FY 2019 Alumni Notice of Funding Opportunity (002).docx

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. EMBASSY BELGRADE

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity Title: Alumni Small Grants Funding Opportunity Number: SRB10019FO0001 Deadline for Applications: 3 rounds Round 1 – 03/31/2019 Round 2 – 04/30/2019 Round 3 – 06/15/2019 CFDA Number: 19.900 Total Amount Available: $325,000

THIS NOTICE IS SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING.

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Embassy Belgrade announces an open competition for individuals and/or organizations to submit applications to carry out a program in Serbia. Please carefully follow all instructions below.

Program Objectives:

The U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Section has set aside funds for the Alumni Small Grants Program specifically designated for use by past participants of U.S. Government (USG)-sponsored exchange programs. (See below for list of USG-sponsored exchange programs.) The Alumni Small Grants Program allows our alumni to take their ideas on how to give back to their home community, or Serbian society more generally, and make those a reality. These projects will allow alumni to showcase their leadership and organizational skills, their creativity and innovative approaches to solving problems, and their ability to network and work with allies to achieve their goals.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Length of performance period: up to 18 months Number of awards anticipated: 20 Award amounts: awards may range from $1,000 to a maximum of $20,000 (smaller grants preferred) Type of Funding: FY19/20 Economic Support Funds under the Foreign Assistance Act Anticipated program start date: Depending on availability of funds

Funding Instrument Type: Grant or Fixed Amount Award Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 18 months or less.

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.

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

To be eligible for consideration, applicants must have participated in a USG-sponsored exchange program.

Alumni can submit proposals either as individuals or as a part of NGOs and institutions registered in Serbia. We do encourage Serbian applicants to work with counterparts in other countries.

List of U.S. Government Exchange Programs:

Since 2001, Serbians have taken part in a number of official exchange programs funded by the U.S. Government. Those include:

Serbia Youth Leadership Program (SYLP) Youth Leadership Program with Central Europe (YLPCE) American Serbia-Montenegro Youth Leadership Exchange program (A-SMYLE) Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Initiative Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) Community Solutions Community Connections International Leadership Visitors Program Open World Global Sports Mentoring Program Junior Faculty Development Program (JFDP) Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program Fulbright Visiting Scholar Future Leaders Exchange program (FLEX) Ron Brown Fellowship Program Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI)

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost share is not required.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (Data Universal Numbering System/DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations. Individuals are not required to have a unique entity identifier 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.

The following list represents the project themes that will receive preferential treatment during the Alumni Small Grants Program committee’s review of submitted proposals:

1. Rule of law, legal reform, and transparency in government.

2. Combat corruption, in the workplace, in education, in the delivery of healthcare, in the legal system, in government offices, etc.

3. Combating brain drain, promoting entrepreneurship, developing Serbia’s market economy

4. Countering violent extremism and radicalism in Serbia and the region.

5. Promoting gender equality and women empowerment.

6. Promoting tolerance of and equality for vulnerable populations, including the disabled, ethnic and religious minorities, the LGBT community, etc.

7. Conflict resolution efforts, within Serbia and within the region

8. Capacity-building efforts focused on the strengthening of civil society organizations, the media, and educational institutions.

9. Promotion of media literacy and critical thinking

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package

Application forms required below are available at embassy website.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission:

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

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)

· SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)

· SF424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) - the SF-424B is required only for those applicants who have not registered in SAM.gov or recertified their registration in SAM.gov since February 2, 2019 and completed the online representations and certifications.

· Application form

· Most recent CV of applicant

2. Summary Page: Cover sheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program.

3. Proposal (6 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 program, including program 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 U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies.

· Alumni information: Name and year of the exchange program in which you participated.

· Program 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.

· Program Justification: A brief justification on why the project should be supported and how it will contribute to Serbian society or its communities.

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

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) (NOTE: This section is required and not optional, except for NOFOs targeting applications from individuals instead of organizations)

Required Registrations:

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations. All are free of charge:

· Unique entity identifier from Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS number)

· NCAGE/CAGE code

· www.SAM.gov registration

Step 1: Apply for a DUNS number and an NCAGE number (these can be completed simultaneously)

DUNS application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet. If your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866-705-5711 visiting http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform

NCAGE application: Application page here: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx Instructions for the NCAGE application process:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf

For NCAGE help from within the U.S., call 1-888-227-2423 For NCAGE help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766 Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code.

Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM.gov by logging onto: https://www.sam.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.

4. Submission Dates and Times

Applications are due no later than:

Round 1 – 03/31/2019 Round 2 – 04/30/2019 Round 3 – 06/15/2019

5. Funding Restrictions

· Project budget cannot include any expenses incurred outside of the territory of the Republic of Serbia, such as international transportation, purchase of goods or payment of services in other countries, etc.

· Equipment rental is allowed, but budget cannot include purchase of any equipment.

· Fees for any staff engaged in the implementation or execution of larger projects (e.g., project manager, project assistant, accountant, etc.) cannot exceed 30% of the total project budget.

· You CANNOT apply for an Alumni Small Grant from the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade if:

· you are not an alumnus (i.e., part participant) of a USG-sponsored exchange program;

· you are not a Serbian citizen or a registered Serbian NGO;

· your project involves partisan political activity;

· your project involves travel outside Serbia;

· your project involves giving charitable activity and humanitarian aid;

· your project is a fundraising campaign

· your project is commercial in nature, i.e., you are making money;

· your project is focused on academic or scientific research.

6. Other Submission Requirements

All application materials must be submitted by email to belgradealumni@state.gov

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria

Project proposals that meet the basic criteria outlined above will be considered for funding through the Alumni Small Grants Program.

Project proposals are evaluated based on the theme of the project, the formulation of clear goals and target groups, project sustainability, and the ability of the applying individual or organization to carry out the project aims.

Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

2. Review and Selection Process

A Review Committee will evaluate all eligible applications. You may be invited for an interview or simply asked to submit additional information.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

The grant award will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant 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.

2. Reporting

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

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact: belgradealumni@state.gov.

H. OTHER INFORMATION

Guidelines for Budget Justification 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: Only rental of equipment is allowed. It should be listed under “Other Direct Costs”.

Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the program.

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

Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the program activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating. If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.

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

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