FY25 McGovern-Dole NOFO FINAL.pdf

MCGOVERN-DOLE INTERNATIONAL FOOD FOR

EDUCATION AND CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM

(FOOD FOR EDUCATION)

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

FISCAL YEAR 2025

Table of Contents

1. BASIC INFORMATION

1.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.2 FEDERAL AGENCY NAME

1.3 FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TITLE

1.4 ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE

1.5 FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBERS

1.6 ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER

1.7 FUNDING DETAILS

1.8 KEY DATES

1.9 AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

2. ELIGIBILITY

2.1 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

2.2 ELIGIBILITY THRESHOLD CRITERIA

2.3 SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE

2.4 EVIDENCE OF ELIGBILITY

2.5 FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

2.6 MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS

2.7 COST SHARE/MATCH REQUIREMENT

3. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

AUTHORIZING STATUTES AND REGULATIONS

3.2 Type of Assistance INSTRUMENT

3.3 PROGRAM SPECIFIC UNALLOWABLE COSTS

4. APPLICATION CONTENT AND FORMAT

4.1 FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

4.2 CONTENT GUIDANCE

4.3 37

ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES

4.4 PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

4.5 OTHER APPLICATION INFORMATION

5. 5. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

5.1 ADDRESS TO REQUEST APPLICATION PACKAGE

5.2 UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

(SAM)

5.3 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

5.4 SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES

5.5 INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

6. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

6.1 ELIGIBILITY THRESHOLD REVIEW

6.2 REVIEW CRITERIA

6.3 PROGRAMMATIC CAPABILITY AND PAST PERFORMANCE

6.4 REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

6.5 RISK REVIEW

7. AWARD NOTICES

8. POST-AWARD REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINSITRATION

8.1 ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

8.2 REPORTING

8.3 MONITORING

8.4 CONFLICT OF INTEREST

8.5 MANDATORY DISCLOSURES

8.6 OTHER AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS

9. OTHER INFORMATION

9.1 EXTENSIONS

9.2 NO AWARDS

9.3 SAM.GOV REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS

9.4 FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

APPENDIX A – Application Content Checklist APPENDIX B – Country Specific Guidance APPENDIX C – Global Strategies and Initiatives APPENDIX D – Budget Summary

APPENDIX E – Budget Narrative APPENDIX F – Results Framework and Illustrative Examples of Foundational Results APPENDIX G – Instructions for Completing the SF-424A APPENDIX H – SF-424A Example APPENDIX I –Activity Description Example APPENDIX J – Available Food Aid Commodities

LIST OF ACRONYMS

BMI

CFDA

Body Mass Index

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

CCC

CCN

Commodity Credit Corporation Cooperating Country National

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

COI Conflict of Interest CV Curriculum Vitae

FAIS Food Aid Information System

FFPr Food for Progress Program

FY

GOB

GOBF

GOC

GOH

GOM

GOP

GOS

GOSL

Fiscal Year Government of Benin Government of Burkina Faso Government of Côte d’Ivoire Government of Honduras Government of Mozambique Government of Pakistan Government of Senegal Government of Sierra Leone

HQ Headquarters

HGSF Home Grown School Feeding

IR Intermediate Results

ITSH Internal Transportation, Storage, and Handling

LRP Local and Regional Procurement

M&E Monitoring and Evaluation

MCN

McGovern- Dole

Maternal and Child Nutrition McGovern-Dole International Food for

Education and Child Nutrition Program

MOU

MT

Memorandum of Understanding Metric Ton(s)

NCAGE North Atlantic Treaty Organization Commercial and Government Entity Code

NICRA Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

NOFO Notice of Funding Opportunity

RF Results Framework

SAM

System for Award Management

SF Standard Form

SMC School Meals Coalition

SO

SO1

SO2

TCN

Strategic Objective Strategic Objective 1:

Literacy and Education Strategic Objective 2:

Nutrition and Health Third Country National

UEI Unique Entity Identifier

U.S. United States

U.S.C. United States Code

USG

USN

United States Government United States National

USAID United States Agency for International Development

USDA

United States Department of Agriculture

USDA/FAS United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service

WASH Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

NEW IN FY2025

1. USDA/FAS has moved information between sections and subsections across the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to align with the updated 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 400, effective October 1, 2024. Most requirements have not changed. Applicants should familiarize themselves with relevant regulatory changes. Changes that will affect McGovern-Dole applications and awards include, but are not limited to:

a. The threshold for differentiating between Equipment and Supplies has increased from $5,000 to $10,000. (2 CFR 200 Subpart A)

b. The subaward threshold for Modified Total Direct Costs has increased from $25,000 to $50,000. (2 CFR 200 Subpart A)

c. The de minimis indirect cost rate has increased from 10 percent to 15 percent. (2

CFR 200.414)

d. Administrative costs associated with termination and standard closeout are now allowable. (2 CFR 200.472)

2. USDA/FAS now refers to the total project budget, minus commodity and freight costs for

U.S. commodities, as “project operational costs” or “project operating budget.” Previous Notices of Funding Opportunity sometimes referred to this portion of the budget as “cash portion” or “administrative costs,” and USDA/FAS has removed these terms for better clarity and consistency. USDA/FAS has updated the C-1 and C-2 templates to reflect this change.

3. USDA/FAS has moved some information regarding regulatory requirements of awards from Content Guidance to Post Award Requirements and Administration, in order to clarify application requirements versus requirements that must be met during the life of an award.

Applicants should familiarize themselves with the regulatory requirements in Post Award Requirements and Administration to ensure they are proposing a feasible and compliant project under relevant regulation.

4. USDA/FAS has slightly reduced the information required and the page limit in the

Monitoring and Evaluation: Evaluation Plan subsection of applications. USDA/FAS may still require this information from awardees during negotiations or within the post-award deliverables.

5. USDA/FAS has adjusted Appendix E and Appendix G to categorize Subrecipient costs under

“Other” rather than “Professional Services” or “Contractual” to promote consistency within the NOFO and with other Federal awards.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-IV/part-400 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-A?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-A?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRd93f2a98b1f6455/section-200.414 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRd93f2a98b1f6455/section-200.414 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRed1f39f9b3d4e72/section-200.472

1. BASIC INFORMATION

1.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), International Food Assistance Division, McGovern-Dole Branch announces this funding opportunity to support the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (McGovern-Dole) by issuing new awards. This funding opportunity is available to:

Private Voluntary Organizations (see 7 CFR 1599.2) Cooperatives; Intergovernmental Organizations; Governments of developing countries and their agencies; and Other organizations. This funding opportunity is intended to improve food security, reduce the incidence of hunger, and improve literacy and primary education, particularly with respect to girls, through procurement of agricultural commodities, the provision of financial and technical assistance, and provision of maternal, infant, and child nutrition programs. All McGovern-Dole projects provide school feeding through a combination of U.S.-donated and locally and regionally procured commodities and address the two strategic program objectives 1) Improved Literacy of School-Aged Children, and 2) Increased Use of Health, Nutrition and Dietary Practices. McGovern-Dole projects also provide context-specific complementary activities that support these program objectives. USDA/FAS expects to enter into multiple new cooperative agreements under McGovern-Dole to make awards totaling no more than $240,000,000 subject to the availability of funding. These awards will be for approximately five-year projects.

1.2 FEDERAL AGENCY NAME

United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS)

1.3 FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TITLE

Food for Education

1.4 ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE

New Announcement

1.5 FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBERS

• USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-25-(680) Benin

• USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-25-(686) Burkina Faso

• USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-25-(681) Cote d’Ivoire

• USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-25-(522) Honduras

• USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-25-(656) Mozambique

• USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-25-(391) Pakistan

• USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-25-(685) Senegal

• USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-25-(636) Sierra Leone

• USDA-FAS-10.608-0700-25-(000) Non-priority country applications

Please refer to Appendix B for Country Specific Guidance for each priority country.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/section-1599.2

1.6 ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER

10.608 Food for Education

1.7 FUNDING DETAILS

Total Available Federal Funding: Up to $240,000,000; Subject to the availability of funding

Anticipated Number of Awards: 8

Each individual award is expected to be in the range: $10 million – $29 million

USDA/FAS reserves the right to make additional awards under this opportunity if additional funding becomes available after the original selections are made, consistent with agency policy and guidance. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than 6 months after the original selection decisions.

• Period of Performance: Approximately 60 months

• Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): 10/01/2025

• Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): approximately 09/30/2030

1.8 KEY DATES

Public Information Session: TBD Applicants may find information regarding the Public Information Session on the funding opportunity listing on grants.gov, related documents; USDA/FAS will publish the date, time, and location/online access information in advance of the session.

Deadline for Question Submission: April 11, 2025 Applicants may submit questions up until 5:00:00 P.M. EDT on April 11, 2025, by emailing ppded@usda.gov and including “FY25 McGovern-Dole NOFO” in the subject line of the email.

USDA/FAS will consider questions submitted by the deadline to the extent practicable and USDA/FAS will post responses to questions on Grants.gov on a weekly basis as they are received. Applicants may access the responses in the “Related Documents” tab of the grant opportunity page on Grants.gov.

Application Submission Deadline: April 18, 2025, prior to 5:00:00 P.M. EDT

1.9 AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

Lindsay Carter, McGovern-Dole Director Phone: (202) 236-1095 Email address: ppded@usda.gov

Website: https://www.fas.usda.gov/food-aid-information-system

Hours of Operation: Monday–Friday 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. ET https://sam.gov/fal/a3a8ff78dc1c44b79c6526fb533e1c64/view https://grants.gov/ mailto:ppded@usda.gov https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:ppded@usda.gov https://www.fas.usda.gov/food-aid-information-system

2. ELIGIBILITY

2.1 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

In accordance with the McGovern-Dole authorizing legislation, 7 U.S.C. 1736o-1, the following entities are eligible Applicants:

• Private Voluntary Organizations (defined at 7 CFR 1599.2 );

• Cooperatives;

• Intergovernmental Organizations;

• Governments of developing countries and their agencies; and

• Other Organizations, including Higher Education Institutions

All Applicants must have an active registration in the U.S. Government System for Award Management (www.sam.gov) before the application submission deadline of the announcement;

Applicants with inactive, expired, pending, or excluded listings will be deemed ineligible.

Requests for exceptions, waivers, or extensions will not be considered. More information about SAM.gov registration can be found in Section 9.3: SAM.gov Registration Instructions.

2.2 ELIGIBILITY THRESHOLD CRITERIA

None.

2.3 SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE

All applications will be reviewed for eligibility and must meet the eligibility requirements described above to be considered eligible. Applicants deemed ineligible for funding consideration as a result of the threshold eligibility review will be notified within 14 calendar days of the ineligibility determination.

Applications must substantially comply with the application submission instructions and requirements set forth in Section 4: Application Content and Format of this solicitation or else they will be deemed ineligible for funding consideration.

2.4 EVIDENCE OF ELIGBILITY

Applicants are responsible for including documentation, if necessary, establishing that they meet the stated eligibility requirements, when it is not immediately obvious. Applicants should not presume that USDA/FAS is sufficiently familiar with the Applicant organization or that additional information would be unnecessary. USDA/FAS will not make assumptions as to the nature of the Applicants work, qualifications, or background, and will rely solely on the materials provided.

2.5 FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

Funds may not be used in any manner that is prohibited by applicable regulations, including 2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 400, and 7 CFR 1599. Awards issued pursuant to this notice of funding https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?hl=false&edition=prelim&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title7-section1736o-1&num=0&saved=%7CKHRpdGxlOjcgc2VjdGlvbjoxNzM2byBlZGl0aW9uOnByZWxpbSk%3D%7C%7C%7C0%7Cfalse%7Cprelimhttps://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?hl=false&edition=prelim&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title7-section1736o-1&num=0&saved=%7CKHRpdGxlOjcgc2VjdGlvbjoxNzM2byBlZGl0aW9uOnByZWxpbSk%3D%7C%7C%7C0%7Cfalse%7Cprelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/section-1599.2 http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-IV/part-400 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XV/part-1599 opportunity may only be used for the purpose set forth in the award, consistent with the statutory authority for the award. Capital expenses, such as the purchase of equipment, not entirely attributable to this award, must be pro-rated.

For example, agreement funds and other support may not be used for matching contributions for other federal grants or cooperative agreements, lobbying, or intervention in federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. Federal employees are prohibited from acting as an agent of the Applicant in any capacity (paid or unpaid) on any proposal submitted under this program. Also, federal funds may not be used to sue the Federal Government or any other government entity.

Compensation for personal services: Employees, consultants, or other personnel, including those of subrecipients, and regardless of the method of engagement, may not exceed the pro-rata equivalent of GS-15 on the General Schedule (for 2025, $162,672 per year, $623.26 per day, or $77.91 per hour). Non-monetizable fringe benefits, such as health insurance coverage, are not included in this ceiling.

In general, costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective but not readily assignable to specific awards, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved, are considered indirect costs. These may include facilities not specific to individual projects, enterprise-wide services such as information technology, and enterprise management.

Pursuant to USDA Departmental Regulation DR2255-001, a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) with a cognizant U.S. Government agency will be honored, except when prohibited by statute.

If an application is submitted that includes any ineligible tasks, activities, or cost items, that portion of the application will be deemed ineligible for funding and may, depending on the extent to which it affects the application, render the entire application ineligible for funding.

2.6 MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS

An individual Applicant may submit more than one application in response to this NOFO and may be offered more than one award.

2.7 COST SHARE/MATCH REQUIREMENT

Not required.

USDA/FAS encourages, but does not require, voluntary committed cost sharing and matching (see 2 CFR 200.306 and 7 CFR 1599.2) to maximize program impacts and engender in-country sustainability. USDA/FAS will not consider cost share when evaluating and scoring applications.

If Applicants choose to provide voluntary committed cost sharing or matching, they should identify and explain any cost sharing in the budget summary and narrative (7 CFR 1599.4(b)(4)(i)). Applicants should include any cost share contributions as part of the total award value on the SF-424 and other required budget documents. Applicants may not use cost share to reach the three percent minimum monitoring and evaluation budget or the ten percent LRP budget goal. Applicants’ unrecovered indirect costs are not allowable cost share. Food vouchers and cash-based transfers are not currently allowable LRP methods and thus USDA/FAS does not consider them as allowable cost share within McGovern-Dole projects.

https://www.usda.gov/directives/dr-2255-001 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.306 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XV/part-1599/section-1599.2 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XV/part-1599/section-1599.4 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XV/part-1599/section-1599.4

Cost sharing or matching to which Applicants voluntarily commit in the application will be included in and become binding as part of an agreement, and Award Recipients are responsible for obtaining and providing these contributions. Award Recipients are not permitted to use Federal Funding to procure these resources.

3. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The principal objectives of McGovern-Dole are to carry out: 1) school and preschool food for education programs in foreign countries to improve food security, reduce the incidence of hunger, and improve literacy and primary education, particularly with respect to girls; and 2) maternal, infant, and child nutrition programs for pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and children who are five years of age or younger.

McGovern-Dole feeds school children and improves literacy, especially for girls, in low-income, food-deficit countries around the world. The program provides for the donation of U.S.

agricultural commodities and funds to procure local and regional agricultural commodities, as well as financial and technical assistance, to support McGovern-Dole objectives.

By providing school meals, teacher training, government capacity-building, and related education and nutrition support, McGovern-Dole helps boost school enrollment, increase attendance, and improve reading outcomes and literacy results. McGovern-Dole can also provide support to Maternal and Child Nutrition (MCN). To improve health, nutrition, and dietary practices, McGovern-Dole encourages the inclusion of health- and nutrition-sensitive activities such as the use of micronutrient-fortified products; take-home rations; treatments for deworming;

water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); school gardens; and curriculum-based nutrition education.

The donation of U.S. commodities is an integral part of McGovern-Dole and Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the U.S. donated commodities to maximize program reach of targeted beneficiaries in the most cost-effective manner. In addition, Applicants must allocate approximately ten percent of the total proposed federal award amount for local and regional procurement (LRP) of commodities. All activities must be consistent with the objectives of the program. USDA/FAS prioritizes sustainability in efforts to reduce poverty and food insecurity in vulnerable economies and ensure the long-lasting impacts of McGovern-Dole after USDA support ends. Under LRP, USDA/FAS is focusing on helping communities develop sustainable sources of food supplies while building resilience in their food sourcing practices.

USDA/FAS will accept applications for projects in the following priority countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Honduras, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. Of these, Pakistan does not currently have active McGovern-Dole projects. Applicants are advised to refer to Appendix B for country-specific information on program emphasis and agency priorities. USDA/FAS will also accept applications for non-priority countries; however, it will prioritize funding applications for the identified priority countries. USDA/FAS will consider funding a project in a non-priority country, but an application for a non-priority country must include sufficient justification. McGovern-Dole projects are implemented in low-income, food-deficit countries globally.

3.1 AUTHORIZING STATUTES AND REGULATIONS

The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, 7 USC1736o-1.

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Awards USDA/FAS makes under this funding opportunity to Applicants other than foreign public entities will be subject to McGovern-Dole regulations, 7 CFR 1599. As provided in 7 CFR 1599, awards to Applicants other than foreign public entities will also be subject to 2 CFR 200, as supplemented by 2 CFR 400 and 7 CFR 1599, with the exception that s2 CFR 200 Subpart F will not apply to a foreign organization or a for-profit entity.

3.2 TYPE OF ASSISTANCE INSTRUMENT

USDA/FAS anticipates that a cooperative agreement will be funded pursuant to this funding opportunity. This type of agreement provides for substantial involvement between USDA/FAS and/or other USDA Agencies, and the selected Applicant in the performance of the project. This may include:

• Specification of the manner, method, performance, or timing of the work in an approved work plan;

• Review and approval of one stage of work before a subsequent stage may begin during the performance period;

• Close monitoring of the successful Applicant’s performance to verify the achievement of expected results;

• Review and approval of proposed subawards and contracts, prior to award;

• Review of proposed procurement, in accordance with 2 CFR section 200.325;

• Review and approval of an evaluation plan;

• Participation in the selection and approval of the individuals or organizations that will conduct all required evaluations;

• Participation in data collection and analysis for required evaluations and other performance reports;

• Approval of an organizational chart identifying the names, roles and responsibilities of all the Applicant’s key personnel, as well as key personnel qualifications, and any subsequent changes or absences; and

• Provision of specific direction or redirection of the work during the period of performance.

3.3 PROGRAM SPECIFIC UNALLOWABLE COSTS

Funds provided under McGovern-Dole may not be used in any manner that is prohibited by applicable regulations. USDA/FAS strongly recommends that Applicants familiarize themselves with program-specific unallowable costs described in 7 CFR 1599 to avoid proposing program-specific unallowable costs.

Applicants may refer to Appendix E, Appendix G, 2 CFR 200.1, and 2 CFR 200.414 for information on what costs are allowable as indirect costs.

4. APPLICATION CONTENT AND FORMAT

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subpart-A#p-200.1(Foreign%20public%20entity) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subpart-A#p-200.1(Foreign%20public%20entity) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XV/part-1599 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-IV/part-400 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XV/part-1599 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-F https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-F https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subpart-A#p-200.1(Foreign%20organization) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.325 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XV/part-1599?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Indirect%20cost) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E#200.414

This announcement contains all information necessary to apply for this funding opportunity.

4.1 FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

4.1.a Application Format

Applicants must complete the application in English and adhere to the maximum page limits in Section 4.1.b: Required Content and Forms.

Applicants should:

• Use 12-point font (tables and graphs may have a smaller font as appropriate);

• Type on standard 8.5” x 11” sized paper with 1-inch margins;

• Number each page;

• Cite source information (with at least author and year) and/or provide an explanation of their analysis; and

• Submit their application as a PDF.

Applicants are encouraged to write for nontechnical reviewers who are not necessarily familiar with the country context or the McGovern-Dole Program. USDA/FAS suggests Applicants avoid the use of jargon, briefly explain common models or techniques, etc.

4.1.b Required Content and Forms

Each application must include the following content and forms within the required page limits.

These sections may be single or double-spaced. Bolded page limits are requirements— if an Applicant exceeds the page limits for a section, USDA/FAS will only review and score material within the page limits for the section. Italicized page limits within the Introduction and Strategic Analysis are suggestions to guide Applicants. Requirements marked with “no page limit” do not count towards their section page limits.

A complete application package must include:

• A project narrative with the following sections:

o Introduction and Strategic Analysis – 26 pages total o Summary – 1 page o Main Section—25 pages

Country Overview and Context – 7 pages Strategic Objective 1: Literacy and Education – 6 pages Strategic Objective 2: Nutrition and Health – 6 pages Local and Regional Procurement – 3-4 pages Cross-Cutting Topics – 2-3 standalone pages (or equivalent integrated throughout the Introduction and Strategic Analysis) Project Map (no page limit) List of Acronyms (no page limit) o Plan of Operation and Activities – 15 pages o Sustainability and Lasting Impact – 5 pages o Organizational Capacity and Staffing – 8 pages total

Staffing Plan – 6 pages Organizational Chart – 1 page In-Country Registration – 1 page Other Attachments (no page limit) o Project-specific Commitment Letters from anticipated Subrecipients (if Subrecipients are proposed) o Curriculum Vitae (CV) for Project Lead o Past Performance Reviews o Monitoring and Evaluation – 23 pages total

Project-Level Results Framework – 6 pages Performance Indicator Table – 5 pages Evaluation Plan – 12 pages o Commodity Management – 6 pages

• Budget – 26 pages total o Budget Summary – 1 page o Budget Narrative – 25 pages

• Applicant’s most recent approved NICRA agreement (no page limit)

• SF-424A (See Appendix G for instructions) Budget Information for Non-Construction

Programs, showing the budget categorization.

• SF-424 Signed Application for Federal Assistance, showing the Unique Entity Identifier

(UEI), and signed by the Applicant.

• Proof of 501(c)(3) status documentation to support eligibility determination

Applicants should ensure they are using active, i.e. non-expired, versions of standard forms. The use of an expired standard form will not itself be grounds for a determination of ineligibility but may delay processing of an Applicant selected for award.

Find additional requirements on the content of each section of the application below in Section 4.2: Content Guidance. Applicants should review the content guidance carefully to determine what sections they may submit as attachments and what information they are required to input directly into FAIS. USDA/FAS will not consider any materials submitted by or on behalf of the Applicant other than those materials specifically requested in this NOFO.

4.2 CONTENT GUIDANCE

All McGovern-Dole applications must include the following attachments:

4.2.a Introduction and Strategic Analysis

(Page limit: 26 pages total, including Summary and Main Section)

The Introduction and Strategic Analysis section communicates the need for the project and an overview of how the Applicant’s strategy for the proposed project will address those needs.

Applicants must provide brief overview of key activities (within “Strategy” areas of Strategic Objective and LRP subsections below) to persuade technical reviewers and scorers that their proposed project is a strong response to a demonstrated need; however, USDA/FAS expects https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family

Applicants to reserve detailed activity descriptions for the Section 4.2.b: Plan of Operations. The following subsections are required in the Introduction and Strategic Analysis:

• Summary

• Main Section o Country Overview and Context;

o Strategic Objective 1: Literacy and Education;

o Strategic Objective 2: School Feeding, Nutrition, and Health; and o Local and Regional Procurement.

Applicants must include a project map, and a list of all acronyms used in the application as attachments to the Introduction and Strategic Analysis section. These attachments will not count towards the section page limits.

i. Summary

(Page limit: 1 page)

Applicants must provide a one-page summary of the proposed project and how the proposed project meets McGovern-Dole strategic objectives and local needs. This summary must include the duration of the project, estimated costs, number of targeted school-age children, number of direct beneficiaries, number of targeted schools, and the focus of the intervention.

In the one-page summary, USDA/FAS expects Applicants to include their table of estimated costs using the following format:

Table 1: Recommended format for summary table of estimated costs

Cost Type Total Budget

(USD)

Administration Activities LRP Commodity and Food Purchases

ITSH

Total Indirect Costs Sub-total Project Operating Budget (not including cost share)

U.S. Commodity Cost Freight Cost TOTAL PROGRAM VALUE (not including cost share)

Cost Share

All Applicants must include costs relating to Internal Transportation, Storage, and Handling (ITSH), the moving of commodities from designated ports or points of entry to storage and distribution sites, as well as costs of storing and distributing all commodities.

ii. Main Section

(Total page limit: 25 pages)

In this section, Applicants must analyze country context, needs, challenges, opportunities, and constraints that may impact project implementation and success. Applicants must then explain how the project will effectively and appropriately respond to these contextual factors. All McGovern-Dole projects must include school feeding and address nutrition and literacy in alignment with the Strategic Objectives, and this section should overview those needs and activities and the specific contextual needs within those areas. Additionally, this subsection will convey the need for specific complementary activities. A strong application will convince reviewers why and how the Applicant prioritizes certain needs, challenges, beneficiaries, or approaches over others. Where Applicants describe a need or challenge, USDA/FAS expects Applicants to either explain their strategy for addressing that need/challenge (within “Strategy” areas of Strategic Objective and LRP subsections below) or justify why they do not intend to address it. Applicants are encouraged to describe how the proposed project avoids duplicating the efforts of other organizations, policies, or programs.

This section must explain the strategy behind the intervention and how the project will address the two McGovern-Dole strategic objectives: Literacy and Education; Nutrition and Health.

Applicants must ensure that the strategy and analysis align with the other sections of the application, such as Monitoring and Evaluation and Sustainability and Lasting Impact.

Applicants must cite relevant sources to support country context and analysis.

Applicants must address the elements beneath each of the following four sub-sections: Country Overview and Context, Strategic Objective 1: Literacy and Education, Strategic Objective 2:

Nutrition and Health, and Local and Regional Procurement. Applicants must also address the elements beneath Cross-Cutting Topics, but Applicants may choose to address them either in a separate sub-section or, as appropriate, explicitly include the cross-cutting topics within their discussion of the other four sub-sections.

Country Overview and Context

(Recommended: 7 pages)

Current School Feeding Operations: Applicants must include a brief overview of the need for a McGovern-Dole project in the country. Applicants must also provide information regarding the country's current school feeding operations and financial commitments if relevant, the length and sessions of a typical school year, and current funding resources.

Method of Choosing Beneficiaries: Applicants must identify the criteria and methodology used to target the geographic area(s) and participant group(s). Where USDA/FAS did not recommend a particular geographic area or target population in the country specific guidance, Applicants must describe why some target areas or participant groups in the country will receive resources (funds or agricultural products) while others may not. If Applicants propose working in a different area than USDA/FAS recommends in the country specific guidance, the Applicant must justify their selection. USDA/FAS expects Applicants to consider the following questions when preparing a description:

• Why did they select the geographic area(s) and participant group(s) and what methodology did they use?

• What are the proposed beneficiaries’ specific needs?

• Which sources of information did they use (e.g., government agency survey, computer database, interviews, assessments, etc.)?

• Who will they collaborate with to identify and target particular geographic areas, institutions, and beneficiaries?

Target Geographic Area: Applicants must list the geographic areas where they will implement activities. Applicants must include a map to illustrate the activity intervention areas.

Local Capacity Building: Applicants must explain how they will involve indigenous institutions as well as local communities and governments in activity development and implementation to foster local capacity building and leadership.

Method of Educating the Public: Applicants should briefly confirm their organization’s ability to meet the branding and marking terms and conditions regarding the acknowledgement of USDA funding, use of the USDA logo, and communications to the public outlined in McGovern-Dole Terms and Conditions Regarding the Acknowledgment of USDA Funding, the Use of the USDA Logo, and Communications to the Public. Applicants should also describe contextually appropriate methods of notifying stakeholders and target country residents about the project funding source.

Previous Projects: If Applicants are already implementing or have previously implemented McGovern-Dole programming or other programming in the country, Applicants must describe challenges they have faced, opportunities they have had, and how they intend to address or mitigate challenges and build upon the opportunities in a continuation project or a new project. If Applicants have not implemented McGovern-Dole or similar programming in the country, the Applicant must similarly describe likely challenges, opportunities, and mitigation of challenges based on their research into the country and relevant perspectives they have gathered from on-the-ground stakeholders, experts, and project implementers working in similar areas.

Strategic Objective 1: Literacy and Education (SO1)

(Recommended: 6 pages)

Overview of Context and Need: Applicants must provide context regarding education, literacy, teacher training, parent-teacher associations, and community infrastructure in the country and target area. USDA/FAS expects Applicants to describe any education-related programs, policies, interventions, and strategies that other stakeholders (including target country government, USG and other public and private donors, private sector, and other USG Agencies involved in the USG Strategy on International Basic Education) are implementing. Applicants must provide an overview of education and literacy-specific needs, challenges, and gaps experienced by communities, particularly community members in vulnerable or marginalized situations.

USDA/FAS expects Applicants identify gender or disability-related inequities in the education sector or reference their analysis in Cross-Cutting Topics.

Applicants must verify and briefly note the host government’s commitment to work, through a national action plan, towards the goals of the World Declaration on Education for All (Jomtien Declaration, and the follow-up Dakar Framework for Action of the World Education Forum).

https://www.fas.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/Terms%20and%20Conditions%20Regarding%20the%20use%20of%20USDA%20logo%20and%20McGovern-Dole%20Branding%20and%20Marking%20.pdf https://www.fas.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/Terms%20and%20Conditions%20Regarding%20the%20use%20of%20USDA%20logo%20and%20McGovern-Dole%20Branding%20and%20Marking%20.pdf https://www.fas.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/Terms%20and%20Conditions%20Regarding%20the%20use%20of%20USDA%20logo%20and%20McGovern-Dole%20Branding%20and%20Marking%20.pdf https://bice.org/app/uploads/2014/10/unesco_world_declaration_on_education_for_all_jomtien_thailand.pdf https://bice.org/app/uploads/2014/10/unesco_world_declaration_on_education_for_all_jomtien_thailand.pdf http://www.portal.oas.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=M/7kIZ0taMw%3D#:%7E:text=The%20Dakar%20Framework%20for%20Action,for%20all%2C%20with%20lasting%20results.&text=Assessment%20of%20Education%20for%20All,been%20made%20in%20many%20countries.

Applicants should verify and briefly note the host government’s commitment to work, through a national action plan, towards the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Sustainable Development Goal 4, and Education 2030: Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action.

Strategy: Applicants must provide an overview of their literacy implementation strategy (with corresponding detailed activity descriptions in the Plan of Operation section). In describing their strategies, Applicants must:

• Adhere to evidence-based approaches and best practices that sustainably improve reading and literacy outcomes for all targeted learners.

• Clearly describe the local system’s reading and literacy needs and barriers and propose tailored, contextually relevant, locally advised, and evidence-based interventions.

• Ensure that they design inclusive reading and literacy approaches which are guided by Universal Design for Learning and sustain positive literacy and reading outcomes after the McGovern-Dole project ends. If feasible, Applicants should also consider co-locating with a USAID-funded education activity to avoid duplication and maximize both projects’ outcomes.

• Design activities to improve basic reading and literacy skills as part of a holistic approach to ensure that children from disadvantaged communities are physically, nutritionally, and cognitively fit to succeed in school. For more information on local systems, see USAID’s Local Systems: A Framework for Supporting Sustained Development.

Coordination: According to USG’s Strategy on International Basic Education and the Memorandum of Understanding between USDA and the United States Agency for International Development (USDA-United States Agency for International Development (USAID) MOU) (see Appendix C), FAS expects Applicants exercise strategic program coordination and complementarity in countries where both McGovern-Dole and USAID have active or planned development and humanitarian activities and leverage lessons learned or best practices where applicable. This could include coordination on the following:

• Geographic location, including co-location of McGovern-Dole and USAID activities where feasible (if not feasible, explain why);

• Evidence-based standards, benchmarks, policies, and curriculum;

• Early childhood and pre-primary education activities;

• Teaching and learning materials development, distribution, and use;

• Teacher training and coaching;

• School administration;

• Regular assessments to inform instruction;

• Extra reading practice and support outside of school;

• Targeted instruction;

• Monitoring and evaluation;

• Parent teacher associations;

• Use of the USAID Reading MATTERS Conceptual Framework; and

• Use of the USAID Pre-Primary Framework: All Children Learning.

Applicants must describe engagement with relevant education stakeholders, including but not limited to government offices and officials, school leadership, parent teacher associations, local non-governmental organizations, local book chain actors, other donor agencies, education https://sdgs.un.org/goals https://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/education-2030-incheon-framework-for-action-implementation-of-sdg4-2016-en_2.pdf https://www.edu-links.org/resources/incorporating-principles-universal-design-learning-education-activities https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/LocalSystemsFramework.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/LocalSystemsFramework.pdf https://www.edu-links.org/resources/usaid-reading-matters-conceptual-framework https://www.edu-links.org/resources/usaid-preprimary-framework-all-children-learning cluster/working groups where applicable, and other stakeholders indicated in the SO1 Overview of Context and Need sub-section.

Strategic Objective 2: Nutrition and Health (SO2)

(Recommended: 6 pages)

Overview of Context and Need: Applicants must include a description of any nutrition programs, policies, interventions, and strategies that other stakeholders (including target country government, USG and other public and private donors and organizations, and the private sector) are implementing related to school feeding, MCN, community-based nutrition, and WASH.

Applicants must provide an overview of health, nutrition, and food safety with WASH specific needs, challenges, and gaps experienced by communities in the country and the target area.

Applicants should identify gender and disability-related health and nutrition disparities. A strong application will also include information on:

• The broad nutritional context of the target population, including typical diet and eating patterns, dietary quality issues and nutrient gaps of the school children and any other beneficiaries if proposing MCN activities;

• Malnutrition rates, including known nutrients of concern;

• Morbidity rates among school children if available;

• Nutritional status of pregnant and lactating women and children under five if proposing

MCN activities;

• National and subnational food security and nutrition-related strategies and policies, if they exist;

• The target country’s current health system and how it interacts with the school system in the proposed target area(s);

• Any efforts in micronutrient fortification, biofortification and supplementation at the national level and in the proposed target area(s);

• The target population’s access to potable water and sanitation facilities as well as sanitation and hygiene practices and behaviors; and

• The prevalence rates of neglected tropical diseases in targeted intervention areas

(including diseases transmitted by worms, such as guinea worm disease, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, and soil-transmitted helminths) through trusted sources such as the Global Atlas of Helminth Infections, Ministry of Health data, World Health Organization, or U.S. government sources on Neglected Tropical Diseases from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and USAID. In endemic contexts, include efforts in the proposed target areas to mitigate the spread of these diseases, including deworming efforts.

Strategy: Applicants must describe their implementation strategy for SO2.

Providing school meals must be a central part of all McGovern-Dole projects. Applicants must list the U.S. and LRP commodities they plan to use in their project and describe the nutritional and cultural appropriateness of the selected commodities. Applicants will provide further detail on these food items in the Ration Justification within their Plan of Operation (Section 4.2.b).

Applicants must propose contextually relevant and evidence-based nutrition-specific and sensitive approaches. Examples of complementary activity topics that may support nutrition include but are not limited to, prepare meals that meet food safety standards, WASH, school gardens, micronutrient supplementation, nutrition and health education, and deworming.

USDA/FAS encourages Applicants to co-locate their nutrition and health efforts in the target schools and communities and describe how these activities will be coordinated with the school meals component.

Applicants must address food safety. A strong application will describe how cooks will maintain safe food storage and handling and how they will maintain hygiene in the kitchen and canteen.

USDA/FAS expects Applicants to ensure that staff who prepare meals strictly follow handwashing protocols. Applicants must discuss how they will mitigate physical, chemical and biological contamination of the imported U.S. and locally and regionally procured commodities at every stage of food handling.

USDA/FAS expects Applicants to ensure potable water for cooking and hygiene in schools.

USDA/FAS strongly encourages Applicants to coordinate with local stakeholders for any activities related to infrastructure construction/rehabilitation, such as latrines and water systems to ensure programming is tailored to the local context and investments are locally owned and access can be sustained after McGovern-Dole support ends. Applicants are also encouraged to explore low-cost, cost-effective sustainable solutions.

If contextually appropriate, Applicants may propose MCN activities. These activities must complement the school feeding component and be in the same catchment areas as the schools.

Illustrative examples of MCN activities include but are not limited to early childhood development centers, growth monitoring and promotion, conditional take-home rations, and social and behavior change interventions like mother groups, cooking demonstrations, mass media and health fairs. If proposing MCN interventions, Applicants must describe how their project would align and coordinate with existing MCN policies, strategies, institutional structures, and programs at the country’s national and sub-national levels.

In areas with both high helminth infection rates, i.e., 20 percent or higher, and where other actors are not implementing deworming activities, Applicants must describe a strategy to implement school-based deworming in target schools. USDA/FAS expects Applicants to coordinate their deworming activities with the Ministry of Health or the competent technical host-country government entity. Applicants must clarify whether they would directly implement deworming activities or coordinate with another stakeholder’s intervention. If other actors are implementing deworming activities that include the project’s target population, Applicants are not required to propose deworming activities but are expected to briefly describe existing deworming interventions.

USDA/FAS encourages Applicants to consider potential sources of lead exposure for children in the providing of school meals, which could have long-term detrimental impacts on cognitive development. Within the strategy, USDA/FAS encourages Applicants to avoid the use of school meal products (e.g., dishes, cookware) that may contain lead and USDA/FAS expects Applicants to encourage practices like hand washing before eating. A strong application will briefly address potential sources of lead exposure and any planned lead exposure mitigation. Please see Appendix C for more information on lead mitigation coordination efforts.

USDA/FAS encourages Applicants to carry out anthropometry among school children to test its utility and feasibility in the school feeding context, build capacity, and potentially better understand the impact of school meals on children’s nutritional status. USDA/FAS encourages Applicants to collect relevant and appropriate anthropometric measurements for all, or a subset of, school children at the start and end of each school year. Applicants may use measurements such as weight-for-age (for children 5-10 years of age) and body mass index (BMI) (for children and adolescents 5-19 years of age) and should follow identified best practices for the respective age groups. USDA/FAS expects Applicants to explain how they will use the data from these measurements, include anthropometric indicators in the Monitoring and Evaluation section, and describe how they will implement these activities in the Plan of Operation. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the advantages, limitations, and feasibility of collecting data for their chosen measure(s). The health or school system may collect anthropometric measurements as appropriate, and Applicants may propose to build in-country capacity toward this end.

Applicants may propose piloting anthropometric measurements in a subset of students to better understand the feasibility and utility of this activity.

Coordination: Applicants must describe how they intend to coordinate with relevant stakeholders such as the government of the target country, USG and other public and private donors, and the private sector.