East Africa CTF NOFO.DOCX

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT)

Catalog of Federal Domestic

Closing Date for Submission of Applications: 11 June 2018, 11:59 PM Eastern Time Eligibility Category: U.S. based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) having a 501(c) (3) status with the IRS; overseas non-governmental organizations; and public international organizations. For-profit and commercial firms are not eligible to apply. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

Funding Activity Category: Other

E-mailed or faxed proposal packages will not be considered Number of Applications: One (1) per project objective per applicant organization.

This funding opportunity is posted on SAMS Domestic and may be amended and questions from potential applicants will be posted. Applicants should regularly check the website for the most recent information pertaining to this NOFO.

CT Bureau bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes associated with electronic submissions.

www.sam.gov registration is required to receiving a Federal assistance award. See the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for more information.

All applicants must provide a Unique Entity Identifier, or Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS), when submitting application on SAMS Domestic or grants.gov.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The United States Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT) announces a Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to support counterterrorism finance programming in East Africa. Subject to the availability of funds, CT intends to issue awards to total up to $987,500 in FY17 funds for project periods of up to two years. The anticipated start date for this activity is September 2018 and CT intends to support one award as a result of this NOFO.

CT reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted and reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budget in accordance with the needs of the project and the availability of funds. The authority for this NOFO is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended. The CFDA Number for this funding opportunity is 19.701.

This NOFO consists of this cover letter plus the following sections:

I. Funding Opportunity Description II. Award Information and Application Evaluation and Scoring III. Eligibility information IV. Agency Contacts

The complete solicitation package also includes the mandatory Proposal Submission Instructions, which includes Application and Submission Instructions and Application Review Information.

Eligible organizations interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of project sought and the application submission requirements and evaluation process.

See the Application and Submission Instructions for further details. Potential applicants should regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this and related NOFOs.

Questions concerning this NOFO should be submitted in writing via email to the Bureau of Counterterrorism at LaveryMM@state.gov, with the subject line: East Africa CTF and your organization’s name. Responses to questions will be made available to all potential applicants and posted on SAMS Domestic and grants.gov.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

Countering terrorist financial networks is essential to defeating terrorism globally in the long-term. Weak financial systems and lack of financial tracking mechanisms coupled with strong commercial industries and high mobile penetration make East Africa vulnerable to terrorist financing. Across the region, al-Shabaab and other terrorist groups rely on illegal taxation, illicit trade, money laundering, and extortion, among others, to fund their operations.

While East African partners have made significant progress to strengthen counterterrorism finance legislation and regulations in recent years, critical challenges persist. A significant portion of financial transactions in East Africa are in the form of mobile money payments and remittance transfers, which can be abused by individuals for a multitude of crimes, including terrorism, and are difficult to track. In many countries across the region, anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing (AML/CTF) legal frameworks are strong but unevenly implemented. Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), while having made significant strides in professionalization in recent years, are still under-resourced, resulting in lower capacity to collect and analyze financial data or to share data with other government agencies to investigate and prosecute terrorist financing.

Over the last decade, CT has supported numerous counterterrorism financing efforts across East Africa to strengthen the capacity of partner nations to counter terrorism financing as part of its broader efforts to defeat al-Shabaab and other terrorist groups in the region. Through technical skills training, expert exchanges, and AML/CTF legislation reform, CT increases the capacity of East African partners to identify, report, freeze and seize assets linked to terrorist groups. CT aims to build on previous efforts and support the effective application of skills, frameworks, and best practices learned to active terrorism cases.

Regional East Africa CFT Training and Mentorship (Award ceiling: $987,500)

CT seeks proposals to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement to counter the financing of terrorism across East Africa. Focusing on financial intelligence units (FIUs) as well as the region’s financial sector, this project will further institutionalize international standards and best practices on anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism. Specifically, the project will build the capacity of the financial sector, including money service businesses and designated non-financial businesses and professions, to identify and report suspicious financial activity and to effectively communicate with the region’s central banks, FIUs, law enforcement agencies, regulators, and other relevant actors. Additionally, the project will strengthen the political will and capacity of FIUs and other authorities to collaborate with law enforcement agencies, both domestically and regionally. Proposals should include provisions to build the capacity of justice sector actors to investigate and prosecute terrorism financing cases, emphasizing coordination and information-sharing between investigators, prosecutors, and judges across East Africa. In addition to bilateral and regional workshops and trainings, proposals should also include on-the-job training and mentorship. Activities may also support licensing and training on software as necessary to enhance regional connectivity and information-sharing among FIUs. Primary focus countries of this project are Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya with the potential for regional efforts in secondary countries such as Djibouti and Ethiopia.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND GUIDELINES

The project will take place across East Africa. The successful applicant will be issued a grant. If project involves training of law enforcement personnel, such as police investigators, recipients will be required to coordinate with the Department of State to ensure compliance with security and human rights vetting requirements under the Leahy Law.

Submissions must:

· Outline experience and expertise building counterterrorism financing capacity in the public and/or private sector in at-risk countries; highlight key achievements

· Articulate a comprehensive understanding of current terrorism finance threats and the varying CFT capacities across East Africa

· Detail training and mentorship methodology based on adult learning best practices

· Summarize mentor deployment plan and how project will measure outcomes and impact of training, on-the-job or other

· Identify target countries, institutions, focus areas, and basis of analysis for selection

BUDGET GUIDANCE

Please refer to 2 CFR for detailed guidance. Allowable project costs may include the following:

· Personnel Costs (to include Project Management)

· Supply Costs

· Travel Costs

· Monitoring and Evaluation Costs

· Life-support costs

II. AWARD INFORMATION AND APPLICATION EVALUATION AND SCORING

The U.S. government may issue one award resulting from this NOFO to those applicants whose application is the most responsive to the objectives set forth in this NOFO. The U.S. government may (a) reject any or all applications, (b) accept other than the lowest cost application, (c) accept more than one application, (d) accept alternate applications, and (e) waive informalities and minor irregularities in applications received.

Applicants should note that the following criteria will: 1) serve as a standard against which all applications will be evaluated; and 2) serve to identify the significant matters that should be addressed in all applications. The U.S. Government will award grants to the applicant whose offer represents the best value to the U.S. Government on the basis of technical merit, cost, and organizational capacity. In addition, each application will be evaluated and scored on the Proposal Components using a 30-point scale by a peer review committee of Department of State.

Based on applications that responsive to the requirements outlined above, the review panel will use the following criteria when rating proposals:

-- Program Narrative [5] Projects should note how activities directly contribute to increasing AML/CTF capacity in East Africa. The proposal should demonstrate a logical approach and show how the project objectives and tasks are linked and how they will be achieved and measured during the project period. Proposed projects should address long-term institutional and/or organizational development with an emphasis on moving towards sustainability.

-- Plan for Measuring Program Effectiveness [5] Output and outcome indicators should be clearly linked to project goals and objectives. The project should demonstrate the capacity for engaging in both periodic monitoring and end of project evaluation to articulate the effectiveness of the intervention.

-- Organizational Capability and Record of Performance [5] CT will consider the demonstrated past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants. Proposed personnel and organizational resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the project's goals. Roles and responsibilities of primary staff should be clear.

-- Budget Detail and Cost Effectiveness [5] The overhead and administrative components of the proposal should be necessary and appropriate to the execution of the project. The presentation of each line-item and corresponding budget narrative should demonstrate that the organization’s efforts will be consistent with sound financial management practices.

-- Key Personnel [5] Key personnel should have experience and /or academic knowledge in AML/CTF issues in terrorism-affected countries.

-- Monitoring and Evaluation Approach [5] Applicants should outline on one page their basic approach to monitoring and evaluating their programs, including methods of reporting and recording programmatic successes and challenges. Proposals should include follow-up monitoring activities within the proposed period of performance to determine effectiveness of program implementation. Though not required, CT strongly supports the inclusion of third party evaluators as part of the project proposals and applicants cannot receive a full five points without it.

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION:

Please refer to the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for more information and complete instructions on how to apply to this NOFO, including information on proposal’s content and formatting. Please use both the PSI and the announcement to ensure that the proposal submission is in full compliance with the requirements. Proposal submissions that do not meet all of the requirements outlined in the NOFO and PSI will NOT be considered.

FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION:

Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.400g, it is U.S. Department of State policy not to award profit under assistance instruments.

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 an application. In addition, a final award of any resultant award agreement cannot be made until funds have been fully appropriated, allocated, and committed through internal CT procedures. While it is anticipated that these procedures will be successfully completed, potential applicants are hereby notified of these requirements and conditions for award. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant’s expense.

It is the responsibility of the recipient of this NOFO to ensure that it has been recorded as received by SAMS Domestic in its entirety. The Department bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes associated with electronic submissions.

The Federal award signed by the Grants Officer is the only authorizing document.

Reporting Requirements Recipients will, at a minimum, be required to submit Quarterly Progress Reports (including the SF-PPR as the cover page) and Quarterly Financial Reports (SF-425) describing key activities undertaken during the preceding month towards accomplishment of the stated objectives. Progress Reports will compare actual to planned performance and indicate the progress made in accomplishing each assistance award task/goal noted in the grant agreement and will contain analysis and summary of findings, both quantitative and qualitative, for key indicators. Financial Reports provide a means of monitoring expenditures and comparing costs incurred with progress.

NOTE: It is Department of State policy that English is the official language of all documents. If reports or any supporting documents are provided in both English and a foreign language, it must be stated in each version that the English language version is the controlling version.

Mandatory disclosures (2 CFR 200.113) The non-federal entity or applicant for a federal award must disclose, in a timely manner, in writing to the federal awarding agency or pass-through entity all violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal award. Non-federal entities that have received a Federal award including the term and condition outlined in Appendix XII of the 2 CFR 200—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters are required to report certain civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings to SAM. Failure to make required disclosures can result in any of the remedies described in §200.338 Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment.

Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) A federal awarding agency, prior to making a federal award will review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313). Applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM. Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

OTHER INFORMATION

Applicant organizations must demonstrate commitment to non-discrimination with respect to beneficiaries and adherence to equal opportunity employment practices. Non-discrimination includes equal treatment without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, and political affiliation. Applicants are reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law prohibits transactions with or support to individuals or organizations associated with terrorism.

Proposals that reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated to terrorist organization or narcotics trafficker, including elected members of government, will NOT be considered.

III. ELIGIBLITY INFORMATION

(1) Eligible Entities: Applicants that are eligible to apply are U.S. based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) having a 501(c) (3) status with the IRS; overseas NGOs; and public international organizations. In particular, submissions from potential implementers with deep experience implementing complex security assistance programs are welcome.

To be eligible for an award, in addition to other conditions of this NOFO, organizations must have a commitment to non‐discrimination with respect to beneficiaries and adherence to equal opportunity employment practices. Non‐discrimination includes equal treatment without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, and political affiliation.

Applicants are reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law prohibits transactions with, and the provision of resources and support to, individuals and organizations associated with terrorism. It is the legal responsibility of the Recipient to ensure compliance with these Executive Orders and laws. This provision must be included in any sub‐awards issued under this award.

For-profit and commercial firms are not eligible to apply. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

IV. AGENCY CONTACTS

Any prospective applicant desiring an explanation or interpretation of this NOFO must request it in writing by the deadline for questions specified in the cover letter to allow a reply to reach all prospective applicants before the submission of their applications. Any information given to a prospective applicant concerning this NOFO will be furnished promptly to all other prospective applicants as a Questions and Answers amendment to this NOFO, if that information is necessary in submitting applications or if the lack of it would be prejudicial to any other prospective applicants.

Please be sure to check SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants/portal_login.do) for any updates or amendments to the NOFO and to see published Questions and Answers regarding the NOFO.

Any questions concerning this NOFO must be submitted in writing by email to the Bureau of Counterterrorism at LaveryMM@state.gov, with East Africa CTF and your organization’s name in the subject line, by the deadline for questions indicated at the top of this NOFO’s cover letter.