FY24 BOLD FELLOWSHIP ECON DEVT NOFO.docx

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. EMBASSY SARAJEVO, PUBLIC DIPLOMACY SECTION

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Funding Opportunity Title: BOLD ACADEMIC FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Funding Opportunity Number: BH-009-FY2024

Deadline for Application: June 14, 2024

Assistance Listing Number: 19.900

Total Amount Available: USD 140,000

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The United States Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), through the Public Diplomacy Section (PDS), is pleased to announce a Notice of Funding Opportunity to design and implement the BOLD Academic Fellowship Program on Economic Development. PDS invites proposal submissions from U.S. public and private non-profit organizations and accredited U.S. post-secondary educational institutions (community colleges, liberal arts colleges, public and private universities) meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) (see section III, Eligibility Information) to design and implement the BOLD (Balkanski Omladinski Lideri, Balkan Young Leaders) Academic Fellowship for BiH Student Leaders on Economic Development, pending the availability of Fiscal Year 2023/2024 Assistance to Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia (AEECA) funds.

Mandatory components:

1. The Academic Fellowship Program for Balkan Student Leaders on Economic Development (“the fellowship program”) should be organized for at least 10 undergraduate students, aged 18-25, from communities in BiH to reflect the country’s diversity and administrative divisions.

2. The fellowship program should be approximately five weeks in duration, including an academic residency at an academic institution and a significant component of experiential learning in the community or in another location. Ideally, the fellowship program should incorporate a homestay experience as part of the program.

3. The academic program in the U.S. should include group discussions, experiential learning activities, and exercises that focus on the theme and include aspects of leadership, teambuilding, collective problem-solving skills, effective communication, appreciation of diversity, and management skills. Therefore, participants should gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

4. The experiential learning component should include substantive and participatory activities in a community that pertains directly to the theme of the fellowship program and bolster the skills and experience for students to implement their follow-on projects. Particular focus should be given to the integration of not-for-profit organizations and businesses in the community and their impact.

5. The fellowship program should ensure a balance of speakers and perspectives throughout the program schedule, representing diverse U.S. political viewpoints, as well as other aspects of diversity. The fellowship program should foster PDS’s mission to promote mutual understanding between citizens of other countries and citizens of the United States. Thus, the program should include robust opportunities for participants to meet Americans from a variety of backgrounds, to interact with their U.S. peers, and to speak to appropriate student and civic groups about their experiences and life in their home countries.

6. The fellowship program should include requirements for continued follow-on engagement and project implementation that build on the five-week engagement once participants return home.

7. In addition to developing participants’ leadership skills, the fellowship program should provide participants with an in-depth examination of the theme outlined below.

Fellowship Program Theme:

The fellowship program’s theme is Entrepreneurship, Youth Employment, and Economic Development. It should provide participants with an overview of entrepreneurial approaches by introducing challenges and successes of U.S. entrepreneurial models, including social enterprises, business leadership, and women’s economic empowerment. An understanding of the U.S. entrepreneurial ecosystem should be accompanied by a strong focus on how to apply lessons learned in the BiH context. Topics may include, but are not limited to, organizational development and management, the basics of starting and running a small business, market research and risk analysis, innovation, strategic business planning, and corporate social responsibility. In addition to the community-based experiential learning component, academic sessions should be complemented with hands-on sessions or workshops designed to build skills in the topics mentioned above. The fellowship program should require participants to develop their entrepreneurial ideas in the form of a business plan and a pitch, and a concrete action plan to implement toward starting a business, building upon the BOLD network to disseminate their plans and actions.

Detailed Outline of Award Recipient’s Responsibilities:

1) Preparation

a) In cooperation with PDS, contact participants before the program to provide them with program information, pre-departure materials, and to gather information about their specific interests.

b) Enroll participants in the Bureau’s Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE) health benefits plan for the duration of the exchange and assist with claims as necessary.

c) Hire and train staff, as needed, to accompany participants during the exchange period. Criminal background checks, including a search of the Department of Justice’s National Sex Offender Public Registry, must be conducted for all program staff and for new staff prior to hiring.

d) In case of home-stay arrangement carefully recruit, screen, and select diverse local host families to offer homestays (including lodging and meals) to the participants for most of the exchange period. Criminal background checks, including a search of the Department of Justice’s National Sex Offender Public Registry, must be conducted for all members of host families and others living in the home who are 18 years or older.

e) Monitor housing arrangements if any to ensure the health and safety of participants.

f) Orient participating organizations, staff, and host families to the goals of the program and to the cultures and sensitivities of the visitors.

2) Fellowship (Exchange) Activities

a) Design, plan, and implement a five-week exchange program on the stated themes. Exchange activities must promote program goals. Activities should include academic coursework as well as weekly leadership development sessions and opportunities for interaction with American peers that showcase balanced views of the diversity of demographics, institutions, and perspectives within the United States.

b) Provide opportunities for the participants to work with their peers and other professionals, volunteers, and youth advocates with whom they can discuss the support of youth leadership in the relevant theme of the fellowship program.

c) Provide day-to-day monitoring of the participants’ well-being, preventing and dealing with any misunderstandings or adjustment issues that may arise in a timely manner. Inform PDS about any significant health or safety issues affecting program participants.

d) Provide a closing session to summarize project activities, prepare participants to implement their follow-on activities, and for their return home.

3) Follow-on Activities

a) In cooperation with PDS, provide guidance and instruction on how to design and implement follow-on projects that reinforce values and skills imparted during the exchange program and help them apply what they have learned to serve in their local communities.

b) Present creative and effective ways to address project themes, for both program participants and their peers, to amplify program impact.

c) In addition to follow-on projects, support alumni in making presentations or preparing articles to share their experiences in other ways once they return home.

d) Maintain contact with participants to monitor follow-up activities.

4) Design and implement an evaluation plan that assesses the impact of the program.

5) Work in consultation with PDS in the implementation of the program, provide timely reporting of progress, and comply with financial and program reporting requirements.

6) Manage all financial aspects of the cooperative agreement, including management of sub-award relationships with partner organizations.

7) Award Recipients must adhere to the requirements on the creation of program branding and attribution, websites, social media, and press.

Detailed Outline of PDS’s Responsibilities:

1) Provide advice and assistance in the execution of all program components.

2) Manage recruitment and selection of the participants.

3) Arrange international travel of the participants to the United States.

4) Facilitate interaction within the Department of State, to include ECA, the regional bureaus, and overseas post.

5) Approve host family applications, publicity materials, and the calendar of exchange activities.

6) Monitor and evaluating the program, through regular communication with the award recipient and possibly one or more site visits.

7) Perform an annual performance evaluation/review. Satisfactory performance and the availability of funds are conditions of continued administration of the program and execution of all option years.

8) Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of the application review from the PDS program office coordinating this competition.

9) Provide advice for the creation of program branding and attribution, websites, social media, and press.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Length of Performance Period: 16 months

Number of Awards Anticipated: 1

Award Amounts: Award may be up to USD 140,000

Total Available Funding: USD 140,000

Type of Funding: FY23/24 Assistance to Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia (AEECA) under the Foreign Assistance Act

Anticipated Award Date: August 2024

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement

B1. PDS intends to award a Cooperative Agreement (one base year with a possibility of one noncompetitive continuation) for an amount up to $140,000 pending availability of funds and successful performance. A Cooperative Agreement of up to $140,000 will support one (1) fellowship program for a minimum of 10 students in the FY 2024 base year.

The awarding of Cooperative Agreements for these programs is contingent upon the availability of FY 2024 funds. The awarding of the non-competitive continuation in FY 2025 is contingent on the availability of funding and successful performance. The U.S. Embassy reserves the right to cancel this Notice of Funding Opportunity at any time without any commitment to any applicant.

Please see Section VI. Federal Award Administration Information below for additional details. PDS reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets, participant numbers based on program needs and the availability of U.S. government funding.

B2. Project performance period. All activities should last for a maximum of 16 months and take place between May 2025 and November 2026.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

C1. Who can apply: U.S. public and private non-profit organizations and accredited post-secondary U.S. higher education institutions (community colleges, liberal arts colleges, public and private universities) meeting the eligibility requirements outlined in this section are eligible to apply. Applicants must demonstrate an ability to work in all parts of BiH, whether independently or in cooperation with a partner organization.

C2. 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 E. for more information.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

D1. Mandatory application forms: Your application cannot be reviewed without all the below elements. All forms and instructions are available at https://ba.usembassy.gov/ under Grants and under Application package.

Please note: Obtaining the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and registering in the SAM system can take up to one month. We strongly encourage you to start this process as soon as possible.

· SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations). Please make sure to include your UEI number in the application.

· SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)

· Project Proposal (6 pages maximum): The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. Please use the provided Project Proposal Form.

D2. General Guidelines: Please read all instructions carefully – proposals that do not meet the requirements listed here will not be considered for funding.

· All proposals must be written and submitted in English.

· One organization may submit only one proposal to this NOFO.

· Proposals may not exceed 6 pages in length (including budget and checklist) in Calibri 12 font.

· All fields in the grant application form and checklist must be completed and sent via email as one document.

· Project duration may not exceed 16 months.

· Please submit your completed application to the following email address: info@BOLD.ba .

The deadline for submission of proposals /supporting documentation is Friday, June 14, 2024, by 17:00 p.m. (GMT + 1).

Upon submission, please request a confirmation of the receipt of your application.

D3. Budget Guidelines: Any application not meeting the budget requirements below will not be considered for funding.

· Detailed budget should be written in USD, with a maximum amount of USD 140,000.

· Budget costs should be grouped into the following categories:

· Personnel costs (salaries for staff who already work for your organization, fees for project manager, project coordinator/assistant, and or accountant)

· Fringe (social and pension insurance contributions)

· Travel (transportation costs, lodging, meals, and incidentals)

· Supplies (office supplies and other materials for project implementation)

· Contractual (fees for trainers, moderators, experts, and educators, who do NOT normally work for your organization but who are engaged to implement certain project activities, printing of promotional materials, renting of space/equipment, broadcasting of TV and radio shows, web site development, and other contractual services needed for project implementation.)

· Other direct costs: (office rent, utilities, phone/fax/internet, office supplies, bank charges, etc.)

· Alcohol, entertainment, or “miscellaneous” expenses are not allowed.

· Costs incurred before the grant period start date will not be reimbursed.

Grant funds may not be used for the following:

· Long-term infrastructure needs

· Provision of direct social services to a population

· Vocational training, for example teaching participants to weld, perform electrical work, sew, raise bees, etc.

· Partisan political activity (Note: non-partisan election education and public information activities are allowable.)

· Funding of charitable activity and humanitarian aid, commercial projects, or fund-raising campaigns

D4. Application Instructions: Please read carefully and complete each question as instructed. Omitting any of the requested information will delay the review of your proposal and may result in it being eliminated from consideration.

1. Applicant’s Contact Information

a. Implementing organization: Specify the officially registered name of the organization.

b. Contact person and title: Name and the title of the person who is authorized to sign official documents, if different from the Project Coordinator. You may state the name of the Project Coordinator too.

c. Address/Postal Code and City

d. Phone number.

e. Email: Please include both the general email address for your organization and the email address of the project coordinator or person who is authorized to sign official documents.

2. Basic Information about the Proposal

a. Project title:

b. Amount requested (USD)/Amount of cost share (USD)/Total cost (USD):

Please list the amount of funding requested from the Embassy. If there is a cost share (another organization covering part of the total cost of the project), please list the amount here. Please list the total cost of the project which you get when you sum the amount you request from U.S. Embassy and amount of co-share.

3. Elevator pitch

In 50 words or less, describe what your project is designed to accomplish and why it should receive support from the U.S. Embassy.

4. Definition of situation

Clearly identify the problem your project will address. Please explain what causes the problem, and what aspect of this cause you are addressing.

· For example: The current generation of youth in BiH are increasingly leaving the country for perceived opportunities elsewhere due to the lack of jobs and opportunities to establish a prosperous and meaningful future in communities in BiH.

5. Project outcomes

Please explain how you want to solve this problem by explaining the outcomes of your project. An outcome is defined as the impact or change in a participant’s knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes as well as the longer-term effect on their organization or community.

· Following the above example, a project outcome might be “Give youth skills and experience to improve their communities in BiH in ways that create opportunities for themselves and improve the future of BiH.”

6. Description of project activities

Explain the activities you plan to implement in the scope of your project and how those activities will achieve the projected outcome(s).

7. Activity locations:

List the cities/towns/communities where the project activities will take place.

8. Project beneficiaries:

Describe the anticipated beneficiaries of your project, including estimated number and age range.

9. Project schedule and timeline:

Note your project duration in months and give an overview of the schedule. If you have a specific timeframe, please list the dates, and explain why your project must take place within that timeframe. Please note that grant money could be received any time between August and September 2024, depending on the U.S. budget cycle.

10. Project partners:

If you are implementing your project jointly with any other organizations, please list the names and type of involvement of those partner organizations. A partner organization is an organization with which you work to develop and implement the project. Partner organizations also need to obtain UEI numbers.) Please note that contractors you engage to deliver goods or services, such as trainers, web developers, or suppliers, are NOT partner organizations.

11. Anticipated outputs of the project:

An output is defined as the direct and tangible results of the project activities, which can usually be measured (number of people trained, number of public advocacy campaigns conducted, number of media articles or social media posts published, etc.)

12. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan:

Monitoring and Evaluation plan: The proposal should outline in detail how project success and impact will be determined. Please include how you intend to measure the success of the project – this could involve pre- and post-project surveys of participants; it could be evidence that your project changed/improved a situation.

· For the initial example, it could be proof of new projects run by youth that create opportunities for economic development or civic engagement in communities in BiH.

If effective evaluation involves follow up for more than a year after the initial grant, we are open to considering a grant to accommodate this.

We encourage you to consider the following examples of indicators to use when evaluating your project.

· Participant satisfaction with the program.

· Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude, skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both substantive (subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.

· Participant behavior, such as concrete actions to apply knowledge in work or community; greater participation and responsibility in civic organizations; interpretation and explanation of experiences and new knowledge gained; continued contacts between participants, community members, and others.

· Institutional changes, such as increased collaboration and partnerships, policy reforms, new programming, and organizational improvements.

· Please note: Consideration should be given to the appropriate timing of data collection for each level of outcome. For example, satisfaction is usually captured as a short-term outcome, whereas behavior and institutional changes are normally considered longer-term outcomes.

13. Project publicity:

Please describe if and how you plan to publicize the project through traditional media and/or social media.

14. Project sustainability:

Please explain your plans for follow-on activities after the grant period ends to ensure project impact continues. Example: “After the workshop series, the participants will continue to meet and serve as a support network to each other, as well as mentor other young people.”

15. Background of implementing organization:

Briefly explain the mission of the organization, date of registration, number of employees, their work experience, number of volunteers, past and current programs implemented, as well as its technical and management capacity. Please briefly explain what internal control procedures you have put in place to manage grant funds.

16. Key personnel:

List the names, titles and roles of key personnel involved in the project, including organization staff and any experts or trainers you will engage to implement the project. Give a brief overview (1-2 sentences) of their experience/qualifications. What proportion of their time will be used in support for your project?

17. Previous U.S. Government funding:

Indicate whether the implementing organization has received previous funding from the U.S. Government. If so, please state the name of the project, the year, and the amount of funding for each project.

18. Detailed budget:

Present the budget in the form of a spreadsheet, in USD amounts, dividing the budget into the categories delineated in the application. Ensure that your stated project activities are properly budgeted based on reasonable market price for personnel, fringe, travel, contractual services, supplies, and other direct costs.

The ratio between administrative costs (personnel, fringe, and other direct costs) and program costs (travel, supplies and contractual) will have impact to project evaluation.

Cost sharing is not required. However, the Recipient may present cost-sharing on voluntary basis including in-kind contributions. The absence of cost sharing will not in any way impact evaluation of the project. However, if the Recipient includes cost sharing in the project proposal, then the Recipient is accountable for providing it. In the event the Recipient does not provide the minimum amount of cost-sharing as stipulated in the Recipient’s approved budget, the government contribution may be reduced in kind.

19. Budget narrative:

Please explain your budget in narrative form, detail personnel duties, list names of trainers/moderators/experts and project staff and break down travel and lodging costs (i.e., how many people, how many overnights, cost per person per day, etc.)

E. HOW TO APPLY FOR REQUIRED REGISTRATIONS

All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain the following registration which is free of charge:

www.sam.gov registration which will generate a UEI.

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

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. SAM.gov is the Federal government's primary database for complying with FFATA reporting requirements. OMB designated 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 register in SAM.gov.

The UEI will be assigned when an organization registers or renews its SAM registration. 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 its sam.gov registration annually.

www.sam.gov requires all entities to renew their registration once a year 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.

If an organization plans to issue a sub-contract or sub-award, those sub-awardees must also have a unique entity identifier (UEI number). Those entities can register for a UEI only at SAM.gov.

If an organization does not have an active registration in SAM.gov the grant will not be signed with that organization. If you experience difficulties in registering in SAM during the process of applying, you may send us the screenshot as the proof that you already started the SAM registering process. All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations, the latter are free of charge.

However, if you experience any problem in registering in SAM.gov use the following link to register for live chat, so the SAM administrators can answer your questions. Working hours for this service are from Monday through Friday after 14:00.

A CAGE/NCAGE number is no longer needed to register in SAM.gov! *

*Only organizations which plan to do business with the Department of Defense (DOD) will be issued a CAGE code or be required to obtain an NCAGE number. When registering in SAM.gov, organization must self-select whether it plans to submit proposals to DOD. Only if an organization indicates “yes” will it be issued a CAGE code or be prompted to enter its NCAGE number.

If you are planning to respond to this call, please carefully follow instructions how to register in SAM and select “NO” if asked whether you plan to submit proposal to Department of Defense (DOD.)

F. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION:

All proposals will be evaluated by the review panel according to the below criteria:

· Quality and feasibility of the project idea: The proposal is well developed, innovative and offers creative solutions with all necessary details about how project activities will be carried out (location, number of participants, events to organize, media coverage etc.)

· Outcomes: Project clearly identifies goals and objectives of the project and is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving proposed results.

· Organizational capacity and record on previous grants: The organization demonstrates expertise and the ability to perform the proposed activities.

· The budget and narrative justification are completed and reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results.

· Monitoring and evaluation: The proposal outlines in detail how project success and impact will be determined. This will include methods to measure project impact and/or indicators/milestones to indicate project progress towards achieving the outcomes outlined in the proposal.

· Sustainability: The proposal needs to contain information about sustainability of the project. Project activities should continue to have a positive impact after the end of the project. Proposals should explain this future impact and/or sustainability of the project.

G. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

G1. Federal Award Notices

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

Funding decisions are contingent on the availability of funds. The total amount for this program may not exceed 140,000 USD. The U.S. Embassy reserves the right to cancel this Notice of Funding Opportunity at any time without any commitment to any applicant.

A Cooperative Agreement (CA) entails substantial involvement on the part of the recipient, including:

a. Participating in the design or direction of activities, design of conference agendas, and training delivery models

b. Participating in the selection of key project staff and trainers

c. Participating in the presentation of results

d. Assisting in the selection and/or analyses of data

e. Review and approval of each press release and other public statements and publications before their release to the public.

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

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

Payment Method: The payment of the award amount will be affected in two or three installments. A certain percentage of the total award amount up to 50% of the total award amount will be paid immediately after signing the grant and submission of the valid bank account by Recipient. However, if the project implementation requires a percentage of advance payment higher than 50%, the Public Diplomacy Section will make a payment based on the Recipient’s justification. The rest will be paid upon submission of the interim and final program and financial reports by Recipient. Each award document will contain detailed payment information. The USG holds the right to retain the last payment up to 10% of the award amount until all project activities are completed and the final program and financial reports submitted by the Recipient are approved by the Grant Officer and the Grant Officer Representative.

G2. Terms and Conditions

Before submitting an application, applicants may wish to 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.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/. Note the U.S Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.

G.3. Reporting Requirements

Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award document will specify the forms and how often these reports must be submitted.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

For more information, please contact us by phone: + 387 33 704-331,704-078, 704-298 or email at info@BOLD.ba.