EAP-CT Multilateral NADR Supprt NOFO_5April17.pdf

U.S. Department of State

Bureau of East Asia Pacific Affairs (EAP)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO):

East Asia Pacific/Counterterrorism Administrative Support

Funding Opportunity Number: EAP-EAPAQM-17-002

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.124

Section A. Program Description

The Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs’ (EAP) Office of Regional Security Policy

(RSP) and the Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT) Office of Programs (P) at the U.S.

Department of State announces the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to provide program development, logistical and administrative support for U.S. counterterrorism foreign assistance-funded meetings and activities supporting the Association of Southeast

Asian Nations (ASEAN), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), East Asia Summit (EAS) and

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

The purpose of this award is to support travel, logistics, venue, event management, and impact evaluation for these multilateral meetings and activities, which will be held in the Asia-Pacific region. For some workshops, the Recipient will also develop program content as necessary. Pending the availability of funds, EAP anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement of up to

$500,000.

The authority for this funding opportunity is contained in the Foreign Assistance Act of

1961, as amended.

Program Priorities

Administrative and logistical arrangements for ASEAN, ARF, EAS and APEC counterterrorism-related conferences, workshops, and other activities, including arranging venues and travel for participants, speakers and other select officials.

Event management for the above activities, including directing and supporting international visitors and managing participant lists for follow-up engagement.

Support for program design and impact evaluation for the above activities, including content development, recruitment of leading experts as speakers, and execution of pre- and post-event surveys.

Program Activities

EAP and CT will identify multilateral conferences and workshops for execution on a rolling basis over the period of the award. The Recipient will, in coordination with EAP and/or CT, accomplish the following program activities for each workshop:

a) Program Content Development and Coordination:

1 For a complete description of multilateral forums in the Asia-Pacific, see Annex 1.

As needed and working closely with EAP and CT, the Recipient shall develop program content and training materials for some ARF, ASEAN and EAS-related workshops, conferences and activities, including researching, recommending, recruiting, and arranging for the participation of leading experts to speak/train at the events.

b) Travel and Lodging Arrangements:

Following instructions from EAP, the Recipient shall make air travel and hotel reservations and distribute tickets to the sponsored participants. As needed, the Recipient will manage local travel, visa fees, and other related expenses for participants and arrange for travel of experts from the United States to the region. Please note the majority of the travel will take place in the region. The Recipient will purchase the tickets at reasonable and cost-effective prices and will be required to compare government and market rates when making the arrangements. The Recipient shall follow the “Fly America” Act in booking international flights and shall provide the tickets and/or other travel documents

(travel itineraries and meeting schedules) to the traveler no later than five days prior to the start of travel. With prior approval from EAP, the Recipient is authorized to make hotel, and air changes as the need arise. The Recipient will, in close cooperation with

EAP and Embassy Points of Contact (POCs), identify requirements for Leahy vetting and ensure participants have cleared Leahy vetting before travel funds are provided.

c) Conference Management:

The Recipient, working closely with Embassy Points of Contact (POC), will arrange for conference space and blocks of room for the meeting. The Recipient will provide or arrange for audio-visual equipment, control room costs, banners/signage (using the relevant organization logo), photos of participants and events, nametags, participant materials, registration, and simultaneous interpretation and other translation services.

The Recipient will arrange lunch, dinner, and snacks throughout the event in accordance with government per diem rates. In some cases, the Recipient will be asked to staff a check-in table at the hotel or meeting venue.

d) Impact Evaluation:

Working closely with EAP and CT Program Officers, the Recipient shall develop, distribute, collate, and analyze pre- and post-event surveys, questionnaires, and other materials to establish the outcomes and impact of relevant activities. The Recipient will manage RSVP lists and other products as needed for post-event follow-up activities.

Section B. Federal Award Information

Grant making authority for this project is contained in the Foreign Assistance Act of

1961, as amended. EAP will make funding available for one cooperative agreement of up to 500,000 USD for the administration of the EAP/CT Logistics program subject to the availability of funds. The initial period of performance will be three years, with an expected award date no later than September 2017. Depending on the quality of performance and other factors, EAP may consider additional supplemental funding to continue activities and extend the period of performance or to support work on additional activities if funds are available, and EAP and the Recipient mutually agree.

Summary of Award Information

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement

Appropriated Fiscal Year of Funds: FY 2016

Approximate Total Funding: Up to 500,000 USD

Approximate Number of Awards: 1

Anticipated Award Date: August 2017

Anticipated Project Completion Date: 36 Months

Timeline for Award Adjudication

Deadline for Applications: 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 5, 2017

Application review and selection: June/July 2017

Notification of Project Approval/Disapproval and Award Signing:

July/August 2017

Cooperative Agreement Substantial Involvement

The Recipient will need to routinely collaborate with EAP and with the relevant U.S.

Embassies overseas. The Recipient should be prepared for substantial involvement of

EAP and CT to include, but not limited to, weekly check-in calls, updates, reviews, and approvals throughout the planning and execution of the logistical, program development, and meeting coordination requirements.

The Recipient will consult with the Grants Officer on any cost allocation changes and programmatic changes in the cooperative agreement.

The substantial involvement of EAP and CT in the proposed cooperative agreement under this competition includes the following roles:

Identify target time, location (city/country), topic, purpose, scope and format for meetings and workshops.

Review and approve the Recipient’s implementation plan to achieve the expected results described in the Program Description.

Review and approve travel, expenses, budget, impact evaluation, etc.

Provide ongoing guidance and communication related to ASEAN, ARF, EAS, and APEC activities.

Provide guidance on any legal and funding restrictions.

Section C. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

EAP welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based non-profit organizations/non-government organizations (NGO) and public international organizations, private, public, or state institutions of higher education. Applicants must provide evidence of meeting this eligibility and of having significant experience in planning and implementing international travel, program administration, fiscal management and budgeting as well as the ability to organize and coordinate international meetings and events. EAP encourages applications from foreign-based NGOs headquartered in the Asia Pacific region. Applicants may form consortia and submit a combined proposal. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant with the other members as sub-award partners. EAP reserves the right to request additional background information on applicants that do not have previous experience administering federal grant awards.

EAP is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its programs and activities.

EAP welcomes applications irrespective of an applicant’s race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sensual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status.

No entity listed on the Excluded Parties List System in the System for Award

Management (SAM) is eligible for any assistance or can participate in any activities under an award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement

Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR Part 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR Part 1989

Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Excluded Parties List System in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing, matching, or cost participation is not required for this funding opportunity.

Section D. Application and Submission Information

Address to Request Application Package

To apply for this funding opportunity, please submit electronically completed grant proposals through http://www.grants.gov. Please follow all NOFO instructions carefully and start early to ensure you have time to collect all of the required information.

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, 7:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. EDT.

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.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov

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 as described in this section below;

5. Detailed Budget Narrative (preferably in Microsoft Word) that includes an explanation for each line item in the spreadsheet.

6. Detailed Line-Item Budget (preferably in Microsoft Excel). A summary budget should also be included using the OMB approved budget categories (see attached template). Costs must be in U.S. dollars. Detailed line-item budgets for sub-recipients should be included in additional tabs within the excel workbook;

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

8. If your organization has a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, include applicable NICRA as a .pdf file. This document will not be reviewed by the panelist, but rather used by program and grant staff if the submission is recommended for funding and therefore does not count against the submission page limitations;

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

10. Number all pages, including budget and appendices.

Proposal Narrative

The Proposal Narrative, which shall not exceed ten pages, should be organized using the following section headings: Executive Summary, Organizational Capacity and Past

Performance, Program Strategy, Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, and

Management Plan. The appendices (budget, CVs, NICRA, and audit) are not included in the ten page limit. The key information to include in each section of the Proposal

Narrative:

a) Narrative Components

1. Executive Summary (not to exceed two [2] pages in Microsoft word):

This section should include the name and contact information for the project’s main point of contact, the total amount of funding requested and program length, as well as a statement of work that includes a concise breakdown of project’s objectives, activities, and expected results.

2. Organizational Capacity and Past Performance

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

http://www.grants.gov/ http://statebuy.state.gov/fa/

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.

Discuss the applicant organizations past experience in implementing similar programs. Applicants should describe experience in the administration, planning, and budgeting of international travel itineraries and experience in organizing, planning, and convening workshops and other capacity-building activities.

Provide at least one past performance reference which describes any contracts, grants, and/or cooperative agreements in which the applicant organization has implemented involving similar or related programs over the past three years.

Please provide the reference in an attachment and include the following: 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 Planning

Using the description of the ARF Workshop Series provided in Annex 2, propose a clear and realistic implementation plan to significantly address the program activities and priorities in Section 1. Program Planning should demonstrate significant understanding of the planning requirement involving travel, hotel reservation, visa requirements, timelines for pre- and post-event surveys or other impact assessments, and management of attendance rosters. Program planning should also demonstrate logistical capacity to implement the full scope of work.

Propose a clear and realistic implementation plan to significantly address the remaining program activities and priorities in Section 1 for two ASEAN workshops, one EAS conference, and one APEC workshop.

4. Program Monitoring and Evaluation

Complete applications will include a detailed plan of how the project’s progress and impact will be monitored and evaluated throughout the project through progress reports, financial reports, and a final report (see Section F). Program

Monitoring and Evaluation should include a description of the Recipient’s overall project goals and objectives (separate from impact evaluations that will be developed individually for each event or workshop series).

5. Management Plan

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 all principal organizations and staff involved (including

EAP, any participating U.S. Embassies, and key partners), of reporting relationships, of authority and lines of communication within and between each of these organizations.

b) Budget Components

1. Budget Narrative

Budgeted items are necessary to the achievement of the goals and activities as presented in the proposal. Personnel costs should include a clarification of the roles and responsibilities of key staff, base salary, and percentage of time developed to the project. The budget narrative should provide additional information that might not be readily apparent in the detailed-line item budget and explain how costs were derived.

2. Summary Budget

Include the applicant organization name, title and duration of the project on the summary page. Format the summary budget by columns for each line item.

Columns should include EAP funding request and total funding. If organizations propose cost-share in the application, please include a cost-share offered column as well.

3. Detailed line-item Budget

Please ensure costs are itemized by OMB budget category as per the template, but also broken down by program area below:

Budget Breakdown o ARF Workshop Series – three workshops at appx. $240,000

($80,000/workshop) o ASEAN – two workshops at appx. $100,000 ($50,000/workshop) o APEC – one workshop at appx. $80,000 o EAS – one workshop at appx. $80,000

4. Cost-effectiveness

Proposals keep administrative costs as low as possible and have proposed expenditures that are reasonable, allowable, and allocable to the proposed project activities and reflect the applicant’s understanding of the allowable cost principles established by Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Amount of funding contributed by the applicant, sub-awardees, and other partners shows a commitment to the success of the project, but is not a requirement.

c) Attachments (Attachments will not count toward the ten page limit)

Include job descriptions and CVs of key staff (Project Director, etc.) as attachments, which demonstrate that the proposed key staff is consistent with the requirements and needs of the project. The project should have a designated

Project Director who will be expected to have lead responsibility for communicating with EAP and any participating U.S. Embassies. Note the location where key staff will be based.

Include a copy of your organization’s most recent A-133 audit, if applicable. If not, please include a copy of your most recent financial audit.

Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

Each applicant (unless the applicant has an exception approved by the Federal awarding agency under 2 CFR §25.110(d)) is required to: (i) Be registered in SAM 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 U.S. 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 Federal awarding agency is ready to make a

Federal award, the Federal awarding agency 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.

In order to register as a new entity in SAM, the applicant must obtain a unique entity identifier, also known as a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number assigned by Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. To request a DUNS number, please visit:

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do;jsessionid=81407B1F03F2BDB12

3DD47D19158B75F. Once the organization has a DUNS number, please visit https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/ to register your entity records. For any assisting with

SAM please contact the Federal Service Desk at: https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do or dial one of the numbers listed on the website.

Submission Dates and Times

All applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on June

5, 2017. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered unless arrangements have been made in advance for a delayed submission.

Funding Restrictions

The Recipient will be required to ensure that funds are only used to support participation costs of certain approved countries, based on guidance from EAP and CT. Costs attributable to participants from any other countries, including any proportional cost share of indirect costs (venue, etc.), must be borne by sources other than the U.S. government, absent specific written approval from the State Department on an activity-by-activity basis. EAP and CT will coordinate cost sharing with participating states. As the total cost of an activity will be determined during the later stages of planning, the Recipient will need to coordinate closely with State to ensure appropriate cost-share arrangements have been made for a given activity.

For purposes of proposals responsive to this Notice of Funding Opportunity, budgets should assume that FY 2016 Non-Proliferation, Anti-Terrorism and Demining (NADR) funds may be used to cover:

travel and per diem expenses, as well as the proportionate share of indirect costs (e.g. speakers, training materials, and other similar event costs), for participants from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chile, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Pakistan, Papua New http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do;jsessionid=81407B1F03F2BDB123DD47D19158B75F http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do;jsessionid=81407B1F03F2BDB123DD47D19158B75F https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/ https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do

Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and

Vietnam.

the proportionate share of indirect costs that is attributable to participants from: Australia, Brunei, Canada, European Union, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and Taiwan.

Upon execution of the award, prior to the expenditure of funds, the awarded Recipient will be required to work closely with the Grants Officer (GO), the Grants Officer

Representative (GOR) and the Program Officer (PO) to apply State’s guidance for each activity. The Recipient must ensure that all funds are used in a manner consistent with the applicable laws and regulations. Reimbursement of pre-Federal award costs is not authorized.

Section 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 review committee will score each of the five sections of the

Proposal Narrative based on how completely they address the bulleted points described in

Section D of the Application and Submission Information. 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 Planning – 20 points

Program Monitoring and Evaluation – 10 points

Management Plan – 10 points

Budget Components– 15 points

Cost-effectiveness – 20 points

Criteria Components

1. Executive Summary (5 points):

This section should be a succinct summary containing information that the applicant believes best represents its proposed competition and includes the information provided in the Narrative Components Section under Section D of the Application and Submission

Information.

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

This section should provide clear evidence in executing logistics and developing program content for technical assistance and capacity-building activities, including workshops and symposiums, in an international setting, preferably in East Asia, including knowledge of foreign carriers, visa requirements, in-country transportation needs and relevant subject-matter expertise. In addition, demonstrate sufficient organizational capacity to execute within the full scope of the cooperative agreement. If a U.S. based recipient has offices in the Asia-Pacific region, or operates with a local partner. For non U.S. based recipients, location will be considered equal to U.S. based recipients with offices in the region.

3. Program Planning (20 points):

Propose a clear and realistic implementation plan to comprehensively address the program activities and priorities Section A. Explain the assumptions on which the success of the project depends. Address any operating challenges as well as include contingency plans for overcoming potential difficulties in executing the original work plan.

4. Program Monitoring and Evaluation (10 points):

This section should have a well-designed monitoring and evaluation component that is effective for documenting the progress of the grant. There should be a detailed table listing by program objectives the output and outcome-based performance indicators.

5. Management Plan (10 points):

Propose the management structure for this project and provide a project organizational chart in the attachments. Include in the narrative a description of the responsibilities of all principal organizations and staff involved (including EAP, any participating U.S.

Embassies, and key partners), of reporting relationships, of authority and lines of communication within and between each of these organizations.

6. Budget Components (15 points):

Budgeted items are obviously necessary to achievement of the goals and activities presented in the application. Cost share will not be considered in the evaluation. If applications propose cost sharing, no additional points or weight will be given.

7. Cost-effectiveness (20 points):

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

Review and Selection Process

EAP will review all applications after the deadline to ensure proposals are completed and meet the application submission requirements. For the applications that are completed and meet the application submission requirements, EAP will convene a panel composed of the Program Officers who manage the programs listed in this funding opportunity.

The panel will evaluate each proposal based of the established criteria and make the final selection of the successful application.

Section F. Federal Award Administration Information

Federal Award Notices

Successful applicants will receive a letter electronically via email requesting that the applicant respond to panel conditions and recommendations. This notification is not an authorization to begin performance and does not constitute formal approval or a funding commitment. Following notice of selection, the Grants Officer, EAP and the selected organization will undertake a detailed negotiation process to finalize the proposal, scope of work, and budget.

Final approval is contingent on the applicant successfully responding to the panel’s conditions and recommendations, being registered in required systems, including the U.S.

Government’s Payment Management System (PMS), unless an exemption is provided, and completing and providing any additional documentation requested by EAP or the

Grants Officer. Final approval is also contingent on Congressional notification requirements being met and final review and approval by the Department’s warranted

Grants Officer.

The notice of federal award signed by the Department’s warranted Grants Officer is the sole authorizing document, and it will be provided to the Recipient electronically.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

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: https://www.statebuy.state.gov

Prospective 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., and Part 600)

Applicants should plan to coordinate with EAP throughout the course of the agreement to ensure assistance is provided only to eligible participants.

Reporting

The Recipient, at a minimum, shall provide EAP with 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 EAP upon request. All reports must be written in English.

a) 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. Form FFR (SF-

425) can be found on OMB’s website here:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_forms/ and will be filed in two parts on the

Payment Management System website. Financial reports are due 30 days after the end of each fiscal year quarter.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_forms/

b) Progress Reporting

While the grantee will be in weekly, sometimes daily, contact with EAP concerning travel 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 the coversheet for a narrative progress report, a using format suggested by the GOR. Recipient will be required to report on indicators agreed to by recipient and EAP. Progress reports are due 30 days after the end of the quarterly reporting period.

c) Final Report

The final report will be due no later than 90 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 met its goals, and a final financial report.

Section G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact

Any prospective applicant who has questions concerning the contents of this NOFO should email them to Jennifer Cohen at CohenJM2@state.gov. Note that once the

Notice of Funding Opportunity deadline has passed the Department of State staff in

Washington, D.C. may not discuss this competition with applicants until the review process has been completed.

Contact Person 1:

Ms. Jennifer Cohen Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

U.S. Department of State

CohenJM2@state.gov

(202) 647-9446

Contact Person 2:

Ms. Linnea Duvall

Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

U.S. Department of State

DuvallL@state.gov

(202) 647-1184

Section H. Other Information

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

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

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_forms