FY22 PEMS SOI NOFO.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Notice of Funding Opportunity – Stage 1: Statement of Interest

Federal Awarding Agency: U.S. Department of State

Program Office: Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in

Persons, International Programs Section

Funding Opportunity Title: 2022 TIP Office Notification of Funding

Opportunity – Stage 1: Statement of Interest

Announcement Type: 2022 TIP Office Initial Notification of Funding

Opportunity

Funding Opportunity: SFOP0008589

Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance Number(s): 19.019

Deadline for Applications: March 10, 2022 5:00 pm EDT

FULL TEXT OF NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

(TIP Office) announces an open competition for grant funding to support the

Program to End Modern Slavery (PEMS). The goal of PEMS is to measurably and substantially reduce the prevalence of human trafficking in targeted populations in partner countries and jurisdictions through innovative interventions driven by research, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, and the expansion of partnerships with government, academia, civil society organizations, international organizations, and the private sector. The U.S. Congress has appropriated $25 million annually since Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 for PEMS, totaling $150 million through FY 21. This Notice of Funding Opportunity is the TIP Office’s sixth call for PEMS proposals. The TIP Office plans to issue multiple awards, with a project duration not to exceed 60 months (five years). Typical PEMS awards are in the

$3-12 million range. For this NOFO, statements of interest outside of said range will be accepted, with a lower threshold of $1.5 million. Programs may be funded in phases and the TIP Office reserves the right to not obligate funds based on funding availability and other considerations.

PEMS-funded efforts conduct scientifically rigorous research to establish evidence on the effects of anti-trafficking programs on the reduction of the prevalence of human trafficking through the advancement of sound prevalence measurement methodologies, strong monitoring and evaluation practices, evidence-based programming, and the application of victim-centered and trauma-informed approaches. PEMS prioritizes the use of experimental methods in research, monitoring, and evaluation.

PEMS-funded efforts also include partnerships with governments, academia, civil society, the private sector, other funders, and international organizations to advance the goals of the program and improve collaboration on the reduction of the prevalence of human trafficking. There must also be meaningful engagement with individuals with lived experiences in human trafficking during development and implementation, and within the research, and monitoring and evaluation of all projects.

The TIP Office will allocate funding for anti-trafficking projects through an open, two-stage competitive process. In stage one, also known as the statement of interest (SOI) stage, applicants are invited to submit a three-page SOI, detailing how the organization would address programming priorities highlighted in the funding opportunity. Upon completion of a technical and programmatic review, the TIP Office will select a limited number of SOI applicants for further consideration in the second stage of the competitive process. In the second stage, selected applicants will receive feedback from the TIP Office and will be invited to submit full proposals, building on the concepts described in their submitted three-page SOI. Applicants will be required to submit additional documentation, including but not limited to budget forms, resumes/CVs for key personnel, monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning plans, and Letters of Intent to cooperate with partners.

The TIP Office welcomes strong applications for programs and projects that align with U.S. government and TIP Office priorities, address human trafficking challenges on a significant scale, and offer the potential to have systemic and sustainable results, among other factors.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 USC 7101 et seq.), as amended (TVPA), established the TIP Office in the U.S. Department of State. The

TIP Office leads the United States’ global engagement on the fight against human trafficking and seeks partnerships with foreign governments, civil society organizations, and multilateral organizations to combat human trafficking through the “3P” paradigm: prosecuting traffickers through victim-centered law enforcement, protecting trafficking victims through proactive identification and comprehensive, trauma-informed care, and preventing trafficking in persons. TIP

Office programs and projects combat human trafficking—a crime involving the exploitation of someone for the purposes of labor or services or a commercial sex act through the use of force, fraud, or coercion—in all its forms. Forms of human trafficking include sex trafficking, child sex trafficking, forced labor, forced child labor domestic servitude, forced criminality, and the unlawful recruitment or use of child soldiers.

The U.S. government defines “trafficking in persons” as:

• Sex Trafficking – when a trafficker uses force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person to engage in a commercial sex act or when a trafficker causes a child who has not attained 18 years of age to engage in a commercial sex act.

• Forced Labor – when a trafficker recruits, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains a person for labor or services by using force, fraud, or coercion.

Trafficking in persons does not require the movement of a person. Under the

TVPA and generally consistent with the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and

Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (Palermo

Protocol), individuals may be trafficking victims regardless of whether they once consented, they participated in unlawful acts their traffickers compelled them to commit, someone transported them into the exploitative situation, or they were simply born into a state of servitude. The TIP Office will not fund projects that use alternate definitions of trafficking.

The TVPA requires that the Department of State submit to Congress an annual report assessing the efforts of governments to address trafficking in persons. The annual Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report) is the primary tool for the

Department’s engagement with other governments on human trafficking and informs U.S. policy and assistance priorities to combat this crime. The 2021 TIP

Report is available at: https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-trafficking-in-persons-report/.

Since 2000, when the United Nations adopted the Palermo Protocol and the United

States enacted the TVPA, the number of parties to the Protocol has reached 178.

Only 14 of the 188 countries and territories assessed in the Department of State’s

2021 Trafficking in Persons Report have yet to become parties. In addition, 154 countries have criminalized all forms of trafficking, and many countries have established specialized law enforcement units, set up trafficking victim assistance mechanisms, and launched public awareness campaigns. Nonetheless, the number of victims identified and assisted, and the number of traffickers investigated, prosecuted, and convicted remain low relative to the size of the problem.

Governments also face continued challenges in effectively implementing new anti-trafficking legal and policy frameworks.

The TIP Office works to address these challenges in a number of ways, including through its foreign assistance programs. Information on U.S. government anti-trafficking efforts is available at https://www.state.gov/humantrafficking/ and a summary of PEMS projects currently funded by the TIP Office is available at https://www.state.gov/program-to-end-modern-slavery/.

2022 GRANT COMPETITION OVERVIEW

This funding opportunity announces the first of two stages of the 2022 open and competitive process to award grants or cooperative agreements. Applicants must submit separate SOI applications for each programming priority identified in this funding opportunity if pursuing multiple awards. The required SOI project narrative template and guidelines for submitting applications are available on

SAMS Domestic and the TIP Office website. Following a technical review, each

SOI will undergo a thorough substantive content review of the proposed concepts.

https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-trafficking-in-persons-report/ https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-trafficking-in-persons-report/ https://www.state.gov/humantrafficking/ https://www.state.gov/program-to-end-modern-slavery/ https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants https://www.state.gov/guidelines-for-submitting-tip-office-statements-of-interest-soi/

In the first stage of competition, U.S.-based and foreign non-profits, non-governmental organizations (including faith-based organizations), public international organizations, institutes of higher education, and for-profit entities are invited to submit three-page SOIs (approximately 9,000 characters) for projects designed to address the priority categories highlighted in the funding opportunity.

Upon completion of a technical and programmatic review, the TIP Office will select a limited number of SOIs for further consideration. The TIP Office will provide feedback on the selected SOIs and may recommend, but not require, collaboration between applicants. Funding will not be affected by the applicant’s decision to collaborate or not, with other recipients. The TIP Office will invite selected applicants to submit full applications that build on the concepts described in the three-page SOIs.

Applicants selected for further consideration in the second stage of the competitive process will be subject to a TIP Office risk assessment process that may include a pre-award site visit. The assessment may consider a variety of risk factors, including: (1) Financial stability of the applicant; (2) Quality of management systems and ability to meet proscribed management standards; (3) Past performance in managing previous federal awards, if applicable, including compliance with reporting requirements, conformance to the award’s terms and conditions, and the extent to which previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to future awards; (4) Reports and findings from available audits; and (5)

Applicant ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements applicable to non-Federal entities.

Any funds awarded under this funding opportunity will be provided through a grant or cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement provides for “substantial involvement” between the agency — in this case the TIP Office — and the recipient during the award’s period of performance. If awarded as a cooperative agreement, the TIP Office will undertake reasonable and programmatically necessary substantial involvement. Examples of substantial involvement by the

TIP Office may include, but are not limited to, reviewing and approving project materials, training curricula, and reviewing evaluation plans produced by recipients and sub-recipients. Projects funded by resources leveraged from other donors are not subject to TIP Office approval.

Please reference the Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office PEMS Statements of

Interest (SOI) (https://www.state.gov/guidelines-for-submitting-tip-office-statements-of-interest-soi/) when preparing an application. This guidance is available on the TIP Office website, SAMS Domestic, and grants.gov. The document includes guidelines for proposed project documents that must be incorporated into any project design. Applications for this funding opportunity must be submitted via SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants) by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on March 10, 2022, to be eligible for consideration. If an organization has difficulty submitting an application near the deadline, their application will only be considered for acceptance late if they open a ticket with the help desk to resolve the problem prior to the deadline. A ticket with the help desk can only be opened by calling 1 (888) 313-4567 or submitting a ticket through the ILMS Self Service Portal (https://afsitsm.serivce-now.com/ilms/home). To be competitive under this funding opportunity, applicants must be fully responsive to all directions in this document. Please pay special attention to all font, font size, document types, and formatting requirements.

2022 PROGRAMING PRIORITIES

The TIP Office has identified five priority categories for potential funding under the Program to End Modern Slavery: supply chain, climate change and displacement, public health, financial inclusion, and sex trafficking. Example topic areas are provided under each category. Applicants may select the provided topic area OR propose a different topic area that falls within the category. These categories are heavily informed by recommendations from the annual TIP Report and review of recent human trafficking trends; consultations with intra- and interagency policy and programming stakeholders; and consideration of current and planned programming from this office, U.S. government agencies, and public and private donors.

To be eligible, SOIs must present a strategy for measuring and reducing the prevalence of human trafficking through the direct measurement of prevalence1 within ONE of the following categories. If applicants address multiple categories below within a single application, the application must demonstrate how the topic

1 Under some circumstances the use of outcome i.e., proxy, indicators to measure prevalence will be accepted, provided there is a strong justification and empirical evidence.

areas are interconnected. Applicants selecting the “Financial Inclusion” category should follow the guidance provided below. Applicants can submit multiple SOIs on different categories and/or topic areas that are not interconnected. Each individual SOI may focus on either one or multiple countries.

I. Supply Chains

• Reduce or eliminate forced labor within a stage of a supply chain or the entire chain of a specific product or industry. Example topic areas include, but are not limited to, a specific sector in agriculture or manufacturing or selection of the supply chain of a specific product within a sector. Applicants may also select products within green energy markets (e.g., solar panels, lithium-ion batteries) or their inputs

(e.g. polysilicon, cobalt) or fossil fuel industries (e.g. coal, natural gas etc.).

II. Climate Change and Displacement

• Reduce human trafficking by addressing vulnerabilities caused by environmentally driven displacement. Climate change may be a driver of and increase vulnerabilities to trafficking as severe weather events increasingly impact livelihoods. Programs may focus on reducing trafficking in persons vulnerability caused by risk of internal and/or international displacement.

III. Public Health

• Reduce human trafficking through partnership with the public health sector. Example topic areas include, but are not limited to, developing anti-trafficking minimum standards of care for use by public health providers; the development and application of protocols for the identification, care, and referral of victims of trafficking; and building partnerships with health care providers, including community health workers.

IV. Financial Inclusion

• Reduce human trafficking through financial inclusion programming

(digital finance, financial behaviors, rural finance, insurance, financial technology adoption, etc.2) targeted at labor-sending regions in areas with high levels of human trafficking either based on anecdotal or empirical evidence. The interventions must be paired with experimental research and should occur in 2-3 or more distinct settings to allow for comparison of results.

V. Sex Trafficking

• Reduce sex trafficking in select geographies with high levels of human trafficking, either based on anecdotal or empirical evidence, and/or address online sexual exploitation. Applicants should display a comprehensive understanding of which populations are at risk. Given sustained levels of funding focused on sex trafficking of women and girls, in order to address an under-resourced area, targeted populations must be adults, men and boys, and/or members of the LGBTQI+ community, as applicable.

As applicable, applicants are encouraged to integrate one or more of the following cross-cutting themes into their application: public private partnerships, social accountability tools, protection protocols, and gender and identity. The TIP Office encourages proposals that advance racial equity3 and support and promote equitable representation of underserved communities4.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

2 This does not include conditional or unconditional cash transfers or microfinance or microcredit 3 “Race Equity” is defined as the condition where one’s race identity has no influence on how one fares in society. Race equity is one dimension of racial justice and includes the elimination of policies, practices, attitudes, and cultural messages that reinforce unjustified differential outcomes by race.

4 “Underserved Communities” is defined as populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life. In the international context, the terms

“marginalized populations” and “vulnerable populations” are often used and may include, but are not limited to, women and girls, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, people of African descent, racial and ethnic minorities, refugees and internally displaced people, religious minorities, LGBTQI+ persons, rural residents, migrants, as well as those who are otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

1. Eligible Applicants

Organizations eligible to apply include U.S.-based and foreign non-profits, non-governmental organizations (including faith-based organizations), public international organizations (PIOs), institutions of higher education, and for-profit entities. For-profit organizations are not permitted to generate profits from grant-funded activities. U.S. government agencies may respond to this Notice of

Funding Opportunity (NOFO) with applications for projects that would be funded through an Interagency Acquisition Agreement. While foreign governments are not eligible to apply, governments may be beneficiaries of projects provided that funding does not pay salaries of government agency personnel and that such assistance is not restricted by U.S. law or policy.

Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process. Additionally, the Department of State prohibits profit to for-profit or commercial organizations under its assistance awards. Profit is defined as any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs. The allowability of costs incurred by commercial organizations is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition

Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR 30, Cost Accounting Standards Administration, and

48 CFR 31 Contract Cost Principles and Procedures.

Organizations currently receiving funds from the TIP Office may apply for additional funding under the present funding opportunity. The eligibility requirements for applying to this funding opportunity do not restrict applicants from receiving other sources of funding from the United States government, including funding from other bureaus within the Department of State. However, the applicant must provide information on any work conducted with U.S.

government funding related to human-trafficking issues or cross-cutting (health, education, labor, gender, etc.) human-trafficking issues within the project narrative.

Under this funding opportunity, applicants may partner with other organizations in submitting application(s). Applicants partnering with other organizations must clearly identify the lead applicant, and the applicant may designate one or more partner organizations as sub-recipients. For the purposes of this funding opportunity, a partner organization is any organization that would receive sub-award funding from a successful applicant to help the applicant organization implement anti-trafficking projects and/or activities. All mandatory terms and conditions for a successful applicant also apply to any sub-awards awarded.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing, cost matching, and cost participation are not required to carry out a project under this funding opportunity. While not required, applicants can propose to include voluntary cost-share. Applications that include voluntary cost share will

NOT be evaluated differently than other applications. Applicants should list the cost share amount in the SF-424. If awarded, the Recipient must provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the Recipient's budget; if the

Recipient is not successful in raising the amount by the end of the award, the USG will reduce the federal funds proportionally.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package

All applications must be submitted via SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants) by 5:00p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on March 10, 2022.

The TIP Office will NOT accept applications or updated documents submitted by any other method, including email, fax, the postal system, delivery companies, couriers, or U.S. embassies. Applicants may submit more than one application to address different priorities; however, each application should only be submitted once.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to initiate electronic applications early in the application development process and to submit the application in advance of the deadline. This will aid in addressing any problems with submissions prior to the application deadline. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps to submit applications on SAMS Domestic.

Applications Submitted Through SAMS Domestic

Organizations using SAMS Domestic for the first time must register on the SAMS

Domestic site to create a New Applicant account as soon as possible. This application step must be completed before an application can be submitted.

To register with SAMS Domestic, follow the “create an account” link and complete the “SAMS Domestic User Registration Request” application form.

Users will receive an email requesting account verification. This verification step must be completed before an application can be submitted. If an applicant has not previously received funding from the Department of State, the TIP Office cannot associate a new account in SAMS Domestic to an organization. Please note a new user account does not need to be associated with an organization in order to submit an application. Electronic applications submitted via SAMS Domestic must contain completed SF-424 online forms and documents specified in this funding opportunity.

To upload the application, go to SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants), select “Apply, then Funding Opportunities,” and select the

“Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Programs” funding opportunity. Select the “Apply Here” button, enter the applicant organization’s information, and click Save. Complete each section of the application in the corresponding section of the Additional Documents to Be Submitted Tab: SF 424

Information (SF-424) and Project Narrative.

Please ensure that you select the box, “allow anyone in my organization to edit this application,” to ensure members of your organization have access to edit this application.

For assistance with SAMS Domestic, please contact the ILMS Support Desk at 1-

888-313-4567 (toll free for international callers) or submit a ticket using the ILMS

Self Service Portal (https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home). Customer

Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please note support hours may change on Federal holidays. Please direct questions regarding the process of uploading applications to Customer Support and obtain a ticket number. Technical difficulties not resolved by the Support Desk by the time of submission must be fully documented and reported to the TIP Office at JTIPGrants@state.gov only.

Please do not contact any other Department of State personnel.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

To be considered for funding, all applications must address at least one priority listed in this funding opportunity. All required documents submitted must be written in the English language using documents with one-inch margins formatted https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants) https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants) https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home mailto:JTIPGrants@state.gov to 8 ½ x 11 paper only unless otherwise stated. All documents should use text that is black-colored and no less than 12 point in Times New Roman font.

The required project narrative template is set to an 9,000-character limit with 12

Times New Roman font (applicants MUST type within the grey box). Spaces, footnotes, and charts are included within the 9,000-character limit. Any application that does not submit the required project narrative template with these font restrictions will fail the technical review. All budget figures must be in U.S.

dollars.

Submission of PDF files will not be accepted and will result in automatic failure of the technical review.

Please note there have been significant changes in this funding opportunity process. Applicants are responsible for reviewing and incorporating the Guidance for Submitting TIP Office PEMS Statements of Interest (SOI) when preparing an application. The documents include guidelines for preparing the application.

This guidance is available on the TIP Office website, SAMS Domestic, and grants.gov.

Complete applications must include the following documents in the required templates (on SAMS Domestic) to be considered for funding:

• Online Form - SF 424

• Project Narrative (Must type within grey box) – Required template available on SAMS Domestic (9,000 character limit with font no less than 12 point in Times New Roman).

3. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)—Required

A valid Unique Entity Identifier (formerly the Data Universal Numbering System or DUNS) is not required for submission of an application on SAMS Domestic;

however, a valid UEI number is required for organizations selected for an award.

Organizations should verify their UEI number or take the steps needed to obtain one as soon as possible. The DUNS number will formally be replaced by a UEI

(SAM) as of April 3, 2022.

All applicants must register with the System for Award Management

(SAM.gov/SAM/) prior to submitting applications. Selected grantees will be required to have an active registration in SAM.gov. Organizations that have

SAM.gov accounts must log in at least once every 13 months (395 days) to maintain an active registration. When submitting applications, please reactivate any accounts that have become inactive. SAM.gov is a free government-managed website; applicants do not need to pay to have their organization registered or renewed annually.

From now until April 3, 2022, entities that are not already registered in SAM.gov and who wish to receive an award need to obtain and/or use a UEI (DUNS) to register their entity on SAM.gov. Please see http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform for more information on obtaining a DUNS number.

On and after April 4, entities can register in SAM.gov and will be assigned their

Unique Entity ID (SAM) within SAM.gov. They will no longer obtain or use a

UEI (DUNS) for entity registration or reporting.

Organizations that already have a DUNS can continue to use this for SAM registration and reporting until April 3, 2022. After that time, you will no longer use UEI (DUNS) and that number will not be maintained in any IAE systems

(SAM.gov, CPARS, FAPIIS, eSRS, FSRS, FPDS-NG). Beginning April 4, 2022, you will only use the UEI (SAM) which, if you are already actively registered in

SAM, have already been assigned the UEI (SAM). Please note that selected grantees may not make a sub-award to a sub-recipient unless that sub-recipient has obtained and provided to the recipient a UEI. A sub-recipient is not required to be fully registered in SAM.gov, but must complete a UEI-only request within

SAM.gov.

4. Submission Dates and Times

All applications must be submitted via SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants) and no applications will be considered for funding after 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on March 10, 2022 to be eligible for consideration. The TIP Office will not accept application materials submitted by any means other than uploading to SAMS Domestic. To be competitive under this funding opportunity, applicants must be fully responsive to all directions in this document.

The application process is not complete until the applicant receives notification from SAMS Domestic that its application has been validated and forwarded to the granting agency (TIP Office). Please allow sufficient time for entering the http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform application into these systems and to troubleshoot any issues. It is the responsibility of the applicant to monitor its application to ensure that it is successfully received and validated.

5. Funding Restrictions

Construction

The TIP Office restricts the use of Federal assistance for construction purposes.

Construction costs are defined as non-major costs for rearrangement and alteration or reconversion or renovation of facilities. Construction would include ordinary or normal alterations, restoration or rehabilitation such as any work that modifies buildings and/or grounds. This includes but is not limited to adding, replacing, modifying, relocating, removing, or painting doors, walls, windows, flooring or the alterations of ceilings, adding on to or dividing existing space or work on any building utility system, electrical, plumbing, ventilation, air conditioning, controls systems, fire alarms, fire sprinklers, security systems and telecommunication equipment. Federal assistance funds cannot be used for capital improvements unless specifically approved in advance by the TIP Office.

Equipment and Supplies

Equipment is herein defined as an article of non-expendable, tangible, personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost in excess of $5,000. Please note that if equipment costs are included in an application, the organization must retain ownership of all equipment obtained throughout the lifetime of the federal award. This includes any equipment funded with cost sharing or matching funds. At the end of the award, you must complete federal SF-428 forms in order for the TIP Office Grants Officer to evaluate whether the item(s) be retained, sold, or disposed of without any further obligation to the Department of State.

Supplies are herein defined as all tangible personal property other than those described in Equipment. Note that if there is a residual inventory of unused supplies exceeding $5,000 in total aggregate value upon completion of the project and the supplies are not needed for any other Federal award, your entity must retain the supplies for use on other activities or sell them, but must, in either case, compensate the Department of State for its share. The amount of compensation will be computed in the same manner as for Equipment.

Foreign assistance funds may not benefit countries or entities that are not eligible recipients of United States foreign assistance or for which there are applicable assistance restrictions. Applicants shall work with the Department of State to ensure that any applicable restrictions and requirements are addressed prior to awarding any sub-awards.

In addition, applicants should refer to the U.S. Department of State Policy on the

Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or

Equipment, which is described under the “Administrative and National Policy

Requirements” section of this NOFO.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria

Reviewers will evaluate applications based on their own merits. Reviewers will use the below evaluation criteria. Applicants are responsible for reviewing the criteria below to fully understand how applications will be reviewed and evaluated for potential funding. Applications will be evaluated against their responses to the questions listed in the “Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office PEMS Statements of Interest (SOI)” as listed below:

1) Problem: Describe how your organization understands the programming priority(ies) and issue(s) it has chosen to address as they exist within the chosen locale(s) and justify why addressing this would be transformational.

Describe the problem(s) the project will address and briefly summarize existing efforts to address it. As appropriate, briefly describe contextual and/or local conditions contributing to the problem(s).

2) Project Description: Describe how your organization will address the problem(s) stated above and provide a justification or rationale for your organization’s plans. Describe the link between the problem and how your project will address it. Explain how the project’s rationale and link to the problem is transformational, with potential for systemic and sustainable results. Describe the population as well as stakeholders you intend to work with and how it will compliment or fill gaps with existing interventions.

Briefly explain how the project will meaningfully engage with individuals with lived experiences in human trafficking during development and implementation, and within the research, and monitoring and evaluation of all projects.

3) Prevalence Reduction: Describe how your project will achieve a measurable reduction of the prevalence of human trafficking in the chosen issue(s) and/or locale(s). Applicants must explain how they will measurably reduce prevalence by establishing quantitative prevalence estimates at the start and end of the project. Under some circumstances the use of outcome indicators (a/k/a proxy indicators) will be considered instead of a direct estimation of the prevalence of victims of human trafficking, provided there is a strong justification, and the link is grounded in empirical evidence.

4) Organizational Capacity and Partnerships: Describe the capacities and qualifications that enable your organization to address the problem(s) stated above in the proposed location(s). Briefly describe your organization’s existing partners or ability to develop future partnerships with governments, academia, civil society, the private sector, other funders, and international organizations to advance the goals of the proposed project and improve collaboration on the reduction of the prevalence of human trafficking.

Please also describe any demonstrable experience in administering projects of similar size and scope, and experience administering projects within similar or related subject matter areas.

2. Review and Selection Process

Following the submission deadline, all SOIs will be screened to determine whether they meet the technical requirements stated in this announcement. As a reminder, the TIP Office will only consider SOIs for the programming objectives listed in the

“2022 Programming Priorities” in Section B; and those that meet the technical requirements.

SOIs will be deemed ineligible during the technical review process and will not be considered for funding if they (1) their application does not fit within one of the

2022 Programming Priorities; or (2) do not meet the technical review requirements listed in Section F.

Following the technical and formal content review, the TIP Office will invite select applicants to participate in the second stage of competition by submitting full applications under a limited competitive announcement. The TIP Office will provide feedback to the selected applicants and may suggest collaboration between

SOI applicants. Applicants will have approximately 45 days to develop and submit a full proposal application, which includes an expanded project narrative and other program design related documentation. Full applications will be reviewed by members of the TIP Office and by an intra- and interagency review panel. Panel recommendations will be presented to the Ambassador-at-Large or Senior Official to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons for consideration.

Please note, with the exception of technical submission questions during the funding process, U.S. Department of State staff in Washington and overseas shall not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire SOI review process has been completed and rejection and approval letters have been transmitted. All questions related to the funding process and content of this funding opportunity must be submitted via email to JTIPGrants@state.gov.

3.Pre-Award Risk Assessment

Second-stage applicants will be subject to a TIP Office risk assessment process that may include a pre-award site visit. The assessment may consider a variety of risk factors, including: (1) Financial stability of the applicant; (2) Quality of management systems and ability to meet proscribed management standards; (3)

Past performance in managing previous federal awards, if applicable, including compliance with reporting requirements, conformance to the award’s terms and conditions, and the extent to which previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to future awards; (4) Reports and findings from available audits; and (5)

Applicant ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements applicable to non-Federal entities.

4. Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)

For any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity, if the Federal awarding agency anticipates that the total Federal share will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold on any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity may include, over the period of performance (see §200.88 Simplified

Acquisition Threshold), this section must also inform applicants:

i. That the Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently

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

ii. That an applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through

SAM;

iii. That the Federal awarding agency 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.

5. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

The TIP Office anticipates making a decision on SOIs submitted under this NOFO in April and will notify all applicants of their application status at this time through

JTIPGrants@state.gov. Applicants invited to submit full applications will receive further instructions on how to submit full proposal applications and will have approximately 45 days to submit their application. Shortly after full proposal applications are selected for potential funding, Program Analysts at the TIP Office will work with the selected organization(s) to clarify aspects of their application and award the funds. Pending the availability of funds and other contingencies, the

TIP Office would expect projects selected for funding to commence during the summer/fall of 2022.

All funding decisions are conditional until a final award is signed.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

Following the stage one (SOI stage) internal review process, applicants can expect to hear from the TIP Office via email regarding the status of their statements of interest within approximately 45 days of the application due date. The TIP Office will provide feedback on the selected SOIs and may recommend, but not require, collaboration between applicants. The TIP Office will invite those selected applicants to submit full applications that build on the concepts described in their three page SOIs.

However, a letter stating that an applicant is chosen for further consideration does not constitute authorization to begin performance on the proposed project. All selected applications are conditional until the funds have officially been authorized and awarded by the grants officer.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Standard 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.

Anti-Prostitution Policy and Requirements: Grantees are required to agree to the following conditions prior to a grant being awarded:

1. None of the funds made available herein may be used to promote, support, or advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be construed to preclude assistance designed to combat trafficking in persons, including projects for prevention, protection of victims, and prosecution of traffickers and others who profit from https://www.statebuy.state.gov/fa/pages/home.aspx trafficking in persons, by ameliorating the suffering of, or health risks to, victims while they are being trafficked or after they are out of the situation that resulted from such victims being trafficked.

2. The recipient shall insert this provision in all sub-agreements under this award.

Training Certification: All organizations receiving funds must agree to the following:

• “This organization hereby certifies that, to the extent practicable, persons or entities providing legal services, social services, health services, or other assistance have completed, or will complete, training in connection with trafficking in persons.” The recipient shall insert this provision in all sub-agreements under this award. TVPA sec. 107A(b)(1) (22 U.S.C.

7105A(b)(1)).

Special Provision for Performance in a Designated Combat Area: Each federal assistance award within areas of combat operations or future contingency operation, as designated by the Secretary of Defense, over $150,000 or providing for performance over 30 days must be registered in the Department of Defense maintained Synchronized Pre-deployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT) system. Each federal assistance award shall be registered in SPOT before personnel deployment. Requirements are fully outlined in the award agreements for recipients.

Leahy Vetting Requirement: This requirement applies to training or other assistance to be furnished to any unit or individual member of the security forces of a foreign country. Leahy vetting is required when training or assistance is provided to foreign security forces, including when such assistance is provided under a grant or cooperative agreement. Department guidance provides the following information on the type of personnel who are considered security forces and thus must be vetted under Leahy:

• “The Leahy amendment refers to the ‘security forces of a foreign country.’

It makes no distinction between military and civilian. The key is whether the individual is a member of a security force unit. In broad terms, any division or entity (to include an individual) authorized by a State or political subdivision (city, county, etc.) to use force (including but not limited to the power to search, detain, and arrest) to accomplish its mission would be considered a security force. ‘Security forces’ thus could be units of law enforcement or the military. Prison guards, customs police, border police, tax police, and the coast guard would be examples of the types of units included in the category of ‘security forces.’ Members of these types of units should be considered as subject to the Leahy Amendment and be vetted either as individuals or as part of the unit being trained. Examples of persons who are not considered ‘security forces’ include: government bureaucrats, prosecutors, judges, civilian members of NGOs, international organizations or task forces and forensic lab workers.”

Leahy Vetting requirements will be fully outlined in the award agreements for recipients. The vetting process may take considerable time, and applicants should plan training activities with sufficient time for vetting to be completed. All successful applicants, including prior grantees, will be required to complete a new

Leahy Vetting training module prior to the award of new projects.

Executive Order Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking in Persons in

Federal Contracts: Any applicant’s hiring process must be consistent with the

U.S. government’s regulations on preventing human trafficking among federal contractors and grantees, specifically:

• U.S. law and regulations expressly prohibit federal contractors, subcontractors, grantees, subgrantees, and their agents/employees from engaging in certain trafficking-related practices, such as misleading or fraudulent recruitment practices; charging employees recruitment fees; and destroying or confiscating employees' identity documents, such as a passport or a driver’s license.

See 22 U.S.C. § 7104(g) (as amended); Federal Acquisition Regulation, 48 C.F.R.

§ 52.222-50 (Combating Trafficking in Persons); see also Federal Acquisition

Regulation, 83 FR 65466 (Dec. 20, 2018) (Combating Trafficking in Persons—

Definition of “Recruitment Fees”).

U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security: Applicants are encouraged to review the goals of the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security for their relevance to applications. In particular, Outcome 3.3 of the Plan provides guidance on efforts to combat trafficking:

“Engage with international and/or civil society organizations to ensure that standard operational procedures are in place to prevent human trafficking, especially among refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), including appropriate assistance and procedures for unaccompanied minors, to identify potential trafficked persons, and to refer survivors to appropriate service providers. As appropriate, provide support to international and civil society organizations to set up emergency care services for trafficking survivors”

And:

• “Promote establishment of local coalitions or taskforces comprised of relevant government authorities and civil society organizations to combat human trafficking as part of the justice reform measures in post-conflict areas.”

U.S. Department of State Policy on Disabilities: The U.S. government has made a commitment to protect and advance human rights and fundamental freedoms for all people, including persons with disabilities. To that end, the Convention on the

Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) seeks to ensure that every person living with a disability can benefit from the same access and protections, in the

United States and abroad.

U.S. Department of State Policy on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and

Intersex (LGBTQI+) Individuals: In preparing applications, applicants are reminded that the Department’s priorities for advancing LGBTQI+ equality abroad are to eliminate violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Advancing the human rights of LGBTQI+ people, as with our support for other marginalized or vulnerable people, complements and reinforces other U.S. foreign policy priorities, including strengthening civil society, promoting the rule of law, supporting gender equality and advancing the status of women and girls, protecting refugees and asylum seekers, and furthering anti-trafficking efforts, among others. Due to these intersections, violations or abuses of the human rights of LGBTQI+ people often also have negative implications for other U.S. foreign policy priorities.

Programs should seek to include groups, especially underserved communities, that can bring perspectives based on their lived experiences, religion, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, and/or sexual orientation and gender identity. Programs should be demand-driven, locally led, and designed with a participatory approach to the extent possible.

The TIP Office also requires all its programming be non-discriminatory and expects implementers to include strategies for integration of individuals / organizations regardless of religion, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, and/or sexual orientation and gender identity.

3. Grant Reporting and Monitoring Requirements

Applicants whose applications are selected for funding will be required to submit financial reports and project reports. The award terms and conditions will specify how often these reports must be submitted.

• Reporting Requirements: Award recipients are required to submit quarterly narrative and financial reports at pre-determined intervals throughout the project period and final reports 120 days after the end of the project period.

Access to funds may be suspended if reports are late or incomplete.

• Grant…