DFOP0016555 - NOFO Solicitation v.2.pdf

Revised: May 17, 2024

U.S. Department of State

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Program Office: Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Office of the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund (ISN/NDF)

Assistance Listing: 19.224 Funding Opportunity Title: Engaging Partners in East and South Africa on illicit People’s Republic of China’s and Russian Proliferation Networks

Funding Opportunity Number: DFOP0016555 Announcement Type: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Award Type: Cooperative Agreement Deadline for Applications: 7/15/2024 Available Funding: Up to $950,000.00

ELIGIBILITY

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

☒Domestic Not for Profit Organizations ☒Foreign Not for Profit Organizations ☒Public Institutions of Higher Education ☒Private Institutions of Higher Education ☒Foreign Public Entities (FPEs)/Public International Organizations (PIOs) ☒For-Profit Organizations ☒Other: US Federal Government Departments and Agencies

Cost-Sharing or Matching This program does not require cost sharing; however, proposals which demonstrate cost sharing are welcomed and encouraged.

Other Special Eligibility Criteria Not Applicable.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, please contact ISN/NDF Project Manager Joseph Curtsinger, CurtsingerJN@state.gov.

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Department of State’s Office of the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund (ISN/NDF) is pleased to announce an open competition for assistance awards through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). ISN/NDF invites non-profit/non-governmental organizations, international organizations, for profit entities, educational institutions, and US Federal Government Departments and Agencies to submit proposals for projects that will advance the NDF’s nonproliferation mission by mapping proliferation and sanctions evasion networks and related illicit actors as well as their business, financial, and logistics networks based in or operating from South or East Africa that are or may be facilitating Russia’s aggression in Ukraine or the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) Military-Civilian Fusion (MCF) industrial base. This analysis will assist partner countries, bilaterally or regionally, advance their counter-proliferation and counter-sanctions evasion activities by helping partners identify and disrupt these networks. Proposals may not exceed the total availability of funds under this NOFO. ISN/NDF prefers proposals that address multiple objectives of at least one line of effort, which are further described in section II.

Organizations that submit an application in response to this NOFO announcement acknowledge and accept all the requirements contained herein. The submission in response to this announcement is voluntary and does not obligate the Department of State to fund the proposal or proposal preparation costs. Please note: Receipt of this NOFO requesting a full application should not be construed as a guarantee of funding. All awards are subject to the availability of funds and the negotiation and finalization of the approved budget and award package.

II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Office of the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund (NDF), part of the Department’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN), develops and executes projects in support of U.S. Government disarmament and proliferation threat reduction priorities. ISN/NDF efforts prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), missiles, and advanced or destabilizing conventional weapons to terrorists and other rogue entities; support bilateral and multilateral efforts to halt the proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons, their delivery systems, related technologies, and other weapons; and secure, remove, or destroy WMD and its delivery systems.

ISN/NDF’s project seeks to map proliferation and sanctions evasion networks and related illicit actors as well as their business, financial, and logistics networks based in or operating from South or East Africa that are or may be facilitating Russia’s aggression in Ukraine or the PRC’s MCF industrial base in order to assist partner countries, bilaterally or regionally, in their counter-proliferation and counter-sanctions evasion activities by helping partners identify and disrupt these networks. This project will allow the ISN/NDF’s foreign partners to target military hardware, equipment, technology, weaponry, ammunition and other relevant commodities and goods acquired by proliferation networks to support the current conflict in Ukraine or the PRC’s MCF efforts, support nonproliferation-related interdiction efforts, and impede illicit proliferation and sanctions evasion operations. These capacity building activities will directly assist stakeholders or international organizations to better track these networks and prevent the transfer of advanced, emerging, and foundational technologies, disrupt procurement activities, seize relevant assets, halt transactions, and disrupt and prosecute the activities of these networks to the extent possible under their national laws.

Lines of Effort (LOEs)

LOE 1. Map and analyze proliferation and related networks of military hardware, equipment, technology, weaponry, ammunition, and related commodities or goods that directly or indirectly support the Russian invasion of Ukraine or the PRC’s MCF industrial base.

Funded proposal(s) will emphasize:

• Ability to identify and map proliferation networks using open-source data that clearly and concretely demonstrate how various sanctions and export control regimes are circumvented;

o Areas of proliferation concern to be map may include, but are not limited to:

Chemicals of concern, radiological materials, or biological hazards

Private military or security personnel Extractive Industries including but not limited to:

• Oil

• Gas

• Rare earth minerals

• Precious metals, minerals, and stones

Transnational Organized Criminal elements

• Ability to use multi-modal, diverse data sets, such as maritime automatic identification system (AIS) data, geospatial imagery, court and financial documentation, aircraft or flight data, customs paperwork, or corporate data, to identify and map proliferation networks in a standardized and replicable manner;

• Demonstrated expertise in open-source data research and analysis, military hardware, equipment, technology, weaponry, ammunition, military- and dual-use items, and relevant commodities and goods, international and national sanctions and export control regimes, trade data and supply chain analysis;

• Current ability to safely conduct field work inside of the region without direct support from ISN/NDF;

• Excellent, demonstrated analytical and writing skills, to include the ability to appropriately caveat assumptions as necessary, detail analytical approaches and methodologies, and provide recommendations drawn from conclusions based on data; and

• Ability to openly publish findings, reports, and other data.

LOE 2. Foreign partner engagement and capacity building to identify, prevent, and mitigate proliferation networks of military hardware, equipment, technology, weaponry, ammunition, and related commodities or goods that directly or indirectly support the Russian invasion of Ukraine or the PRC’s MCF industrial base.

Funded proposals will emphasize:

• Ability to translate products developed under LOE 1 into instructional materials such as, but not limited to, case studies, methodological instructions, or interactive training modules for in-person and virtual delivery;

• Demonstrated capability to facilitate targeted engagements with foreign partners, to include but not limited to governmental representatives to include law enforcement and judicial personnel, nongovernmental organizations, industry and commercial representatives, academia, and others as appropriate;

• Demonstrated ability to organize and facilitate in-person training engagements, to include but not limited to the development of supplemental instructional materials, identification and procurement of a venue, arrangement of course participant travel, lodging, and per diem, and translation costs for up to 50 participants at a time;

• Demonstrated ability to organize and facilitate virtual training engagements, to include but not limited to the development of supplemental instructional materials and simultaneous translation for up to 100 participants at a time.

FY24 Proposal Consideration

This funding opportunity focuses primarily on the identification and analysis of proliferation networks and foreign partner capability and capacity development to identify, prevent, and mitigate those networks. All proposals must make a clear and compelling case for how the applicant will rigorously and methodically identify networks supporting the proliferation of military hardware, equipment, technology, weaponry, ammunition and relevant commodities or goods that directly or indirectly support the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the PRC’s MCF industrial base. Additionally, they must make clear how this research will support related foreign partner engagements to shed light on the illicit pathways and address them in a fulsome manner, how they will address partner-specific political, technical, and/or logistical realities, and how they will support the objectives of the NOFO and complement existing U.S. Government initiatives in this area. ISN/NDF welcomes the submission of targeted bilateral as well as multilateral approaches to advance the broad nonproliferation objectives of this project. ISN/NDF will view the following attributes favorably in the FY24 proposal consideration process:

• Comprehensive proposals that address the proliferation network mapping and analysis and foreign partner engagement objectives of both above lines of effort, resulting in cost and/or programmatic efficiencies;

• Outcomes that go beyond awareness raising and aim to operationalize and institutionalize proliferation network identification, prevention, and mitigation;

• Incorporation of capacity building, training, and coordination efforts that make an immediate and lasting threat reduction impact and tie into long-term sustainment;

• Effective mechanisms for long-term sustainment post-engagement, such as including follow-up activities as part of other USG or other donor-funded programs;

• Proposals that leverage indigenous or previous USG-developed capacities and highlight clear coordination of how proposed activities will augment and support current capacity;

• Proposals that emphasize building indigenous capacity within a partner country, and establish relationships between regional partners;

• The inclusion of virtual engagements, asynchronous training modules, and related course structures where appropriate;

• Detailed examples of successful past performance in facilitating in-person events for up to 30 participants and/or virtual events for up to 50 participants, including information on, but not limited to, the development of training curricula, identification and procurement of a venue, travel, lodging, and per diem of course participants, and translation costs;

• Development of training curricula and materials that can be adapted for country- and region-specific contexts as needed;

• Incorporation or coordination with applicable international institutions and organizations, when appropriate;

• Multi-phased proposals to scope vulnerabilities and develop country- or region-specific solutions;

• Proposals tailored to fit local technical capabilities as well as threat environments;

• 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 highlight efforts to encourage the inclusion of more women and other historically under-represented groups in both implementer and participant roles.

Substantial Involvement:

In response to this solicitation, ISN/NDF may award a Cooperative Agreement using the following envisioned terms of substantial involvement. ISN/NDF reserves the right to further adjust or add to these terms upon final award:

• ISN/NDF will regularly coordinate with and advise the implementer on the development of activities and sub-tasks outlined in the Statement of Work to ensure alignment with ISN and U.S. national security priorities.

• On a quarterly basis, ISN/NDF will conduct a written and/or verbal review and assessment of major project milestones with the implementer’s key personnel.

• Leveraging ISN, Department of State, and other U.S. Government relationships, ISN/NDF will collaborate with and advise the implementing project team on the identification of key partners and stakeholders, workshop participants, workshop locations, and other relevant issues.

• ISN/NDF will socialize country level and regional activities with relevant Department of State personnel to ensure their awareness of the project, build support for programming priorities, and secure the approval of regional desk and local U.S. Mission POCs as required.

• Upon receipt, ISN/NDF will expeditiously review and either provide substantive feedback or confirm clearance in writing or verbally of project work plans, next steps, workshop materials, and other project deliverables and will give approval as necessary to proceed to the next phase of activities.

III. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The following organizations are eligible to apply (both domestic and international):

• Not-for-profit organizations

• For-profit organizations

• Public and private educational institutions

• Public international organizations

• US Federal Government Departments and Agencies

Applicants are not required to include funding from other donors. However, applications that include additional in-kind and/or cash contributions from non- U.S. Government sources will be more competitive, since cost sharing demonstrates a strong commitment to the planned activities and will be considered to show greater cost effectiveness.

When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal and later included in an approved agreement. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability purposes, you must maintain written records to support all costs that are claimed as your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s Circular 2 CFR Parts 200 and 600, entitled the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. In the event you do not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ISN/NDF contribution will be reduced in like proportion.

All potential applicants should be knowledgeable of existing programs in the proposed countries/regions, including those funded by other Department of State and U.S. Government interagency programs, in order to avoid duplication of effort.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Award Period: 6 to 18 months, though longer periods of performance may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Award Amount: One award or several smaller awards may be granted in response to this NOFO, with the maximum amount per award determined by the number of discrete lines of effort funded. ISN/NDF prefers proposals that fully address the objectives of both lines of effort in their entirety but will also consider individual projects that address a portion of a particular line of effort, especially LOE 2.

ISN/NDF will prioritize proposals that efficiently meet all programmatic goals at the lowest technically acceptable cost.

Application Submission Process: Applicants must submit applications via MyGrants, with the exception of U.S. Federal Departments and Independent Agencies if listed as eligible for this solicitation. This website is available to all applicants. If you have difficulty registering on MyGrants or accessing the NOFO, please contact the Helpdesk at 1-888-313-ILMS (4567) or via the Self Service https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/

Portal at https://afsitsm.servicenowservices.com/ilms/home.do for technical assistance.

US Federal Government Departments and Agencies may submit their applications via email to CurtsingerJN@state.gov. Applications from these entities must follow the same application requirements as outlined in this solicitation.

Application Deadline: All applications must be submitted on or before July 15, 2024. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Applications submitted after 11:59 p.m. will be ineligible for consideration.

Begin the application process early, as this will allow time to address any technical difficulties that may arise in advance of the deadline. There will be no exceptions to this application deadline.

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 with the 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.

Note: As of April 2022, a DUNS number is no longer required for federal assistance applications.

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

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 number prior to registering in SAM.gov.

https://afsitsm.servicenowservices.com/ilms/home.do mailto:CurtsingerJN@state.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 number prior to registering in SAM.gov.

• Please note that as of November 2022 and February 2023 respectively, 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 or CAGE code to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities. If an applicant organization is mid-registration and wishes to remove a CAGE or 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 a CAGE or 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):

Exemptions https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsd.gov%2Fgsafsd_sp%3Fid%3Dgsafsd_kb_articles%26sys_id%3Dc81018e71b1601d0937fa64ce54bcb57&data=05%7C01%7Cfjeldkk%40state.gov%7C0cc4e2b471f44abcd32308db093ecead%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638113937577534024%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=W2ShcazZBQbanYGj0cLOTnUJwv%2BGL4xfwr83%2BycQY2E%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsd.gov%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cfjeldkk%40state.gov%7C0cc4e2b471f44abcd32308db093ecead%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638113937577534024%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=t32ANWzgpiB93pMWoq%2BFCSHz4YJY9QF1S1iQzCsS6RM%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Feportal.nspa.nato.int%2FAC135Public%2Fscage%2FCageList.aspx&data=05%7C01%7Cfjeldkk%40state.gov%7C0cc4e2b471f44abcd32308db093ecead%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638113937577534024%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=v3TLT8F%2FNfk5SuTcI2zw7SMhV4HK542OhP9XDx4ln%2BY%3D&reserved=0

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 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.

Application Content: Applicants must follow the NOFO instructions and conditions contained herein and supply all information required. Failure to furnish all information or comply with stated requirements will result in disqualification from the competition. Applicants must set forth full, accurate, and complete information as required by this NOFO. The penalty for making false statements in proposals to the U.S. government is prescribed on 18 U.S.C.1001.

The completed submission must consist of the following four parts:

Section 1 - Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424):

This form is completed in the SAMS Domestic portal. Completion instructions can be found on-line at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html

Section 2 – Project Proposal(s):

Using the provided template, the applicant must provide a completed project proposal. The proposal form must be completed in its entirety and clearly specify the proposed scope, deliverables, and timeline. ISN/NDF encourages applicants to submit proposals that fully address the objectives of both lines of effort in its entirety, but ISN/NDF may consider proposals that only address LOE 2. Applicants must specify a point of contact for each project that is proposed.

Section 3 - Budget:

Applicants must provide a detailed budget for each project. The budget must identify the total amount of funding requested, with a breakdown of amounts to be spent in the following budget categories:

• Personnel

• Fringe benefits;

• Travel;

• Equipment

• Supplies;

• Contractual services;

• Construction;

• Other direct costs; and

• Indirect costs.

o If the applicant organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) with the U.S. Federal Government, it must submit a copy of it as part of its application.

Section 4 – Budget Narrative:

Applicants must provide a full and detailed budget narrative for each project. The budget narrative should include details on how figures/numbers were calculated if not clearly shown in the detailed budget as well as a narrative description of each line item in the budget.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the project activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating.

If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.

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

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

Applicants must adhere to the requirements of the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), including Fly America Act requirements, when proposing and conducting travel. For further information and current foreign per diem rates, please visit:

https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp

Section 5 – Key Personnel Documentation:

https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp

Applicants must provide a one-page (or less) resume or detailed position description for each key personnel position identified. These documents must be consolidated into a single document for submission. Proposed key personnel do not need to be final but must represent level of expertise and qualifications that the applicant would require if funded.

Note: Items submitted beyond the above requirements are not compliant with competition requirements. Additional documentation submitted will not be evaluated and may lead to disqualification from the competition.

V. AWARD SELECTION CRITERIA

Applicants should note that the following criteria serve as a standard against which all project proposals will be evaluated and identify significant considerations that should be addressed in all proposals. ISN/NDF will award a cooperative agreement to the applicant(s) whose offer represents the best overall value to the government from both a technical and cost perspective.

ISN/NDF will evaluate proposals against the stated criteria. Criteria are listed in descending order of importance.

• Proposed Activity or Activities: Applications should be responsive to the project framework and policy objectives identified in the solicitation, appropriate in the country/regional and organizational context, and should clearly describe what they propose to do and how they will do it. The proposed project(s) should directly relate to meeting multiple specified objectives within both lines of effort and applicants should include specific information on how these objectives will advance ISN/NDF’s mission.

ISN/NDF will evaluate the project proposal in terms of how well it addresses the proliferation challenges at hand issues at hand, relevance and feasibility of the proposed activities, the timeline for completion, and the extent to which the impact of the project will continue beyond the conclusion of the period of performance. (50% of the weighted criteria)

• Organizational Capability: Applicants must demonstrate how their resources, capabilities, and experience will enable them to achieve the stated goals and objectives in an international technical context. The proposal(s) must identify all key partners and organizations that will be involved in implementation of this project. Finally, proposals should demonstrate how the applicant will manage all specified objectives in both lines of effort. (5% of the weighted criteria)

• Budget: Proposed costs will be evaluated for realism, fiscal control practices, and efficiency. ISN/NDF must be able to determine that proposed costs are reasonable, allowable, and allocable to the proposed project activities. ISN/NDF will evaluate the budget to determine if the overall costs are realistic for the work to be performed, if the costs reflect the applicant’s understanding of the allowable cost principles established by OMB Circulars A-122 and/or A-21, and if the costs are consistent with the project narrative. (15% of the weighted criteria)

• Impactful and Measurable Engagements: Although complex nonproliferation objectives demand persistent engagement with partner countries, discrete projects should individually advance progress toward particular objectives, in this case understanding complex proliferation networks and engaging partners to better identify, address or mitigate such proliferation networks. Proposals should describe the end-state the project aims to achieve, along with specific, measurable, and realistic benchmarks by which to gauge progress toward that end-state. Compelling project proposals will establish milestones to be met throughout the period of performance, and describe observable progress in the adoption, implementation, or enhancement of nonproliferation or sanctions enforcement and compliance best practices. (15% of the weighted criteria)

• Past Performance: In reviewing proposals, ISN/NDF will evaluate the organization’s past performance on other federal and non-federal grants and cooperative agreements. This will include a review of whether objectives for past awards were met; whether the organization complied with the terms of conditions of past awards, including reporting and financial management requirements; and the timeliness of project implementation. (15% of the weighted criteria)

• Cyber Security: Recipients and subcontractors are required to maintain NIST 800 IT Security Standards – (e.g. protective measures that are commensurate with the consequences and probability of loss, misuse, or unauthorized access to, or modification of information) on all covered information systems, and to report cyber incidents directly to the grantor within 48 hours of the incident. Proposals must describe the applicant’s computer and cyber security practices and capabilities.

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

Award Notices: The cooperative agreement shall be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. 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(s) through either mail or facsimile transmission.

Organizations whose applications will not be funded will also be notified in writing.

Anticipated Time to Award: Applicants should generally expect to be notified of the recommended concepts within 90 days after the submission deadline.

Following this initial notification, selected applicants will be expected to submit a full application within 15 days. ISN/NDF staff will provide information at the point of notification about the requirements for the full application, which may include revisions to the activities. The full applications will not be subject to further competition but must incorporate any suggested changes made by

ISN/NDF.

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. Further, the Government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.

Project Implementation Meeting: The Recipient(s) will have a pre-project implementation meeting with ISN/NDF within 15 days after the cooperative agreement is awarded and before any work is performed for the award.

Project Work Plan: The Recipient(s) shall submit to ISN/NDF within 30 days of award a draft project work plan (PWP), aligned with project management best practices, that includes a description of the project goal, discrete objectives, and planned activities; projected timeframes for accomplishing them; and performance indicators/metrics of success toward intended outcomes. ISN/NDF will review the plan in consultation with appropriate stakeholders and provide feedback to the Recipient detailing necessary revisions/adjustments to the plan to be made within 15 days of receipt.

Reporting Requirements: Applicants should pay special attention to these enhanced reporting and deliverable requirements. Specifically:

• Using a template provided by ISN/NDF, the Recipient(s) shall submit quarterly progress reports to the designated Grants Officer Representative (GOR) detailing:

o Assistance activities conducted during the reporting period;

o Milestones and successes achieved to date;

o Key assistance activities remaining to be implemented with a projected timetable;

o Details of any problems encountered with proposed solutions; and o Any other pertinent information requested by ISN/NDF.

• The Recipient(s) shall provide the GOR with copies of all materials developed under this cooperative agreement.

• In addition to regular quarterly reports, the Recipient(s) shall furnish the GOR with ad hoc reports as requested from time to time.

In addition to the above, the Recipient(s) shall submit quarterly financial reports throughout the project period. Financial reports are due 30 days after the reporting period. Final programmatic and financial reports are due 90 days after the close of the project period.

VII. DISCLAIMER

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