FY 2020 EAP NOFO Embassy Singapore - Supporting Cybersecurity Partnership 7.22 Ext Final .docx

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

UNITED STATES EMBASSY SINGAPORE

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Announcement Type: New Announcement

Assistance Type: Cooperative Agreement

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 19.124

Total Available Funding: $651,750 U.S. Dollars

Eligibility Category: U.S. Non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, or overseas-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations, and U.S. and overseas private/state institutions of higher education (See full eligibility criteria below in Section C).

Executive Summary:

The U.S. Embassy Singapore at the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announces this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to support cybersecurity capacity-building efforts primarily for the Southeast Asian region, including under existing programs such as the U.S.-Singapore Cybersecurity Technical Assistance Program (CTAP) for ASEAN Countries and the U.S.-Singapore Third-Country Training Program (TCTP) as well as those under the umbrella of the ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (ASCCE).

A cooperative agreement for exactly $651,750 U.S. Dollars (USD) in FY 2020 Economic Support Funds (ESF) will be awarded (pending availability of funds) for work that will support efforts to improve cybersecurity awareness, policies, and skills within ESF-eligible countries. This project is divided into two parts. The first is logistical and event support for the delivery of a series of trainings designed to provide a holistic and rigorous program to raise cybersecurity capability and maturity levels for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states and/or Southeast Asian countries so that the region is better positioned to respond effectively to a transboundary and ever-evolving cyber threat landscape. The second is to provide gap-analysis and advisory services to build out possible expanded cooperative cybersecurity capacity-building efforts to benefit ESF-eligible Southeast Asian countries to include new trainings under the umbrella of the ASCCE. The period of performance is 36 months. Funding authority rests in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA).

Contact Person: See Section G.

Please read the entire solicitation package carefully if you plan to submit an application; there are steps that you should take immediately in order to make your submissions by the deadline.

A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A.1. Background

Cybersecurity in the Indo-Pacific is crucial to U.S. national and economic security. Two of the four named state actors of concern for malicious cyber activity, China, and North Korea, are located in the region. Continued and robust collaboration with and training of partners in the region is crucial to reduce the risk of unintended political escalation and state-on-state conflict due to transnational cyber threats such as cybercrime and malicious cyber activity by both state and non-state actors. The United States and Singapore have both been very active in furthering this goal and continued joint activity has built a strong foundation of mutual trust and cooperation to facilitate cybersecurity capacity-building collaboration. This collaboration also directly supports the protection and advancement of U.S. national security, economic interests, and values through ensuring an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure internet.

The Supporting U.S. Cybersecurity Capacity Building for ASEAN Countries project seeks to support and expand on the goodwill and technical expertise between the United States and Singapore to benefit ESF-eligible countries in Southeast Asia. This project will build on these past successful efforts and current partnerships, such as:

1) The United States and Singapore have established CTAP to deliver cybersecurity technical assistance workshops and trainings for ASEAN countries especially drawing on the technical expertise of the private sector. In April of 2019, the United States and Singapore jointly launched the first CTAP. The three-day program was a comprehensive and in-depth training in establishing and maintaining a successful Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), addressing such issues as cyber threat landscapes, technical requirements of CERTs, and available tools for national and regional CERTs. Additional iterations of the program are envisioned.

2) Established in February 2012, the U.S.-Singapore TCTP is a partnership between the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Department of State to conduct joint capacity-building courses for Southeast Asian countries, in particular those in the Lower Mekong region. The TCTP supports ASEAN community-building efforts by enhancing connectivity, promoting sustainable development, and strengthening regional resilience. Singapore and the United States draw on complementary expertise and experience to develop innovative capacity-building programs that meet the priority needs of ASEAN member countries. Cybersecurity is one of the selected topics that is part of the broader TCTP program.

3) Singapore launched the ASCCE to provide dedicated cyber training to the region. Since its formation on April 1, 2015, the Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore (CSA) provides dedicated and centralized oversight of national cybersecurity functions and works with sector leads to protect Singapore’s critical services. It also engages with various industries, and stakeholders to heighten cybersecurity awareness as well as to ensure the holistic development of Singapore’s cybersecurity landscape. The United States is a member of the International Program Committee of the ASCCE and looks to offer additional capacity-building efforts under the umbrella of the ASCCE.

The Department of State proposes a program to work with an implementing partner to support cybersecurity capacity-building efforts under these programs with the United States Government. In addition, this implementer will actively seek ways to incorporate the ongoing success and resources of the United States Government and the U.S. private sector in collaboration with the Singapore Cybersecurity Agency, the ASCCE, and other partner organizations to reach more audiences in the region and strengthen the cybersecurity capacity of ASEAN-member countries and potentially other Southeast Asian countries, both nationally and regionally. This program will be managed by Embassy Singapore with support as needed from EAP/RSP in Washington, DC.

A2. Program Goals

The Supporting U.S. Cybersecurity Capacity Building for ASEAN Countries project is divided into two parts. Part 1 is designed to provide direct support to the development and implementation of cybersecurity capacity-building/training programs under existing collaborative agreements with Singapore and/or other mechanisms, and Part 2 is intended as a collaboration with the United States to provide analysis and a possible roadmap to further enhance U.S.-Singapore cyber capacity building engagements in Southeast Asia. Goals, Objectives, Results, and Activities are divided into Parts 1 and 2 for this NOFO.

PART 1: The objective of this part of the program is to provide logistical and event support for holistic and rigorous technical programs focused on raising cybersecurity capability and maturity levels for ASEAN member states so that the ASEAN region is better positioned to respond effectively to a transboundary and ever-evolving cyber threat landscape.

Objective 1.1: Work with U.S. Embassy Singapore to assist in the design and development of technical and policy trainings for ASEAN member states as desired under the CTAP, TCTP for Cybersecurity, or other ad-hoc programs as requested, incorporating feedback from other/past cybersecurity capacity-building workshops.

Objective 1.2: Identify and recruit eligible individuals and organizations from ASEAN member states for the technical assistance workshops in conjunction with CSA and U.S. missions in the region, including logistical and organizational support.

Objective 1.3: Deliver at least three trainings per year for an audience of 25-40 participants per training, either virtually or on location in ASEAN countries, including input from U.S. Embassy Singapore, EAP/RSP, the CSA, and appropriate private-sector or other organizations.

Objective 1.4: Utilize feedback from participants, United States and Singapore partners, and private-sector partners to evaluate, improve, and build sustainability of future iterations of cybersecurity capacity building for the sub-region.

PART 2: The objective of this part is to collaborate closely with the United States Department of State to analyze all areas of collaboration between the United States and Singapore in cybersecurity objectives and provide strategies for longer-term incorporation and partnership-strengthening to design an expanded United States-Singapore long-term cybersecurity training and support strategy that is sustainable and scalable for partner countries in Southeast Asia and to support the ASCCE.

Objective 2.1: Analyze the current strengths and weaknesses, areas of overlap, activities, and resources encapsulated in the ongoing successful collaboration between the United States and Singapore, including but not limited to CTAP and TCTP for cybersecurity.

Objective 2.2: Provide the United States recommendations on a strategic approach to incorporating resources most effectively using this analysis in Objective 2.1. This analysis will support broader United States-Singapore cyber-capacity-building engagements in the Southeast Asia region.

Objective 2.3: Outline and execute the strategic plan to assist the United States in organizing and implementing expanded U.S.-Singapore collaborative cybersecurity capacity-building efforts to provide a more comprehensive and effective cybersecurity capacity building to ESF-eligible Southeast Asian countries.

A3. Expected Results

PART 1: A successful cybersecurity capacity-building training will provide eligible officials in the target countries with sufficient knowledge and experience in identifying, mitigating, and preventing cybersecurity threats and understanding and implementing cybersecurity best practices and policy.

Specific results could include the following:

· Developing and finalizing multi-level curricula to account for novice, intermediate, and advanced audiences in ASEAN nations and/or other nations in the region. Effective curricula should aim to:

· 1) Support the establishment of a cadre of technical experts within CERTs across ASEAN who have the capability to analyze and understand the nature and origins of cyber incidents.

· 2) Empower participants in the development or expansion of CERTs in ASEAN countries.

· 3) Provide policy makers with a holistic and comprehensive understanding of the broad range of cyber policy issues impacting the region.

· 4) Encourage policy makers to incorporate international cybersecurity best practices that mitigate risks/threats in cyberspace into their respective national planning.

· 5) Promote whole-of-government coordination on cyber policy making.

· Assist, as appropriate, in successfully identifying participants for each training, including those that can adequately train others in the skills learned in a cybersecurity capacity-building training.

· Provide adequate logistical and administrative support including visa, travel, translation/interpretation, to support key cybersecurity trainings for ESF-eligible Southeast Asian countries.

· Expanding the sustainability and repeatability of training programs for future iterations of cybersecurity capacity-building trainings.

PART 2: By working closely and collaboratively with U.S. Embassy Singapore personnel and other partners, the implementer will deliver an analysis for the United States to utilize the strength of United States-Singapore partnership to further civilian capacity of ASEAN-member countries and/or countries in the region to protect systems from cyber threats and generate a safe and prosperous online environment where business and entrepreneurship can thrive.

Specific results could include the following:

· Incorporating past best practices and lessons learned from CTAP, TCTP for cybersecurity, and ASCCE programs to develop a roadmap for future programs and projects for the region.

· Formulating a proposal for incorporating or cross-pollinating CTAP, TCTP for cybersecurity, and/or ASCCE programming and resources into a strategic approach for increasing partner-nation cybersecurity capacity in Southeast Asia.

· Providing strategic recommendations on trainings to ASEAN-member countries that incorporate topics, issues, and subject-matter experts in the cybersecurity ecosystem beyond exclusively technical expertise and basic policy considerations, and/or incorporate additional likeminded partner nations.

A4. Main Activities

PART 1: To achieve the goals and expected results of the training development, the program could include the following:

· Develop a curriculum or set of curricula that is repeatable, customizable, and sustainable past the life of the grant/cooperative agreement. These curricula must be reviewed and agreed-upon by personnel from Embassy Singapore.

· Identify, recruit, and register qualified personnel from the target countries and/or ASEAN secretariat in coordination with and with the input and approval of U.S. Embassy Singapore and the CSA.

· Provide logistical support for participants, including registration, travel arrangements, visa requirements if applicable, and other administrative and organizational support.

· Identify and invite speakers and contributors to the training sessions, including government speakers, private-sector presenters, and other subject-matter experts as applicable. This includes travel arrangements, honoraria, and other administrative items as necessary to enable presenters’ participation.

· Conduct three trainings per year, either virtual or in-person, targeting 25-40 participants per training. Trainings should be tailored to the precise needs and skillsets of the country or countries participating and the invited participants.

· Establish indicators for and conduct a robust evaluation for each training and the cooperative agreement overall, ensuring that the findings from each training can be incorporated into future trainings, to improve the success of following iterations.

PART 2: To achieve the goals and expected results of expanding the United States-Singapore cybersecurity partnership, the program could include the following:

· Conduct interviews and planning sessions with U.S. Embassy Singapore, Department of State, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), and CSA personnel to understand the goals and objectives of both nations.

· Identify best practices among current trainings, programs, and other interactions both bilaterally and in the region.

· Incorporate best practices into a proposed training and/or engagement strategy and/or schedule that utilizes all aspects of the identified cybersecurity ecosystem to expand the reach of the United States-Singapore cybersecurity training.

A5. Performance Indicators

The project should monitor and report on performance indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable, and time-bound. Establish, where possible, performance baseline data and expected performance targets for each expected result and include details on what sources of data will be used to document performance, how the indicators will be measured, frequency of measurement, and units of measure. Where possible, indicators should also allow for sex disaggregation. Indicators should reflect key project outputs or outcomes that reflect on the primary goals or objectives of the project and that the implementer can collect with high quality data.

Applicants must fill out the table below and insert it into the proposal document. Additional non-DOS indicators may be added that are relevant to the project by adding rows to the chart.

All applicable indicators should be included in the proposal and subsequent to the award, routine, periodic reporting of all indicators will be required. The implementer will be responsible for quarterly progress reporting on each performance indicator included in the award agreement as well as analysis of progress or impediments to reach indicator targets.

The following are required indicators. Applicants should propose other indicators relevant to the primary objectives and expected results of the project.

The following are suggested indicator/s for this project:

A6. Substantial Involvement

Embassy Singapore anticipates awarding a cooperative agreement as a result of this NOFO. The distinction between grants and cooperative agreements revolves around the existence of “substantial involvement.” Cooperative agreements require greater involvement from the Federal government during the implementation of the award agreement. For this cooperative agreement, it is anticipated that the Department of State will be substantially involved in the following areas at a minimum:

1. Approval of curricula selection, thematic focus of each training modules

2. Approval of each stage of work before the next stage can begin, as dictated by the final SOW negotiated between Embassy Singapore and the successful applicant.

3. Involvement in and final approval of the selection of participants, curricula, and program venues

4. Joint preparation of presentation of project results with the recipient

5. Coordination with CSA and MFA

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

U.S. Embassy Singapore anticipates having $651,750 of FY 2020 ESF available to support one successful application submitted in response to this NOFO, subject to the ability of funding. The authority for this funding opportunity is found in the FAA.

Applicants should include a period of performance of 36 months.

The Department of State may make award(s) on the basis of initial applications received, without discussions or negotiations. Therefore, each initial application should contain the applicant's best terms from a cost and technical standpoint. The Department of State reserves the right (though it is not under obligation to do so), however, to enter into discussions with one or more applicants in order to obtain clarifications, additional detail, or to suggest refinements in the project description, budget, or other aspects of an application.

Depending on the quality of performance and other factors, Embassy Singapore may consider additional supplemental funding to continue activities and extend the period of performance, if funds are available and Embassy Singapore and the Recipient mutually agree.

Summary of Award Information

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

C.1 Eligible Applicants

Embassy Singapore welcomes applications from U.S. Non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, or overseas-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations, and U.S. and overseas private/state institutions of higher education.

Technically eligible submissions are those which: 1) arrive electronically to www.Grants.gov or by email to Emily C. Crawford at CrawfordEC@state.gov by the designated deadline; 2) have heeded all instructions contained in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), including registrations and length and completeness of submission; and 3) do not violate any of the guidelines stated in the solicitation and this document.

For-profit and commercial firms are not eligible to apply in response to this NOFO.

Please see 2 CFR 200.307 for regulations regarding program income.

C.2 Cost Sharing or Matching

Providing cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not an eligibility requirement for this NOFO.

Please note: If cost-share is included in the budget then the recipient must maintain written records to support all allowable costs that are claimed as its contribution to cost-share, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. In the event the recipient does not meet the minimum amount of cost-sharing as stipulated in the recipient’s budget, Embassy Singapore’s contribution may be reduced in proportion to the recipient’s contribution.

C.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.

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System in the System for Award Management (SAM)(www.sam.gov) 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 Excluded Parties List System in SAM can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Excluded Parties List System in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

Organizations must have a commitment to equal opportunity employment practices and to non-discrimination practices with regard to beneficiaries, without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.

Organizations may only submit one application per organization. If more than one application is submitted by an organization, only the first application received from that institution will be reviewed for eligibility and funding.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

D.1 Address to Request Application Package

Applicants can find application forms and other materials need to apply on Grants.gov under the announcement title and funding opportunity number provided above.

Applicants are able to apply electronically at www.Grants.gov or by email to Emily C. Crawford at CrawfordEC@state.gov by the designated deadline.

Please contact the point of contact listed in section G if requesting reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or for security reasons. Please note: reasonable accommodations do not include deadline extensions.

Please read carefully the entire announcement and follow the guidelines below before sending inquiries or submitting proposals.

D.2 Content and Form of Application Submission

Please follow all instructions below carefully. Applications that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.

For all submitted application documents, please ensure:

· The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity

· All documents are in English. If an original document within the application is in another language, an English translation must be provided (please note: the Department of State, as indicated in 2 CFR 200.111, requires that English is the official language of all award documents. If any documents are provided in both English and a foreign language, the English language version is the controlling version)

· All budget costs are in U.S. dollars

· All pages are numbered, including budgets and attachments

· All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper

· All documents are single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins. Captions and footnotes may be 10-point Times New Roman font. Font sizes in charts and tables, including the budget, can be reformatted to fit within 1-page width.

Complete applications must include the following required documents:

1. Completed and signed SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B and SF-LLL forms. These forms are available electronically via Grants.gov. The SF-424 B 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. The SF-LLL is required for applicants that may engage in lobbying activities.

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. Table of Contents that includes a page numbered contents page and any attachments.

4. Proposal Narrative (not to exceed 10 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. Please see the “Narrative Components” section below for details on the information to include in the proposal.

(The 10-page limit does not include the Summary Page, Table of Contents, Budget, Budget Narrative, Letter of Disclosure, Letter of Institutional Support, NICRA, Audit, CVs, or SF-424s).

5. Summary and Detailed Line-Item Budget (in Microsoft Excel) that includes three [3] columns including the request to Embassy Singapore, any cost sharing contribution, and total budget (see below for more information on budget format). The federal share requested should not exceed the amount of funds available under section B. A summary budget should also be included using the OMB approved budget categories (see SF-424A for budget categories). Costs must be in U.S. dollars. Detailed line-item budgets for sub-awardees should be included in additional tabs within the excel workbook. A template budget is provided, but is not required, as long as the submitted budget follows OMB budget categories.

6. Budget Narrative (in Microsoft Word) that includes substantive explanations and justifications for each line item in the detailed budget spreadsheet, as well as the source and a description of all cost-share offered. For ease of review, Embassy Singapore recommends applicants order the budget narrative as presented in the detailed budget. Personnel costs must include a clarification of the roles and responsibilities of all staff, base salary, and percentage of time devoted to the project. The budget narrative should support the activities described in the proposal and provide additional information that might not be readily apparent in the detailed-line item budget, not simply repeat what is represented numerically in the budget, i.e. salaries are for salaries or travel is for travel. The budget narrative should also explain any cost share provided.

7. NICRA: If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your most recent NICRA should be included as a PDF file. This document will not be reviewed by the panelists, but rather used by project and grant staff if the submission is recommended for funding and therefore does not count against the submission page limitations. If your proposal involves subawards to organizations charging indirect costs, please submit the applicable NICRA.

Per 2 CFR200.414(f), organizations that have never had a NICRA may request a de minimis indirect rate of up to 10% of the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) as defined in 2 CFR 200.68. MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000. The budget narrative should indicate what costs will be covered using the 10% de minimis rate.

8. Letter of Disclosure for proposed consultants/personnel (if applicable) of potential conflicts of interest, employment with a local/state/federal government.

9. Singe Audit: A PDF file copy of your organization’s most recent single audit is required, if your organization meets the threshold as defined in 2 CFR 200 Subpart F. If your organization has not had a recent single audit (within your organization’s previous 3 fiscal years), you must submit your organization’s most recent independent financial audit. If your organization has not had a recent single audit or financial audit, you must submit a letter from your Chief Financial Officer (or similar financial management officer) stating that no such audits have been conducted.

Narrative Components As stated above, the proposal may be a maximum of 10 pages. The proposal must include the following information:

a. Executive Summary This section should be a succinct one-page summary containing information that the applicant believes best represents its proposed program and includes: the name and contact information for the project’s main point of contact; the project’s purpose; targeted countries; program length (dates/duration); total funding requested (indicate any sub-grants proposed); project’s goals, primary objectives and expected results (highlighting any aspects of innovation, sustainability and impact of the project); involvement or use of any NGO’s or civil society organizations; and expected results and sustainability; and a one-paragraph program description. Countries of implementation are those countries or participants from countries that will receive financial or technical support as a result of this project.

b. 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 program activities of the agreement.

· 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’s experience with working with designing, planning, and coordinating international training sessions. Ideally, applicants will have experience with the Indo-Pacific region, cybersecurity expertise, and a network of contacts in the relevant subject areas.

· As an attachment (which does not count as part of the 10 pages), please provide at least one past performance reference which describes any contracts, grants, cooperative agreements 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 information: 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.

c. Program Strategy

· Propose a clear and realistic implementation plan to significantly address the Program Goals in Section A2.

· The proposal should further outline the expected and achievable results for the project which should include suggestions in Section A3. It should also outline the relevant and appropriate Main Activities to accomplish the goals and expected results, which could include those found in Section A4. Explain the assumptions on which the success of the project depends, and the involvement of other stakeholders.

· In table format, please present a brief, one- to two-page work plan matrix (which does count as part of the 10 pages), with a timeline including target dates for activities for the life of the agreement, which reflects the overall program approach, and objectives. The following timeline below is provided as an example.

Activity 123

Etc.

d. Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

· Discuss how progress towards the expected results will be measured, as outlined by the Performance Indicators in Section A5. Identify which performance indicators will be measured and how data on these indicators will be collected, analyzed, and used for program management. Present indicators linked to specific project objectives in table format and include source of data and proposed frequency of collection. See the full list of Performance Indicators in Section A5.

e. 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, reporting relationships, authority and lines of communication within and between each of these organizations.

· Include job descriptions and CVs of key staff (Project Director, etc.) as attachments (do not count as part of the 10-page limit), which demonstrate that the proposed key staff are 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 the Department of State. Note the location where key staff will be based.

· Recognizing that COVID-19 has limited where and when staff/participants can travel, the Recipient should also include a contingency plan should restricted travel remain through some portion of the period of performance. Contingency plans could include remote or virtual training tools.

Note: Applications that do not include all required documents will be marked as incomplete, and will therefore be deemed technically ineligible.

The Department of State retains the right to ask for additional documents not included in this NOFO. Additionally, to ensure all applications receive a balanced evaluation, the Grant Review Panel will review the first page of the requested section up to the page limit and no further. Embassy Singapore encourages organizations to use the given space effectively.

D.3 Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

All organizations applying for grants 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 or 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.

Applicants must have an active registration in SAM (www.sam.gov) prior to submitting an application, must prove a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, formerly referred to as a DUNS number, and must continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by the U.S. government. If an organization does not have an active registration in SAM.gov prior to submitting an application, the application will be deemed ineligible. Note: The process of obtaining a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.

The Unique Entity Identifier (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. SAM is the Federal government's primary database for complying with FFATA reporting requirements. OMB designated SAM as the central repository to facilitate applicant and recipient use of a single public website that consolidates data on all federal financial assistance. Under the law, it is mandatory to obtain a UEI number and register in SAM.

SAM requires all entities to renew their registration once a year in order to maintain an active registration status in SAM. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure it has an active registration in SAM and to also maintain its active registration in SAM.

An exemption from this requirement may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if the applicant’s identity must be protected due to possible endangerment of their mission, their organization’s status, their employees, or individuals being served by the applicant. Organizations requesting an exemption should email the point of contact listed in Section G of this NOFO.

Please note: foreign organizations will be required to register with the NATO Support Agency (NSPA) to receive a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code in order to register in SAM. NSPA will forward your registration request to the applicable National Codification Bureau (NCB) if your organization is located in a NATO or Tier 2 Sponsored Non-NATO Nation. (As of January 2015, NATO nations included Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States of America; and Tier 2 nations included Australia, Austria, Brazil, Finland, Israel, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Serbia, and Singapore.)

NSPA and/or the appropriate NCB forwards all NCAGE code information to all Allied Committee 135 (AC/135) nations, which as of January 2015 also included Afghanistan, Argentina, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Montenegro, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates.

D.4 Submission Dates and Times

Applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), on August 06, 2021.

Applicants are urged to begin the application process well before the submission deadline. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

Grants.gov automatically log the date and time an application submission is made and emailed applications also log date and time an application is submitted. The Department of State will use this information to determine whether an application has been submitted on time. Late applications are neither reviewed nor considered.

If ultimately provided with a notification of intent to make a Federal award, applicants typically have two to three weeks to provide additional information and documents requested in the notification of intent. The deadlines may vary in each notification of intent and applicants must adhere to the stated deadline in the notification of intent.

D.5 Funding Restrictions

Embassy Singapore will not consider applications that reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated terrorist organization. No entity listed on the Excluded Parties List System in SAM is eligible for any assistance.

Project activities that provide training or other assistance to foreign militaries or paramilitary groups or individuals will not be considered for funding given purpose limitations on funding.

If a proposed grant or cooperative agreement will provide assistance to foreign law enforcement, compliance with the Leahy Law is expected. Federal awards generally will not allow reimbursement of pre-award costs; however, the Grants Officer may approve pre-award costs on a case-by-case basis. Generally, construction costs are not allowed.

Various policy and legal restrictions may apply to assistance to certain countries. For example, the use of FY 2020 ESF for assistance to the government of Cambodia, including to government officials, is restricted. In addition, all activities for Burma are subject to additional review and require prior written approval by Embassy Singapore.

The following activities and costs are not covered under this announcement:

· Construction is not an allowable activity under this award.

· Activities that appear partisan or that support individual or party electoral campaigns

· Direct support or the appearance of direct support for any religious organization, to include repair or building of structures used for religious purposes

· Military assistance of any kind, including weapons buy-back or rewards programs

· Purchase of firearms, ammunition, or removal of unexploded ordnances

· Para-police (i.e., militias, neighborhood watch, security guards) and prison-related projects. This restriction includes no funding of any secondary need in a law-enforcement organization.

· Payments for any partner government, military, or civilian government employee salary or pension

· Duplication of services immediately available through municipal, provincial, or national government

· Funds for market research, advertising (unless public service related to grant program), or other promotional expenses

· Expenses made prior to the approval of a proposal or unreasonable expenditures will not be reimbursed.

· Charitable or development activities

· Fund-raising campaigns

· Lobbying for specific legislation or projects

· Scientific research

· Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization

· Projects seeking funds for personal use

· Projects that require a participation fee

Representation by Organization Regarding a Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Criminal Conviction: In accordance with section 7073 of Division K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (Public Law 113-76) none of the funds made available by that Act may be used to enter into an assistance award with any organization that –

(1) Was “convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency has direct knowledge of the conviction, unless the agency has considered, in accordance with its procedures, that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government”; or

(2) Has any “unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, unless the Federal agency has considered, in accordance with its procedures, that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.”

For the purposes of Section 7073, it is the Department of State’s policy that no award may be made to any organization covered by (1) or (2) above, unless the Procurement Executive has made a written determination that suspension or debarment is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

D.6 Other Submission Requirements

All application submissions must be made either electronically via Grants.gov or by email to Emily C. Crawford at CrawfordEC@state.gov.

Grants.gov requires registration by the applying organization.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that it has an active registration in Grants.gov and that an application has been received by Grants.gov in its entirety. Embassy Singapore bears no responsibility for disqualification that result from applicants not being registered before the due date or for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. Additionally, you must save a screen shot of the checklist showing all documents submitted in case any document fails to upload successfully.

Faxed, couriered, or emailed documents will not be accepted. Reasonable accommodations may, in appropriate circumstances, be provided to applicants with disabilities or for security reasons.

Applicants must follow all formatting instructions in the applicable solicitation and these instructions.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

E.1 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. Each application will be evaluated individually against the criteria below and not against competing applications.

Proposal Narrative: The Review Panel will score each of the five sections of the Proposal Narrative based on how completely they address the bulleted points described in the Proposal Narrative Guidance in Section D2. The Panel will assign up to 80 points for the proposal narrative. The importance of each section is indicated by the maximum score as follows:

· Executive Summary – 10 points

· Organization Capacity and Past Performance – 20 points

· Program Strategy – 25 points

· Performance Monitoring and Evaluation – 15 points

· Management Plan – 10 points

Budget: The Review Panel will also review the budget components in order to assign up to 20 points for the overall program budget and cost-effectiveness. Proposals should keep estimated overhead and 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) in 2 CFR 200. Applicants should provide clear explanations and justifications for costs in relation to the work involved. All budget items should be clearly explained and justified to demonstrate its necessity, appropriateness, and its link to the project objectives. Amount of funding contributed by the applicant, sub-awardees, and other partners – while not required – shows a commitment to the success of the project.

· Budget Appropriateness – 10 points

· Cost-effectiveness – 10 points

E.2 Review and Selection Process

Embassy Singapore strives to ensure each application receives a balanced evaluation by a Grant Review Panel. All technically eligible applications for a given notice of funding opportunity are reviewed against the same criteria, listed above. Additionally, the Grant Review Panel will evaluate how the application addresses the NOFO request, U.S. foreign policy goals, and the priority needs of Embassy Singapore overall.

The Grant Review Panel generally includes representatives from the Embassy, as well as other representatives from the Department of State, and may include additional panelists from other U.S. embassies, other U.S. government departments or agencies. All Panelists must sign non-disclosure agreements and conflicts of interest agreements.

Grant 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 Department of State funds, conditions or recommendations may include requests to increase, decrease, clarify, and/or justify costs and project activities.

E.3 Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System

The Department of State, 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 designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313).

The 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.

The Department of State 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.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

F.1 Federal Award Notices

Embassy Singapore will provide a separate notification to applicants on the result of their applications. Successful applicants will be notified by Embassy Singapore via email. This notification is not an authorization to begin activities and does not constitute formal approval or a funding commitment.

Additional information that successful applicants may be asked to…