FY20 CTR Metrics NOFO - SFOP0006296.pdf

U.S. Department of State

Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Office of Cooperative Threat

Reduction (ISN/CTR)

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity Title: FY20 Cooperative Threat Reduction Metrics

Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP006296

Deadline for Applications: January 31, 2020

CFDA 19.033

Total Amount Available: $400,000

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR), part of the Department’s Bureau of

International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN), sponsors foreign assistance activities through the Global Threat Reduction (GTR) program, that seek to prevent proliferator states and terrorist groups from developing or acquiring Weapons of Mass Destruction

(WMD) and delivery systems that could threaten the U.S. homeland and U.S. interests abroad. GTR includes the following programs below.

CTR’s Biosecurity Engagement Program’s (BEP) national security mission is to mitigate global biological threats by minimizing the access of proliferator states and non-state actors to biological expertise, materials, and equipment that could be misused to conduct biological weapons (BW) attacks. BEP works to prevent illicit acquisition of weaponizable biological materials or related equipment; detect and disrupt potential BW attack plots; secure life science institutions and especially dangerous pathogens (EDPs);

reduce the risk that scientists with dual-use expertise will misuse EDPs; and promote adoption of and compliance with comprehensive international frameworks that advance

U.S. biological nonproliferation objectives.

CTR’s Chemical Security Program (CSP) partners with law enforcement, government, academic, and industrial communities in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa, and

South and Southeast Asia to strengthen their ability to prevent, detect, and mitigate chemical attacks and the proliferation of weaponizable chemicals. CSP secures chemical weapons-related assets (such as chemicals, equipment, technologies, expertise, and infrastructure) and prevents their transfer to terrorist networks and proliferator states that may conduct chemical attacks.

CTR’s Counterproliferation Programs (CP) team supports the pressure campaign against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) by training partners to fully implement United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs), detect and halt

DPRK-linked sanctions evasion activities, and impede material and financial flows that fund the DPRK’s development of WMD. CP also works to counter the Islamic Republic of Iran’s acquisition of proliferation sensitive technology, and to enhance the capacity of higher education institutions to prevent the transfer of sensitive technology to proliferator states.

CTR’s Iraq Program administers threat reduction activities in partnership with Iraqi government, security, academic, public and veterinary health, and industrial communities to strengthen their ability to prevent WMD attacks. This program secures chemical and biological materials, dual-use equipment, technologies, expertise, and infrastructure to prevent their misuse by terrorists and other nefarious actors in Iraq.

CTR’s Partnership for Nuclear Threat Reduction (PNTR) program works to strengthen global norms against nuclear proliferation, and prevent states and terrorist groups from diverting, acquiring, or proliferating nuclear material, technology, or expertise that could be used to attack the United States. PNTR activities include countering nuclear security vulnerabilities posed by Chinese and Russian sales of civilian nuclear energy technology, and strengthening nuclear security practices to mitigate threats from radicalized or coerced personnel at sensitive nuclear facilities.

CTR’s Special Projects (SP) team seeks to prevent proliferator states from providing advanced conventional weapons to states of proliferation concern that destabilize international security and exert malign influence. SP also seeks to identify and disrupt efforts by resurgent proliferator states to develop and disseminate chemical and biological weapons, deter asymmetric WMD use, and disrupt malign influence campaigns that threaten U.S. national security and nonproliferation interests.

Objectives

Since 2012, CTR has funded the development of an evaluation tool to annually measure the effectiveness of its ISN/CTR programming. The ISN/CTR metrics tool is designed to assess partner country progress towards a self-sustaining, proliferation-resistant security culture that reduces the threat posed by terrorist organizations or proliferator states seeking the means by which to obtain WMD and delivery systems for the purposes of threatening the United States and related interests.

For the current NOFO, CTR is seeking a new analysis of program work from June 2020 –

June 2021 using this evaluation tool for programming that occurred in CTR partner countries for the above-mentioned programmatic mission areas. This analysis will provide ISN/CTR with solid empirical basis to assess CTR effectiveness, devise new initiatives where needed, and choose among different activities to meet future programmatic needs. To ensure an unbiased assessment of its programming, CTR shall only accept proposals submitted by individuals or organizations which are not currently involved in implementing nonproliferation engagement activities on behalf of CTR.

Proposals should include the development of standard engagement evaluations for program implementation such as pre and post training survey/tests. These will encompass both qualitative examples that can be reported to interested stakeholders and quantitative format that can measure across program and regions. This information will be used to demonstrate the effectiveness of CTR support and justify future programs.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Length of performance period: Twelve (12) months

Number of awards anticipated: 1

Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $1 to a maximum of $400,000

Total available funding: $400,000

Type of Funding: FY20/21 Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and Related

Activities Funds under the Foreign Assistance Act

Anticipated project start date: June 1, 2020

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements are different from grants in that bureau/embassy staff are more actively involved in the grant implementation.

Project Performance Period: Proposed projects should be completed in Twelve (12) months or less.

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

The following organizations are eligible to apply (both domestic and international):

• Not-for-profit organizations (all)

• Public and private educational institutions

• For-profit organizations

• Public International Organizations

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

This program does not require cost sharing, however proposals which demonstrate cost sharing will be welcomed.

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.

The organization that submits an application in response to this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) announcement acknowledges and accepts all of the requirements contained herein. The submission in response to this announcement is voluntary and does not obligate the Department of State to fund the proposal or proposal preparation costs.

Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Section 1 - Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424):

This form is part of the NOFO proposal package.

Section 2 – Project Proposal(s):

Using the provided template, the applicant must provide a completed project proposal.

The proposal form must be completed in its entirety and clearly specify the proposed scope, deliverables, and timeline. Applicants must specify a point of contact for each project that is proposed.

Section 3 - Budget:

Also using the provided project proposal template, applicants must provide a budget for each project. The budget must identify the total amount of funding requested, with a breakdown of amounts to be spent in the following budget categories:

Guidelines for Budget Justification

Personnel and Fringe Benefits: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the project, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the project.

Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this project, for both program staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. If the project involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.

Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the project, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the project), and costs at least $5,000 per unit.

Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the project. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under Equipment.

Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor. Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the project activities.

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

Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the project activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating. If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a

NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in

2 CFR 200.68.

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

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

Applicants must adhere to the requirements of the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), including Fly America Act requirements, when proposing and conducting travel. For further information and current foreign per diem rates, please visit:

http://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=184&menu_id=78b

Application Submission Process:

Applicants should submit project proposals electronically using Grants.gov. Thorough instructions on the Grants.gov application process is available at http://www.grants.gov.

For questions relating to Grants.gov, please call the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-

518-4726.

Required Registrations:

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for

Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and

Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations.

All are free of charge:

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

• NCAGE/CAGE code

• www.SAM.gov registration

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

DUNS application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System

(DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet. If your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866-705-5711 or visiting http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform http://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=184&menu_id=78b http://www.grants.gov/ https://sam.gov/ https://sam.gov/ 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%2

0NCAGE.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. Please note that your CCR registration must be annually renewed.

Submission Dates and Times

Applications must be submitted on or before January 31, 2020 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.

Applications submitted after 11:59 p.m. will be ineligible for consideration. Begin the application process early, as this will allow time to address any technical difficulties that may arise in advance of the deadline. There will be no exceptions to this application deadline.

Funding Restrictions

Of note, legal restrictions prevent ISN/CTR from providing assistance to Burma, China, Iran, North Korea, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria.

V. AWARD SELECTION CRITERIA

Applicants should note that the following criteria serve as a standard against which all project proposals will be evaluated and identify significant considerations that should be addressed in all proposals. ISN/CTR will award a cooperative agreement to the applicant(s) whose offer represents the best overall value to the government from both a technical and cost perspective.

ISN/CTR will evaluate proposals against the stated criteria. Criteria are listed in descending order of importance.

• Proposed Activity or Activities: Applicants should clearly describe what they propose to do and how they will do it. The proposed project(s) must directly relate to meeting the specified objectives and applicants should include specific information on how they will systematically meet ISN/CTR’s global threat reduction mission. ISN/CTR will evaluate the project proposal in terms of how well it addresses the issues at hand, relevance and feasibility of the proposed activities, the timeline for completion, and the extent to which the impact of the project will continue beyond the conclusion of the period of performance.

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf https://www.sam.gov/

• Organizational Capability: Applicants must demonstrate how their resources, capabilities, and experience will enable them to achieve the stated goals and objectives in an international technical context. The proposal(s) must identify all key partners and organizations that will be involved in implementation of this project.

• Budget: Proposed costs will be evaluated for feasibility, fiscal control practices, and efficiency. ISN/CTR must be able to determine that proposed costs are reasonable, allowable, and allocable to the proposed project activities. ISN/CTR will evaluate the budget to determine if the overall costs are realistic for the work to be performed, if the costs reflect the applicant’s understanding of the allowable cost principles established by 2CFR200, and if the costs are consistent with the program narrative.

• Past Performance: In reviewing proposals, ISN/CTR will evaluate the organization’s past performance on other federal and non-federal grants and cooperative agreements. This will include a review of whether objectives for past awards were met; whether the organization complied with the terms of conditions of past awards, including reporting and financial management requirements; and the timeliness of project implementation.

• Cyber Security: Recipients and subcontractors are required to maintain NIST 800

IT Security Standards – (e.g. protective measures that are commensurate with the consequences and probability of loss, misuse, or unauthorized access to, or modification of information) on all covered information systems, and to report cyber incidents directly to the grantor within 48 hours of the incident. Proposals must describe the applicant’s computer and cyber security practices and capabilities.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

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

If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the discretion of the Department of State.

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

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

Anticipated Time to Award: Applicants should expect to be notified of the recommended concepts within 90 days after the submission deadline. Following this initial notification, selected applicants will be expected to submit a full application within 30 days. ISN/CTR staff will provide information at the point of notification about the requirements for the full application, which may include revisions to the activities. The full applications will not be subject to further competition, but must incorporate any suggested changes made by ISN/CTR.

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

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

Project Implementation Meeting: The recipient should expect to have a pre-project implementation meeting with ISN/CTR within 30 days after the cooperative agreement is awarded and before any work is performed for the award.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Terms and Conditions: Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications which will apply to this award, to ensure that they will be able to comply. These include:

2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 600, Certifications and Assurances, and the Department of State

Standard Terms and Conditions, all of which are available at:

https://www.statebuy.state.gov/fa/pages/home.aspx

Note the U.S Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and

Conditions.

3. Reporting

Reporting Requirements: As a cooperative agreement, reporting and deliverable requirements for this project exceed those of typical grants administered by ISN/CTR.

Applicants should pay special attention to these enhanced reporting and deliverable requirements. Specifically:

• Using a template provided by ISN/CTR, the Recipient shall submit quarterly progress reports to the designated Grants Officer Representative (GOR) detailing:

o Assistance activities conducted during the reporting period;

o Milestones and successes achieved to date;

o Key assistance activities remaining to be implemented with a projected timetable;

o Details of any problems encountered with proposed solutions; and o Any other pertinent information requested by ISN/CTR.

https://www.statebuy.state.gov/fa/pages/home.aspx

• The Recipient shall provide the GOR with copies of all materials developed under this cooperative agreement.

• In addition to regular quarterly reports, the Recipient shall furnish the GOR with ad hoc reports as requested from time to time.

In addition to the above, the Recipient shall submit quarterly financial reports throughout the project period. Financial reports are due 30 days after the reporting period. Final programmatic and financial reports are due 90 days after the close of the project period

Applicants should be aware of the post award reporting requirements reflected in 2 CFR

200 Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance

Matters.

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

For questions about this solicitation, contact:

Drew Masada, Program Officer

Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction

U.S. Department of State

Email: MasadaDS@state.gov

Phone: (202) 485-1691

Direct any NOFO submission (non-programmatic) questions to:

Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction M&SP Team

U.S. Department of State

Email: ISN-CTR-BUDGET@state.gov https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=027fb85899500d580fc71df69d11573a&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML%20-%20ap2.1.200_1521.i#ap2.1.200_1521.xii https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=027fb85899500d580fc71df69d11573a&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML%20-%20ap2.1.200_1521.i#ap2.1.200_1521.xii https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=027fb85899500d580fc71df69d11573a&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML%20-%20ap2.1.200_1521.i#ap2.1.200_1521.xii mailto:MasadaDS@state.gov mailto:ISN-CTR-BUDGET@state.gov