DRL NOFO Global Documentation for Accountability Initiative.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Global Documentation for Accountability

Initiative

DRL, Department of State

Opportunity number: DFOP0019291

Application deadline: August 17, 2026

Contents

A. Basic Information

B. Eligibility

C. Program Description

D. Application Contents and Format

E. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

F. Application Review Information

G. Award Notices

H. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

I. Other Information

U.S. Department of State

Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor

Notice of Funding Opportunity

A. Basic Information

1. Overview

Funding Opportunity Title Global Documentation for Accountability Initiative

Funding Opportunity Number DFOP0019291

Announcement Type Initial Announcement

Deadline for Applications August 17, 2026; 11:59 PM EDT

Assistance Listing Number 19.345

Length of performance period 24-36 months

Number of awards anticipated 1-3 awards (dependent on amounts)

Award amounts Awards may range from a minimum of $2,000,000 to a maximum of $4,932,500 (approximately)

Total available funding $4,932,500 pending availability of funds

Type of Funding FY25 Democracy Funds under the Foreign Assistance Act

Anticipated project start date September 30, 2026

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement

Project Performance Period: Proposed projects should be completed in 24-48 months. The

Department of State will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

2. Executive Summary

Priority regions and thematic areas will be identified through consultation with DRL and may include:

Illustrative Priority Regions: Global, with regional emphasis on priority areas such as: NEA

(Yemen, Syria, Iran); WHA (Cuba, Haiti); EAP (DPRK, Burma); and Pacific Islands.

Illustrative Priority Themes: atrocities, gross human rights violations, human rights abuses, transnational repression (TNR), restriction on civic space, technology-enabled repression, and other emerging DRL priorities.

Executive Summary

This global program will support the documentation of human rights violations and abuses and transform this information into credible, actionable, policy-relevant data that can support U.S.

and allied sanctions, visa restrictions, law enforcement, DRL’s annual Human Rights Reports, diplomatic engagement, and other accountability measures. By improving the volume, quality, accessibility, and analytical use of locally generated information that meets the evidentiary standards used by the United States and U.S. allies for human rights-based sanctions, visa restrictions, and other accountability tools, the program addresses critical gaps that limit the operational use of documentation efforts and enables burden‑sharing.

B. Eligibility

1. Eligible Applicants

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

• Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations (U.S.-based and foreign-based)

• Public and private educational institutions

• For-profit organizations or businesses

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.

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. Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov.

Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.

C. Program Description

1. Goals and Objectives

The United States relies on a range of diplomatic, economic, and financial tools to counter malign actors, respond to human rights abuses, and advance national security and foreign policy objectives. Their effectiveness, however, depends on timely, credible, and actionable evidence that meets U.S. Government standards for designation and enforcement. Across multiple regions, civil society organizations are often the first—and sometimes only—actors documenting real-time human rights abuses and malign activities by state and non-state actors. However, much of this information remains underutilized for policy action due to gaps in verification standards, limited analytical resources, language barriers, and lack of alignment with U.S.

government evidentiary needs.

There is a clear need for a global, scalable approach that produces credible, non‑classified, policy‑relevant, and actionable data and analysis that can directly support U.S. national security, economic security, and human rights objectives, while also enabling like‑minded U.S. allies and partners to undertake complementary and coordinated sanctions, visa restrictions, and other accountability actions.

Actionable information, specifically for human rights-related visa restrictions, could include an individual perpetrator’s: name and any aliases, date and place of birth, nationality(ies), family members’ names, relevant addresses, occupation, current or former government or business affiliation (if applicable). and any other personally identifiable information, as well as information which directly or indirectly through command responsibility links him or her to atrocities, gross human rights violations, human rights abuses, TNR, restriction on civic space, technology-enabled repression, and other emerging DRL priorities.

Goal: Credible, non-classified, policy-relevant, and actionable data strategically facilitates U.S., and allied sanctions, visa restrictions, and diplomatic engagement, leading to greater accountability for human rights abuses globally and enabling burden‑sharing with U.S. allies.

Objective 1: High quality, reliable, accessible, and actionable documented information on perpetrators of human rights abuses and human rights-impacting illicit networks is available to meet evidentiary standards for U.S. and allied sanctions, visa restrictions, and other accountability actions.

Illustrative Activities:

• Regional or thematic documentation coordination entities (networks, organizations, data collection initiatives, or informal communities of practice) organize and manage the systematic documentation of crisis events, human rights violations and abuses, human rights-impacting illicit activities, and the individual perpetrators of such acts.

• Coordination mechanisms standardize data collection to meet the evidentiary standards of

U.S. and allied sanctions and visa restrictions, ensure quality control, and support consistency in data collection across partners. This will also enable quicker responses to new visa and sanctions policies.

• Competitive small grants and technical assistance provided to organizations for USG compliant documentation, data collection, and translation.

• Where there are critical gaps, develop and deliver practical training modules and toolkits for documentation organizations on how to collect, verify, organize, and preserve information to meet evidentiary standards for sanctions and visa ineligibility packages of the United States and its allies.

• Facilitate collaboration and learning across organizations, enabling the sharing of methodologies, tools, and lessons learned across countries and thematic areas.

• Conduct field-based and open-source documentation of human rights violations and abuses as well as evasion of human rights-based sanctions. This could include, but is not limited, to tracking the transfer of goods supporting munitions production, including weapons transfers.

• Translate local‑language documentation into English and other relevant languages to facilitate use in U.S. and allied sanctions, visa restrictions, and DRL’s Human Rights

Reports. Consider translations into other relevant languages to assist allies’ uptake and use of information.

• Establish and improve existing secure data storage and management systems, including encryption and access controls, to create a structured, searchable, and secure global documentation repository that aggregates non-classified data on human rights violations and abuses, human rights-impacting illicit financial flows, and human rights-impacting malign networks.

• Conduct risk assessments related to data handling, partner safety, and information dissemination.

Objective 2: Policy-relevant analysis and actionable information inform burden-sharing of human rights-based sanctions, visa restrictions, and diplomatic engagement by U.S. allies.

Illustrative Activities:

• Map evidentiary standards, procedural requirements, and package formats for sanctions designations, visa restrictions, and related accountability mechanisms used by the United

States and like‑minded allies (e.g., EU, UK, Canada, Australia, and others), focusing on areas of convergence that allow for coordinated or complementary designations.

• Produce analytical outputs such as sanctions or visa restrictions recommendation memos, case files, and evidentiary summaries aligned with designation criteria.

• Facilitate information‑sharing channels and coordination with foreign sanctions, visa restrictions, war‑crimes, and financial units, consistent with security and confidentiality requirements, to promote complementary designations and to reduce duplicative collection and analysis by like‑minded governments.

• Identify patterns, trends, and typologies related to evasion of human rights-based sanctions and human rights-impacting illicit activities.

• Develop policy briefs and country-specific analysis to inform DRL Human Rights

Reports and policies of the U.S. Government and allies.

• Disseminate non-classified findings to inform policy engagement (including with foreign war crime units as appropriate) and private sector risk assessments.

• Provide in-person briefings with the U.S. Department of State to inform relevant USG policy colleagues about any sensitive findings that are not able to be included in the non-classified dissemination.

This program’s overall outcomes include:

• Production of comprehensive reports that include actionable information regarding individual perpetrators that meets the evidentiary threshold for U.S. and allied sanctions and visa restrictions.

• Production of sharable, non‑classified documentation that meets evidentiary standards and formats, enabling U.S. allies to undertake complementary designations and actions, as well as accountability actions by local civil society organizations. This enables burden-sharing and increased coordination with foreign sanctions/war crimes/financial units.

• Briefings to USG (e.g., targeted reports, Embassy‑specific briefs, trend analyses, and in‑person briefings in Washington) that directly support sanctions and visa restrictions targeting, civil/criminal cases, demarches, other diplomatic engagements, DRL’s Human

Rights Reports, and other diplomatic engagements.

In addition, competitive proposals will meet the following criteria:

• While DRL anticipates prioritizing certain regions – such as NEA, WHA, and EAP – successful proposals will demonstrate capacity to respond to ad-hoc, country or region-specific requests as they arise throughout program implementation.

• Inclusion of subgrants (minimum of 15% of the overall budget) for activities that contribute to meeting the program’s objectives.

• Demonstrated ability to manage and update secure data management systems to protect the safety and security of victims and sensitive sources.

Program Requirements:

a. The organization will apply a Do No Harm approach to their documentation efforts to avoid over documentation, repetition, victims and witnesses’ fatigue and re-traumatization. The organization will regularly meet with DRL to discuss overall programmatic approach and ensure that activities are not retraumatizing program participants or causing harm.

b. The organization(s) will submit to DRL for approval a workplan that includes timeline, planned milestones, and short descriptions of all workshops and events (including documentation methodologies), and a list of stakeholder groups and organizations participating. This includes reviewing and providing feedback on proposed regional or thematic documentation priorities to ensure alignment with U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives.

c. The organization(s) will submit to DRL for approval proposed partner or subgrantees, its scope of work, and budget. DRL may provide the implementer with recommendations for target partners.

d. The organization(s) will notify and coordinate with DRL on any engagements or meetings with U.S. Government offices outside of DRL as it relates to program outputs and outcomes.

e. The organization(s) will submit to DRL, for prior written approval, all social media content related to project activities and any references to the U.S. government, before public release.

f. The organization(s) will review and update its program do no harm approaches, risk assessments, and contingency planning every six months and share with DRL for approval.

2. Substantial Involvement

The award will be a cooperative agreement. The organization(s) that this program is awarded to will collaborate with DRL on overall programmatic planning and implementation, and report programmatic challenges as they arise through all phases of the project. The Department of State will be substantially involved in carrying out the following aspects of this cooperative agreement. Examples of substantial involvement may include but are not limited to:

• DRL will provide expertise to the organization(s) to ensure documentation efforts are in line with the standards for sanctions and visa ineligibility packages of the United States and its allies.

• DRL will provide guidance to the organization(s) on priority regions and thematic areas for documentation efforts. DRL will actively collaborate with the recipient(s) in the implementation of the award.

• DRL will work jointly with the organization(s) on the development of publications, reports, or materials, including sanctions recommendations, network analyses, and policy briefs, prior to external dissemination or formal submission to other U.S. Government stakeholders.

Please note that areas of substantial involvement will be negotiated with the applicant prior to award issuance.

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.

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

• 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 Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

The following documents are required:

1. Mandatory application forms

• SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or SF-424-I (Application for Federal

Assistance --individuals) at: https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family

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

• SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs)

2. Summary Page (optional)

Cover sheet stating the applicant’s name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program.

3. Proposal (15 pages maximum)

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.

• Proposal 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.

• 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: 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.

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

• Key Personnel: Resumes are not required at this time. Instead, provide only the selection criteria your program will apply throughout the grant period of performance when filling key positions.

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

• Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants.

Throughout the timeframe of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant?

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

4. Budget Justification Narrative

After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate file to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. See section I. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.

5. Attachments

• Key personnel position descriptions. Resumes are not required at this time. Instead, provide only the selection criteria your program will apply throughout the grant period of performance when filling key positions.

• Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner

• 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.

E. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

1. Address to Request Application Package

Application forms required above are available at https://www.grants.gov/forms/.

2. Department of State Contacts

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

Solicitation@state.gov.

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 August 17, 2026, 11:59 PM, 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. Certification Regarding Compliance with applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws 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 https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/Codification/CageTool/home https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-A/section-25.110

If the place of performance or delivery of any award made under this NOFO will be within the United States, applicants are advised that they will be required to certify the following at the time of award:

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. A program promoting

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion means a program whose purpose is to promote preferences based on race, color religion, sex, or national origins, such as in training or hiring.

iii. Certification Regarding Compliance with 20 U.S.C. 1011f and any other applicable foreign funding disclosure requirements.

Applicants are advised that Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs) must certify the following at the time of award, and that this certification requirement must be included in any subaward agreements to IHEs:

1) 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.

iv. Certification of Trafficking in Persons Compliance and Compliance Plan

Applicants are advised that they will be required to certify the following at the time of award for awards where the estimated value of services to be performed outside the

United States exceeds $500,000:

1) To the best of the Recipient’s knowledge, neither the Recipient, nor any subrecipient, contractor, or subcontractor of the Recipient or any agent of the recipient or of such a subrecipient, contractor, or subcontractor, is engaged in any of the activities described in 2 CFR 175.105(a);

The recipient has implemented a Trafficking in Persons compliance plan to prevent activities described in 2 CFR 175(a) and is compliant with this plan; and the compliance plan must follow the minimum requirements described in 2 CFR 175(b)(5).

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-175

2) That the Recipient has and will implement procedures to prevent activities described in 2 CFR 175.105(a) and to monitor, detect, and terminate any subrecipient, contractor, subcontractor, or employee of the recipient engaging in these activities.

Recipients do not need to submit a copy of the plan. However, they must provide it to the Grants Officer upon request, and as appropriate, must post the useful and relevant contents of the plan or related materials on their website and at the workplace. Recipients must re-certify on an annual basis for the entire award period of performance.

v. Prohibition on Unmanned Aircraft Systems Manufactured or Assembled by American

Security Drone Act-Covered Foreign Entities

(a) Definitions.

American Security Drone Act-covered foreign entity means an entity included on a list developed and maintained by the Federal Acquisition Security Council

(FASC) and published in the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov

FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system means an unmanned aircraft system manufactured or assembled by an American Security Drone Act-covered foreign entity.

Unmanned aircraft means an aircraft that is operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft.

Unmanned aircraft system means an unmanned aircraft and associated elements

(including communication links and the components that control the unmanned aircraft) that are required for the operator to operate safely and efficiently in the national airspace system.

(b) Prohibition. Recipients of funding under this Notice of Funding Opportunity

(including subawards and subcontracts issued by the recipient) will be prohibited from:

(1) Delivering any FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system, which includes unmanned aircraft (i.e., drones) and associated elements;

(2) Operating a FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system in the performance of the award; and

(3) Using Federal funds for the purchase or operation of a FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system.

https://www.sam.gov/

c) Exemptions, exceptions, and waivers. The prohibitions described above will not apply if the agency determines that an exemption, exception, or waiver applies and the award indicates that such a determination has been made. [See sections 1823 through 1825 and 1832 of Public Law 118-31 ( 41 U.S.C. 3901 note prec.) for statutory requirements pertaining to exemptions, exceptions, and waivers].

vi. Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance (PHFFA)

Applicants for foreign assistance awards should be aware of requirements in 2 CFR Part

602, 603, and 604.

These policies are referred to collectively as the Promoting Human Flourishing in

Foreign Assistance (PHFFA) Policy.

602: The award term imposes certain abortion-related requirements on foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), United States NGOs, public international organizations, foreign governments, and parastatals.

603: The award term imposes certain requirements relating to gender ideology on foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), United States NGOs, international organizations, foreign governments, and parastatals.

604: The award term imposes certain requirements relating to discriminatory equity ideology on foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), United States NGOs, international organizations, foreign governments, and parastatals.

The Department recognizes there are costs associated with these policies. Potential one-time and recurring costs the Department identifies for recipients and grantees are for familiarization with the policy, development and delivery of organizational training and implementation guidance, routine compliance monitoring, and recordkeeping and reporting requirements.

vii. Award funds cannot be used for the following activities:

• Collection, storage, or dissemination of classified information or procurement of intelligence on behalf of the U.S. Government.

• Partisan political activities or electioneering, including any activities displaying support for or opposition to specific political parties or candidates.

• Activities that compromise the safety, confidentiality, or informed consent of sources, victims, witnesses, or documenting organizations.

• Producing, publishing, or distributing content that demeans, dehumanizes, or incites hostility or violence against individuals or groups based on protected characteristics (e.g., race, ethnicity, or religion).

• Lobbying activities or direct advocacy intended to influence specific legislative outcomes in the United States or foreign countries.

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fuscode.house.gov%2Fview.xhtml%3Freq%3Dgranuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title41-section3901%26num%3D0%26edition%3Dprelim&data=05%7C02%7CCarbullidoCC%40state.gov%7C237266465ee34b736eaf08de3442d869%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C639005658853841398%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=vOOQC%2FqEnM0FmwOBiz0sKQU2rkL0QZZz6YPZDhMeP3o%3D&reserved=0 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/27/2026-01519/protecting-life-in-foreign-assistance https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/27/2026-01516/combating-gender-ideology-in-foreign-assistance https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/27/2026-01517/combating-discriminatory-equity-ideology-in-foreign-assistance-rules

• Dissemination of unverified allegations or information that does not meet established documentation and verification standards under the program.

• Activities that duplicate ongoing U.S. Government-funded documentation efforts without demonstrated coordination or added value.

6. Other Submission Requirements

All application materials must be submitted electronically through www.Grants.gov or

MyGrants. DRL is not responsible for disqualification due to applicants not being registered before the due date, system or technical errors in MyGrants or Grants.gov, or other errors in the application process. Applicants must save a screenshot of the checklist showing all documents submitted in case any document fails to upload successfully.

DRL encourages organizations to submit applications during normal business hours

(Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM ET). If an applicant experiences technical difficulties and has contacted the appropriate help desk but is not receiving timely assistance (e.g., no response within 48 hours), they may contact the DRL point of contact listed in the NOFO in

Section E.2. The point of contact may assist in contacting the appropriate help desk.

F. Application Review Information

1. Review Criteria

The proposal will not be compared against other proposals. However, it will be reviewed to ensure that it is sufficiently strong in the following areas to merit funding:

Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea: The program idea is well developed, with detail about how program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline. The proposal does not include any activities contrary to any standing

Executive Orders. For a full list, see https://www.federalregister.gov/.

Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants: The organization has expertise in its stated field and has the internal controls in place to manage federal funds. This includes a financial management system and a bank account. If sub-awards are proposed, applicant demonstrates experience managing subawards.

Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives: Goals and objectives are clearly stated, and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.

Budget: The budget justification is detailed. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities.

https://www.grants.gov/ https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.federalregister.gov%2F&data=05%7C02%7CShafiZ%40state.gov%7C38f0023fcc0c423fc9e208deb02747f3%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C639141880264948558%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=pIMGSVlLRFDkgCb32Z2yi1DIW9owKePB3PlT7vfGshs%3D&reserved=0

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provides milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The program includes output and outcome indicators and shows how and when those will be measured.

Sustainability: Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program.

2. Indirect Costs

If two or more applications receive equivalent scores based on the evaluation criteria outlined in this NOFO, preference will be given to the applicant with the lower indirect cost rate, as consistent with Executive Order 14332, Section 4(b)(iii). This preference will only be applied as a tie-breaking mechanism and does not supersede the primary evaluation criteria.

3. Review and Selection Process

DRL strives to ensure that each application receives a balanced evaluation by a DRL review panel. A review committee will evaluate all technically eligible applications against the criteria outlined above. In most cases, the DRL review panel includes representatives from DRL and the appropriate Department of State regional bureau (to include feedback from U.S. embassies). In some cases, additional panelists may participate, including from other Department of State bureaus or offices; U.S. government departments, agencies, or boards; representatives from partner governments; or representatives from entities that are in a public-private partnership with

DRL. At the end of the panel’s discussion about an application, the review panel votes on whether to recommend the application for approval by the DRL Assistant Secretary. If more applications are recommended for approval than DRL can ultimately fund, the review panel will rank the recommended applications in priority order for consideration by the DRL Assistant

Secretary. The Grants Officer Representative (GOR) for the eventual award does not vote on the panel. All panelists must sign non-disclosure agreements and conflicts of interest agreements.

DRL review panels may provide conditions and recommendations on applications to enhance the proposed project, which must be addressed by the applicant before further consideration of the award. To ensure effective use of DRL funds, conditions or recommendations may include requests to increase, decrease, clarify, and/or justify costs and project activities.

4. Risk Review

i. Risk factors

Under the merit review as required by 2 CFR 200.206, prior to making a Federal Award the

Department will review and consider the following risk factors:

a. Financial stability

b. Management systems and standards

c. History of performance

d. Audit reports and findings

e. Ability to effectively implement requirements

f. Prior experience leading human rights documentation efforts in line with international standards.

g. Organizational capacity to manage DRL funds, including prior USG grant experience and adequate staffing levels for award oversight.

ii. Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov

The Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the U.S. government designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.gov (see 41 U.S.C. 2313)

An applicant can review and comment on any information in the responsibility/qualification records available in SAM.gov.

Before making decisions in the risk review required by 2 CFR 200.206, the Department will consider any comments by the applicant, along with information available in the responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov.

G. Award Notices

The award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the

Grants Officer. The award agreement is the authorizing document, and it will be provided to the recipient for review and counter-signature. The recipient may only start incurring project expenses beginning on the start date shown on the award document signed by the Grants Officer.

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

Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S.

government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.

Unsuccessful applicants: Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by September 30 via email.

Payment Method: Payments under this award will be made through the U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services (HHS) Payment Management System (PMS).

Recipients may not draw down funds without the affirmative authorization of the Department of

State. In addition, recipients must submit, with each PMS payment request, a detailed explanation justifying the request.

H. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

1. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications which will apply to this award, to ensure that they will be able to comply.

These include:

In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s guidance located at 2 CFR part

200, all applicable Federal laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department of State will review and consider applications for funding, as applicable to specific programs, pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity in accordance with the following:

• Guidance for Grants and Agreements in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2

CFR), as updated in the Federal Register’s 89 FR 30046 on April 22, 2024, particularly on:

o Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based on the program objectives through an impartial process of evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR part 200.205), o Promoting the freedom of speech and religious liberty in alignment with

Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty (E.O. 13798) and Improving Free

Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities (E.O.

13864) (§§ 200.300, 200.303, 200.339, and 200.341), o Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States (2 CFR part 200.322), and o Terminating agreements pursuant to the U.S. Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, including, to the greatest extent authorized by law, if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities (2 CFR part 200.340).

For the avoidance of doubt, the Department has sole discretion over the determination that an award no longer effectuates program goals or agency priorities, and this provision permits awards to be terminated at the Department’s convenience, including when it determines that the award no longer advances the national interest.

• 2 CFR 25 - UNIVERSAL IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD

MANAGEMENT

• 2 CFR 170 - REPORTING SUBAWARD AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

INFORMATION

• 2 CFR 175 - AWARD TERM FOR TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

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• 2 CFR 182 - GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE

WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE)

• 2 CFR 183 - NEVER CONTRACT WITH THE ENEMY

• 2 CFR 600 – DEPARTMENT OF STATE REQUIREMENTS

• U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• Recipients must comply with all applicable Executive Orders A searchable list can be found in the Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/

2. Reporting

Reporting Requirements: Applicants should be aware of the post-award reporting requirements for federal assistance awards as reflected in 2 CFR 200 Appendix XII - Award

Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

DRL awards require that all reports (financial and progress) are uploaded to the federal award file in MyGrants on a quarterly basis. The Federal Financial Report (FFR or SF-425) is the required form for financial reports and must be submitted in PMS, and a copy of the report submitted in PMS then uploaded to the award file in MyGrants. Progress reports uploaded to the award file in MyGrants must include a narrative as described below as well as Program Indicators (or other mutually agreed upon format approved by the Grants

Officer), including standard (F) framework indicators and DRL framework indicators. F and

DRL framework indicators will be reviewed and negotiated during the final stages of issuing an award on a project-by-project basis.

Narrative progress reports should reflect the focus on measuring the project’s progress on the overarching objectives and should be compiled according to the objectives, outcomes, and outputs as outlined in the award’s Scope of Work (SOW) and in the Monitoring & Evaluation

Narrative. An assessment of the overall project’s achievements should be included in each progress report. Where relevant, progress reports should include the following sections:

• Relevant contextual information (limited);

• Explanation and evaluation of significant activities of the reporting period and how the activities reflect progress toward achieving objectives, including meeting benchmarks/targets as set in the approved M&E Plan. In addition, attach the M&E Plan, comparing the target and actual numbers for the indicators;

• Any qualitative impact or success stories from the project, when possible;

• Copy of baseline, mid-term, and/or final evaluation report(s) conducted by an external evaluator; if applicable;

• Relevant supporting documentation or products related to the project activities (such as articles, meeting lists and agendas, participant surveys, photos, manuals, etc.) as separate attachments;

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• Description of how the recipient is pursuing sustainability, including looking for sources of follow-on funding;

• Any problems/challenges in implementing the project and a corrective action plan with an updated timeline of activities;

• Reasons why established goals were not met;

• Data for the required F and/or DRL framework indicator(s) for the quarter as well as aggregate data by fiscal year;

• Program Indicators or other mutually agreed upon format approved by the Grants Officer;

• Proposed activities for the next quarter; and,

• Additional pertinent information, including analysis and explanation of cost overruns or high unit costs, if applicable.

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

Foreign Assistance Data Review: As required by Congress, the Department of State must make progress in its efforts to improve tracking and reporting of foreign assistance data through the Foreign Assistance Data Review (FADR). The FADR requires tracking of foreign assistance activity data from budgeting, planning, and allocation through obligation and disbursement. Successful applicants will be required to report and draw down federal funding based on the appropriate FADR Data Elements, indicated within their award documentation. In cases of more than one FADR Data Element, typically program or sector and/or regions or country, the successful applicant will be required to maintain separate accounting records.

Applicants should be aware of the post award reporting requirements reflected in 2 CFR 200

Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

3. Branding and Marking

The Department of State, its programs, and U.S. Government funding and assistance should be easily identifiable to the Department's global audiences.

Recipients of federal assistance awards must follow the branding guidance published at

Guidance for Contracts and Grants - U.S. Department of State Brand System. Branding policy exceptions are outlined in the U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual 10

FAM 416, Policy Exceptions.

For more information, visit: https://brand.america.gov/

I. Other Information

Guidelines for Budget Justification https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=027fb85899500d580fc71df69d11573a&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML%20-%20ap2.1.200_1521.i#ap2.1.200_1521.xii https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=027fb85899500d580fc71df69d11573a&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML%20-%20ap2.1.200_1521.i#ap2.1.200_1521.xii https://brand.america.gov/document/547370#/-/guidance-for-contracts-and-grants https://fam.state.gov/fam/10fam/10fam0410.html https://fam.state.gov/fam/10fam/10fam0410.html https://brand.america.gov/

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 program, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the program.

Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this program, for program staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. If the program 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 program, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the program), and costs at least $10,000 per unit.

Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the program. If an item costs more than $10,000 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 program activities.

Other Direct Costs: Describe…