FY 25 AfPak Concept Note Final.pdf

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

U.S. Department of State Bureau of

Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM)

FY 2025 Request for Concept Notes for NGO

Programs Benefiting Afghan Returnees and

IDPs in Afghanistan and Afghan Refugees and stateless persons in Pakistan

Table of Contents

U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM)

FY 2025 Request for Concept Notes for NGO Programs Benefiting Afghan

Returnees and IDPs in Afghanistan and Afghan Refugees and stateless persons in

Pakistan

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Recommended Information Session

Basic Information

Funding Opportunity Number

Announcement Type

Assistance Listing Number

Announcement Issuance Date

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement

Concept Note Application Submission Deadline

Concept Note Process Information

Funding limits

Anticipated timeframe for award of selected full proposals

Anticipated Number of Awards

Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total

Advisory

Contact Information

Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

Cost Sharing or Matching

Number of Allowed Concept Note Applications

Program Description

Substantial Involvement

Geographic Regions / Populations

Country-specific Guidelines

Afghanistan Specific Guidance

Pakistan Specific Guidance

Application and Submission Instructions

SAM.gov and Grants.gov Registration

Other Requirements

Application Checklist

Criteria for Concept Note Application Review

Federal Award Information

Other Considerations

Post-Award Administration Information

Award Notices

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Reporting Requirements

Funding Restrictions

Disclaimer

Section 508

Executive Summary

The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration seeks concept notes for humanitarian assistance activities in Afghanistan and Pakistan, focusing on various sectors such as education, health, livelihoods, protection, and WASH. For

Afghanistan, priority is given to projects that support vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities and female-headed households, and emphasize primary and secondary healthcare, economic empowerment, and protection against gender-based violence. Concept notes for Afghanistan must align with regional response plans, include risk mitigation strategies, and demonstrate experience in carrying out assistance programs inside Afghanistan which may require negotiating with Taliban contacts.

In Pakistan concept notes should target Afghan refugees and other vulnerable populations including women and girls, prioritizing education, mental health integration, sustainable livelihoods, and protection for underserved groups.

Concept notes for Pakistan should align with the regional response plan and include contingency planning and risk mitigation strategies.

Organizations can apply as consortia. For this notice, PRM defines consortia as a group of at least three organizations that form an agreement to undertake an assistance activity beyond the resources of any one member.

Recommended Information Session

PRM invites interested applicants to join in an informational call on Monday, December 2, at 8:00AM (ET):

• Meeting ID: 272 786 110 019

• Passcode: gxVFoZ

• Or call in (audio only): +1 509-824-1908 https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MDRmOTFjZTAtZGEzMS00YTUzLWExMDgtNzBjMDgyNGEwYjA2%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266cf5074-5afe-48d1-a691-a12b2121f44b%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22abf47c74-a885-47c5-9940-bc50f4364de9%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MDRmOTFjZTAtZGEzMS00YTUzLWExMDgtNzBjMDgyNGEwYjA2%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266cf5074-5afe-48d1-a691-a12b2121f44b%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22abf47c74-a885-47c5-9940-bc50f4364de9%22%7d

• Phone Conference ID: 228 816 216#

Basic Information

Funding Opportunity Number

DFOP0017032

Announcement Type

Initial Announcement

Assistance Listing Number

19.523 - Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for South Asia

Announcement Issuance Date

Thursday, November 21, 2024

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement

Concept Note Application Submission Deadline

Monday, December 23, 2024, at 11:59:59 p.m. (23:59:59) EST. Concept Notes submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

Concept Note Process Information

This solicitation is the first step in a two-part process. After a panel reviews submitted concept notes, PRM will invite selected organizations to expand their submissions into full proposals no later than three months after submission.

Selected organizations will have 30 calendar days after notification of selection to complete and submit their full proposals.

Funding limits

Concept notes may include up to two years of programming. Budgets must meet the funding requirements and must be within the funding floor and ceiling limits per year. Concept note budgets outside these limits will be disqualified.

Afghanistan

• Funding floor per year (lowest $ value): $1,000,000

• Funding ceiling per year (highest $ value): $3,000,000

Pakistan

• Funding floor per year (lowest $ value): $1,000,000

• Funding ceiling per year (highest $ value): $2,500,000

Anticipated timeframe for notification of selection for full proposal development:

PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, that within 2 months from the submission deadline selected concept notes will be notified of selection for full proposal development.

Anticipated timeframe for award of selected full proposals

Pending the availability of funds, PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, that awards will be made less than 10 months from the concept note submission deadline.

Anticipated Number of Awards

PRM anticipates, but makes no guarantee, to fund as many as six (6) awards through this announcement.

Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total

PRM anticipates, but makes no guarantee, to award up to approximately

$16,500,000 total through this NOFO for these countries.

Advisory

All applicants must submit concept notes applications through the website

Grants.gov. PRM recommends submitting your concept note early to address any technical difficulties that may arise on the Grants.gov website.

If you are new to PRM funding, the Grants.gov registration process can be complicated. Refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines “Application Process” section for information and resources to help ensure a smooth application process. PRM also encourages organizations that have received funding from

PRM in the past to read this section as a refresher.

This announcement accompanies PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, which contain additional information on PRM’s priorities and NGO funding strategy. Use both the General NGO Guidelines and this announcement to ensure your submission fully complies with PRM requirements and aligns with PRM’s priorities.

PRM recommends submitting concept notes as Adobe PDF files. Microsoft Word documents may produce different page lengths based on software versions and configurations when transmitted. Submit budget documents as Excel files. PRM strictly adheres to stated page limits and will not review pages of the narrative beyond the stated limit, which may negatively impact the concept note’s score.

All documents must be in English, avoid jargon, and spell out all acronyms upon first use.

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.state.gov/j/prm/funding/c78352.htm https://www.state.gov/population-refugees-and-migration-funding-opportunities/ https://www.state.gov/population-refugees-and-migration-funding-opportunities/

Retrieve PRM’s-recommended templates and NGO guidelines on PRM’s website and on this opportunity’s grants.gov page.

Contact Information

Applicants with technical questions related to this announcement should contact the PRM staff listed below prior to submission. Please note that responses to technical questions from PRM do not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.

• PRM Program Officer: PRM-EAP-SCA-API@state.gov

• Regional Refugee Coordinator:

o Cody Swyer, SwyerCW@state.gov, Afghanistan Affairs Unit o Greg Shaw, ShawGJ@state.gov, Embassy Islamabad

Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

A. Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education (U.S.-based NGOs must be able to demonstrate proof of non-profit tax status).

B. Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education (overseas-based NGOs must be able to demonstrate proof of registration in country of domicile).

C. International Organizations. International multilateral organizations, such as United Nations agencies, should not submit concept notes through Grants.gov in response to this Notice of https://www.state.gov/population-refugees-and-migration-funding-opportunities/ mailto:SwyerCW@state.gov?subject=SwyerCW@state.gov mailto:ShawGJ@state.gov

Funding Opportunity. Multilateral organizations that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the PRM Program Officer (as listed below) on or before the closing date of this announcement.

Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not required for this funding announcement. However, concept notes and invited proposals should describe additional funding sources and amounts that may complement PRM funding.

These additional funds must:

• Not be paid by the Federal Government under another Federal award.

• Be verifiable from the non-Federal entity's records.

• Not be included as contributions for any other Federal award; and

• Be necessary and reasonable for achieving project and program objectives.

Please include this information in the indicated column in the Budget Summary of the concept note submission.

Note: Including additional funding is viewed favorably but will not increase your competitive ranking during evaluation.

Number of Allowed Concept Note Applications

Organizations may submit a maximum of one concept note per country only.

Any subsequent submissions received will be disqualified. (Note: Submissions by organizations as part of a consortium do not count toward an individual organization’s submission limit.) PRM will not consider concept notes for

Afghanistan from existing PRM partners in Afghanistan.

Program Description

Funding comes from the Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) account to carry out section 2(b)(2) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act (MRAA) of

1962.

Substantial Involvement

The Department of State will be substantially involved in carrying out aspects of this cooperative agreement. Recipients should anticipate that PRM will undertake the following list of non-exhaustive activities:

• Provide overall policy guidance and program direction.

• Review and comment on proposed budgets, proposed changes or revisions to the project.

• Periodically monitor and evaluate the performance of the proposed project, including review of required program and financial reporting documents.

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fuscode.house.gov%2Fview.xhtml%3Fpath%3D%2Fprelim%40title22%2Fchapter36%26edition%3Dprelim&data=05%7C02%7CStewartHA%40state.gov%7C01f2851f36e045c72a8f08dc1b61433e%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638415351752018851%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=dF6VaA7VgGyF%2BbnIPgm1HazTg1%2FH57ilP0mS958YiHY%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fuscode.house.gov%2Fview.xhtml%3Fpath%3D%2Fprelim%40title22%2Fchapter36%26edition%3Dprelim&data=05%7C02%7CStewartHA%40state.gov%7C01f2851f36e045c72a8f08dc1b61433e%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638415351752018851%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=dF6VaA7VgGyF%2BbnIPgm1HazTg1%2FH57ilP0mS958YiHY%3D&reserved=0

Geographic Regions / Populations

Afghanistan

Concept note activities should primarily be focused in areas of high return in

Afghanistan with preference for activities in Kabul, Kandahar, Balkh, Helmand, Jalalabad, Laghman, Kunar, Nangarhar, Herat, Ghor, Farah, Nimroz, and/or

Kunduz. Because of PRM's mandate to provide protection, assistance, and sustainable solutions for refugees and victims of conflict, concept note proposals should only contain those programs that include a target population base of at least 50 percent returnees/IDPs.

Pakistan

Concept note activities should primarily support activities in Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and/or Sindh provinces. Because of PRM's mandate to provide protection, assistance, and sustainable solutions for refugees and victims of conflict, concept note proposals should only contain those programs that include a target population base of at least 50 percent refugees/stateless persons/other populations of concern.

Program area (For PRM Use)

Proposed program concept notes must align with one or more of the following program areas.

• Humanitarian Protection and Assistance

• Interim and Durable Solutions

Program Sectors and Modalities

Concept notes must focus on the programmatic sectors in the country-specific descriptions below.

Note: If PRM selects your organization for full proposal development, you must include three indicators for all programs regardless of design or sector.

• PRM-1. Number of individuals directly reached through PRM funding.

• PRM-2. Amount of humanitarian funding distributed to local, national, or refugee-led organizations (in USD) – This amount should include any sub-awards or contracts with local, national, stateless-led, or refugee-led organizations. If the prime applicant is a local, national, stateless-led, or refugee-led organization, they should use the full proposal budget total as the target value. Refer to the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) working definition of “local” and “national” organizations. If this indicator does not apply to you, set the target to zero; it will not affect your eligibility.

• PRM-3. Percentage of participants who report that humanitarian assistance is delivered in a safe, accessible, accountable, and participatory manner – The Directorate General for European Civil Protection and

Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) developed this protection mainstreaming indicator, and the Grand Bargain adopted it. Research or coordination awards that don’t involve community implementation are exempt from this indicator. Refer to the PRM Performance Indicator

Reference & Definition Sheets (PIRS) for a sample questionnaire and analysis guidance.

https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/system/files/hftt_localisation_marker_definitions_paper_24_january_2018.pdf https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/system/files/hftt_localisation_marker_definitions_paper_24_january_2018.pdf https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PRM-Performance-Indicator-Reference-Definition-Sheets-PIRS-FY-23_Accessible-09052023.pdf https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PRM-Performance-Indicator-Reference-Definition-Sheets-PIRS-FY-23_Accessible-09052023.pdf

Note: If selected, full proposals for cash and voucher assistance programs must include the relevant indicator(s) from the selection contained in the NGO

Guidelines Appendix D.

Recommended if applicable: Partners may consider using these indicators to monitor any related activities as they are aligned with humanitarian standards and best practices. However, inclusion of recommended indicators is not mandatory and will not affect the proposal scoring. Please note that in rare cases PRM may request for a partner to use a particular recommended indicator if there is a strong technical/thematic need to track information on that indicator, or if a similar custom indicator was proposed by the partner.

Country-specific Guidelines

Afghanistan Specific Guidance

Afghanistan General Guidance

Please submit a separate risk annex of up to five pages detailing your organization’s experience implementing humanitarian assistance activities since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021. Highlight your experience negotiating memoranda of understanding with and resisting Taliban attempts at interference or diversion. Include your organization’s policies and procedures to mitigate these risks. Examples could include attempted interference in beneficiary selection, hiring processes, procurement, and payment of fees beyond standard taxes or necessary operational costs (rent payments, utility costs, income tax withholding for local staff etc.)

For concept notes that include cash assistance, provide a detailed explanation of your organization’s beneficiary selection criteria, distribution process, and post-distribution monitoring and reporting plan.

Projects targeting persons with disabilities, female headed households, and other vulnerable Afghan returnees/IDP populations will be prioritized.

Afghanistan Program Sectors and Modalities

• Health/Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS): Priority will be given to programs supporting primary and secondary healthcare that remove barriers to care for female returnees, including reproductive, maternal and child health, mental health, and psychosocial support, using an integrated approach. Both community-based and primary care facility modalities will all be considered.

• Livelihoods And Economic Empowerment: Priority will be given to livelihoods opportunities that include or maximize participation from women, focusing on income generation and entrepreneurship.

• Protection: Priority will be given to programs targeting underserved groups

– including minors and adolescents, elderly, persons with disabilities, and internally displaced persons. Programs that strengthen gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and/or support access to legal assistance and information counseling including improved access to justice, legal rights and entitlements at border points and areas of return, and Housing Land and Property (HLP) rights. Where appropriate, integrate protection programming with other sectors and include indicators to measure accountability to affected populations, including for persons with disabilities.

• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH): Consideration will be given to programs that improve WASH service delivery and hygiene outcomes among Afghan returnees and IDPs in areas of high return and informal settlements. Programs should consider the needs of persons with disabilities and include safe and adequate facilities for women and girls’ hygiene.

Afghanistan Duration of Activity

Program plans for up to two (2) years will be considered.

Afghanistan Period of Performance

Programs period of performance of 12 months for a period not to exceed 24 months will be considered.

Afghanistan Funding limits

Proposed program concept notes must not be less than the funding floor and not more than the funding ceiling per year or they will be disqualified.

• Funding floor per year (lowest $ value): $1,000,000

• Funding ceiling per year (highest $ value): $3,000,000

Note: Funding ceilings and floors pertain to the PRM cost per year.

Afghanistan Anticipated Number of Selections for Full Proposal Development

PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, to select as many as three (3) awards through this announcement. This NOFO will be cancelled if FY2025 appropriations are insufficient to support new awards.

Afghanistan Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total

PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, to award up to approximately $9,000,000 total through the directed NOFO for Afghanistan. The amount of funding available per award for this NOFO will be determined as part of the application review process based on applications received and funding made available through appropriations.

Pakistan Specific Guidance

Pakistan General Guidance

PRM’s humanitarian assistance funding in Pakistan will address the protracted crisis affecting Afghan refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, and vulnerable migrants living in Pakistan. These populations must make up more than 50 percent of total participants. The remaining percent of participants can be from these or other populations, including the host community. Priority will be given to programs focusing on women and girls and those that build stronger capacity for addressing humanitarian and refugee needs within the provincial and local governments and local non-governmental organizations. Concept notes must include risk mitigation efforts and contingency planning to address conditions in

Pakistan, such as the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan (IFRP). Concept notes must align with the 2024-2025 Regional Refugee Response Plan for Afghanistan

Situation. We encourage partners to focus on one sector or up to two inter-related sectors.

https://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/regional-refugee-response-plan-afghanistan-situation-2024-2025-0 https://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/regional-refugee-response-plan-afghanistan-situation-2024-2025-0

Pakistan Program Sectors and Modalities

• Education: Priority will be given to programs that support children and youth to help them prepare for, enter, participate, stay, and succeed in formal education. This includes addressing learning gaps and promoting an inclusive and safe education environment. Sustainable educational programming that includes transitions to formal Pakastani education systems will be prioritized. Accelerated learning institutions must demonstrate sufficient connection to formal education systems to be considered sustainable. PRM supports inclusion in national education systems and generally does not support establishing parallel education systems.

• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS): Integration of MHPSS into health primary care is preferred. PRM supports the use of national health systems and corresponding community health networks where possible and generally does not support establishing parallel health care systems.

• Livelihoods and Economic Empowerment: Priority will be given to programs that provide options for employment and entrepreneurship.

PRM supports sustainable livelihoods programming that include in-person trainings, long term follow up with participants, and coordination with local private sector and development actors to facilitate access to employment/entrepreneurship opportunities. Priority will also be given to programs that incorporate innovative, market-oriented sectors for both genders.

• Protection: Priority will be given to programs targeting underserved groups

– including, minors and adolescents, elderly, LGBTQI+ individuals, persons with disabilities, and stateless persons. Priority will be given to programs that strengthen gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and/or support access to legal assistance and information counseling including improved access to justice, legal rights and entitlements at border points and detention locations. Where appropriate, protection programming should be integrated with other sectors.

Pakistan Duration of Activity

Program plans for up to two years will be considered.

Pakistan Period of Performance

Programs period of performance of 12 months for a period not to exceed two years (24 months) will be considered.

Pakistan Funding limits

Proposed program concept notes must not be less than the funding floor and not more than the funding ceiling per year or they will be disqualified.

• Funding floor per year (lowest $ value): $1,000,000

• Funding ceiling per year (highest $ value): $2,500,000

Note: Funding ceilings and floors pertain to the PRM cost per year.

Pakistan Anticipated Number of Selections for Full Proposal Development

PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, to select as many as three (3) awards through this announcement. This NOFO will be cancelled if FY2025 appropriations are insufficient to support new awards.

Pakistan Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total

PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, to award up to approximately $7,500,000 total through the directed NOFO for Pakistan. The amount of funding available per award for this NOFO will be determined as part of the application review process and once final FY 2025 appropriations have been made.

Application and Submission Instructions

A. Where to Request Application Package: Application packages may be downloaded from the website www.Grants.gov.

B. Content and Form of Application: Organizations can submit a maximum of one concept note per country. Any additional submissions will be disqualified. Submissions by organizations as part of a consortium do not count toward an individual organization’s submission limit.)

• Concept note narratives must not exceed 4 pages (or 5 pages for consortia submissions). Submit concept notes (and risk annexes for

Afghanistan activities) in Adobe PDF, using Times New Roman or Calibri, 12-point font, letter sized paper with one-inch margins. Submit budget documents as Excel files. PRM will strictly enforce page limits and will http://www.grants.gov/ not review pages beyond the stated limit, which may negatively impact the concept note’s score.

All documents must be in English and should avoid the use of jargon and spell out acronyms upon first use.

• Include the following categories in your concept note narratives, in any arrangement:

o Brief problem statement, description of target population with anticipated participant numbers, and vulnerability criteria used to identify participants or the target population.

o Program description, location, and duration.

o Proposed measurable outcomes and impact of the program.

o Summary of the organization(s) and experience doing similar work.

o Organizational point(s) of contact.

• A one-page Budget Summary in Excel format. Attach the Budget

Summary under the “budget narrative” section in grants.gov.

o The Budget Summary does not count against the 4-page limit (or 5 pages for consortia submissions). The budget summary is separate from SF-424, SF-F24A, and SF-424B documents, which are also required and do not fall within the page limit. The SF-424 family of forms may be downloaded through grants.gov.

o The Budget summary must include the following categories, disaggregated by year:

▪ Personnel allowances

▪ Benefits

▪ Travel

▪ Program equipment

▪ Supplies

▪ Contractual

▪ Construction

▪ Other direct costs

▪ Indirect costs

▪ Total amount requested

There should be no attachments, other than the budget summary (Excel) and

SF-424 documents, to the concept note submission.

C. Consortia: Organizations can apply to this call as part of a consortium. For consortia, one organization must be the lead applicant. PRM defines a consortium as a group of at least three NGOs that form an agreement to undertake an assistance activity beyond the resources of any one member.

PRM may review and approve substantive provisions of proposed sub-awards.

Applicants can form consortia to combine varied expertise and propose a comprehensive program in one proposal. This arrangement can allow for greater geographic coverage, inclusion of technical and sectoral strengths from multiple organizations, increased inclusion of local and national organizations, and potentially greater impact through collaboration. Submissions by organizations as part of a consortium do not count toward an organization’s individual submission limit. If applying as a consortium, include a description of how the consortium will be organized and how lines of authority and decision-making will be managed across all team members and between the lead applicant and associate awardees should be included in the concept note. The prime applicant is responsible for overall implementation of the proposed program activities, preparation and presentation of annual work plans, M&E planning, and required reporting to PRM. The prime applicant should designate a single individual to be the liaison with PRM, although PRM would reserve the right to communicate with sub-grantees.

SAM.gov and Grants.gov Registration

Each applicant is required to:

• be registered in SAM before submitting its application.

• provide a valid UEI number in its application; and

• continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active PRM award or an application or plan under consideration by PRM.

No federal award will be made until the selected applicant complies with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements. If an applicant has not complied by the time the PRM award is ready, PRM may determine that the applicant is not qualified and use that determination as a basis to awarding another applicant.

Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov, which requires a UEI number and active SAM.gov registration. If new to PRM funding, refer to PRM’s General NGO

Guidelines “Application Process” section for information and resources. PRM also encourages past recipients to read this section as a refresher. Applicants may also refer to the “For Applicants” page on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements.

http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.state.gov/j/prm/funding/c78352.htm https://www.state.gov/j/prm/funding/c78352.htm https://www.grants.gov/applicants

Do not wait until the deadline to attempt to submit your application on

Grants.gov. Register well in advance of the deadline as it can take several weeks to finalize registration, especially for non-U.S. based NGOs. First-time applicants should submit applications via Grants.gov no later than one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties. PRM has extremely limited ability to correct or facilitate rapid resolution to technical difficulties associated with Grants.gov, SAM.gov or UEI number issues.

PRM partners must maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current and correct information at all times during which they have an active federal award or an application under consideration by PRM or any federal agency.

When registering with Grants.gov, organizations must designate points of contact and Authorized Organization Representatives (AORs). As of December 2022, organizations based outside of the United States not applying for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awards do not need a NATO CAGE (NCAGE) code to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities. If an applicant organization is mid-registration and wishes to remove an NCAGE code from their sam.gov registration, the applicant should submit a help desk ticket (“incident”) with the

Federal Service Desk (FSD) online to seek guidance on how to do so. For technical difficulties with the SAM.gov registration process should contact the Federal

Service Desk online or at 1-866-606-8220 (U.S.) and 1-334-206-7828

(International).

Applications must be submitted under the authority of the Authorized

Organization Representative at the applicant organization. Submitting concept notes by agency headquarters helps to avoid possible technical problems.

If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov please contact the

Grants.gov Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-4726.

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp/?id=gsa_landing https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp/?id=gsa_landing https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp/?id=gsa_landing mailto:support@grants.gov

Applicants who are unable to submit applications via Grants.gov due to

Grants.gov technical difficulties and:

• who have reported the problem to the Grants.gov help desk.

• received a case number.

• have completed UEI and SAM.gov registrations

• and had a documented service request opened to research the problem.

Can contact the PRM NGO Coordinator before the submission deadline to determine if an alternative submission method is possible. However, PRM does not guarantee acceptance of applications outside the grants.gov system.

Each applicant must ensure their registrations are in place and active. Issues with registrations or discrepancies across platforms are not considered technical difficulties and do not justify an alternate submission method.

In accordance with 2 CFR §200.113, Mandatory disclosures, 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 whenever, in connection with the Federal award (including any activities or subawards thereunder), it has credible evidence of the commission of a violation 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—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 2 CFR §200.338

Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment. (See also 2

CFR part 180, 31 U.S.C. 3321, and 41 U.S.C. 2313.) Submission Dates and Times

• Announcement issuance date: Thursday, November 21, 2024

• Proposal submission deadline: Monday, December 23, 2024, at 11:59:59 p.m. (23:59:59) EST. Concept Notes submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

This solicitation is the first step in a two-part process. After reviewing concept notes, PRM will invite selected organizations to expand their submissions into full-length proposals with detailed budgets. Selected organizations will have 30 calendar days after they are notified of their selection to complete their full proposals.

• Intergovernmental Review: Not Applicable

Other Requirements

• Branding and Marking Strategy

The following provisions will be included whenever assistance is awarded:

The Recipient shall recognize the United States Government’s funding for activities specified under this award at the project site with a graphic of the U.S. flag accompanied by one of the following two phrases based on the level of funding for the award:

o Fully funded by the award: “Gift of the United States Government” o Partially funded by the award: “Funding provided by the United

States Government”

PRM highly encourages recognition of U.S. government funding on social media and website platforms to be included in proposals branding and marking strategy. Recipients should tag PRM’s Twitter account @StatePRM and/or Facebook account @State.PRM (rather than using hashtags).

Additionally, the applicable U.S. Embassy should be tagged as well.

Updates of actions taken to fulfill this requirement must be included in quarterly program reports to PRM.

All programs, projects, assistance, activities, and public communications to foreign audiences, partially or fully funded by the Department, must be marked appropriately overseas with the standard U.S. flag in a size and prominence equal to (or greater than) any other logo or identity. The requirement does not apply to the Recipient’s own corporate communications or in the United States.

The Recipient must appropriately ensure that all publicity and promotional materials underscore the sponsorship by or partnership with the U.S. government or the U.S. embassy. The Recipient may continue to use existing logos or project materials; however, a standard rectangular U.S. flag must be used in conjunction with such logos.

Note: Do not use the Department of State seal without the express written approval from PRM.

Sub non-Federal entities (sub-awardees) and subsequent tier sub-award agreements are subject to the marking requirements and the non-Federal entity shall include a provision in the sub non-Federal entity agreement indicating that the standard, rectangular U.S. flag is a requirement. Exemptions from this requirement may be allowable but must be agreed to in writing by the Grants

Officer. (Note: An exemption refers to the complete or partial cessation of branding, not use of alternative branding). Requests should be initiated with the

Grants Officer and Grants Officer Representative. Waivers issued are applied only to the exemptions requested through the Recipient’s proposal for funding and any subsequent negotiated revisions.

In the event the non-Federal entity does not comply with the marking requirements as established in the approved assistance agreement, the Grants

Officer Representative and the Grants Officer must initiate corrective action with the non-Federal entity.

• Assistance Award Provision – SPOT: The following provisions will be included in the Bureau specific component of the Notice of Award for performance in a designated combat area (Iraq and Afghanistan). Recipients are required to include this provision in any sub-grant awards or agreements.

SPECIAL PROVISION FOR PERFORMANCE IN A DESIGNATED COMBAT AREA

The Recipient must report and account for all employees, subrecipient personnel, and contract personnel working under grants or cooperative agreements working in contingency operations outside the United States that involve combat operations. The database to collect this information, called the Synchronized Pre-

Deployment Operational Tracker (SPOT), is managed by the Department of

Defense

In coordination with the Grants Officer and Grants Officer Representative, the

Recipient generally provides this information to the Department of State SPOT

Program Manager (AQMops@state.gov). The Department SPOT Program

Manager enters information provided by the Recipient directly into the SPOT system.

Note: For Recipients with personnel who are NOT performing private security functions and who do not need access to U.S. government support or facilities:

Personnel, including U.S. citizens, third country nationals, and local personnel, are accounted for anonymously, in aggregate.

The Recipient will request an aggregate count template from the Grants Officer or

Grants Officer Representative, or directly from the SPOT Program Manager mailto:AQMops@state.gov

(AQMops@state.gov). The recipient will complete the template and return the completed form to the Grants Officer/ Grants Officer Representative or SPOT

Program Manager.

The Recipient is responsible for updating the aggregate count every quarter by providing updated information via the “Aggregate Count” template to SPOT

Program Manager for each SPOT award.

Note: For Recipients with personnel who ARE performing a private security function; require access to U.S. government support, facilities, or services; or who may be eligible for special refugee or immigration status under U.S. regulation:

The personnel funded under that award must be entered into SPOT individually with all required personal information.

The Recipient must enter this information into the SPOT database directly. Unlike the aggregate count process, the Department’s SPOT Program Manager does not enter this information into SPOT on behalf of the Recipient.

The Recipient starts the process by registering for an account in SPOT by contacting the SPOT help desk.

Note: Recipients utilizing armed private security personnel, whether employed directly or via contract, are required to adhere to post policies and procedures regarding private security contractors. As specific post policies and procedures differ in scope and applicability, the Recipient is advised to review post policies carefully and direct any questions to the embassy Regional Security Office through the Grants Officer or Grants Officer Representative.

In addition, the Recipient is reminded that only the Grants Officer has the authority to modify this Notice of Award. Recipients shall proceed with any security guidance provided by the Regional Security Officer; however, the mailto:AQMops@state.gov https://spot.dmdc.mil/

Recipient must advise the Grants Officer and Grants Officer Representative of the guidance received and any potential cost or schedule impact.

• Applicant Vetting as a Condition of Award: Applicants are advised that successful passing of vetting to evaluate the risk that funds may benefit terrorists, or their supporters is a condition of award. Vetting information is also required for all subaward performance on assistance awards identified by DOS as presenting a risk of terrorist financing. Applicants may be asked to submit Risk Analysis Information about their company and its key personnel via the secure RAM web portal. If vetting is required, the RAM Team will contact applicants directly via email and instruct them on how to enter their data via the Secure Portal. Once a user is logged on to the Portal, there are links to help users input the required information.

Failure to submit information when requested, or failure to pass vetting, may be grounds for rejecting your proposal.

Recipient Vetting After Award: Recipients shall advise the Grants Officer of any changes in personnel listed in the DS Form 4184, Risk Analysis

Information, via the secure RAM web portal, and shall provide vetting information on new individuals. The government reserves the right to vet these personnel changes and to terminate assistance awards for convenience based on vetting results.

Application Checklist

To be considered for PRM funding, organizations must submit a complete application package including:

• 4-page concept note (or 5-page concept note for consortia).

• 5-page risk annex (for Afghanistan submissions).

https://ramportal.state.gov/ https://ramportal.state.gov/

• One-page budget summary (Excel) clearly indicating costs disaggregated by year for the program period. The budget summary does not count against overall page limits.

• Signed and completed SF-424, SF-424 A, and SF-424 B. These documents do not count against the page limit.

o Note: If the applicant organization has an active registration in

SAM.gov that was either created or updated on or after February 2, 2019, then the applicant does NOT need to submit the SF-424B as they will be prompted to complete the representations and certifications in SAM.gov.

Criteria for Concept Note Application Review

PRM is committed to a competitive and standardized funding process.

Applications will first go through a Technical Eligibility Review to check if they meet eligibility requirements and include all required documents. Applications that don't meet these requirements will be deemed ineligible and won't advance beyond this stage.

PRM may have all technically eligible applications undergo a Subject Matter

Expert (SME) review before the Merit Review Panel. This review checks if the application is responsive to the NOFO information. Applications that don't pass the SME review won't proceed to the Merit Review Panel.

Eligible submissions must comply with the criteria and requirements in this announcement. The review panel will evaluate concept notes based on the following criteria unless otherwise stated:

• Quality of program idea (20 points)

• Appropriate identification of beneficiary population, including vulnerable populations (10 points)

• Program feasibility/ability to achieve objectives (10 points)

• Organization’s experience and capacity (5 points)

• Budget (5 points)

PRM will conduct a formal competitive review of all concept notes submitted in response to this funding announcement. A review panel of at least three people will evaluate submissions based on the programmatic criteria and PRM priorities mentioned above, considering the available funding. The additional requirement for Afghanistan concept notes of your organization’s risk assessment and security plan will factor into the panel’s scoring and review under the “experience and capacity” criteria.

After reviewing the concept notes, PRM will invite selected organizations to submit full proposals. PRM will notify applicants of final decisions within 90 days after the announcement’s closing date. Selected organizations will have 30 calendar days from notification to submit full proposals, including detailed budgets and applicable attachments. Refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for proposal formatting and submission guidance for single year/multi-year programs).

Before making a Federal award exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, PRM must review information about the applicant in the U.S. government designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.gov (see 41

U.S.C. 2313).

Applicants may review and comment on any information about themselves that a

Federal awarding agency previously entered. Federal agencies create integrity records in the Contractor Performance Assessment and Reporting System

(CPARS), and these records are visible as responsibility/qualification records in

SAM.gov.

The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, along with other information in the designated integrity and performance system, when making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards. This part of the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.206 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

Federal Award Information

A. Proposed program start dates: August or September 2025

B. Duration of Activity: See country-specific guidelines above. Applicants can submit multi-year concept notes with activities and budgets for up to two years from the proposed start date. If selected for an award, activities and budgets can be revised/updated each year. Continued funding after the initial 12-month period of performance requires a noncompeting single-year proposal. This funding depends on available funds, strong performance, and continuing need. Funding a program one year does not guarantee funding in successive years. PRM encourages applicants to seek various donors for long-term funding. Livelihoods programs are encouraged to be multi-year.

Other Considerations

Concept notes and eventually full proposals must follow relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance, especially Sphere Standards. Refer to

PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards, including new guidance on proposals for programs in urban areas.

PRM strongly encourages programs that target the needs of vulnerable and underserved groups among the program participants. These groups may include women, children, adolescents, LGBTQI+ individuals, older persons, the sick, persons with disabilities, and members of minority communities. Programs should demonstrate steps taken to meet the specific and unique protection and assistance needs of these vulnerable groups effectively.

PRM will accept concept notes from any NGO working in the-mentioned sectors.

However, due to budgetary constraints, priority will be given to concept notes from organizations that can demonstrate:

• A proven track record in providing the proposed assistance in both the sector and specified location.

• Evidence of coordination with international organizations (IOs) and other

NGOs working in the same area or sector, as well as local authorities, where possible.

• An emphasis on the outcome or impact of program activities. (If PRM invites you to submit a full proposal, you must include a full indicator table.) The concept note must generally show your ability to deliver impact.

http://www.spherehandbook.org/

• If PRM invites you to submit a full proposal, you must include a strong sustainability plan. The plan should involve local capacity strengthening where feasible.

• Adherence to PRM’s Principles for Refugee Protection in Urban Areas, where applicable

• An understanding of and sensitivity to conflict dynamics in the program location.

Post-Award Administration Information

Award Notices

Successful applicants will receive a separate notice from PRM stating that their application has been selected before PRM makes the federal award. This notice is not an authorization to begin performance. Only the notice of award signed by the Grants Officer authorizes performance. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified after the selection and award process is complete.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

PRM awards are made consistent with the following provisions in the following order of precedence:

(a) applicable laws and statutes of the United States, including any specific legislative provisions mandated in the statutory authority for the award;

(b) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

(c) Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions of the award

(d) the award’s specific requirements; and https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/187237.pdf

(e) other documents and attachments to the award.

Reporting Requirements

A. Program Reports: PRM requires program reports that describe and analyze the results of activities undertaken during the respective agreement period.

Submit a program report within 30 days after each three-month period of performance. The final program report is due 120 days after the agreement ends. Submission dates for program reports will be included in the cooperative agreement. For multi-year awards, follow the same reporting schedule and submit a final program report at the end of each year summarizing the NGO’s performance during the previous year. PRM suggests using the PRM recommended program reporting template to ease reporting requirements while ensuring all required elements are addressed.

B. Financial Reports: Submit financial reports within 30 days at the end of each calendar year quarter (January 30th, April 30th, July 30th, October

30th) during the agreement period. The final financial report, covering the entire agreement period, is due120 days after the agreement ends. For agreements with indirect costs, final financial reports are due within 60 days of finalizing the applicable negotiated indirect cost rate agreement

(NICRA).

Complete reports reflecting expenditures for the recipient’s overseas and

United States offices should be completed in accordance with the Federal

Financial Report (FFR SF-425) and submitted electronically in the

Department of Health and Human Services’ Payment Management System

(HHS/PMS) and in accordance with other award specific requirements.

Detailed information pertaining to the Federal Financial Report, including due dates, instruction manuals, and access forms, is available on the

HHS/PMS website.

C. Audit Reports: If the Federal award amount is less than $750,000 and a recipient-contracted audit is not required, the Department may still require an audit.