FY24 Russia Sanctions NOFO_SFOP0010114.pdf
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- Opportunity number
- SFOP0010114
About this file
This notice of funding opportunity announces $18 million in cooperative agreement awards to support partner implementation of sanctions imposed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Department of State's Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation will provide funding through its Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction to build foreign partner capacity to counter Russian sanctions evasion efforts in the financial, maritime, aviation, and logistics sectors. Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, universities, federally funded research centers, and for-profit organizations. Applications are due by January 31, 2024, and awards between $50,000 to $300,000 will be made on a rolling basis through September 2024 under Global Threat Reduction program funds. Awardees will be required to report on activities and financials on a schedule defined in the assistance agreement.
NOFO
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| FY24 CTR Project Proposal Template 231030.docx | DOCX document | |
| FY24 CTR Consolidated Project List 240126.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| FY24 CTR Consolidated Project List.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| DEIA NOFO Doc_Fall2023_final_231010.docx | DOCX document | |
| Budget Detail & Budget Summary - TEMPLATE.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet |
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Office of Cooperative Threat
Reduction (ISN/CTR) Notice of Funding Opportunity
Funding Opportunity Title: Supporting Partner Implementation of Russia Sanctions Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0010114 Deadline for Applications: January 31, 2024, 11:59PM EDT CFDA Number: 19.033 Total Amount Available: $ 18,000,000
A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Department of State’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction (ISN/CTR) is pleased to announce an open competition for assistance awards through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). ISN/CTR sponsors foreign assistance activities funded by the Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining and Related Programs (NADR) and other accounts, and focuses on mitigating weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and WMD-related delivery systems proliferation and security threats from non-state actors and proliferator states.
ISN/CTR builds foreign partner capacity to support the implementation of sanctions imposed against Russia and Belarus in response of the Russian Federation’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Russian Federation and its proxies are still dependent on the global financial market and Western good to resource its war in Ukraine. To permit continued access to the global market, the Russian Federation and its proxies have developed intentionally complex networks to obfuscate its activities.
It is important for partner countries and private sector entities to understand the reputational and financial risks of continuing to engage with sanctioned and prohibited Russian and Belarusian entities. This is especially true for countries and private sector entities that seek to continue to do business with U.S., U.K,, and E.U. economies.
Significant sanctions have also been imposed against Russia’s aviation and maritime sectors.
There are numerous Boeing, Airbus, and other U.S. and partner-nation based aircraft operated by carriers in the Russian Federation and Belarus that have been deregistered due to concerns about their airworthiness. Additionally, there are growing indications that Russian commercial aircraft are being used in support of its military mobilization efforts. Numerous maritime shipping companies and vessels have been sanctioned for supporting the resupply of Russian troops, transport of weapons, exploiting and exporting energy reserves, and others have served as vehicles for money laundering.
The Kremlin and its proxies are actively working to innovate new means to evade sanctions in order to enable Russian markets to adjust to international sanctions. Russia continues to rely on offshore networks to evade sanctions, seeking countries with compliance challenges, to establish new businesses or finding partners to take over their existing enterprises. These offshore entities can serve as “multipurpose vehicles” concealing financial transactions, funds transfers, or acting as illicit procurement networks used to source military technology.
To counter sanctions evasion efforts by Russia, ISN/CTR will seek strong proposals that address the following:
• Programs that will engage financial private and public sector entities on implementing international Russia sanctions with aims of:
o Enhancing due diligence and compliance.
o Having partners conduct investigations related to Russian sanctions evasion.
o Sharing information across the private sector looking at the full spectrum of the supply-chain, from providers of intermediate goods to finished products, to strengthen trade-based compliance efforts.
o Improving private-public partnership, data sharing, and other types of collaboration against sanctions evasion.
o Engaging investigatory bodies (to include financial intelligence units, law enforcement, regulators, and private sector compliance departments) to identify Russian procurement networks, including offshore corporate entities.
o Utilizing commercially available data for lead generation, administrative and criminal case development, and information sharing.
o Highlighting risks of conducting business with designated entities or entities that have risky exposure or direct connections to designated entities.
o Delivering technical trainings with public and private sector entities that go beyond sanctions awareness and list-based compliance training – and focus on risk-based due-diligence.
o Ensuring sustainable engagement as new sanctions are released, new sanction linkages are discovered, new case studies are developed, etc.
o Empowering local centers of excellent to continue to train and engage on these key issues.
o Provide actionable open-source data to foreign public and private sector enforcement officials on specific transactions with prohibited, sanctioned, or other illicit entities.
o Leveraging USG policy support (ISN/CPI, Treasury, EB, Commerce) at in-person workshops and trainings.
• Programs will engage the maritime sector on implementing international Russia sanctions with aims of:
o Improving private-public partnership, data sharing, and other types of collaboration against sanctions evasion.
o Highlighting risks of conducting business with designated entities or entities that have risky exposure or direct connections to designated entities.
o Delivering technical trainings with public and private sector to enhance due-diligence.
o Provide actionable open-source data to foreign public and private sector enforcement officials on specific transactions with prohibited, sanctioned, or other illicit entities.
o Empowering local centers of excellent to continue to train and engage on these key issues.
o Providing public and private partners with timely and in-depth investigative support to counter Russian and Belarussian sanctions evasion activity at sea and lists of designated vessels.
o Engaging partner governments, chartering services/owners, flag registries, banks, insurance companies, and other maritime stakeholders to shed light on findings/behaviors of suspicious vessels and associated maritime entities.
o Addressing challenges that include, but are not limited to, ship-to-ship transfers, obfuscation of transshipment information, forged bills of lading/cargo manifests, turning away, addressing, or seizing a designated vessel, etc.
o Develop shareable reports on beneficial ownership analysis, insurers, facilitators, flag registries, travel locations, and other commercially available on Russian, and Russian aligned fleets, especially those aligned with the defense sector.
• Programs will engage the aviation sector on implementing international Russia sanctions with aims of:
o Improving private-public partnership, data sharing, and other types of collaboration against sanctions evasion.
o Highlighting risks of conducting business with designated entities or entities that have risky exposure or direct connections to designated entities.
o Delivering technical trainings with public and private sector to enhance due-diligence.
o Provide actionable open-source data to foreign public and private sector enforcement officials on specific transactions with prohibited, sanctioned, or other illicit entities.
o Empowering local centers of excellent to continue to train and engage on these key issues.
o Providing commercially available information on designated and high-risk Russian and Belarusian aviation activities.
o Engaging private and public sector partners on identifying designated and high-risk air transportation activity.
o Shedding light on safety risks posed by potentially unairworthy Russian and Belarussian carrier aircraft to both the private sector and civil aviation authorities.
• Programs will engage logistics entities on implementing international Russia sanctions with aims of:
o Improving private-public partnership, data sharing, and other types of collaboration against sanctions evasion.
o Delivering technical trainings with public and private sector to enhance due-diligence.
o Provide actionable open-source data to foreign public and private sector enforcement officials on specific transactions with prohibited, sanctioned, or other illicit entities.
o Empowering local centers of excellent to continue to train and engage on these key issues.
o Engaging industry partners (suppliers, shippers, intermediaries, other supply-chain stakeholders) to demonstrate areas of exposure to prohibited Russian entities and the reputational and sanctions risks associated with transacting in these assets/sectors.
o Engaging regulatory bodies on the need for strong compliance and control tools to ensure maximum transparency when addressing Russian sanctions evasions tactics in the sector.
o Assisting foreign partners to identify and reduce sanctioned and prohibited Russian and Belarusian firms from access to international supply-chains and procurement networks that provide inputs to the Russian defense sector.
• Programs will heavily utilize open-source and commercially-available information and focus on near-term, actionable information to help partners identify ongoing sanction evasion activities and trends in the financial, logistics, maritime, and aviation spaces.
o Programs will continue to make use of focused dissemination campaigns, amplification activities, and translation of key data.
• While many due diligence trainings have cross-cutting tools, programs will target their content to specific audiences and programs will enhance audience understanding through outreach tools ahead of in-person engagement as described below:
o For example, maritime programs will focus on maritime-specific issues (ship-to-ship transfers, obfuscation of transshipment information, forged bills of lading/cargo manifests, etc.).
o For example, aviation programs will not only focus on the risks of conducting business with designated Russian aviation companies but also the safety risks posed by potentially unairworthy carrier aircraft.
Engagement countries:
• EUR: Albania, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom
• NEA: UAE, Libya, Tunisia
• WHA: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, BVI, Cayman Islands, Brazil, Panama, Peru,
• EAP: Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
• SCA: India, Maldives
• AF: Comoros, Cameroon, Liberia, South Africa, Seychelles, Tanzania
B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION
Length of performance period: Twelve (12) Months Award amounts: Awards should range between $50,000 to a maximum of $300,000 per project Total available funding: $18,000,000 Type of Funding: FY24/25 Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and Related Activities Funds under the Foreign Assistance Act.
Anticipated project start date: October 1, 2024 Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative agreement. Cooperative agreements are different from grants in that bureau staff are more actively involved in the grant implementation. The CTR office will play an active role in developing and shaping the materials developed and implanted during this award. CTR will also help identify participants.
Project Performance Period: Proposed projects should be completed in 12 months or less.
This notice is subject to availability of funding.
Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative agreements. Cooperative agreements are different from grants in that bureau/embassy staff are more actively involved in the grant implementation.
Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 or less.
C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION
1. Eligible Applicants
The following organizations are eligible to apply:
• Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations
• Public and private educational institutions
• Federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs)
• For-profit organizations Public International Organizations and Governmental institutions
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
Cost sharing is not required and will play no role in when the project is being evaluated.
3. 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.
Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal package per organization. If more than one proposal package is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution may be considered ineligible for funding.
D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
1. Address to Request Application Package
Required application forms are available at grants.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
• All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and
• All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Calibri font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.
Proposal documents Mandatory documents o SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) o Project Proposal: Please follow the directions to complete the proposal template included in the application package.
o Consolidated Project List http://www.sam.gov/ o Budget Detail Optional documents o SF-424B (Only required for organizations not registered in
SAM.gov) o SF -LLL (DISCLOSURE OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES) o Copy of most recent approved NICRA o Summary Page o DEIA standalone document (Separate from DEIA plan information included in project proposal)
2. Summary Page: Cover sheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program.
3. Proposal (3 pages per project maximum): The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. Use the project proposals template posted with this NOFO.
5. Budget Detail: Use the spreadsheet template included with the NOFO to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.
6. Consolidated Project List: Please use the provided template to identify all key information about the project. Each project included with this proposal should have its own line on the spreadsheet.
7. Attachments (Optional)
• 1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program
• If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file.
• Standalone DEIA Statement in compliance with the optional proposal document, format included in with the guidance posted with the NOFO.
• SF-LLL form
3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) (NOTE: This section is required and not optional. )
Required Registrations:
All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration with the SAM.gov. A 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.
Note: As of April 2022, a DUNS number is no longer required for federal assistance applications.
The 2 CFR 200 requires that sub-grantees obtain a UEI number. Please note the UEI for sub-grantees is not required at the time of application but will be required before an award is processed and/or directed to a sub-grantee.
Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.
• Organizations based in the United States or that pay employees within the United States will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov.
• Organizations based outside of the United States and that do not pay employees within the United States do not need an EIN from the IRS but do need a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov.
• Please note that as of November 2022 and February 2022 respectively, 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 Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code or CAGE code to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities. If an applicant organization is mid-registration and wishes to remove a CAGE or NCAGE code from their SAM.gov registration, the applicant should submit a help desk ticket (“incident”) with the Federal Service Desk (FSD) online at www.fsd.gov using the following language: “I do not intend to seek financial assistance from the Department of Defense. I do not wish to obtain a CAGE or NCAGE code. I understand that I will need to submit my registration after this incident is resolved in order to have my registration activated.”
Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO NOT plan to do business with the DoD should follow the below instructions:
Step 1: Proceed to SAM.gov to obtain a UEI and complete the SAM.gov registration process. SAM.gov registration must be renewed annually.
Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO plan to do business with the DoD in addition to Department of State should follow the below instructions:
Step 1: Apply for an NCAGE code by following the instructions on the NSPA NATO website linked below:
https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsd.gov%2Fgsafsd_sp%3Fid%3Dgsafsd_kb_articles%26sys_id%3Dc81018e71b1601d0937fa64ce54bcb57&data=05%7C01%7Cfjeldkk%40state.gov%7C0cc4e2b471f44abcd32308db093ecead%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638113937577534024%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=W2ShcazZBQbanYGj0cLOTnUJwv%2BGL4xfwr83%2BycQY2E%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsd.gov%2Fgsafsd_sp%3Fid%3Dgsafsd_kb_articles%26sys_id%3Dc81018e71b1601d0937fa64ce54bcb57&data=05%7C01%7Cfjeldkk%40state.gov%7C0cc4e2b471f44abcd32308db093ecead%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638113937577534024%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=W2ShcazZBQbanYGj0cLOTnUJwv%2BGL4xfwr83%2BycQY2E%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsd.gov%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cfjeldkk%40state.gov%7C0cc4e2b471f44abcd32308db093ecead%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638113937577534024%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=t32ANWzgpiB93pMWoq%2BFCSHz4YJY9QF1S1iQzCsS6RM%3D&reserved=0
NCAGE Homepage:
https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/sc/CageList.aspx NCAGE Code Request Tool (NCRT):
Exemptions An exemption from the UEI and sam.gov registration requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if:
• An applicant’s identity must be protected due to potential endangerment of their mission, their organization’s status, their employees, or individuals being served by the applicant.
• For an applicant, if the Federal awarding agency makes a determination that there are exigent circumstances that prohibit the applicant from receiving a unique entity identifier and completing SAM registration prior to receiving a Federal award.
In these instances, Federal awarding agencies must require the recipient to obtain a unique entity identifier and complete SAM registration within 30 days of the Federal award date.
Organizations requesting exemption from UEI or SAM.gov requirements must email the point of contact listed in the NOFO at least two weeks prior to the deadline in the NOFO providing a justification of their request. Approval for a SAM.gov exemption must come from the warranted Grants Officer before the application can be deemed eligible for review.
4. Submission Dates and Times
Applications are due no later than 31 January 2024 at 11:59pm (EDT).
5. Funding Restrictions
Legal restrictions prevent ISN/CTR from providing assistance to Burma, China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria.
Under Section 635b of the Foreign Assistance Act, CTR is able to provide awards to for-profit corporations, so long as the for profit does not benefit in profit from the implementation of the award.
6. Other Submission Requirements
All application materials must be submitted through www.Grants.gov unless you are a U.S.
Government entity applying for Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA) funding. If you are applying for an IAA please submit proposals to the relevant program team and ISN-CTR- BUDGET@state.gov.
E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Feportal.nspa.nato.int%2FAC135Public%2Fscage%2FCageList.aspx&data=05%7C01%7Cfjeldkk%40state.gov%7C0cc4e2b471f44abcd32308db093ecead%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638113937577534024%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=v3TLT8F%2FNfk5SuTcI2zw7SMhV4HK542OhP9XDx4ln%2BY%3D&reserved=0
1. Criteria
Applicants should note that the following criteria serve as a standard against which all project proposals will be evaluated and identify significant considerations that should be addressed in all proposals. ISN/CTR will award a cooperative agreement to the applicant(s) whose offer represents the best overall value to the government from both a technical and cost perspective.
ISN/CTR will evaluate proposals against the stated criteria. Criteria are listed in descending order of importance.
• Proposed Activity or Activities: Applicants should clearly describe what they propose to do and how they will do it. The proposed project(s) must directly relate to meeting the specified objectives and applicants should include specific information on how they will systematically meet ISN/CTR’s global threat reduction mission. ISN/CTR will evaluate the project proposal in terms of how well it addresses the issues at hand, relevance and feasibility of the proposed activities, the timeline for completion, and the extent to which the impact of the project will continue beyond the conclusion of the period of performance.
• Organizational Capability: Applicants must demonstrate how their resources, capabilities, and experience will enable them to achieve the stated goals and objectives in an international technical context. The proposal(s) must identify all key partners and organizations that will be involved in implementation of this project.
• Budget: Proposed costs will be evaluated for feasibility, fiscal control practices, and efficiency. ISN/CTR must be able to determine that proposed costs are reasonable, allowable, and allocable to the proposed project activities.
ISN/CTR will evaluate the budget to determine if the overall costs are realistic for the work to be performed, if the costs reflect the applicant’s understanding of the allowable cost principles established by 2CFR200, and if the costs are consistent with the program narrative.
• Impactful and Measurable Engagements: Although complex nonproliferation objectives demand persistent engagement with partner countries, discrete projects should individually advance progress toward a particular objective. Proposals should describe the end-state the project aims to achieve, along with specific, measurable, and realistic benchmarks by which to gauge progress toward that end state. Compelling project proposals will establish milestones to be met during the implementation period, and describe observable progress in meeting the program goals described above.
• Diversity and Inclusion: ISN/CTR values collaboration and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion with all stakeholders by creating an environment that is open to equal opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran or disabled status. Implementers are welcome but not required to submit with their proposal a plan for how the implementer intends to further ISN/CTR’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) objectives through their programming.
Submitted plans will be evaluated separate to the overall evaluation of projects and
• Cyber Security: Implementer shall be required to establish and follow policy and procedures for an effective implementation of security controls using NIST 800-53 (Rev. 5 or higher)), System and Information Integrity Policy (SI-1) as follows:
a. Identification and Authentication: Implement multifactor authentication for network access and local access.
b. Access Controls: Implement security controls for information sharing, remote access and wireless access including: Monitoring, controlling, and protecting remote and wireless access to information by auditing information systems components (e.g., workstations, notebook computers, smartphones, and tablets).
c. Incident Handling: Monitor and report any and all security incidents including breaches to ISN/CTR directly within 48 hours of the incident and include a risk assessment of the security access controls.
2. Review and Selection Process
A review committee will evaluate all eligible applications, final funding decision will be made by ISN/CTR Office Director and Deputy Director.
3. Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov (formerly, FAPIIS)
i. 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 U.S. government designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.gov (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);
ii. An applicant, at its option, may review and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered. Currently, federal agencies create integrity records in the integrity module of the Contractor Performance Assessment and Reporting System (CPARS) and these records are visible as responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov;
iii. 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 or cooperative agreement 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.
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: Payment Management System or SF-270 on a monthly basis.
2. 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
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.25&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.170&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.170&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.175&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.182&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.182&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.183&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2chapterVI.tpl
• 41 USC 4712 - Enhancement of contractor protection from reprisal for disclosure of certain information
• U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS
In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department of State will review and consider applications for funding, as applicable to specific programs, pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity in accordance with the following: NOTE:
• Guidance for Grants and Agreements in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR), as updated in the Federal Register’s 85 FR 49506 on August 13, 2020, particularly on:
o Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based on the program objectives through an objective process of evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR part 200.205), o Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. No. 115—232) (2 CFR part 200.216), o Promoting the freedom of speech and religious liberty in alignment with Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty (E.O. 13798) and Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities (E.O.
13864) (§§ 200.300, 200.303, 200.339, and 200.341), o Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States (2 CFR part 200.322), and o Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest extent authorized by law, if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities (2 CFR part 200.340).
In accordance with the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Underserved Communities, proposals should demonstrate how the program advances equity with respect to race, ethnicity, religion, income, geography, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability. The proposal should also demonstrate how the program will further engagement in underserved communities and with individuals from underserved communities. Proposals should demonstrate how addressing racial equity and underserved communities will enhance the program’s goals and objectives, as well as the experience of participants.
The support of underserved communities will be part of the review criteria for this opportunity. Therefore, proposals should clearly demonstrate how the program will support and advance equity and engage underserved communities in program administration, design, and implementation.
3. Reporting https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:41%20section:4712%20edition:prelim) https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:41%20section:4712%20edition:prelim)#:~:text=%281%29%20In%20general.-An%20employee%20of%20a%20contractor%2C%20subcontractor%2C,for%20or%20negotiation%20of%20a%20contract%29%20or%20grant.
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https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/ https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whitehouse.gov%2Fbriefing-room%2Fpresidential-actions%2F2021%2F01%2F20%2Fexecutive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government%2F&data=04%7C01%7CReisigAR%40state.gov%7C0dbdd75a0a664b32ef2508d8fb59f8f5%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637535711126807160%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=Hk82GX1SCF8LaoHg%2B2vrmdCRK6gGWYwQXU9CB6cLb5E%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whitehouse.gov%2Fbriefing-room%2Fpresidential-actions%2F2021%2F01%2F20%2Fexecutive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government%2F&data=04%7C01%7CReisigAR%40state.gov%7C0dbdd75a0a664b32ef2508d8fb59f8f5%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637535711126807160%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=Hk82GX1SCF8LaoHg%2B2vrmdCRK6gGWYwQXU9CB6cLb5E%3D&reserved=0
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.
Foreign Assistance Data Review: As required by Congress, the Department of State must make progress in its efforts to improve tracking and reporting of foreign assistance data through the Foreign Assistance Data Review (FADR). The FADR requires tracking of foreign assistance activity data from budgeting, planning, and allocation through obligation and disbursement. Successful applicants will be required to report and draw down federal funding based on the appropriate FADR Data Elements, indicated within their award documentation. In cases of more than one FADR Data Element, typically program or sector and/or regions or country, the successful applicant will be required to maintain separate accounting records.
Applicants should be aware of the post award reporting requirements reflected in 2 CFR 200 Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.
G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS
If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact:
CTRSpecialProjectsProposals@state.gov
Direct any NOFO submission (non-programmatic) questions to:
Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction Budget Team ISN-CTR-BUDGET@state.gov
H. OTHER INFORMATION
Guidelines for Budget Justification Personnel and Fringe Benefits: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the program, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the program.
Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this program, for program staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. If the program involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.
Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the program, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the program), and costs at least $5,000 per unit.
Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the program. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under Equipment.
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=027fb85899500d580fc71df69d11573a&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML%20-%20ap2.1.200_1521.i#ap2.1.200_1521.xii https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=027fb85899500d580fc71df69d11573a&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML%20-%20ap2.1.200_1521.i#ap2.1.200_1521.xii mailto:CTRSpecialProjectsProposals@state.gov mailto:ISN-CTR-BUDGET@state.gov
Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor. Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the program activities.
Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the program, which do not fit in the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials and equipment or applicable taxes. All “Other” or “Miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained.
Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the program activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating. If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.
“Cost Sharing” refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S. Embassy. It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues.
Alcoholic Beverages: Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.
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