FY24 NOFO - Request for Concept Notes - Iraq and Syria Region - Accessible Final V4 12.5.2023.pdf

U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and

Migration

(PRM)

FY 2024 Request for Concept Notes for NGO programs benefiting Refugees in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Türkiye

Unclassified

Table of Contents

FY 2024 Request for Concept Notes [NGO programs benefiting Refugees in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkiye]

Program Description

Summary

Geographic Regions / Populations

Program area (For PRM Use)

Program Sectors and Modalities

Number of Concept Note Applications

Country-specific Guidelines

Sectors

Federal Award Information

Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

Other

Application and Submission Instructions

Application Review Information

Criteria

Federal Award Administration Information

PRM Points of Contact

Iraq POC

Jordan POCs

Lebanon POCs

Turkiye POCs

Disclaimer

Basic Information

Request for Concept Notes Number: SFOP0010137

Assistance Listing (CFDA) number: 19.519 - Overseas Refugee Assistance

Programs for Near East

Announcement issuance date: Monday, November 27, 2023

Concept note application submission deadline: Friday, January 5, 2024, at

11:59:59 p.m. (23:59:59) EST. Concept Notes submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

Funding limits: Funding limits vary by country. Please see the country-specific guidelines below. Concept note proposals must not be less than the funding floor and not more than the funding ceiling per year listed, or they will be disqualified.

• Anticipated timeframe for notification of selection for full proposal development: PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, that within three months from the submission deadline, selected concept notes will be notified of selection for full proposal development.

Anticipated timeframe for award of selected full proposals: Pending the availability of funds, PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, that awards will be made less than five months from the full proposal submission deadline.

Advisory: All applicants must submit concept notes applications through the website Grants.gov. PRM strongly recommends submitting your concept note early to allow time to address any technical difficulties that may arise on the

Grants.gov website.

If you are new to PRM funding, the Grants.gov registration process can be complicated. We urge you to refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines “Application

Process” section for information and resources to help ensure that the application process runs smoothly. PRM also strongly encourages organizations that have received funding from PRM in the past to read this section as a refresher.

PRM strongly recommends concept note narratives be submitted in Adobe PDF, as Microsoft Word documents may sometimes produce different page lengths based on software versions and configurations when transmitted. Tables and budget documents should be submitted as Excel documents. Page limits are strictly adhered to, and PRM will not review pages of the narrative beyond the stated limit, which may negatively impact the concept note’ score. All required documents must be in English and should avoid the use of jargon and spell out acronyms upon first use. Supplementary documents in a local language may be submitted along with an English translation or summary.

Organizations can retrieve PRM’s recommended templates and NGO guidelines in this opportunity’s grants.gov page.

Program Description

Summary

This solicitation is the first step in a two-part process. After reviewing concept notes, PRM will invite (no later than three months after submission) selected organizations to expand their submissions into proposals with objectives, an https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration indicator table, detailed budgets for each year of the program, and other required documents. Selected organizations will have approximately 35 calendar days after they are notified of their selection to complete their full proposals.

Organizations may apply as consortia. For purposes of this notice, PRM considers consortia to be a group of no fewer than three NGOs that comprise an agreement, combination, or group formed to undertake, or proposing to undertake, an assistance activity beyond the resources of any one member. This announcement references PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, which contain additional information on PRM’s priorities and NGO funding strategy with which selected organizations must comply. Please use both the General NGO Guidelines and this announcement to ensure that your concept note submission is in full compliance with PRM requirements and that the proposed activities are in line with PRM’s priorities. Concept note submissions that do not reflect the requirements outlined in these guidelines will not be considered.

Geographic Regions / Populations

Concept note activities should primarily support all refugee, asylum-seeking, stateless, and displaced populations in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkiye.

Because of PRM's mandate to provide protection, assistance, and sustainable solutions for refugees, stateless persons, and victims of conflict, concept note proposals should only contain those programs that include a target participant base of at least 50 percent refugees for each objective of the program. (NOTE: In

Iraq only, the 50 percent target participant base may include both internally displaced persons (IDPs) and IDP returnees in addition to, or in lieu of, refugees/asylum seekers.)

PRM encourages the inclusion of refugee participants of all nationalities to promote an equitable approach among refugee nationalities, based on PRM’s commitment to the “one refugee approach."

In all locations wherever possible, programs should incorporate capacity strengthening, inclusion of marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities, and inclusion of host community members as program participants to promote social cohesion and foster cooperation, understanding and trust between refugees and their host communities. We encourage projects that reflect the needs and preferences of target communities as determined in consultation with the communities themselves.

Program area

Proposed program concept notes must align with one or more of the following program areas.

• Humanitarian Protection and Assistance

• Interim and Durable Solutions

Program Sectors

Concept notes must focus on one or more of the following programmatic sectors (see PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for sector descriptions):

• Capacity Strengthening o Capacity Strengthening: NGO/CBO o Capacity Strengthening: Local Governments

• Non-Food Items

• Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities

• Education

• Food Security

• Health o Health: Sexual and Reproductive Health

• Livelihoods And Economic Empowerment (full proposals must include a market analysis)

• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)

• Nutrition

• Protection o Protection: Legal o Protection: Child Protection o Protection: GBV o Protection: Socio-cultural Inclusion and Social Cohesion

• Shelter

• Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH)

Note: If selected for full proposal development, three indicators are required for all programs regardless of design or sector.

• PRM-1. Number of individuals directly reached through PRM funding.

• PRM-2. Amount of humanitarian funding distributed to local, national, or refugee-led organizations (in USD) – This amount should include any sub-awards or contracts with local, national, or refugee-led organizations. If the prime applicant is a local, national, or refugee-led organization, they should put the full proposal budget total as the target value. Refer to the Inter-

Agency Standing Committee (IASC) working definition of “local” and

“national” organizations. Applicants should put a target of zero for this indicator if it does not apply to them; it will not affect their eligibility.

• PRM-3. Percentage of participants who report that humanitarian assistance is delivered in a safe, accessible, accountable, and participatory manner – This is a protection mainstreaming indicator developed by the

Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid

Operations (ECHO) and adopted by the Grand Bargain. Research or coordination awards that don’t involve community implementation are exempt from this indicator. Please refer to the PRM Performance Indicator

Reference & Definition Sheets (PIRS) for a sample questionnaire and analysis guidance.

Note: If selected, full proposals for cash and voucher assistance programs must include the relevant indicator(s) from the selection contained in the NGO

Guidelines Appendix D.

Number of Concept Note Applications

Organizations must submit separate concept notes for each country program.

Organizations must refer to country-specific guidelines for the maximum number of concept notes that can be submitted for each country. (Note: Submissions by organizations as part of a consortium do not count toward an individual organization’s submission limit, but please refer to country-specific guidelines for additional information/guidance.) Any subsequent submissions received will be disqualified. No regional or multi-country concept notes will be considered. Upon

Unclassified https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/system/files/hftt_localisation_marker_definitions_paper_24_january_2018.pdf https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/system/files/hftt_localisation_marker_definitions_paper_24_january_2018.pdf https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/system/files/hftt_localisation_marker_definitions_paper_24_january_2018.pdf review, PRM reserves the right to ask an applicant to merge submitted concept notes into a single proposal.

Country-specific Guidelines

Iraq Country-Specific Guidance

• For programs in Iraq, PRM will accept no more than two (2) concept notes per applicant. If an applicant intends to submit more than one application, each application must reach a different target population of concern as described in the bullets below Concept notes for any of these target populations are equally welcome and PRM does not place priority on one target population over another.

• For projects focusing on Iraqi IDPs/returnees, Iraqi IDPs and returnees must collectively make up at least 50 percent of total program participants.

Of that 50 percent, projects must not focus solely on returnees.

• For projects focusing on assisting refugees/asylum seekers, refugees and asylum seekers must make up more than 50 percent of total program participants.

• For projects focusing on both Iraqi IDPs/returnees and refugees/asylum seekers, refugees/asylum seekers and Iraqi IDPs/returnees must collectively make up more than 50 percent total program participants.

Note: PRM will give preference to projects providing clear breakdowns and percentages of populations to be served to demonstrate compliance with the required percentages. Where feasible, organizations are strongly encouraged to include support of non-Syrian refugee/asylum seeker populations and vulnerable host community members within their projects.

A. PRM will consider projects in all settings [inside or outside camps or informal settlements, in communities or urban areas, and/or in areas of return] and regions of the country.

B. NGO projects should seek to fill gaps and should not duplicate existing activities or programming conducted by international organizations or other NGOs. PRM welcomes concept notes from eligible local organizations and concept notes that include partnerships with local organizations.

C. PRM encourages consortia concept notes (for all sectors listed below) that would operate in multiple locations and across multiple sectors, provided such work supports an integrated program approach.

D. NGOs should be prepared to provide a strong sustainability plan, including local capacity strengthening and an exit strategy, which will be required if the applicant is invited to submit a full proposal.

E. NGO projects seeking to assist Syrian refugees in Iraq should be in line with activities in the Iraq Country Chapter of the United Nations The Regional

Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP)

F. In line with the NGO Guidelines, the provision of cash & voucher assistance, capacity strengthening, and non-food items will be considered if integrated in a program focused on one or more of the below sectors.

Iraq Sectors

Sectors for Projects Focusing on Iraqi IDPs/Returnees and for Projects Focusing on Both Iraqi IDPs/Returnees and Refugees/Asylum Seekers/Stateless Persons:

o Protection

Unclassified https://iraq.un.org/en/235815-3rp-iraq-country-chapter-2023-2024 https://iraq.un.org/en/235815-3rp-iraq-country-chapter-2023-2024

Protection: Child Protection

Protection: Gender Based Violence (GBV) o Protection: Legal o Protection: Socio-cultural Inclusion and Social Cohesion (Note: Socio-cultural Inclusion and Social Cohesion programming can be integrated in concept notes, but PRM will not accept concept notes that solely focus on

Socio-cultural Inclusion and Social Cohesion programming for IDPs and returnees) o Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) o Livelihoods and Economic Empowerment

Sectors for Projects Focusing on Refugees/Asylum Seekers:

o Protection

Protection: Child Protection

Protection: Gender Based Violence (GBV)

Protection: Legal

Protection: Socio-cultural Inclusion and Social Cohesion o Health o Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) o Livelihoods and Economic Empowerment o Shelter

Duration of Activity

Program plans for 12-24 months will be considered. (24 months is preferred.)

Funding limits

Proposed program concept notes must not be less than the funding floor and not more than the funding ceiling per year or they will be disqualified.

• Funding floor per year (lowest $ value): $1,500,000 per year

• Funding ceiling per year (highest $ value): $4,000,000 per year

Note: Funding ceilings and floors pertain to the PRM cost per year.

Anticipated Number of Selections for Full Proposal Development

PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, to select as many as 10 concept note submissions to be developed into full proposals through this announcement.

Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total

Pending funding availability, PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, to award up to approximately $15,000,000 total through the directed NOFO for this country.

Jordan Country-Specific Guidance

A. PRM will accept no more than one (1) concept note per applicant, although an applicant can submit more than one concept note if part of a consortium. Please note, however, that PRM is not likely to select projects from the same applicant for multiple awards or select an additional project from an applicant that currently has a PRM-funded multi-year project that will continue into the next fiscal year.

B. PRM will consider projects outside camps, in communities or urban areas.

C. As the primary population of concern for this notice of funding opportunity, refugees [and/or stateless persons] must constitute at least

50 percent of the program participants for each objective of the program, and the majority of the refugee population should be Syrian refugees.

However, PRM may also consider programs in Jordan that target a majority of non-Syrian refugees [/stateless persons] if there is strong evidence to suggest that the needs of an underserved refugee[/stateless] population continue to be largely unmet. PRM encourages projects to maximize the number of refugee participants in line with the Jordan

Response Plan with targets of 70% refugee and 30% Jordanian participants. In addition, PRM highly encourages projects that identify and include the most vulnerable refugee populations from all nationalities within their projects, in line with the “one refugee approach” outlined in the UN’s Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP). Please ensure that the profile of target populations and percentage breakdown per population is clearly outlined in the concept note.

D. NGOs should not seek to begin new activities that cannot be sustained absent future U.S. funding. PRM encourages concept notes that include partnerships with local organizations.

E. NGOs should be prepared to provide a strong sustainability plan, including local capacity building and an exit strategy, which will be required if the applicant is invited to submit a full proposal.

Unclassified http://www.jrp.gov.jo/ http://www.jrp.gov.jo/ https://www.3rpsyriacrisis.org/

F. PRM welcomes programs that operate in multiple locations and across multiple sectors, provided such work supports an integrated program approach. PRM encourages community-based programming with multisectoral elements.

G. NGO concept notes seeking to assist Syrian refugees should be in line with activities in the 3RP Appeal/Jordan Response Plan and should work within existing coordination structures. NGO concept notes should also reference available resources that delineate the needs of non-Syrian refugees.

H. In line with the NGO Guidelines, the provision of cash & voucher assistance, capacity strengthening, and non-food items will be considered if integrated in a program focused on one or more of the below sectors.

I. PRM will prioritize education programming that addresses key educational gaps disproportionately affecting refugees and that demonstrate a clear linkage with the child protection response and national education policy priorities. Submitted projects that include refugee education programming should not create parallel systems but convey how the project will work within public sector structures to address gaps in education services to refugees. PRM-funded education programs must be coordinated with the Ministry of Education as well as with other main education actors and programs working with refugees

(UNICEF and the Accelerating Access Initiative).

J. PRM’s health care focus in Jordan is on health services not already covered by existing programs and/or provided by the public healthcare

Unclassified http://www.jrp.gov.jo/ system. PRM can also support projects that help refugees access health services that are already established.

K. In the livelihoods sector, PRM will prioritize sustainable, impact-driven, market-based projects that seek to measurably improve the economic well-being of program participants.

Jordan Sectors o Protection

Protection: Child Protection

Protection: Gender Based Violence (GBV)

Protection: Legal o Health o Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) o Livelihoods and Economic Empowerment o Shelter o Education

Duration of Activity

Program plans for one, two, or three years will be considered (two-year programs are preferred but PRM may consider three-year programs for well-established organizations with a track record of program success and a concrete sustainability plan).

Funding Limits

Proposed program concept notes must not be less than the funding floor and not more than the funding ceiling per year or they will be disqualified.

• Funding floor per year (lowest $ value): $750,000 per year

• Funding ceiling per year (highest $ value): $3,000,000 per year

• Funding floor per year for a consortium (lowest $ value): $1,000,000 per year

• Funding ceiling per year for a consortium (highest $ value): $4,000,000 per year

Note: Funding ceilings and floors pertain to the PRM cost per year.

Anticipated Number of Selections for Full Proposal Development

PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, selecting as many as eight concept notes to be developed into full proposals through this announcement. PRM further anticipates selecting up to five proposals to be awarded.

Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total

Pending funding availability, PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, awarding up to approximately $12 million (first year only if multi-year proposals approved) through the directed NOFO for Jordan.

Lebanon Country-Specific Guidance

A. PRM will accept no more than one (1) concept note per applicant.

B. As the primary population of concern for this notice of funding opportunity, refugees must constitute at least 50 percent of the program participants for each objective of the program, and the majority of the refugee population must be Syrian refugees. PRM highly encourages programs that identify and include the most vulnerable refugee populations from all nationalities within their programs, in line with the

“one refugee approach,” outlined in the Regional Refugee and Resilience

Plan (3RP). PRM also welcomes the inclusion of stateless populations.

(Please Note: Ensure that the profile of target populations and percentage breakdown per population is clearly outlined in the concept note.)

C. NGO concept notes seeking to assist Syrian refugees should be in line with activities in the latest Lebanon country chapter of the 3RP and closely coordinated with any other appeals for humanitarian assistance in

Lebanon. PRM encourages concept notes that have been developed in consultation with local communities and leverage meaningful partnerships with local organizations.

D. PRM welcomes programs that operate in multiple locations and across multiple sectors, provided such work supports an integrated program approach. PRM encourages community-based programming with multisectoral elements, including protection, shelter, and WASH components.

E. Projects in all sectors should adhere to the relevant Working Group’s guidance and Standard Operating Procedures.

Unclassified

F. In line with the NGO Guidelines, the provision of cash and voucher assistance, capacity strengthening, and non-food items will be considered if integrated in a program focused on one or more of the below sectors.

G. In the education sector, PRM prioritizes support to help children prepare for, enter, participate, and succeed in formal education and to assist youth who may be unlikely to participate in formal education to obtain the necessary skills to transition to adulthood. Proposed activities should align with national education plans and priorities and sector guidelines, such as nonformal education and retention support, and cash for both non-formal and formal education programming.

H. In the health sector, PRM prioritizes support provided through existing health care institutions, including primary healthcare centers (PHCCs) through a comprehensive package of care.

I. For WASH activities, PRM will only consider emergency WASH activities that cover critical gaps during periods of transition and are well-integrated in programs addressing multisectoral communal needs, such as shelter, waste management, and service provision.

J. In the shelter sector, PRM prioritizes community-based and multi-sectoral interventions, including through cash for rent, shelter rehabilitation, and communal improvement activities.

K. For livelihoods activities, capacity building and vocational training must be market-based and linked to income generating activities, including through home-based business or micro small medium enterprise support.

Proposed activities must demonstrate strong linkages to the protection sector and partners and amplify the impact of any support provided through protection sector organizations.

L. NGOs should be prepared to provide a strong sustainability plan, including local capacity building and an exit strategy, which will be required if the applicant is invited to submit a full proposal.

Lebanon Sectors o Protection

Protection: Child Protection

Protection: Gender Based Violence (GBV)

Protection: Legal o Education o Health o Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) o Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) o Shelter o Livelihoods

Duration of Activity

Program plans for one or two years will be considered (two-year programs preferred).

Funding Limits

Proposed program concept notes must not be less than the funding floor and not more than the funding ceiling per year or they will be disqualified.

• Funding floor per year (lowest $ value): $500,000 per year

• Funding ceiling per year (highest $ value): $3,000,000 per year

• Funding floor per year for a consortium (lowest $ value): $1,000,000 per year

• Funding ceiling per year for a consortium (highest $ value): $4,000,000 per year

Note: For purposes of consortia applying for PRM funding in Lebanon, and to support localization, PRM requires at least one of the three partners to be local/national NGOs.

Anticipated Number of Selections for Full Proposal Development

PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, selecting as many as ten (10) concept note submissions to be developed into full proposals through this announcement.

PRM further anticipates selecting up to eight (8) proposals to be awarded.

Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total

Pending funding availability, PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, awarding up to approximately $19 million (first year only if multi-year proposals approved) total through the directed NOFO for Lebanon.

Turkiye Country-Specific Guidance

A. PRM will accept no more than one (1) concept note per applicant, although an applicant can submit more than one concept note if part of a consortium. Please note however that PRM will likely not select the same applicant for multiple awards if part of both a consortium and its own award application. If the applicant has an ongoing project with PRM

Turkiye that continues into the next fiscal year, the likelihood of PRM selecting the NGO for additional project is unlikely.

B. PRM welcomes submissions that support all refugee, asylum-seeking, and stateless populations in Turkiye, including Syrians and non-Syrians, as part of the 50 percent target population base. Wherever possible, programs should support host communities as part of their program participants to promote social cohesion between refugees and host communities. If programs do not intend to support host communities, PRM welcomes an explanation as to why this is the case, such as registration restrictions or greater needs among refugee populations. Please ensure that the profile of target populations and percentage breakdown per population is clearly outlined in the concept note.

C. NGO concept notes should be in line with activities in the UN’s Regional

Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) Appeal. PRM will also take into consideration emerging needs due to the February 2023 earthquakes. If selected for full proposal development and funding, all program activities should be consulted with the Government of Turkiye and with local

Unclassified https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/99579 https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/99579 authorities (if targeting municipal-level interventions) and include risk assessments of registration challenges/assumptions, if any, if the necessary government approvals are delayed or do not come through.

D. PRM welcomes concept notes that have been developed in partnership with local organizations, local municipalities and/or local communities to demonstrate localization efforts and sustainability. PRM looks favorably on programs in locations where service provision for refugees is limited, provided such work supports an integrated program approach, does not duplicate efforts on the ground, and fills important gaps or needs currently not covered by other donors and other local or national actors, such as

NGOs, UN agencies, or development actors. PRM encourages programs to clearly lay this information out in the justification.

E. If a program builds upon previous PRM- or other donor-funded activities, PRM encourages the concept note to lay out lessons learned and best practices, as well as how the new proposed program will build upon them and be sustained.

F. In line with the NGO Guidelines, provision of cash & voucher assistance, capacity strengthening, and non-food items will be considered if integrated in a program that includes one or more of the below sectors.

G. For livelihoods programs, priority will be given to activities that link training to sustainable, income-generating employment opportunities, including job placements and sustainability of businesses. As with all proposed programming, livelihoods activities should fill critical gaps or needs currently not covered by other donors or local or national actors, such as NGOs, UN agencies, or development actors.

H. PRM’s health care focus in Turkiye is on health services not covered by existing programs funded by other donors and/or provided by the Ministry of Health, as well as programs targeting persons with disabilities. PRM does support, however, projects that help support refugees’ access to health services that are already established.

I. PRM encourages projects targeted at the education sector, particularly youth in secondary or vocational school, at-risk of dropping out, with special needs, or in higher education, provided they fill critical gaps or needs not covered by other NGOs, UN partners, and other development actors. Such programs should ensure coordination with and address how such efforts complement and support national or local efforts by the

Ministry of National Education and other partners like UNICEF.

J. It is increasingly important to ensure visibility for U.S. government funding whenever possible in Turkiye. Events, community centers/infrastructures, and/or projects supported with PRM funding should give visibility to U.S.

government support. Organizations that are selected to develop a full proposal will be required to include visibility/branding plan details showcasing U.S. government support, including how PRM branding guidance will be implemented.

K. Localization: Given the high capacity and experience of local and national organizations in Turkiye, and as part of PRM’s commitment to a localization agenda, PRM will carefully review applications that international NGOs have developed with and are implementing through local partners, to better appreciate the added value of international staff and INGO costs.

Turkiye Sectors

• Protection

Protection: Legal

Protection: Child Protection

Protection: GBV

Protection: Socio-cultural Inclusion and Social Cohesion

• Education

• Health

• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)

• Economic Empowerment

Economic Empowerment: Livelihoods

Economic Empowerment: Agriculture and Food Security

• Shelter

• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

Duration of Activity

Program plans for 12, 24, or 36 months will be considered (24 months preferred but PRM may consider 36 months for well-established organizations with a track record of program success and a concrete sustainability plan).

Funding limits

Proposed program concept notes must not be less than the funding floor and not more than the funding ceiling per year or they will be disqualified.

• Funding floor per year (lowest $ value): $1,000,000 per year

• Funding ceiling per year (highest $ value): $3,000,000 per year

Note: Funding ceilings and floors pertain to the PRM cost per year.

Anticipated Number of Selections for Full Proposal Development

PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, to select as many as 10 submissions to be developed into full proposals through this announcement.

Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total

Pending funding availability, PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, to award up to approximately [$10 million] total through the directed NOFO for this country.

Federal Award Information

Proposed program start dates: September 1, 2024

Duration of Activity:

See country-specific guidelines above. Applicants may submit multi-year proposals with activities and budgets that do not exceed [two or three as specified] years from the proposed start date. Budgets submitted in year one can be revised/updated each year. Continued funding after the initial 12-month period of performance requires the submission of a noncompeting single-year proposal and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. In funding a program one year, PRM makes no representations that it will continue to fund the program in successive years and encourages applicants to seek a wide array of donors to ensure long-term funding possibilities. Please see Multi-Year Funding section below for additional information. Livelihoods programs are encouraged to be multi-year

(Note: A market analysis will be required if selected for full proposal development).

A. Funding Limits: See country-specific guidelines above.

B. Anticipated Number of Awards: See country-specific guidelines above.

Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

1. Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education (U.S.-based NGOs must be able to demonstrate proof of non-profit tax status).

2. Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education (overseas-based NGOs must be able to demonstrate proof of registration in country of domicile); and

3. International Organizations. International multilateral organizations, such as United Nations agencies, should not submit concept notes through

Grants.gov in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity. Multilateral organizations that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the PRM Program Officer (as listed below) on or before the closing date of this announcement.

Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not a requirement of an application in response to this funding announcement.

Concept notes and invited proposals for consideration should describe the sources and amounts of additional funding that may be utilized to complement

PRM funding and meet the following criteria.

• Are not paid by the Federal Government under another Federal award.

• Are verifiable from the non-Federal entity's records.

• Are not included as contributions for any other Federal award; and

• Are necessary and reasonable for accomplishment of project or program objectives.

Please include this information in the indicated column in the Budget Summary of the concept note submission.

Note: Though favorably looked upon, inclusion will not result in a competitive ranking increase when evaluated.

Other

Concept notes and eventually full proposals must encompass relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance, especially Sphere Standards.

See PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards including new guidance on proposals for programs in urban areas.

PRM strongly encourages programs that target the needs of vulnerable and underserved groups among the target population (such groups may include:

women; children; adolescents; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex

(LGBTQI+) individuals; older persons; the sick; persons with disabilities; and other religious, ethnic, or other minorities), especially those that have been designed in consultation with representatives of those groups, and can demonstrate the steps taken to meet the specific and unique protection and assistance needs of these vulnerable groups effectively.

PRM will accept concept notes from any NGO working in the above-mentioned sectors, although, given budgetary constraints, priority will be given to concept notes from organizations that can demonstrate:

• a working relationship/participation in the regional refugee response plan

(3RP) mechanism relevant organization, such as UNHCR.

• a proven track record in providing proposed assistance both in the sector and specified location.

• evidence of coordination with international organizations (IOs) and other

NGOs working in the same area or sector as well as – where possible – local and national authorities.

http://www.spherehandbook.org/

• an emphasis on the outcome or impact of program activities. Full objective and indicator tables will only be required if the applicant is invited to submit a full proposal; however, the concept note must generally demonstrate the ability to deliver impact.

• a strong sustainability plan, including an exit strategy (where feasible), involving local capacity building, where feasible, will be required if the applicant is invited to submit a full proposal.

• where applicable, adherence to PRM’s Principles for Refugee Protection in

Urban Areas;

• an understanding of and sensitivity to conflict dynamics in the program location.

Application and Submission Instructions

A. Where to Request Application Package: Application packages may be downloaded from the website www.Grants.gov.

B. Content and Form of Application: Please see specific country guidelines.

Any subsequent submissions beyond those outlined in the country-specific guidelines will be disqualified. (Note: Submissions by organizations as part of a consortium do not count toward an individual organization’s submission limit.)

Concept notes must not exceed 4 pages in length, including the cover page table (or 5 pages if a consortia submission) submitted in Adobe PDF, using

Times New Roman or Calibri, 12-point font, letter sized paper with one-inch margins on all sides. Page limits are strictly adhered to, and PRM will not

Unclassified https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/187237.pdf https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/187237.pdf http://www.grants.gov/ review pages of the narrative beyond the stated limit, which may negatively impact the concept note’ score.

• PRM strongly recommends proposals be submitted in Adobe PDF, as

Microsoft Word documents may sometimes produce different page lengths based on software versions and configurations. Tables and budget documents should be submitted as Excel documents.

• All documents must be in English and should avoid the use of jargon and spell out acronyms upon first use.

• Concept note narratives must include the following categories, in any arrangement:

Brief problem statement, description of target population with anticipated beneficiary numbers, and vulnerability criteria used to identify participants.

Program description, location, and duration

Proposed measurable outcomes and impact of the program.

Summary of the organization(s) and experience doing similar work

Organizational point(s) of contact

• A one-page Budget Summary in Excel format. A recommended template is found within the grants.gov opportunity page. (Note:

Budget summaries should be submitted as an attachment under the

“budget narrative” section in grants.gov.) Budget summaries do not count against the 4-page limit (or 5 pages if a consortia submission).

The budget summary is separate from SF-424, SF-F24A, and SF-424B documents, which are also required and similarly do not fall within the page limit. The SF-424 family of forms may be downloaded through grants.gov. Budget summaries must include the following categories, and disaggregated by year:

Personnel allowances

Benefits

Travel

Program equipment

Supplies

Contractual

Construction

Other direct costs

Indirect costs

Total amount requested

• There should be no attachments, other than the budget summary

(Excel) and SF-424 documents, to the concept note submission.

• To be considered for PRM funding, organizations must submit a complete application package including:

4-page concept note (or 5-page concept note for consortia).

One-page budget summary (Excel) clearly indicating costs disaggregated by year for the program period. The budget summary does not count against overall page limits.

Signed and completed SF-424, SF-424 A, and SF-424 B. These documents do not count against the page limit.

o Note: If the applicant organization has an active registration in SAM.gov that was either created or updated on or after February 2, 2019, then the applicant does NOT need to submit the SF-424B as they will be prompted to complete the representations and certifications in SAM.gov.

C. Consortia:

Organizations may apply to this call as individual organizations or consortia, however, for consortia, one organization must be designated as the lead applicant at both the concept note and full proposal stage.

For purposes of consortia applying for PRM funding, PRM’s considers consortium to be a group of no less than three NGOs that comprise an agreement, combination, or group formed to undertake, or proposing to undertake, an assistance activity beyond the resources of any one member.

PRM may request to review and approve of substantive provisions of proposed sub-awards. Applicants may form consortia to bring together organizations with varied expertise to propose a comprehensive program in one proposal. The consortium arrangement may allow for greater geographic coverage, inclusion of technical and sectoral strengths from multiple organizations, increased inclusion of local and national organizations, and/or the potential of much greater impact through collaboration.

Submissions by organizations as part of a consortium do not count toward an organization’s individual submission limit. If the applicant is applying as a consortium, a description of how the consortia will be organized and how lines of authority and decision-making will be managed across all team members and between the lead applicant and associate awardees should be included in the concept note. The prime applicant would be responsible for overall implementation of the proposed program activities, preparation/presentation of annual work plans, M&E planning, and required reporting to PRM. The prime applicant should designate a single individual to be the liaison with PRM, although PRM would reserve the right to communicate with sub-grantees.

Organizations may retrieve copies of all PRM-recommended templates and

NGO guidelines on PRM’s website.

D. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number and System for Award

Management (SAM).

Note: On April 4, 2022, the formerly used DUNS Number was replaced by the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) UEI. For more information on the process, visit GSA's website on the UEI transition.

Each applicant is required to:

• be registered in SAM before submitting its application.

• provide a valid UEI number in its application; and

Unclassified https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update http://www.sam.gov/

• continue to always maintain an active SAM registration with current information during which it has an active PRM award or an application or plan under consideration by PRM.

No federal award may be made to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the PRM award is ready to be made, PRM may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a PRM award and use that determination as a basis for making a

PRM award to another applicant.

E. Concept notes must be submitted via Grants.gov. Grants.gov registration requires a UEI number and active SAM.gov registration. If you are new to

PRM funding, the Grants.gov registration process can be complicated. We urge you to refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines “Application Process” section for information and resources to help ensure that the application process runs smoothly. PRM also strongly encourages organizations that have received funding from PRM in the past to read this section as a refresher. Applicants may also refer to the “For Applicants” page on

Grants.gov for complete details on requirements.

Do not wait until the deadline to attempt to submit your application on

Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should register well in advance of the deadline as it can take several weeks to finalize registration (sometimes longer for non-U.S.-based NGOs to receive required registration numbers). We also recommend that organizations, particularly first-time applicants, submit applications via Grants.gov no later than one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in an application not being considered. PRM has extremely limited ability to correct or facilitate rapid resolution to https://www.grants.gov/applicants/grant-applications/how-to-apply-for-grants technical difficulties associated with grants.gov, SAM.gov or UEI number and registration issues. PRM partners must always maintain an active SAM registration with current and correct information during which they have an active federal award or an application under consideration by PRM or any federal agency.

When registering with Grants.gov, organizations must designate points of contact and Authorized Organization Representatives (AORs). Please note that as of December 2022, organizations based outside of the United States that do not intend to apply for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awards are no longer required to have a NATO CAGE (NCAGE) code to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities. If an applicant organization is mid-registration and wishes to remove an NCAGE code from their sam.gov registration, the applicant should submit a help desk ticket

(“incident”) with the Federal Service Desk (FSD) online to seek guidance on how to do so. Applicants experiencing technical difficulties with the SAM registration process should contact the Federal Service Desk (FSD) online or at 1-866-606-8220 (U.S.) and 1-334-206-7828 (International).

Applications must be submitted under the authority of the Authorized

Organization Representative at the applicant organization. Having proposals submitted by agency headquarters helps to avoid possible technical problems.

If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov please contact the

Grants.gov Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-4726.

Applicants who are unable to submit applications via Grants.gov due to

Grants.gov technical difficulties and:

Unclassified http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp/?id=gsa_landing https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp/?id=gsa_landing mailto:support@grants.gov

• who have reported the problem to the Grants.gov help desk.

• received a case number.

• have completed UEI and SAM.gov registrations.

• and had a documented service request opened to research the problem.

Applicants may contact the PRM NGO Coordinator before the submission deadline to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate. PRM makes no guarantee to accept an application outside of the grants.gov system.

It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure the appropriate registrations are in place and active. Failure to have the appropriate organizational registrations in place or are experiencing issues resulting from discrepancies across registration platforms is not considered a technical difficulty and is not justification for an alternate means of submission.

F. Submission Dates and Times:

• Announcement issuance date: [Monday, November 27, 2023]

• Proposal submission deadline: [Friday, January 5, 2024] at 11:59:59 p.m. (23:59:59) EST. Concept Notes submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

• This solicitation is the first step in a two-part process. After reviewing concept notes, PRM will invite selected organizations to expand their submissions into full-length proposals with detailed budgets. Selected organizations will have 30 calendar days after they are notified of their selection to complete their full proposals.

G. Intergovernmental Review: Not Applicable

H. Funding Restrictions: Federal awards will not allow reimbursement of

Federal Award costs without prior authorization by PRM.

I. Other Submission Requirements:

• Branding and Marking Strategy

The following provisions will be included whenever assistance is awarded:

• The Recipient shall recognize the United States Government’s funding for activities specified under this award at the project site with a graphic of the U.S. flag accompanied by one of the following two phrases based on the level of funding for the award:

• Fully funded by the award: “Gift of the United States Government”

• Partially funded by the award: “Funding provided by the United States

Government.”

• PRM highly encourages recognition of U.S. government funding on social media and website platforms to be included in proposals branding and marking strategy. Recipients should tag PRM’s Twitter account @StatePRM and/or Facebook account @State.PRM (rather than using hashtags). Additionally, the applicable U.S. Embassy should be tagged as well.

Updates of actions taken to fulfill this requirement must be included in quarterly program reports to PRM.

• All programs, projects, assistance, activities, and public communications to foreign audiences, partially or fully funded by the

Department, must be marked appropriately overseas with the standard U.S. flag in a size and prominence equal to (or greater than) any other logo or identity. The requirement does not apply to the

Recipient’s own corporate communications or in the United States.

• The Recipient must appropriately ensure that all publicity and promotional materials underscore the sponsorship by or partnership with the U.S. government or the U.S. embassy. The Recipient may continue to use existing logos or project materials; however, a standard rectangular U.S. flag must be used in conjunction with such logos.

• Do not use the Department of State seal without the express written approval from PRM.

• Sub non-Federal entities (sub-awardees) and subsequent tier sub-award agreements are subject to the marking requirements and the non-Federal entity shall include a provision in the sub non-Federal entity agreement indicating that the standard, rectangular U.S. flag is a requirement. Exemptions from this requirement may be allowable but must be agreed to in writing by the Grants Officer. (Note: An exemption refers to the complete or partial cessation of branding, not use of alternative branding). Requests should be initiated with the

Grants Officer and Grants Officer Representative. Waivers issued are applied only to the exemptions requested through the Recipient’s proposal for funding and any subsequent negotiated revisions.

• In the event the non-Federal entity does not comply with the marking requirements as established in the approved assistance agreement, the Grants Officer Representative and the Grants Officer must initiate corrective action with the non-Federal entity.

• Assistance Award Provision – SPOT: The following provisions will be included in the Bureau specific component of the Notice of Award for performance in a designated combat area in Iraq.