creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem in papua new guinea announcement.docx

Notice of Funding Opportunity U.S. Embassy Port Moresby Title: Creating an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem for Women in Papua New Guinea to Enable Women’s Economic Empowerment

Catalog of Federal Domestic

2. Application review and selection is expected by August 31, 2015.

Executive Summary:

The U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG) announces the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a new program whose goal is to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem for women in Papua New Guinea to enable women’s economic empowerment. The program will support the following activities, with the goal of advancing the status of women entrepreneurs in Papua New Guinea:

· Establish of a PNG Women’s Business Center to provide a physical space for women both established and up-and-coming businesswomen to gain access to vital resources for economic empowerment such as training, mentoring, and access to entrepreneurial-related information and support.

· Grow the capacity and ingenuity of female entrepreneurs in Papua New Guinea by holding a business competition and offering preparatory and post-competition training and mentoring to ensure participants the best chance of success in their businesses.

· Incorporate of entrepreneurship into the curriculum at several of Papua New Guinea’s major universities.

· Support the PNG Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry through technical assistance, mentoring, and training.

Eligibility for this NOFO is limited to: educational and research institutions; foreign public entities; U.S. not-for-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) subject to section 501 (c) (3) of the U.S. tax code, foreign not-for-profit/NGOs; and U.S. commercial firms.

This NOFO includes four individual components:

· Component One: PNG Women’s Business Center

· Up to $206,612 (with up to an additional $206,612 in matching funding from a partner government)

· Component Two: Business Competition and Training/Mentoring

· Up to $207,656 (with up to an additional $207,656 in matching funding from a partner government)

· Component Three: Incorporating Entrepreneurship into University Curricula

· Up to $36,675 (with up to an additional $36,675 in matching funding from a partner government)

· Component Four: Support for the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry

· Up to $300,000

Applicants are invited to apply within their competencies for one, two, three, or all four of these components and must demonstrate expertise in all areas for which they are applying.

One to four grants in FY 2014 Economic Support Funds (ESF) will be awarded under this NOFO.

Successful grants may receive matching funding from a partner government as noted above. Applicants are asked to prepare proposals that include two sets of budgets and proposals to achieve the goals set forth under the relevant component(s): One using only the U.S.-funded ESF included in this NOFO and a second plan and budget using both the ESF and matching funding from a partner government, as applicable. This should outline how the additional funds, if committed, could be used to further the program objectives.

The initial period of performance for each will be for two years. Funding authority rests in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

All applicants should be familiar with OMB Circular 2 CFR Part 200.

Contact Person:

Susan May, Economic Officer, U.S. Embassy Port Moresby +675-321-1455, ext. 2116 mobile: +675-7030-0266 maysm@state.gov

Please read the entire NOFO package before submitting an application, and follow the steps immediately in order to submit before the deadline. Applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria and do not contain all of required information will not be considered.

Program Description

A. Funding Opportunity Description

i. Background Economic empowerment is the key to achieving true gender equality in Papua New Guinea (PNG), and enabling women to avoid and escape from the dangerous cycles of domestic violence that permeate society. PNG women need a boost to give them the skills and opportunities to spur entrepreneurship in a country where women are marginalized and there are very few women business owners. Currently, there is no entrepreneurial ecosystem in place to allow female business owners, and prospective entrepreneurs, the space to partner and collaborate. Entrepreneurship is also not part of the curriculum at any of PNG’s tertiary institutions, leaving graduates at a significant disadvantage if they decide to take the leap and start a business.

Only ten percent of formal sector businesses in PNG are locally owned, and local entrepreneurship is nascent. Out of this tiny figure, the number of women-owned businesses is minimal. Economically empowering women in PNG not only helps the country advance economically, but also addresses persistent social challenges. There is a clear a nexus between women’s economic development and combating gender based violence. Increasing women’s access to and control over financial resources can help women build their bargaining power within the household, strengthen their social status, and form an exit strategy from an abusive relationship through greater economic independence.

ii. Program Goals This program aims to create the entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports women’s leadership and agency to help them break through barriers and play a bigger role in the country’s future; start their own businesses; have financial security that will allow them to escape gender based violence.

iii. Main Activities

1. Component One: Establish a PNG Women’s Business Center. The Port Moresby-based Center will provide a safe space for female would-be entrepreneurs and businessowners from the formal and informal sector to receive training, access resources, and connect patrons to a local network of mentors that can provide them real time, tailored feedback. The Center will offer women businessowners and prospective entrepreneurs ongoing support, advice, resources, and the environment needed to transform their businesses, and in turn create jobs and strengthen local and national economies. Through the Center, current and prospective women entrepreneurs will acquire the skills they need to start a business, tackle the challenge of growing a small business, and take an informal business across the threshold into the formal sector. The Center should offer innovative and interactive training opportunities, such as pitch competitions for businesswomen to help them learn to better market their businesses.

The Center will be an innovation hub where young start-up companies can meet, collaborate, and tap into mentoring networks for women when they have challenges in starting or running their businesses or are looking for potential business and trade opportunities; to form strategic alliances; and to pursue outside resources and support.

The Center should offer evidence-based, sector-specific programming based on PNG’s economic and gender climate that addresses the obstacles PNG women in starting or growing their businesses (including addressing restrictions to access to economic resources and assets, access to markets, and access to financial services).

The Center should include holistic services (including childcare) to address barriers that would limit women’s access to Center resources. Furthermore, the Center should provide links to resources to address and respond to gender-based violence, and offer tailored activities geared towards engaging the male family and community members as champions for supporting women’s economic agency and empowerment, thereby providing a platform to address gender inequality through an economic lens.

The Center should also provide mechanisms to build partnerships and engagements with women’s groups, local community based organizations, financial institutions, international NGOs, international organizations, diplomatic partners, the private sector, and others critical to the shared aim of women’s empowerment.

For maximum effect and sustainability, the PNG Women’s Business Center should be carried out in partnership with an NGO that is resident in Papua New Guinea. (Up to $206,612; with up to an additional $206,612 in matching funding from a partner government)

2. Component Two: Business Competition and Training/Mentoring. The business competition will grow the capacity and ingenuity of female entrepreneurs in Papua New Guinea. Preparatory and post-competition training and mentoring will ensure participants the best chance of success in their businesses. This business competition, training, and mentoring will spur the creation of new female-owned businesses by offering aspiring and existing entrepreneurs tailored programs designed to provide them with the skills needed to create new or expand existing businesses.

For maximum effect and sustainability, the business competition, training, and mentoring should be executed in partnership with an NGO that is resident in Papua New Guinea. Adequate time should be allowed for preparatory training and mentoring prior to the business competition as the level of skill in entrepreneurship for many women may be quite low (i.e. training and mentoring is a process, not a one-off). Likewise, post-competition training and mentoring should proceed long enough to help successful competitors see their businesses through at least the first six months of development.

Access to funding for successful competitors should be part of the business competition, whether it is through grants (seed money) to winners, priority consideration for loans with financial institutions; or through “angel investors” or the like.

While the bulk of the competition, training, and mentoring activities may take place in Port Moresby, opportunities should be created to allow for participation by women outside the capital. (Up to $207,656 , with up to an additional $207,656 in matching funding from a partner government)

3. Component Three: Incorporating Entrepreneurship into University Curricula.

While PNG women are hungry for economic independence, they face substantial challenges to becoming business owners. Many women do not even consider the prospect of starting their own business because they perceive it as too difficult, and something that only educated men can accomplish. Educational enrollment rates for girls relative to boys are among the lowest in the Pacific, which perpetuates disadvantage in the formal economy for women. There is a serious need for financial literacy training for women in order to give them the basic knowledge needed to develop small businesses.

Incorporating entrepreneurship into the curriculum at several major universities in Papua New Guinea will help to address this gap and foster an entrepreneurial culture among the next generation. The selected organization would partner with these universities (and other organizations as appropriate) to identify and arrange for an Entrepreneurship Curriculum Specialist to visit Papua New Guinea several times over the life of the project to work one-on-one with school administrators and professors. As part of this, the selected organization should look for “twinning” opportunities to pair these institutions with U.S. business schools for mentoring at the faculty level, and to establish opportunities for PNG students to spend a semester in the United States studying business and interning at local U.S. startups. (Up to $36,675, with up to an additional $36,675 in matching funding from a partner government)

4. Component Four: Support for the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This support will providing technical assistance and capacity building to the PNG Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PNGWCCI) to ensure its endurance and viability as a voice for female entrepreneurs at the national and local level in Papua New Guinea and support sustainable and inclusive economic growth in PNG and surrounding region.

Since its formal launch in November 2013, PNGWCCI has created a platform to organize activities and outreach to women that had never before existed in Papua New Guinea. The Chamber has written a constitution; held its first annual general election; developed a work plan; offered training to its members on how to start and grow a business; liaised with banks to press for new loan opportunities for women; held the country’s first-ever roundtable on the government’s proposed Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) policy; secured support from the PNG Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and has PNG’s First Lady as its Patron. It now has over 200 members and continues to grow.

The selected organization would provide technical assistance and capacity building to PNGWCCI to help it continue to define its strategic goals and develop an implementation plan to reach those goals; expand its membership base and outreach capacity; offer new training and mentoring opportunities to its members; improve its internal governance, leadership, financial, and grant management capacity; and address other needs as the Chamber grows and takes on new responsibilities.

If the selected organization is not resident in Papua New Guinea, this should include multiple, regular in-person visits to Papua New Guinea as well as sustained, regular telephone and email contact with PNGWCCI’s Executives throughout the life of the grant. (Up to $300,000)

iv. Expected Results and Performance Indicators

· Prospective and current women businessowners have sustained and regular access to ongoing training and mentoring resources

· Number of women who demonstrate increased knowledge of how to start and grow businesses

· Number of women who report overcoming a business obstacle thanks to the training and mentoring

· Number of men demonstrating increased knowledge on how to support women entrepreneurship

· Number of universities that have incorporated entrepreneurship into their curricula

B. Federal Award Information

i. Available Funding and Legislative Authority The source of this funding is Economic Support Funds.

ii. Summary of Award Information

iii. Deadline

C. Eligibility Information Applications by applicants which do not meet the eligibility by the time of an application deadline will result the application not being reviewed.

1. Eligible Applicants:

Eligibility for this NOFO is limited to: educational and research institutions, foreign public entities, U.S. not-for-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) subject to section 501 (c) (3) of the U.S. tax code, foreign not-for-profit organizations/NGOs, and U.S. commercial firms.

2. Cost-Sharing or Matching – not required. However, for three of the project components, there is the possibility of matching funding of up to 100 percent of the component totals. Applicants are asked to prepare proposals that include two sets of budgets and proposals to achieve the goals set forth under the relevant component(s): One using only the U.S.-funded ESF included in this NOFO and a second plan and budget using both the ESF and matching funding from a partner government, as applicable. This should outline how the additional funds, if committed, could be used to further the program objectives.

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package This NOFO contains all of the information and links necessary for potential applicants to apply. This NOFO and all required forms can be downloaded at www.grants.gov and Grantsolutions.gov.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission Please read the entire NOFO and follow the guidelines for proposal preparation below.

Applicants must include the following in the proposal submission. All submissions must be in English.

1. Table of Contents that lists application contents and attachments (if any);

2. Completed and signed SF-424, SF-424A and SF424B, as directed on www.grants.gov. The Certifications and Assurances that your organization is agreeing to in signing the 424 are available at http://statebuy.state.gov/fa/;

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

4. Proposal Narrative (not to exceed 10 pages, single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font in Microsoft Word, at least one-inch margins), following the structure described below. The proposal narrative should identify inputs, outputs, and outcomes of the proposal activities, timelines, and any qualitative or quantitative targets, and impact.

5. Summary and detailed Budget in USD, in Excel, using the format shown in the budget template;

6. Detailed Budget Narrative (not to exceed 6 pages) that includes an explanation for each line item in the spreadsheet, as well as the source and description of all cost share offered;

7. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan detailing how the project’s impact and effectiveness will be monitored and evaluated throughout the project, using the attached template.

8. Attachments may be included, (letters of commitment from the applicant institution and sub-award partners, CVs of key personnel, project experience, etc.) but should not be unreasonably lengthy; see NOFO for details on required attachments, if any;

9. 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;

10. A PDF file copy of your organization’s most recent financial audit;

11. Number all pages, including budget and addenda;

Applicants under consideration for an award will likely be subject to a pre-award survey to determine fiscal responsibility and ensure adequacy of financial controls. This survey contains a list of criteria for determining whether the applicant’s accounting system meets the minimum standards to be eligible for USG funding. These standards include appropriate accounting software and written financial management policies and accounting procedures. The pre-award survey will involve assessing the extent to which these are in place within an organization and being actively implemented.

E. Application Review Information

Criteria: Each application will be evaluated and scored on the five-part Proposal Components and the two-part Budget Components using a 100 point scale by a peer review committee of Department of State and other experts, as appropriate.

Proposal Narrative: The committee will score each of the five sections of the Proposal Narrative based on how completely they address the points described in the Proposal Narrative Guidance in Section E, i and ii. The importance of each section is indicated by the maximum score as follows:

Executive Summary – 5 points Organization Capacity and Past Performance – 20 points Program Strategy – 30 points Performance Monitoring and Evaluation – 15 points Management Plan – 20 points

Budget: The committee will also review the budget components in order to assign up to 10 points for the overall program budget and cost-effectiveness.

Budget Appropriateness – 5 points Cost-effectiveness – 5 points

i. Criteria Components

1. Executive Summary (5 points):

This section should be a succinct, one-page summary containing information that the applicant believes best represents its proposed competition and includes the name and contact information for the project’s main point of contact; the description of the problem this project seeks to address; the description of the intended direct beneficiaries; the project’s purpose and expected results both to impact women from PNG and the broader economic and entrepreneurial ecosystem; and a one paragraph program description.

2. Organizational Capacity and Past Performance (20 points):

This section of the application provides information about the applicant organization and any proposed key partners. It provides evidence that the applicant has the ability to successfully carry out the program activities of the cooperative agreement.

Provide a description of the applicant organization – including its general purpose, goals, annual budget (including funding sources), and major past and current activities and projects undertaken. Demonstrated success in the proposed will be viewed favorably.

Include a description of all key partners for this project and of the proposed working relationship with them. Applicants should clearly distinguish between partners with whom they intend to enter into a sub-grant or sub-contract relationship and those with whom they intend to collaborate, but not transfer, program funds.

Discuss the applicant’s organization and key partners’ past experience in providing partnership support services, and/or evaluating programs similar to that requested. Describe areas of key competency, past domestic/international experience on addressing these barriers, if any, and structure of the organization. Describe how many people previously reached with prior projects, what changes have resulted from it, etc. Please include statistics (if appropriate) and specific examples as evidence of the organization’s previous impact along the proposed project aims. As an attachment, please provide at least one past performance reference, which describes any contracts, grants, and/or cooperative agreements that the applicant organization has implemented involving similar or related programs over the past three years. Please provide this reference in an attachment and include the following information: name and address of the organization for which the work was performed; current telephone number and email address of responsible representative from the organization for which the work was performed; contract/grant name and number (if any); annual amount received for each of the last three years and beginning and end dates; brief description of the project/assistance activity; and key project accomplishments/results achieved to date.

3. Program Strategy (30 points):

Propose a clear and realistic implementation plan to comprehensively address objectives of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (section A). The strategy should further outline the Program Goals and Expected Results for the project. It should also outline the relevant and appropriate Main Activities to accomplish the Goals and Expected Results. Explain the assumptions on which the success of the project depends and the involvement of other stakeholders. Strategy should give attention to thoughtful partnerships with local community, women’s groups, men and boys; to building local capacity; and to sustainability of program activities and results.

In table format, please present a brief, one to two page work plan matrix with a timeline including target dates for activities, which reflects the overall program approach and its objectives. (see sample attached)

Include information on how the program and budget could be expanded should matching funds be made available from other donors.

4. Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (15 points):

Give a clear description of assumptions, short-term and long-term project goal(s), objective(s), activities, outputs and intended results linked to your project; provide matching indicators and a plan to demonstrate a baseline at project inception that measures the current status of conditions that the project seeks to affect. Include a detailed table listing by program objectives the output and outcome-based performance indicators. Discuss how progress towards the expected results will be measured.

5. Management Plan (20 points):

Describe the proposed management structure for this project and provide a project organizational chart in the attachments. Include in the narrative a description of the responsibilities of team members and include key partners, reporting relationships, authority, and lines of communication within and among each of the team members or organizations.

Include job descriptions and CVs of team members (e.g. Project Coordinator) as attachments outside the 10-page limit, which demonstrates that the proposed team is consistent with the project’s requirements and needs.

ii. Budget Components

1. Budget Appropriateness (5 points):

Budgeted items are obviously necessary to the achievement of the goals and activities as presented in the application.

2. Cost-effectiveness (5points):

Applicants should propose expenditures that are reasonable, allowable, and allocable to the proposed activities and that reflect the applicant’s understanding of 2 CFR 200.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and SAMS The System for Award Management is a U.S.-government wide registry of vendors doing business with the U.S. federal government and requires annual renewal. The system centralizes information about grant applicants/recipients, and provides a central location for grant applicants/recipients to change organizational information. More information about SAM.gov and useful guides for setting-up a new account, updating an existing account, or renewing an expired account can be found at: http://statebuy.state.gov/fa/Pages/SAMInfo.aspx. Foreign-based applicants are strongly encouraged to review these guides when creating an account with SAM.gov.

Each applicant is required to: (i) Be registered in SAM.gov before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. The Department of State may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the Department of State is ready to make a Federal award, DOS may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

Further, applicants must maintain an active account, with current information, while its application is under consideration for funding. To keep an active SAM.gov account, applicants must renew it at least once each year. If an organization’s account expires, the organization cannot submit a grant application until it is renewed.

4. Submission Method and Dates Completed applications should be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov or via email to Susan May, U.S. Embassy Port Moresby at MaySM@state.gov. Please follow all NOFO instructions carefully and start early to ensure you have time to collect all of the required information. All applications must be submitted by July 31, 2015. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered, unless a late filing has been approved in advance by the Department of State.

Direct all questions regarding grants.gov registration and submissions to a grants.gov Customer Service Representative. The Customer Service Center can be reached at 1-800-518-4726 or at support@grants.gov. The center is open Monday through Friday, 7 A.M. to 9 P.M. EDT.

5. 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.

· Vehicle purchases to include motorcycles. (However, farm equipment, such as small tractors, and transportation costs will be considered.)

· Duplication of services immediately available through municipal, provincial, or national government.

· Funds for market research, advertising, or other promotional expenses (unless public service related to grant program or required to recruit participants or carry out objectives of grant).

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

F: Federal Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices The grant shall be written, signed, and awarded by the Grants Officer and administered by both the Grants Officer and the Grants Officer Representative. The Grants Officer is the Government official delegated the authority by the U.S. Department of State Procurement Executive to write, award, and administer grants and cooperative agreements. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document, and it will be provided to the Recipient through either mail or facsimile transmission. Organizations whose applications will not be funded will also be notified in writing.

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

2. Administrative and National Policy Prior to submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications that will apply to this award to ensure they will be able to comply. The terms and conditions are available on the State Department’s procurement website at: http://fa.statebuy.state.gov/

Applicants should also be familiar with the OMB circular that will apply to this cooperative agreement: OMB Uniform Guidance: Cost Principles, Audit, and Administrative Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR Chapter I, Chapter II, Part 200, et al.)

3. Reporting Requirements The Recipient, at a minimum, shall provide financial, progress, and final reports. Please note that all substantiating documentation supporting reporting and data collected, including survey responses and contact information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years and provided to the Department of State upon request. All reports must be written in English.

i. Financial Reports The Recipient is required to submit quarterly financial reports throughout the project period, using Form FFR SF-425, the Federal Financial Report form, as well as forms suggested by the Grants Officer Representative. Form FFR (SF-425) can be found on OMB’s website here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_forms/. Financial reports are due 30 days after the end of each fiscal year quarter.

ii. Progress Reporting While the grantee will be in frequent contact with the Embassy concerning the project details, the grantee is required to submit quarterly program progress reports using page 1 of Form SF-PPR Performance Progress Report, which can be found at OMB’s website http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_forms as well as forms suggested by the Grants Officer Representative (GOR). The Embassy may provide a more detailed reporting template. Progress reports are due 30 days after the end of the quarterly reporting period and must use the template provided by the GOR.

iii. Final Report The final report will be due no later than ninety days after completion or termination of all project activities. The Final Report shall include the following elements: executive summary, successes, outcomes, how the project has increased science capacity in the regions selected and addressed the other goals of the project, and a final financial report.

G: Agency Contact

Any prospective applicant who has questions concerning the contents of this NOFO should email them to Susan May at MaySM@state.gov. Note that once the Request for Proposals deadline has passed Department of State staff in Washington, D.C. and overseas at U.S. Embassies/Missions may not discuss this competition with applicants until the review process has been completed.

Embassy Port Moresby Notice of Funding Opportunity 1