FY25 CBYX Enhancement POGI.pdf

PROJECT OBJECTIVES, GOALS, AND IMPLEMENTATION (POGI)

FY 2025 Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Enhancement Program

Funding Opportunity Number: DFOP0016959

Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division

The POGI guidelines apply specifically to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) issued by the Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division for the FY 2025 Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) Enhancement Program. Your proposal must conform to the solicitation, the guidelines stated in this document, and the standard Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI).

Any application not adhering to the conditions set forth herein may be deemed technically ineligible. These guidelines are specific to the program mentioned above and are IN ADDITION TO the guidelines outlined in the PSI. If there is a perceived disparity between documents, the solicitation is to be the dominant reference.

I. STATEMENT OF WORK

The primary goal of this component is to provide enhancement programming for German CBYX participants, including approximately 235 high school participants and 65 young professional participants. These participants will already be in the United States, placed with host families and educational institutions in communities across the country.

U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit a proposal to conduct civic education workshops covering all 300 2026-2027 CBYX participants or may submit a proposal covering the 235 2026-2027 high school participants or covering the 65 2026-2027 young professional participants, respectively.

Recipient Responsibilities:

The recipient will design and administer a series of Washington, DC-based workshops to provide German CBYX participants with an immersion experience in critically important aspects of civic and political life. Themes that may be covered include but are not limited to citizen empowerment, volunteerism and community action, the role of the media in the United States, the U.S. election process, federalism, free speech and debate, modern American politics and foreign policy, and U.S.-Germany relations.

Each participant should have the opportunity to visit and substantially engage with Congress, ideally with the Washington, DC offices of the congressional representatives of their American hosts. The workshops should be planned to take place during the academic year 2026-2027.

The workshops should be a minimum of three to four days in duration. Separate workshops should be provided for the high school and the young professionals participants; in the case of the high school participants, each workshop should be designed to facilitate the interaction of participants who have been placed in homes and communities throughout the United States by several different youth exchange host organizations. Workshops should incorporate elements that foster a sense of shared identity, networking, and dialogue among participants.

Note: ECA reserves the right to revise the allocation of funding and number of awards based upon the quality of submissions and the availability of funds. ECA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposed project configurations, budgets, and participant numbers in accordance with the program’s needs and availability of funds.

Substantial Involvement:

In a cooperative agreement, the Department is substantially involved in program activities above and beyond routine monitoring, as follows:

1. Provide guidance and approval regarding selection of notable alumni for participation in conferences or symposia.

2. Provide input for and final approval of workshop and conference agendas, including invited guests, speakers, and interlocutors.

3. Approve promotional materials and calendars of activities.

II. PROGRAM SPECIFIC GUIDELINES

The responsibilities of the recipient organization(s) are as follows for each proposed workshop:

1. Design, plan, and implement a series of Washington, DC-based civic education workshops for 235 high school German CBYX participants and/or 65 German CBYX young professional participants. These workshops should take place during the 2026- 2027 academic year. Pending successful performance and the availability of funds, ECA intends similar activities to continue in academic year 2027-2028. The applicant may choose to divide the participants into smaller groups (e.g., 50 to 100) according to logistical requirements. The high school participants and the young professional participants should be placed in separate programs.

2. Coordinate workshop logistics, including providing round-trip travel from host communities to Washington, DC (in collaboration with the nonprofit organizations who place CBYX participants in their host communities, referred to as host organizations, a list of those organizations is found at exchanges.state.gov/cbyx), local ground transportation including airport transfers, accommodations and meals, meeting rooms and facilities. Participants will be expected to cover only their personal expenses.

3. Develop and execute a communications strategy to provide participants and their host organizations and families with essential program information prior to activities.

Participating host organizations are identified at exchanges.state.gov/cbyx.

4. Develop substantive workshop content and activities, including arranging for addresses by and dialogues with speakers representing relevant organizations/institutions.

Workshops should be designed to reach beyond the actual workshop participants (provide a multiplier impact) through activities conducted during the workshops, follow-on, and other activities. Organizations may consider including the participation of American or German CBYX alumni to enhance the workshop participant experience.

5. Arrange a visit to the U.S. Congress, conditions permitting, ideally while Congress is in session; this may include a meeting between each student and the office of a member of Congress (Senator or Representative) for their host state or district, if time allows, or an appropriate group representational event. Coordinate with the ECA program office to ensure that students are adequately prepared to present themselves as representatives of a U.S. Department of State program.

6. Provide appropriately trained workshop staff. Note that all staff, chaperones, volunteers or others in direct personal contact with high school students must be vetted through a criminal background check and receive training, in accordance with the Secondary School Student Exchange Visitor Program regulations (22 CFR 62.25(d)(1)).

7. Provide emergency services during the workshop, as needed. Note that participants are covered by medical benefits through their host organizations.

8. Develop a performance monitoring plan that assesses the outcomes of the workshop.

9. Provide timely progress, financial, and program reports to ECA.

10. Provide fiscal management of all accounting and contractual relations.

III. PROPOSAL CONTENTS

Applicants should submit a complete and thorough proposal describing the program in a convincing and comprehensive manner.

Since there is no opportunity for applicants to meet with reviewing officials, the proposal should respond to the criteria set forth in the solicitation and other guidelines as clearly as possible.

Proposals should address succinctly, but completely, the elements described below and must follow all format requirements.

NOTE: Proposals submitted through Grants.gov may only be submitted in the following formats:

• Microsoft Word

• Microsoft Excel

• Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) - Prior to submitting applications through Grants.gov, please ensure you meet all Grants.gov system and software requirements, including Adobe software compatibility. You can verify if your version of Adobe software is compatible with Grants.gov, by visiting https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.

• ASCII Text

• Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG images)

Proposals should include the following items. All documents should be appropriately and clearly titled.

Online Forms

• SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”

• SF-424A, Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs

• SF-424B, “Assurances – Non-Construction Programs,” (only required for organizations if its representations and certifications have not been completed in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). If an organization is exempt from registering in SAM.gov, then it would still need to provide the form as part of its application.)

• Include other attachments, if applicable, such as the Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), form 990 Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax, SF- LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (only required for organizations that engage in lobbying activities), etc.

Program Narrative Executive Summary (One page) In one double-spaced page, provide the following information about the project:

1. Name of organization/participating institutions

2. Beginning and ending dates of the program

3. Proposed theme

4. Nature of activity

5. Funding level requested from the Bureau, total program cost, total cost-sharing from applicant and other sources

6. Scope and Goals

a. Number and description of participants

b. Wider audience benefiting from program (overall impact)

c. Geographic diversity of program, both U.S. and overseas

d. Fields covered

e. Anticipated results (short and long-term)

Narrative In twenty (20) double-spaced, single-sided pages, provide a detailed description of the project addressing the areas listed below.

1. Vision (statement of need, objectives, goals, benefits)

2. Participating Organizations

3. Program Activities (advertisement, recruitment, orientation, academic component, cultural program, participant monitoring)

4. Program Evaluation

5. Follow-on

6. Project Management

7. Work Plan/Time Frame

Additional Information to be Submitted

• A budget overview in this suggested format:

FY 2025 Base Year ECA Base Year

Cost Sharing Base Year

Total Base Year

PARTICIPANT SUPPORT COSTS

Participant Support Costs Per Participant

NON-PARTICIPANT SUPPORT COSTS

Non-participant support costs per participant

TOTAL COSTS

Total Costs Per Participant

FY 2026 Non-Competitive Continuation (NCC) 1

ECA NCC 1 Cost Sharing NCC

Total NCC 1

PARTICIPANT SUPPORT COSTS

Total Award ECA Total Cost Sharing Total Total

PARTICIPANT SUPPORT COSTS

• Detailed Budget, which must include:

o Domestic travel for staff and participants including airfare; airline baggage and seat fees; visas; transit costs; ground transportation costs. Please note that all air travel must be in compliance with the Fly America Act.

o Proportionate staff salaries and benefits based on time spent on program.

o Stipends and honoraria for non-salaried staff and volunteers. Honoraria rates should not exceed $250 per day per session.

o Per Diem: Organizations should use the published Federal per diem rates to provide lodging and meals. ECA requests applicants to budget realistic costs that reflect the local economy and do not exceed Federal per diem rates.

o Reasonable Accommodations: Organizations should budget for the reasonable accommodations of participating individuals with disabilities. Proposals may allocate up to 5-7% of the total requested ECA award funds for this purpose.

o Workshop materials and related activities.

o Program materials (including an explanation of how materials will be used).

o Promotional materials, including social media and website development and maintenance. Proposals must offer examples and provide substantive justification, explaining how the funds will advance marketing needs specific to the programs.

o Sub-award costs and Sub-contracts should be itemized in the budget.

o Room/facilities rental: The rental of meeting space should not exceed $250 per day per activity. Any rates that exceed this amount should be cost shared.

o Wire Transfer Fees: When necessary, applicants may include costs to transfer funds to foreign-based partner organizations. Award recipients are urged to research applicable taxes that may be imposed on these transfers by host governments.

o Other costs necessary to the implementation of the program.

• A detailed budget narrative that explains costs for each line in the detailed budget.

• Calendar of activities/itinerary, if applicable

• Resumes and CVs (resumes of all staff should be included in the submission; no resume should exceed two pages.).

• A copy of any executed agreements and contracts (such as subaward agreements) between the applicant and other organization(s), the agreement should detail the division of responsibilities and proposed costs.

• First Time Applicant Attachments, if applicable.

IV. OTHER AWARD INFORMATION

Adherence To All Regulations Governing the J Visa ECA places critically important emphases on the security and proper administration of Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by award recipients and sponsors to all regulations governing the J visa. Therefore, proposals should demonstrate the applicant's capacity to meet all requirements governing the administration of Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62, including the oversight of Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers, screening and selection of program participants, provision of pre-arrival information and orientation to participants, monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and security of forms, record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.

ECA will be responsible for issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in this program. A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of Exchange Visitor (J) programs is available at http://J1visa.state.gov or from:

Office of Private Sector Exchange Designation U.S. Department of State SA-5, Floor C2, Room C2L13 2200 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20522

Please refer to Solicitation Package for further information.

V. APPLICATION SUBMISSION

The solicitation document indicates the date the complete proposal is due and the manner in which proposals must be submitted. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this deadline. For further information regarding this program, contact Tova Pertman at (202) 975-5367, Office of Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C/PY; email: PertmanTA@state.gov.

mailto:PertmanTA@state.gov