plan” included as an attachment to the NOFO.

Note: If recommended for funding, the panel and/or bureau may negotiate the inclusion of additional Department of State Foreign Assistance indicators. These indicators assist the bureau in tying projects to larger bureau program objectives for Department’s Managing for Results framework. More information on this policy framework and access to the foreign assistance master indicator list is on the Foreign Assistance Resource Library. After award issuance, the M&E plan will accompany performance reports to document progress on indicators.

6. Project Narrative (3 pages maximum per project) 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. (Please use the provide template)

· CTR Unique Identifier: Please assign each project a unique identifier based on the following convention: Implementer_Country_Fiscal Year_001 (IMPL_EFF_YR_001).

· Project Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed project, including project objectives and anticipated impact.

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

· Project Title: Please provide a one-sentence project title that succinctly describes the project and outcome.

· Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed

· Project Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve. The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable.

· Project Activities and Deliverables: Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.

· Project 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.

· Outcomes: The results or effects of the objective(s). What are the detailed, measurable statements that outline the end results?

· Risk Analysis: Risks are unavoidable – all projects inherently contain both internal and external risks.

· Proposed Project Schedule and Timeline: The proposed timeline for the program activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events.

· Project Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees.

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

· Country of Impact: If a project will provide assistance to more than one country, please specify the estimated percent of funds that will be provided to each country.

· Nonproliferation Objective and the Project’s Role in Meeting this Objective: Please provide a specific explanation of how your proposed activities will meet the nonproliferation objectives outlined in the NOFO.

· Participant Review Acknowledgment: If the proposal includes virtual or in person engagements your organization will need to submit participant information to CTR using the CTR participant review spreadsheet.

· Project Budget: Please include the top line total for the projects and complete the separate budget attachments.

· Project Point of Contact (POC)

7. Budget Justification Documents After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use submit two separate files for each project proposed to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. Please submit See section I. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information. (Please use the provide template)

(1) Detailed Line-Item Budget Document:

Entities and organizations not recognized as FFRDCs, FPEs, or PIOs are required to submit detailed budget information according to the OMB cost categories (see SF-424A as an example). Budget expenses should be submitted preferably as one Excel workbook and include three (3) columns describing the request to ISN/CTR, any required or voluntary cost sharing, and the total budget. If submitting multiple projects each project can have its own page in the workbook. Costs must be in whole U.S. dollars. The attached Budget Guidance Template is the preferred format for submission. Detailed line-item budgets for sub-grantees should be included as additional tabs within the Excel workbook (if available at the time of submission).

(2) Budget Narrative Document: (3 Pages maximum) Entities and organizations not recognized as FFRDCs, FPEs, or PIOs are required to submit narrative information, preferably as a Word document, that explain the methodology considerations for each specific line identified in the Excel document. The budget narrative should support the activities described in the proposal and provide additional information that might not be readily apparent in the detailed line-item budget. Do not simply repeat what is represented numerically in the budget, i.e. salaries are for salaries or travel is for travel. If the detailed budget includes sub-awards, please include a separate budget narrative for each sub-award budget. Provide details on the purpose of costs, reasonability of costs, cost price analysis, allocation methodology, explain any yearly variances in unit prices, and tie expenses to program activities and/or objectives where appropriate. Information should describe prices used when costs have been averaged for the purposes of the calculation; when or if there is a reduction in a typical cost due to leveraging other resources; when costs are inflated due to specific considerations; or when untypical costs are included due to special circumstances. Provide information on considerations such as translations, multi-media approaches as also described in the proposal narrative, procurement by local vendors or the need to import due to unavailability, specific needs of different audiences, costs related to country limitations, etc.

Budget Documents for Foreign Public Entities/Public International Organizations: Entities and organizations recognized as FFRDCs, FPEs, or PIOs are not required to submit detailed budget information according to the OMB cost categories. (1) A detailed budget, preferably as an excel document broken down by activity may be provided instead. Costs must be in U.S. dollars. (2) A budget narrative, preferably as an Excel workbook, an activity based detailed budget with information identifying lines associated with labor (inclusive of contractual or consultancy staff), participant support costs, travel, and other activity related expenses as appropriate for each activity identified. While 2 CFR 200, Subpart E—Costs Principles does not apply to FFRDCs, FPEs, or PIOs, it should be used as a guide to assist in determining reasonableness. Budget narrative information, preferably as a Word document, should explain the methodology considerations for each activity and other cost considerations or special circumstances that are helpful in determining reasonableness.

8. Attachments that will be included in evaluation

· 1-page Curriculum Vitae (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, include your latest NICRA as a PDF file.

· Past Performance statement please provide a list of recent USG funded awards (max 10) that have been active in the last twenty-four (24) months with references and award numbers.

· Official permission letters, if required for program activities.

E. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

1. Address to Request Application Package Application forms required above are available at grants.gov and MyGrants.

2. Department of State Contacts If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact: ISN-CTR-BUDGET@state.gov and XXXX@state.gov.

ISN/CTR will not conduct individual meetings to discuss the specifics of a proposal or provide additional information on the needs of the NOFO before they close. ISN/CTR will collect all questions about this NOFO submitted to the distros above and post the questions and answers as an attachment to the NOFO in Grants.gov every Friday until 25 July 2025.

3. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Required Registrations All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration in SAM.gov. 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. An applicant must maintain an active registration while it has a proposal under review by the Department and must continue to keep the registration active for the entire duration of the period of performance of any Federal award that results from this NOFO.

The 2 CFR 200 requires subrecipients to obtain a UEI. Please note the UEI for subrecipients is not required at the time of application but will be required before an award is processed and/or directed to a subrecipient.

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 in the United States or that pay employees within the United States will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a UEI prior to registering in SAM.gov.

· 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 prior to registering in SAM.gov.

· Organizations based outside of the United States that do not intend to apply for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awards are no longer required to have a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities. If an applicant organization is mid-registration and wishes to remove an NCAGE code from their SAM.gov registration, the applicant should submit a help desk ticket (“incident”) with the Federal Service Desk (FSD) online at www.fsd.gov using the following language: “I do not intend to seek financial assistance from the Department of Defense. I do not wish to obtain an NCAGE code. I understand that I will need to submit my registration after this incident is resolved in order to have my registration activated.”

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):

NCAGE Code Request Tool (nato.int)

Exemptions An exemption from the UEI and sam.gov registration requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis. See 2 CFR 25.110 for a full list of exemptions.

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 Applications are due no later than 30 July 2025, 11:59 P.M. EDT

5. Funding Restrictions

i. Funding Restrictions for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)

None of the funds awarded resulting from this Notice of Funding Opportunity may be made available for subawards, direct financial support, or otherwise used to provide any payment or transfer to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

ii. Prohibition on Funding Activities that Encourage Mass-Migration Caravans towards the United States Southwest Border

None of the funds awarded under this grant may be made available to encourage, mobilize, publicize, or manage mass-migration caravans towards the United States southwest border. Funds may not be made available for legal counseling on the United States asylum process; and/or for referrals to legal representation in the United States.

Funds may only be used for cash cards for use in the country in which they are provided or to facilitate assisted voluntary returns and other purposes that do not encourage, mobilize, publicize, or manage mass migration caravans towards the United States southwest border. The provision of humanitarian assistance is permitted.

iii. Certification Regarding Compliance with applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws

None of the funds awarded under this agreement may be used for any initiatives or programs, or any activities that do not comply with Executive Order 14173 titled Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.

By signing the SF-424 or SF-424I Application for Federal Assistance, the Applicant certifies the following:

1) Its compliance in all respects with all applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws is material to the government’s payment decisions for purposes of section 3729(b)(4) of title 31, United States Code and;

2) It does not operate any programs promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that violate any applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws.

iv. Applicants are advised that IHEs must certify the following at the time of award, and that this certification requirement must be included in any subaward agreements to IHEs:

· Its compliance in all respects with section 1011f of title 20, United States Code, and any other applicable foreign funding disclosure requirements is material for purposes of section 3729 of title 31, United States Code, and for receipt of appropriate Federal grant funds.

ISN/CTR will not consider applications that reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated terrorist organization. Please refer to the link for Foreign Terrorist Organizations: https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/. Consistent with Department guidance on State Funding and the Risks of Terrorist Financing for all State Department funded programs and requirements, Department bureaus must assess the likelihood that the funds or Department funded activities, goods, services, training, expert advice or assistance, or other benefits to be provided, could inadvertently or…