FY2024 NOFO - Strengthening Regional Air Quality.pdf

United States Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): Strengthening Regional Air Quality

Cooperation in Latin America and Central Asia Funding Opportunity Number: DFOP0016600

Assistance Listing Number: 19.017 Solicitation Type: Open Competition Type of Award: Grant; Cooperative Agreement Application Deadline: 11:59 PM EDT on July 15th, 2024 Total Funding Floor: $365,000 USD Total Funding Ceiling: $730,000 USD Funding Authority: Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA) Cost Sharing: Not Required Anticipated Number of Awards: 1-2 Period of Performance: 36 months Application Submission: Electronic Eligibility Applicants: U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations with or without 501(c) (3) status of the U.S. tax code; foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO); Public International Organizations; Foreign Public Organizations; U.S.-based private, public, or state institutions of higher education; Foreign-based institutions of higher education.

Number of Applications: 1 per applicant organization.

Table of Contents

Section A: Funding Opportunity Description

A.1. Background

A.2. Problem Statement

A.3. Project Goal

A.4. Objective

A.5. Activities

A.6. Expected Outcomes

A.7. Performance Indicators

A.8. Key Considerations A.9. Substantial Involvement

Section B: Federal Award Information

B.1. Available Funding

B.2. Award Management

Section C. Eligibility Information

C.1. Eligible Applicants:

C.2. Cost-Sharing or Matching

C.3. Other Eligibility Criteria

SECTION D: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

D.1. Address to request Application Package

D.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

D.3. Unique entity identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (sam.gov) D.3.1 Exemptions

D.4. Submission Dates and Times

D.5. Funding Limitations, Restrictions, and Other Considerations

SECTION E: APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

E1. Proposal Review Criteria

E.2. Review and Selection Process

E.3. Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov (formerly FAPIIS)

Section F: Federal Award Administration Information

F.1. Federal Award Notices

F.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

F.3. Reporting

Section G: Federal Awarding Agency Contact

G.1. Contacts

G.2. Question Submission

Section H: Other information

H.1. Conflict of Interest

H.2. Freedom of Information Act

H.3. Marking Policy (Not applicable to Foreign Public Organizations or Public International Organizations)

H.4. Evaluation Policy

H.5. Monitoring Site Visits

H.6. Privacy Disclosure

H.7. Mandatory disclosures (2 CFR 200.113) (Not applicable to Foreign Public Organizations or Public International Organizations) H.8. Background Information on OES

Section A: Funding Opportunity Description A.1. Background

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES), Office of Environmental Quality (ENV) through its Air Quality (AQ) Program, announces an open competition for organizations (see eligibility information in C.1) interested in applying to implement a project on increasing sub-national, national, and regional capacity to address air pollution in Latin America and/or Central Asia.

The OES/ENV AQ Program incentivizes the passage and implementation of high-standard air quality laws, regulations, and programs in other countries to improve health outcomes here and abroad. The projects OES/ENV supports strengthen and catalyze actions on air quality by foreign governments, the private sector, and international organizations to reduce the emissions of PM2.5 and other air pollutants with warming potential. We use a community-of-practice approach to help communities (1) identify relevant stakeholders in the region, (2) build air quality monitoring and data collection capacity, (3) educate the general public, (4) train local experts, (5) inform key policymakers, and (6) generate long-lasting self-sufficiency.

The OES AQ Program also facilitates regional cooperation on air quality, supporting the adoption and implementation of new or existing regional initiatives. As a founding party of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) and a key player in its implementation, the United States uses its experience to coach other regions towards their own regional AQ approaches. As part of this effort, the OES AQ Program adds momentum to the U.N. Environment Assembly resolution for regional cooperation on air pollution to improve air quality globally.

This resolution calls for establishment of a network of regional air quality frameworks worldwide, which will reduce the economic, health, and environmental impacts of air pollution for people across the globe.

A.2. Problem Statement

Air pollution, including fine particulate matter, tropospheric ozone, and their precursors, is one of the most significant environmental risks to public health.

Populations disproportionately exposed to air pollution have a higher risk of associated adverse health impacts and death. Given air pollution’s transboundary nature, addressing it requires regional collaboration.

There is a pressing need for heightened efforts at all levels of government, including the city level, to work together to mitigate cross-border effects, share solutions, and prioritize public health. At UNEA-6, Member States adopted the air quality resolution 6/10 (attached) proposed by the United States, which calls for increased regional collaboration and a platform for an accessible network to address sources of air pollution. The resolution builds upon previous UNEA resolutions on Air Quality, in particular resolutions 1/7 and 3/8, as well as resolution of the World Health Assembly, and global, regional, and sub-regional developments and efforts. The resolution is informed by concerns about the adverse impacts of air pollution on human health, climate, and ecosystems and the recognition of the net economic benefits of addressing air pollution.

Furthermore, in 2024, the UNEP convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) launched the Clean Air Flagship. This initiative also calls for increased regional cooperation while acknowledging that improving air quality can result in climate co-benefits and climate change mitigation efforts can result in air quality co-benefits.

Latin America:

Latin America faces significant challenges in addressing air quality issues, driven by rapid urbanization, industrial growth, transportation emissions, biomass burning for household energy, and topographical constraints such as atmospheric inversions. While some Latin American countries have established air quality regulations and standards, no comprehensive regional cooperation mechanism exists. This hinders efforts to address cross-border pollution sources effectively and shared air quality challenges.

Central Asia:

Central Asia also faces significant air quality issues driven by outdated coal-fired power plants, rapid urbanization, outdated vehicles, transboundary haze, solid fuel burning for household energy and other sources/causes. There is an existing regional mechanism – the UNECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) - that addresses transboundary air quality and emphasizes regional cooperation. The Convention includes protocols targeting specific pollutants, setting emission reduction targets, and promoting research and monitoring. However, not all Central Asian countries are parties to the Convention. While some have ratified it, they still lack the necessary resources and technical capacity to effectively manage air quality and fully implement the Convention’s provisions.

Recognizing the challenges in both regions, multiple NGOs and initiatives are working to increase subnational, National, and regional capacity to address air quality. For example, in 2022, The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Network on Atmospheric Pollution for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) was relaunched to build a cooperation framework at the national and sub-national levels together with a new Regional Air Quality Action Plan for the LAC region (2022-2025). In 2022, the Central Asian NGO MoveGreen established the regional dialog platform “Air Quality Central Asia.” Because governmental and non-governmental organizations are actively engaged in both regions, tracking all these efforts can be challenging. Minimizing duplication is crucial to optimize limited global funding for air quality work.

A.3. Project Goal

Building upon the momentum created through the UNEA-6 resolution, the CCAC Flagship, the U.S. EPA’s Megacities work, United Nations, and NGO work in Latin America and Central Asia, the project(s) will continue to increase national and subnational capacity to understand and address air quality.

In Latin America, the project will be a key first step towards forming a Regional Air Quality action plan in the region, using the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific’s Regional Action Plan on Air Quality as a model. In Central Asia, the project will support the implementation of the LRTAP Convention in signatory countries while engaging with potential new members to ratify the Convention. The project(s) will help each region’s national, local, and city governments achieve their air quality goals by building up regional cooperation bodies.

A.4. Objective

Equip countries in Latin America and/or Central Asia with the tools to actively engage in regional air quality initiatives.

Applicants can submit proposals supporting the objective in one or both target regions. The anticipated funding amount for Latin American activities is approximately $375,000 USD. The anticipated funding amount for Central Asian activities is approximately $375,000 USD.

A.5. Activities

The project could include activities from the list below to achieve the goals and objectives. Note that these are intended to guide the applicant and are not compulsory or exclusive. The applicant may include other activities in its proposal toward this project’s intended goal and objectives and is encouraged to explain its rationale, which will also serve as evidence of the applicant’s experience. OES notes that the level of funding will not cover all proposed activities, and any proposed project deliverables and timelines must be reasonable and achievable.

OES may add additional funding in subsequent years depending on availability and quality of work.

• Provide training and support for emissions inventory development, air quality monitoring and modeling, and guidance for regulatory efficiency for PM2.5, ozone, and their precursors:

o Increase and communicate available AQ data, including using low-cost sensors of proper quality, passive samplers, satellite data, and digital solutions in conjunction with monitoring reference equipment. Organizations should consider using U.S. environmental technologies.

o Develop or improve emissions inventories and identify sources to inform effective emission reduction enforcement measures. Utilize existing studies on air pollution in each country to assess and analyze the origin, causes, nature, extent, and effects of local and regional air pollution.

o Disseminate educational materials on AQI, PM2.5, ozone, and other key pollutants through formal expert workshops or by presenting expert research and policy papers to politicians and decision-makers.

o Communicate each monitoring style’s benefits and limitations to relevant governmental stakeholders.

o Provide translation and interpretation for trainings as appropriate.

• Guide sub-national, national, and regional governments to draft and/or implement air quality legislation, goals, and action plans that address evidence-based emission reduction policies.

o Guide the implementation of cost-effective policies.

o Co-design AQ monitoring and evaluation plans with local or national level stakeholders.

o Help governments set achievable national ambient air quality standards, bearing in mind the most recent World Health Organization air quality guidelines, as appropriate for their national circumstances.

• Facilitate Regional Cooperation through a Community of Practice (CoP):

o Disseminate knowledge, guidance, and solutions to member states so they can mutually learn from available science and technical information and policy interventions.

o Facilitate knowledge exchange between member states with advanced AQ management and those with developing programs.

o Work with interested CCAC member states, members of specialized agencies, secretariats of the U.N. entities, including U.N. Regional Economic Commissions, relevant MEAs, international, regional, and subregional bodies, organizations, and initiatives.

o Implement at least one in-person or hybrid meeting between stakeholders. To preserve limited funding, co-locate meetings with already planned meetings where air quality or climate is a theme.

• Raise awareness at the city, local, national, and regional levels of air pollution’s cost to human health and the environment and the economic benefits of reducing air pollution:

o Messaging should be easy to understand and pulled from existing sources to prevent duplicative work. Ideas from past successful projects include TV interviews, public radio messaging, school competitions, social media (Instagram, Facebook), digital billboards, and magazine articles.

• Leverage existing initiatives.

o Prevent duplication by leveraging existing regional and sub-regional initiatives, networks of experts, information resources, and institutions and partnerships into project implementation:

o Build relationships with relevant advocacy initiatives such as the United Nations, The Clean Air Catalyst, USAID, the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, existing OES projects, or other organizations working to implement the UNEA-6 resolution and the CCAC Clean Air Flagship.

o Provide relevant information for the new CCAC global AQ information platform based on the needs of the region.

o Utilize existing knowledge, guidance, studies, and other AQ resources in the region. This includes documents developed by:

§ Latin America: UNEP, CCAC, Monte Video, The Health Effects Institute, Intergovernmental Air Pollution Network for Latin America and the Caribbean, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and others.

§ Central Asia: UNEP, MoveGreen, UNECE LRTAP, and others o Identify national AQ focal points.

o Identify synergies with existing ENV projects.

• Engage with international finance institutions and philanthropies to strengthen existing support and funding mechanisms.

• Engage with private sector companies to promote public and private sector collaboration to reduce air pollution commissions and spur sustainable urban economic growth.

• Implement an activity on the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.

Note: If the successful applicant plans to deploy low-cost sensors under this award, we encourage them to co-locate the sensors with U.S embassy reference monitors. This would require the recipient to enter into an agreement/MOU with the U.S. diplomatic post and may require the recipient to use existing data transmission systems and protocols after consultation with post security. This is a standard protocol to formalize the purpose of engagement and ensure the engagement meets certain security measures at post. Note that Wi-Fi may not be available at every embassy location, and sensors may need to be equipped with cellular data transmission. Funding under the agreement cannot be used to pay U.S. diplomatic posts. If the co-location occurs outside of embassy grounds, such as an international school, recipients may not be required to enter into a separate agreement/MOU.

Additionally, raw, uncorrected data and corrected data must be made available for this project via file transfer protocol (FTP) or application programming interface (API) to incorporate into existing data management and data sharing platforms, such as AirNow or OpenAQ.

A.6. Expected Outcomes

• Increased sub-national, national and regional action on and capacity to monitor and address air pollution.

• Increased sub-national and national capacity to implement and enforce AQ regulations.

• Boost and support regional and interregional collaboration, laying the groundwork for a future regional action plan. The region should be better equipped to set and cooperate on regional air quality improvement goals.

• New or strengthened national Air Quality Programs.

• Increased momentum around the development and use of air quality management plans.

• New or strengthened regional solutions to address air pollution issues.

• Enhanced coordination between environmental and health ministries, other relevant ministries and authorities, and the private sector.

• Increased good governance on air quality standards

Outcomes will vary based on proposed project activities.

A.7. Performance Indicators

Applicants are encouraged to suggest additional indicators or milestones based on proposed project activities.

• Number of people trained in air quality management, improvement, or related issues supported by USG assistance.

• Number of institutions with improved capacity to assess or address air quality issues supported by USG assistance.

• Number of laws, policies, regulations, or standards addressing air quality management or improvement formally proposed, adopted, or implemented supported by USG assistance.

• Amount of investment mobilized (in USD) for air quality management, improvement, or related issues with support from USG assistance.

• Number of days of USG-funded technical assistance in air quality management, improvement, or related issues provided to counterparts or stakeholders.

• Amount of land/territory covered by the spatial data from air quality sensors (and, if applicable, U.S. embassy monitor data used in the project) as supported by USG assistance.

• Number of people reached by outreach or education efforts due to USG assistance.

A.8. Key Considerations

OES will prioritize applicants who explain how their work will build on prior work and create momentum for future work among stakeholders. Please note that while the United States is committed to continued engagement on air quality, ENV’s goal is to give local stakeholders the skills and political momentum to self-sustain progress made under this award.

OES encourages applicants to foster collaborative partnerships, especially with local organizations that can best implement key elements of the program plan.

Where appropriate, applicants are encouraged to form consortia to submit a combined proposal, with one primary organization designated as the lead (“prime”) applicant and the remaining consortium members represented as sub-awardees. Past OES projects found great success pairing U.S. technical expertise with local NGOs working at a national or subnational level. OES will prioritize funding applicants who explicitly demonstrate prior and ongoing relationships in the region(s) and can hit the ground running.

OES recognizes that communicating complex air quality issues in an easily understood manner for the public or policymakers is difficult and often a barrier to progress. Therefore, all proposed projects must include a team member specializing in or dedicated to communication.

Applicants must describe their past work and accomplishments, detailing how it will apply to this award’s implementation, even if they have received an award with ENV in the past. A review panel that may be unfamiliar with your organization’s work will recommend the most responsive application(s).

ENV hosts an annual workshop for current and past AQ program grantees. Please budget three four-day trips to Washington, D.C., for one project member.

A.9. Substantial Involvement

OES anticipates awarding a cooperative agreement. The distinction between grants and cooperative agreements revolves around the existence of “substantial involvement.” Cooperative agreements require greater Federal government participation in the project. OES will undertake reasonable and programmatically necessary substantial involvement. Substantial involvement areas can include, but are not limited to:

• Active participation or collaboration with the recipient on certain aspects of award implementation.

• Review and approval of one stage of work before another can begin.

• Collaboration on selection and/or review of project beneficiaries.

Specific areas of substantial involvement will be dependent upon the objectives of the proposal and outlined in the final Agreement. The final determination on award mechanism will be made by the Grants Officer.

Section B: Federal Award Information B.1. Available Funding

This notice is subject to availability of funding. The authority for this funding opportunity is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA).

Applicants can submit one application in response to the NOFO. If more than one application is submitted by an organization, only the first application received, and time stamped by either grants.gov or MyGrants will be reviewed for eligibility.

Organizations may form a consortium and submit a combined proposal.

However, only one organization must be designated as the lead applicant, with the remaining organizations designated sub-awardees. The lead applicant must meet the eligibility criteria listed in Section C.

The Department of State reserves the right to (a) fund any or none of the applications received; (b) reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase the budget in accordance with bureau proprieties and the availability of funds; (c) accept other than the lowest cost application.

The U.S. government 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 U.S. government reserves the right (though it is under no 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.

B.2. Award Management

The successful applicant will need to routinely collaborate with OES through regular meetings and conference calls to discuss progress, challenges, emerging topics, etc. The successful applicant must ensure that all funds are used in a manner consistent with any applicable restrictions on funding. See D.5 below for funding restrictions.

Section C. Eligibility Information C.1. Eligible Applicants:

OES welcomes applications from U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations with or without 501(c) (3) status of the U.S. tax code; foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO); Public International Organizations; Foreign Public Organizations; U.S.-based private, public, or state institutions of higher education; Foreign-based institutions of higher education.

Please see 2 CFR 200.307 for regulations regarding program income.

C.2. Cost-Sharing or Matching

The non-Federal share of costs, frequently called “cost share” or “matching costs”, refers to that portion of the project or program costs not borne by the Federal Government. This may include cash and third-party in-kind contributions. These costs must reflect the realistic capacity of the applicants and any third-party contributors.

Providing cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not an eligibility factor or requirement for this NOFO and providing cost share will not result in a more favorable competitive ranking. Per 2 CFR §200.306, items that are proposed for cost share must be allowable per 2 CFR §200, Subpart E—Costs Principles.

Voluntary cost-share: Should the applicant choose to contribute voluntary cost-share, in the event the applicant does not meet the minimum amount of the voluntary cost-sharing stipulated in the applicant’s budget, DOS contribution may be reduced in proportion to the Applicant’s contribution.

C.3. Other Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships, local in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders and have demonstrable experience in administering successful and preferably similar projects.

Any applicant with an exclusion in the Exclusions section of the System for Award Management (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 (EPLS) can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in sam.gov to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

https://sam.gov/ https://sam.gov/

SECTION D: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

D.1. Address to request Application Package

Applicants can find application forms, kits, or other materials needed to apply on grants.gov and MyGrants under the announcement title “Strengthening Regional Air Quality Cooperation in Latin America and Central Asia” funding opportunity number “DFOP0016600.” Please contact the OES point of contact listed in Section G if requesting reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or for security reasons. Please note that reasonable accommodations do not include deadline extensions.

D.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Proposal packages must adhere to the attached Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI). Proposal submissions that do not meet all of the requirements outlined in this NOFO and the PSI will be deemed technically ineligible. To ensure that all applications receive a balanced evaluation, the review panel will review from the first page of each section up to the page limit and no further.

Complete applications must include the following as defined in the PSI:

1. Completed and signed SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B forms (OPTIONAL but strongly encourage for FPE/PIOs)

2. Organizations that engage in lobbying the U.S. government, including Congress, or pay for another entity to lobby on their behalf, are also required to complete the SF-LLL “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” form (only if applicable).

3. Cover Page/Executive Summary

4. Proposal Narrative

5. Budget Documents (two (2) component submission requirement) http://www.grants.gov/ https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants/portal_login.do

6. Program Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative and Plan

7. Key Personnel

8. Timeline

9. Racial Equity and Underserved Communities Analysis

10. Attachments, (if applicable):

• Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner

• Official permission letters, if required for project activities

D.3. Unique entity identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (sam.gov)

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. The federal government's primary database for complying with FFATA reporting requirements is www.sam.gov. OMB designated www.sam.gov 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.gov before submitting an application. OES may not review applications from or make awards to applicants that have not completed all applicable UEI and SAM.gov requirements. Receiving a UEI can take weeks, and we recommend the applicant begin this process as soon as possible.

The 2 CFR 200 requires that sub-grantees obtain a UEI number. Please note the UEI for sub-grantees is not required at the time of application but will be required before the award is processed and/or directed to a sub-grantee.

http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/

UEI is assigned by sam.gov assigned to organizations that have to register/or renew their sam.gov registration.

Note: The process of obtaining a sam.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible. Numerous errors require correction, such as an address mismatch, and can delay final registration. If the application is not corrected within 90 calendar days of original registration/or renewal submission, it will be automatically deleted, and the organization will need to re-start the process.

• Organizations based in the United States or that pay employees within the United States will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Also, a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code is needed and issued through SAM.gov as is the UEI number. Once received continue with the remainder of the SAM.gov registration.

• Organizations based outside of the United States and do not pay employees within the United States do not need an EIN from the IRS but do need a UEI number prior to registering in sam.gov. Please note that as of November 2022 and February 2023 respectively, newly registering organizations based outside of the United States that do not intend to apply for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awards are no longer required to have a NATO CAGE (NCAGE).

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

• NCAGE/CAGE code (as applicable)

• www.sam.gov UEI and registration

If you are an organization based outside the U.S. and DO NOT plan to do business with the Department of Defense:

Step 1: Proceed to SAM.gov to obtain a UEI and complete the registration.

http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/

If you are an organization based outside the U.S. and plan to do business with the Department of Defense:

Step 1: Apply for an NCAGE number

NCAGE Homepage:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/sc/CageList.aspx

NCAGE Code Request Tool (NCRT):

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/Codification/CageTool/home

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 SAM.gov to obtain a UEI and complete registration.

All prime organizations must also continue to maintain active SAM.gov registration with current information at all times during which they have an active federal award or application under consideration by a federal award agency. SAM.gov requires all entities to renew their registration once a year in order to maintain an active registration status in SAM.gov. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure it has an active registration in SAM.gov and to maintain that active registration. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements at the time of application, the applicant may be deemed technically ineligible to receive an award and that determination will be used as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Information is included on the SAM.gov website to help international registrations: Please note, guidance on SAM.gov and the guidance on GSA’s website about requirement for registering in SAM.gov is subject to change https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/Codification/CageTool/home and currently being updated. Applicants should review the website frequently for the most up-to-date guidance.

The attached “UEI and SAM.gov FAQ updated 013124” is a resource provided by the grants policy office. Any content shown from SAM.gov is not owned by the Department of State. The guidance and instruction provided are to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting this solicitation.

Where guidance in this attachment differs from the SAM.gov website, SAM.gov prevails and the applicant is encouraged to seek and document clarity provided by the SAM.gov helpdesk.

D.3.1 Exemptions

An exemption from the requirements listed above may be permitted under the following circumstances:

• For any applicant or recipient, if the Federal awarding agency determines that it must protect information about the entity from disclosure if it is in the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States, or to avoid jeopardizing the personal safety of the applicant or recipient's staff or clients.

• For a foreign organization or foreign public entity applying for or receiving a Federal award or subaward for a project or program performed outside the United States valued at less than $25,000, if the Federal awarding agency deems it to be impractical for the entity to comply with the requirement(s). This exemption must be determined by the Federal awarding agency on a case-by-case basis while utilizing a risk-based approach and does not apply if subawards are anticipated.

• For an applicant, if the Federal awarding agency makes a determination that there are exigent circumstances that prohibit the applicant from receiving a unique entity identifier and completing SAM registration prior to receiving a Federal award. In these instances, Federal awarding agencies must require the recipient to obtain a unique entity identifier and complete SAM registration within 30 days of the Federal award date.

Organizations requesting exemption from UEI or sam.gov requirements must email the point of contact listed in the NOFO at least two weeks prior to the deadline in the NOFO and provide a justification of their request.

Approval for a SAM.gov exemption must come from the warranted Grants Officer before the application can be deemed eligible for review.

D.4. Submission Dates and Times

Applications are due no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), on July 15, 2024 on grants.gov or MyGrants under the announcement title “Strengthening Regional Air Quality Cooperation in Latin America and Central Asia” funding opportunity number “DFOP0016600.”

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.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that it has an active registration in grants.gov or MyGrants and that an application has been received by the system in its entirety. Application submissions are automatically logged by date and time when made in Grants.gov and MyGrants, and 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. Applicants should not expect a notification upon OES receiving their application. grants.gov and MyGrants , and 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 the applicant is having trouble submitting their proposal, and their issues are not resolved through the helpdesk, please contact the OES contact listed below in http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ section G as soon as possible. Applicants should not expect a notification upon OES receiving their application.

OES bears no responsibility for disqualification that results from applicants not being registered before the due date, for registration errors in either system, or other errors in the application process.

D.5. Funding Limitations, Restrictions, and Other Considerations

OES will not consider applications that reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated terrorist organization.

Please refer the link for Foreign Terrorist Organizations:

https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/. Consistent with Department guidance on State Funding and the Risks of Terrorist Financing, for all State Department funded programs and requirements, Department bureaus must assess the likelihood that the funds or Department funded activities, goods, services, training, expert advice or assistance, or other benefits to be provided, could inadvertently or incidentally benefit terrorist organizations or their members or supporters, and put in place appropriate risk mitigation measures to mitigate such risk. In accordance with 14 FAM 247, and consistent with the 2 FAM 050, Counterterrorism (CT) name-check vetting may be performed in countries and programs designated by the Department.

The Leahy Law prohibits Department foreign assistance funds from supporting foreign security force units if the Secretary of State has credible information that the unit has committed a gross violation of human rights.

Per 22 USC §2378d(a) (2017), “No assistance shall be furnished under this chapter [FOREIGN ASSISTANCE] or the Arms Export Control Act [22 USC 2751 et seq.] to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of State has credible information that such unit has committed a gross violation of human rights.” Restrictions may apply to any proposed assistance to police or other law enforcement. Among these, pursuant to section 620M of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA), no assistance provided through this funding opportunity may be furnished to https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/ https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2017-title22/html/USCODE-2017-title22-chap32-subchapIII-partI-sec2378d.htm any unit of the security forces of a foreign country when there is credible information that such unit has committed a gross violation of human rights.

In accordance with the requirements of section 620M of the FAA, also known as the Leahy law, project beneficiaries or participants from a foreign government’s security forces may need to be vetted by the Department before the provision of any assistance. If a proposed grant or cooperative agreement will provide assistance to foreign security forces or personnel, compliance with the Leahy Law is required.

The following activities and costs are not covered under this announcement (this list is NOT exhaustive):

• Construction or renovation is not an allowable activity under this award;

• Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the applicant organization;

• Projects seeking funds for personal use;

• Administration of a project that will make a profit;

• Expenses incurred before or after the specified dates of award period of performance (unless prior written approval is received);

• Projects designed to advocate policy views or positions of foreign governments or views of a particular political faction;

• Alcoholic beverages;

• Costs of entertainment, including amusement, diversion, and social activities, and any associated costs, are unallowable, except where specific costs that might otherwise be considered entertainment have a programmatic purpose and are authorized either in the approved budget for the federal award or with prior written approval of the Grants Officer.

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 U.S. Government.

Organizations should be cognizant of these restrictions when developing project proposals. Funding restrictions will require appropriate due diligence of program beneficiaries and collaboration with OES to ensure compliance with these restrictions. Program beneficiaries subject to due diligence vetting will include any individuals or entities that are beneficiaries of foreign assistance funding or support. Due diligence vetting will include a review of open-source materials.

SECTION E: APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

E1. Proposal Review Criteria

An OES review panel will evaluate each application individually against the following criteria, listed below in order of importance, and not against competing applications. Please use the below criteria as a reference, but do not structure your application according to the sub-sections.

Applications should contain the applicant’s best terms from both cost and technical standpoints. The implementing partners (sub-recipients) of the primary recipient will be subject to Department of State approval.

Quality and Feasibility of Project Idea (20 points)

The program idea is well developed and responsive to the policy and program objective of the NOFO. The applicant describes the project’s potential contribution to solving the problem addressed in the problem statement. The application clearly defines the problem; it’s causes;

stakeholders; and existing research/data; the approach taken to solve the problem; realistic milestones to indicate progress.

Organizational Capacity and Record of Performance (15 points):

The applicant demonstrates an institutional record of successful projects in the content area proposed. The applicant demonstrates experience (e.g., has previously worked and/or has established contacts/partners) in the proposed country/territory/region. The organization has expertise in its stated field and has adequate staffing to manage the proposed project. The applicant demonstrates capacity for responsible fiscal management of donor funding (e.g., successful management of a previous grant or sub-award).

Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives (25 points)

Goals and objectives are clearly stated and project approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results. The applicant proposes activities that are feasible, and are also practical, and/or experiential in nature to encourage innovation. The applicant addresses how the project will engage or obtain support from relevant stakeholders and/or identifies local partners. Program logic is sound showing plausible pathways to achieve project outcomes. Key assumptions and risks have been identified and their potential influences described. The applicant acknowledges if activities similar to those proposed are already taking or have taken place previously and provides an explanation as to how proposed new activities will not duplicate or merely add to existing/recent activities.

Financial Capacity and Cost Effectiveness (12 points):

The budget justification is detailed, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results and provide detail of calculations, including estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, labor in-put and responsibilities, procurement practice and policy information, and other similar quantitative detail. Applications that maximize direct activity costs and minimize administrative costs are encouraged. Final approval of the budget resides with the Grants Officer.

Monitoring & Evaluating and Sustainability (25 points):

Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provides milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The program includes output and outcome indicators and shows how and when those will be measured and who will be responsible for them. The applicant clearly details how activities will result in benefits that will continue beyond the funding period.

Support of Equity and Underserved Communities (3 points):

Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the program will support and advance equity and engage underserved communities in program administration, design, and implementation.

E.2. Review and Selection Process

The Department of State is committed to ensuring a competitive and standardized process for awarding funding. Applications will be screened initially in a Technical Eligibility Review stage to determine whether applicants meet the eligibility requirements outlined in section C and have submitted all required documents outlined in section D. Applications that do not meet these requirements will not advance beyond the Technical Eligibility Review stage and will be deemed ineligible for funding under this

NOFO.

All applications that are deemed eligible will move forward to the Merit Review Panel consisting of U.S. government subject matter and/or country-specific experts and will be rated on a 100-point scale. OES reserves the right to request the assistance of non-US government Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), if appropriate to the solicitation. Panel Reviewers will determine scores based on the strengths and weaknesses of the afore-mentioned categories and for consistency with the program goals and objectives outlined in this NOFO. Panel Reviewers’ ratings, and any resulting recommendations, are advisory. Panel Reviewers 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 US Government funds, conditions or recommendations may include requests to increase, decrease, clarify, and/or justify costs and project activities.

OES reserves the right to make an award based on the initial application received with or without discussion or negotiations. Therefore, applications should contain the Applicants’ best terms from both cost and technical standpoints.

Final selection authority resides with OES senior level official. Final award decisions will be influenced by whether the application meets the Department of State’s programmatic goals and objectives, how it supports the Department’s overarching foreign policy priorities, and the geographic distribution of the top-ranking applications.

E.3. Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov (formerly

FAPIIS)

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 (formerly FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313).

The applicant, at its option, may review information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through www.sam.gov. Currently, federal agencies create integrity records in the integrity module of the Contractor Performance Assessment and Reporting System (CPARS) and these records are visible as responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov.

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.

Applicants are reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law prohibits transactions with or support to individuals or organizations associated with terrorism.

• Proposals that reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative or a designate to terrorist organization or narcotics trafficker, including elected members of government, will NOT be considered. This provision must be included in any sub-awards/sub-contracts issued under this award.

• U.S. Applicant organizations must demonstrate adherence to equal opportunity employment practices and commitment to non-discrimination with respect to beneficiaries. Non-discrimination includes equal treatment without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, and political affiliation.

• Applicants under DOS-funded projects are responsible for complying with all applicable tax treaties and federal, state, and local laws on tax withholding and reporting for project participants.

Section F: Federal Award Administration Information F.1. Federal Award Notices

OES will provide a separate notification to applicants on the result of their applications. Successful applicants will receive a letter electronically via email requesting that the applicant respond to review panel conditions and recommendations. This notification is not an authorization to begin activities and does not constitute formal approval or a funding commitment.

Final approval is contingent on the applicant successfully responding to the review panel’s conditions and recommendations, Congressional Notification…