FY22 SSH Official NOFO.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. Embassy Kinshasa Notice of Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity Title: U.S. Embassy Kinshasa Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund Funding Opportunity Number: DOS-COD-SSHF-FY22-001 Deadline for Applications: August 8, 2023 CFDA/Assistance Listing Number: 19.220 Total Amount Available: $50,000 Anticipated Awards: 3

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa and the U.S. Department of State are pleased to announce an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications to carry out projects through the Ambassador’s Special Self Help (SSH) Small Grants Program.

The Ambassador’s Special Self Help Program provides small grants to assist community development projects that improve basic economic or social conditions in local communities across the Democratic Republic of Congo. The program aims to address development challenges via targeted, small-scale goals that encourage self-reliance within local communities. Selected projects must have strong community involvement with a substantial community benefit that is self-sustaining and ongoing. Projects to support vulnerable populations, including women, people living with disabilities, victims of gender-based violence, orphans and homeless children, etc., are particularly desirable.

Eligibility is restricted to local NGOs, community associations, and cooperatives. Funding will be distributed pending congressional funding approval no later than September 30th. The maximum grant award will be $16,000 and grants must be completed within one year.

Project Objectives: SH funds are meant for activities that are community driven and serve the community at large where they are being funded.

The most successful project proposals will target health, education, and development challenges and will:

• Demonstrate a clear, ongoing benefit to the local community;

• Include a significant contribution from the community in the form of labor, land, materials, or money;

• Be within the local community’s ability to manage and maintain on a sustainable basis;

• Have a net-positive impact on the local environment;

• Respect human rights, including disability rights and gender equality.

Below is a sample list of the types of projects the Department will consider funding:

• Small construction projects (less than 10,000 sq. ft.) – school rooms, community centers, health facilities, foot bridges, housing for a government or community-paid nurse or teacher, workshops, community abattoir, grain storage, rural airstrip for a hospital, and school dormitory for distant students.

• Water-related projects – wells, latrines, pumps, bore holes, shower stalls and sinks and fishponds.

• School equipment and supplies – desks, chairs, laboratory equipment and library items.

• Communal construction equipment such as a brick-making machine.

• Income generating equipment – weaving looms, tools for furniture making, rice-milling machine.

(Must be maintainable by local community).

Funds may not be used for:

• Operating or recurring costs (salaries, rent, administrative or maintenance costs, fuel);

• Individual travel expenses (lodging, transportation, food, fuel);

• Religious, police, law enforcement, prison, or military activities;

• Projects that are inherently political in nature or that contain the appearance of partisanship or support to an individual or party in electoral campaigns;

• The purchase, operation, or maintenance of vehicles;

• Activities with negative environmental consequences;

• Activities which benefit any US government employee.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Length of performance period: 12 months or less Number of awards anticipated: 3 awards Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $16,000 Total available funding: $50,000 Type of Funding: FY22 Ambassador’s Special Self Help Fund Funding instrument type: Fixed Amount Award Anticipated program start date: October 31st, 2023

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

• Associations and non-profit non-governmental organizations located in the DRC;

• Applicants must have a demonstrated expertise in their program field;

• Expertise and established relationships with international NGOs, other international donors, and/or local organizations will be considered favorably.

2. Other Eligibility Requirements In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via www.SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for more information. Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Application Package Application forms are available at the bottom of this page, or e-mail us at POLGrantsKinshasa@state.gov http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:POLGrantsKinshasa@state.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.

Content of Application Please ensure:

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

• All documents are in English;

• All budgets are in U.S. dollars;

• All pages are numbered.

The following documents are required:

1. Mandatory application forms

For non-construction projects:

• SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations)

• SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)

• SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs)

For small construction projects:

• SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations)

• SF-424A (Budget information for construction projects)

• SF-424D (Assurances for small construction projects)

2. Summary Page: Cover sheet stating the applicant’s name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program.

3. Proposal: The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. You may use your own proposal format, but it must include all the items below:

• Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives and anticipated impact.

• Introduction to the organization or individual applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies.

• Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed.

• Program Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve.

The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable.

• Program Activities: Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.

• Program Methods and Design: A description of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal. Include a logic model as appropriate.

• Proposed Program Schedule and Timeline: The proposed timeline for the program activities.

Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events.

• Number of Direct Beneficiaries: Clearly describe the number of people who will benefit directly from the project. Beneficiaries may not be employees of the implementing organization and must be members of the community.

• Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program?

• Program Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees.

• Program Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants.

Throughout the time-frame of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant?

• Future Funding or Sustainability Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable.

4. Budget Justification Narrative: After filling out the SF-424A budget form (see above), use a separate sheet of paper to describe each of the budget expenses in detail.

5. Attachments:

• 1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program

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

• Official permission letters, if required for program activities

Required Registrations: All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations [All are free of charge]:

• www.SAM.gov registration which will generate a unique entity identifier (UEI).

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award, in accordance with OMB guidelines 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

The U.S. Embassy requires all applicants to obtain, for free, a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) at SAM.gov and have an active registration with the System for Award Management (SAM). If selected to receive funding, applicants may be required to show proof of a UEI for their organization, as well as a valid SAM registration.

You can register in the System for Award Management (SAM) by logging into https://www.sam.gov/SAM/.

To access SAM.gov an organization is required to have a Login.gov account. Organization can create an account at https://login.gov/. As a reminder, organizations need to renew their sam.gov registration annually.

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sam.gov%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cfjeldkk%40state.gov%7C8a179f425ec644553b0a08da0c446ace%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637835785239027166%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=1O%2BquRWkk5TWZ9R%2FzeWA%2BjVqSPwgts5FKs5lUXBCVGU%3D&reserved=0 https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flogin.gov%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cfjeldkk%40state.gov%7C8a179f425ec644553b0a08da0c446ace%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637835785239027166%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=tZgLWndOJE4QfgsenOHTZxlAyGwD1%2FcsHk9zT0XqO9g%3D&reserved=0 https://www.sam.gov/SAM/

If an organization does not have an active registration in SAM.gov prior to submitting an application, the application will be deemed ineligible. All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain this registration.

Submission Dates and Times: Applications are due no later than August 8th, 2023 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Grantor Contact is Grants Officer, May Obolensky. All application materials must be submitted by email to POLGrantsKinshasa@state.gov. Inquiries welcome.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria

Each application will be evaluated and rated based on the evaluation criteria outlined below:

Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea – 25 points: The program idea is well developed, with detail about how program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline.

Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants – 25 points: The organization has expertise in its stated field and has the internal controls in place to manage federal funds. This includes a financial management system and a bank account.

Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives – 10 points: Goals and objectives are clearly stated, and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.

Budget – 10 points: The budget justification is detailed. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities.

Monitoring and evaluation plan – 10 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.

Sustainability – 10 points: Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program.

Support of Equity and Underserved Communities – 10 points: Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the program will support and advance equity and engage underserved communities in program administration, design, and implementation.

2. Review and Selection Process:

A review committee will evaluate all eligible applications based on the criteria listed above.

mailto:KinshasaSGP@state.gov

3. Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System (FAPIIS):

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);

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;

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 §200.206 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices:

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

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

2. Payment Method:

Payments will be done electronically by wireless transfer. If using a Congolese bank, U.S. Embassy Kinshasa recommends the following banks: RAWBANK, ECOBANK, TRUST MERCHANT BANK SARL, BANQUE COMMERCIALE DU CONGO, EQUITY BANK, CITIBANK KINSHASA, SOFIBANQUE, STANDARD BANK CONGO SARL, FBNBANK DRC, AFRILAND FIRST BANK, ACCESS BANK RD CONGO SARL, BANK OF

AFRICA.

All local taxes are the recipient’s responsibility and will not be reimbursed by funds from the USG grant.

3. Administrative and National Policy Requirements:

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 25 - UNIVERSAL IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

• 2 CFR 170 - REPORTING SUBAWARD AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION INFORMATION

• 2 CFR 175 - AWARD TERM FOR TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

• 2 CFR 182 - GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL

ASSISTANCE)

• 2 CFR 183 - NEVER CONTRACT WITH THE ENEMY

• 2 CFR 600 – DEPARTMENT OF STATE REQUIREMENTS

• U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS

4. Reporting Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact: POLGrantsKinshasa@state.gov

H. OTHER INFORMATION

Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.

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