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Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

.U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)

Announcement Type: Request for Federal Assistance Award Applications

Funding Opportunity Title: Travel, Training and Logistics for Costa Rica

Funding Opportunity Number: OFOP0002457

Program: Travel & Training Logistics Grant

Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance (CFDA) Listing Number:

19.704 - Counternarcotics

Total Funding Available: $2,766,000.00 U.S. Dollars

Funding Source: Post-Funds

Application Ceiling: Up to $2,766,000.00 U.S. Dollars

Application Floor: At least $1,000,000.00 U.S. Dollars

Anticipated Number of Awards: 1 award

Initial Project Implementation

Length:

24 months

Estimated Project Start Date: March 2026

NOFO Issuance Date: January 22, 2026

Deadline for Submission of

Questions:

January 30, 2026 by 11:59 PM EST via email

Deadline for Submission of Applications:

February 6, 2026 by 11:59 PM EST via www.grants.gov

Assistance Type: Cooperative Agreement (CA)

Applicant Types and

Eligibility Categories:

Organizations only.

Refer to Section C: Eligibility Information for more information.

http://www.grants.gov/

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INL Points of Contact:

Tia Allen (allenls2@state.gov) - GO

Carmen Rodriguez (rodriguezCE2@state.gov) - GOR

BUREAU MISSION

The mission of the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement

Affairs (INL) is to keep Americans safe by countering crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad.

INL is at the forefront of responding to these challenges, uniting these overarching themes through our foreign assistance programs, diplomatic engagement, and policy coordination.

mailto:allenls2@state.gov mailto:rodriguezCE2@state.gov

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

F. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

APPENDIX A: PERFORMANCE MONITORING PLAN

APPENDIX B: PROJECT RISK ANALYSIS

APPENDIX C: BUDGET AND BUDGET NARRATIVE

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A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Overview: The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S.

Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a project to provide INL San Jose with efficient logistical and administrative customized support services that facilitate its travel and training activities, increasing INL San Jose’s capacity and flexibility to expand host government attendance at critical trainings or events with U.S. law enforcement counterparts.

The proposed project directly advances the America First initiative by strengthening U.S. national security interests in the region, maximizing efficiency of U.S. government resources, and ensuring measurable returns on U.S. foreign assistance investments. By providing efficient, customized logistical and administrative support to INL San Jose, the project enhances the U.S. Department of

State’s ability to combat transnational crime, narcotics trafficking, and corruption—threats that directly affect the safety of the American people and the integrity of U.S. borders.

The project emphasizes cost-effective operations and operational agility, enabling INL San Jose to expand host-government participation in training and law enforcement cooperation without increasing long-term U.S. staffing or overhead. This aligns with America First principles by ensuring that U.S. engagement abroad is strategic, targeted, and results-driven.

Project Reporting: Note that this award must submit quarterly performance reports through INL’s

DevResults system. See Appendix A for more details.

Priority Region/Countries:

Costa Rica

Problem Statement: Costa Rica is a key transit corridor for transnational narcotics trafficking, requiring rapid, well-coordinated counter-narcotics and law enforcement responses supported by

INL-funded trainings, operations, and regional engagements. The absence of an integrated, secure, and cost-effective logistical support system undermines these efforts by delaying deployment of frontline personnel, limiting participation in critical trainings, and creating oversight and security risks in the movement of participants, funds, and sensitive data. Logistical gaps increase administrative burdens, expose programs to compliance vulnerabilities, and reduce INL’s ability to respond effectively to evolving narcotics threats. A comprehensive end-to-end logistics partner— providing secure travel coordination, financial processing, beneficiary tracking, and real-time reporting—is essential to mitigating these risks, safeguarding personnel, ensuring accountability, and maximizing the operational impact of INL’s counter-narcotics and regional security programs.

Project Goal(s) and Objectives:

Goal: Provide efficient and expeditious logistical and administrative support services to INL Costa

Rica programs.

Project activities and deliverables: Applicant may design and propose their own program, which should be well-defined in the application. Proposals should include, but are not limited to the following activities:

Objective 1: Arrange and manage travel tickets, lodging, per diem, travel advances, health insurance, travel documents, unused e-ticket reporting, and background checks for travelers participating in INL

San Jose program activities.

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Activity 1 - Travel Documents: When required, the award recipient is responsible for assisting participants with obtaining appropriate travel documents such as visas, registration fees, and other documents needed for travel and participation in trainings or other INL-related events. Costa Rican officials must be Leahy vetted prior to participating in any INL trainings. To the extent possible, awardee will work with the Grants Officer Representative (GOR), to identify travel events well in advance of travel dates to secure the best prices.

Activity 2 - Travel Advances and Reimbursement: When required, the award recipient shall provide participants with a travel advance up to the maximum per diem amount authorized by the

U.S. Department of State or lesser amount as determined by the award recipient and INL San Jose.

The applicant shall ensure the participant receives the travel advance at least three business days prior to departure, to reduce the financial burden associated with the event. The advance can be provided via cash, debit card, wire transfer, direct deposit, or any other means not prohibited by U.S. or local laws. The award recipient should demonstrate the capability of sending timely travel advances to participants who are not comfortable sharing sensitive PII banking details with a third party. Awardee will provide reimbursement for costs associated with travel to include per diem, baggage fees, incidentals, taxis, and any other expense authorized by INL programs.

Activity 3 – Airline Tickets/Air Transportation: When required, the organization shall provide the participant with an airline ticket. If statutorily required, flights must comply with the Fly America

Act. Awardees should work with at least two reputable travel agencies to make airline reservations.

The award recipient should work to guarantee that the best possible price for airline tickets is being secured. Periodic reviews of pricing will be conducted by INL San Jose, and pricing should, on average, be competitive with the lowest published rate for the same fare class. INL San Jose will advise what category of ticket should be purchased (such as restricted fare or other). The award recipient shall verify participants’ information including: names, passport details, vetting status, and visas before purchasing e-tickets.

Grantee is only authorized to purchase tickets for the authorized routes and dates. If the traveler would like to make changes for personal convenience it will be the responsibility of the individual traveler to pay any additional fee(s) associated with the change. INL San Jose will not be responsible for any fees incurred by the traveler when the change is made for personal preference/convenience.

No cost construct or extended trips are allowed unless authorized by INL San Jose.

Activity 4 - Health, Travel, and Personal Property Insurance: When required, the award recipient shall provide each participant to the maximum amount of travel insurance authorized. The applicant must ensure that all participants have the appropriate level of travel insurance and to the extent possible that the insurance is widely accepted at their destination before the trip begins.

Activity 5 - Lodging: When required, the award recipient is responsible for providing participants with adequate lodging, using U.S. Department of State approved per diem rates as a guideline, and in compliance with U.S. Embassy Regional Security Office in Costa Rica policies. In some cases, the U.S. government may be able to obtain lodging at academy dormitories or other facilities. In such cases, the award recipient shall coordinate lodging arrangements directly with the U.S. government representative responsible for the facility. The award recipient, on a case-by-case basis, may be required to competitively bid longer-term lodging stays.

The award recipient should work to guarantee that the best possible prices for lodging are secured.

INL San Jose will conduct periodic reviews of pricing and pricing should, on average, be within 15% of the lowest published rate. The award recipient shall ensure that rented rooms are of adequate size

6 | P a g e to accommodate occupants and take the necessary measures to ensure the rented lodging facilities meet U.S. or Costa Rican government sanitary and safety standards. Per INL San Jose guidance, occupancy numbers will be defined on a case-by-case basis. The award recipient shall negotiate cancellation policies, parking, and other features with lodging companies as necessary.

Activity 6 – Unused E-ticket Funding Reporting: When required, the award recipient shall track unused e-tickets and reimbursements resulting from cancellations. The award recipient shall maintain a database of unused tickets and provide a quarterly report to the Grants Officer Representative

(GOR) with this information.

Activity 7 – Background checks for travelers: When required, the award recipient must collect and provide all necessary data for Leahy vetting as indicated by the U.S. Embassy San Jose Leahy coordinator prior to incurring any travel or training expenses. Leahy vetting will be conducted by

INL San Jose. Awardees must ensure vetting clearances have been granted for each participant before they travel.

Objective 2: Provide event management support to INL San Jose programs by providing meals, ground transportation, virtual trainings, interpretation, and translation services, procurement of goods and services, and payment of educational institution tuition as applicable.

Activity 8 - Event Management: When required, the award recipient shall facilitate rental of conference or training facilities appropriate for INL program trainings or events. An event could be a conference, a training course, or any other type of activity that advances INL goals in Costa Rica.

The award recipient shall also provide logistical support for INL sponsored travelers to attend conferences and other events that support INL San Jose goals. The award recipient shall provide one or more event assistants on-site for coordination of events.

• Event Facilities could include small conference rooms with space for five to ten people or large conference centers with capacity for hundreds of people. In some cases, the U.S.

government will coordinate with the host-country to use government conference or training facilities such as training academies.

• Event Facility Support Services. The award recipient may need to provide audio-visual, computer, and communications equipment (such as Internet, radios, cell phones, interpretation devices, or devices, other communications services); reception personnel, cleaning, interpreter/translation services, and supplies to support trainings or other events.

The award recipient shall take the necessary measures to ensure the rented conference/training facilities meet U.S. or host-country sanitary and safety standards.

• Event Materials. The award recipient shall prepare materials that support the event’s objectives. This includes the design and printing of materials for trainers and/or trainees per

INL programs requirements and other supplies as needed. The award recipient shall maintain express mail delivery services for sending materials or travel documents.

• Event Keynote Invitees. The award recipient shall help recruit/invite/contract with appropriate speakers, subject matter experts (SME), trainers, and interpreters etc. to accomplish the event’s objectives. In the case of invited speakers, the award recipient may be required to pay honoraria that do not exceed the maximum allowable amount established in

U.S. federal assistance guidelines based on factors such as reasonable rates, fair market value, profile, or level of expertise.

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• Event Fees. The award recipient shall provide event fees as training expenses for participants.

Event fees may be authorized and paid to the organization providing the conference or training. This can range from a conference entrance fee to paying specific fees for licenses associated with training courses deemed to be in the interest of the U.S. government.

Activity 10 - Refreshments and Meals: When required, the award recipient is responsible for providing participants with government approved per diem or meals such as hot breakfast, lunch, and dinner at locations where the participant cannot easily obtain reasonable meals at public facilities.

When needed, the award recipient shall also provide snacks, coffee, tea, and non-alcoholic refreshments during INL San Jose events. Snacks and beverages may be provided with previous authorization per internal INL San Jose policy. The award recipient shall ensure that coffee, tea, and drinking water are available throughout the duration of the event. The award recipient may be needed to provide meals “to-go” so disposable packages may be needed. The award recipient shall take the necessary measures to ensure food and beverages meet U.S. or host-country sanitary standards.

Activity 11 - Ground Transportation: When required, the award recipient shall arrange the use of rented vehicles for individuals or groups to support INL events. Ground transportation includes taxis, rented vehicles (as regulations demand), pickup trucks, vans, and buses. Ground transportation could include transportation to and from hotels to meeting facilities, to and from the airport and hotel, between sites of interest, etc. The award recipient shall ensure participants arrive at the sponsored event location at least 15 minutes before the event begins and shall take the necessary measures to ensure the vehicles meet host-country and U.S. Government safety standards.

Activity 12 - Unused Funds Settlement: When required, the award recipient shall take required actions to recover unused funds resulting from cancellations by participants, vendors, facilities, etc.

Voucher settlement includes obtaining receipts from hotels, boarding passes, and other documentation. In the event the award recipient owes money to a participant, settlement shall be made no later than 15 calendar days after the last day of the capacity-building event. The award recipient will also be responsible for the liquidation of travel expenses by USG regulations.

Activity 13 - Virtual Trainings: When required the award recipient should be able to organize virtual events. These virtual events could be in form of webinars, conferences, trainings, workshops, and/or internal/ external hybrid events. The award recipient should review that the following elements can be provided when required in each virtual event: event website, event registration, live presentation content, live one- way audio/video, question and answer, live polling, note taking/ favorite slides, recorded content, interactive video conferencing and feedback survey, and provide the corresponding platform for the event.

Activity 14 – Interpretation and Translation Service: When required the award recipient may be responsible for providing translation of academic materials and interpretation services for national and international events. They also will retain contacts with more than one translation and interpretation company to attain the best available prices for any event, and to ensure the availability of quality interpreters who may be recruited with short notice.

Activity 15 - Procurement of Goods and Services for Activities: In general, all procurement transactions shall be conducted, to the maximum extent practical, by open competition. Awards shall be made to the bidder or offeror whose offer or offer is responsive to the solicitation criteria, and is the most advantageous based upon price, quality, and other factors identified in the solicitation. The award recipient should purchase materials through vendors, in alignment with State Department procurement policy.

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Activity 16 – Transfer of Tuition Payments: When required, the award recipient shall support the payment of tuition fees and related expenses to educational institutions both within and outside the participants’ country of origin in support of INL San Jose programs.

Activity 17 – Exceptional Circumstances: The award recipient shall be capable of providing ad-hoc administrative and logistical support for travel within 24 hours. The recipient will accommodate late travel and/or training requests whenever possible.

Activity 18 – Customer Service: The award recipient will maintain a professional, customer-service focused staff that complies with U.S. Embassy San Jose workplace policies and norms. The award recipient will provide monthly incidents reports (e.g., issues with travel arrangements or insurance coverage, funds lost on last minute participant cancellation, etc.).

Objective 3: Manage a quality Database and effective Reporting System through a website service that provides operational and analytical information. Support INL San Jose with the survey process to monitor and evaluate INL Programs activities and drive operational decision-making and strategic planning.

Activity 19 – Database Management and Reporting: The award recipient shall use an effective data management system to collect, process, validate and store data to ensure that INL users can access updated and reliable information. The award recipient shall maintain accurate digital records of the service provided, including, but not limited to participant's profile (institution, phone, e-mail, gender, ID number), activities, contingencies, transactions incurred for travel and purchase orders.

The award recipient shall take the necessary measures to protect, secure data, and ensure PII data privacy (Protection of personally identifiable information) in their database.

Monitoring and evaluation is a mandated activity that INL must conduct to validate the outputs and impact of all foreign assistance programs. INL requires the following types of reports: Operational

Reports that can include activities tracking, budget execution, and expenses breakdown, among others, on a recurrent basis (annual, monthly, weekly); Analytical Reports that should contain data analysis on a specific topic that INL can require to evaluate and recommend a course of action; and

Quarterly performance reporting through DevResults, an online database software. INL will offer training prior to quarterly reporting submission windows.

Activity 20 - Website Service System: To facilitate the requesting process, the award recipient shall utilize a website or online platform to manage requests, secure personal information, process all services and ensure proper authorizations by implementing an agreed-upon approval flow system with INL San Jose. This system should have at least three (3) request modules to address Travel, Purchases, and Service orders. Each module should have all the required information to fulfill the program's needs and must be able to record each request or amendment to keep track of all the changes.

Activity 21 – INL San Jose Surveys management support: The award recipient shall conduct surveys for international and local training participants. Its responsibility will be submitting online surveys designed by INL San Jose in advance, compiling the answers within 3-5 days after the activity ends, and providing INL with a copy of the survey document for evaluation no later than one week after the survey completion. INL will implement the procedures to carry out this assessment.

The award recipient should be able to provide support 24/7, and for urgent needs respond to travel requests within 2 hours of receipt of that request. While not a normal occurrence, the award recipient should be able to provide lodging, airline tickets, and meals within 24 hours of a request. Provision

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Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and INL San Jose Front Office internal regulations.

The number of events and participants is subject to the INL programs annual budget which will be coordinated with the award recipient. The events usually last from one (1) day to six (6) months, but the average event is approximately one or two weeks in duration.

Budget execution is the responsibility of the award recipient, which must track and account for any cost increase or decrease on the budget because of fluctuations in exchange rates, per regulations outline in 2 CFR 200.440 – Exchange Rate.

Participants and Audiences: INL will identify target audiences, specific demographics, and the region(s) in which the project will be implemented, including the approximate number of beneficiaries to be directly and indirectly impacted by project activities. The U.S. government estimates that a minimum of 1,000 and a maximum of 3,000 people will attend INL capacity-building events in a 12-month period. The number of participants per event can range from an individual traveler to hundreds of attendees at a local activity.

The recipient must obtain the Grants Officer's approval before incurring any new costs for proposed activities or expenses not previously approved.

Funds for the proposed travel logistics project cannot be used to cover expenses such as travel, personnel, administrative, or any other costs for USG employees and contractors (e.g., full-time employees (Foreign or Civil Service personnel), third-party contractors (TPCs), Personal Services

Contractors (PSCs), Locally Employed Staff (LE Staff), or WAEs).

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Applicants are encouraged to reference the table on the first page(s) of this NOFO to determine the basic federal award information (e.g., project length, amount of funding available, anticipated number of awards, assistance type, etc.). Additional award information is included in this section, although specific aspects of the award(s) issued from this NOFO may differ from program to program.

1. Project Implementation Period

The initial project implementation length is the amount of time (e.g., months) applicants should plan to implement the project. If a range of months is listed, applicants should propose a realistic project length within that range. INL reserves the right to decrease or increase the initial project implementation period in accordance with the needs of the INL project/program.

INL may extend the project implementation period, contingent on INL priorities, good performance of the recipient, Department of State management approvals, and funding availability. INL projects shall not exceed five (5) total years of project implementation.

2. Assistance Type

The type of assistance is determined by the scope of INL’s involvement in the implementation of the project. Refer to the table on the first page(s) of the NOFO to determine whether this particular project will be a grant or cooperative agreement.

For cooperative agreements, INL may be substantially involved in the following ways:

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• Approval of the recipient’s annual work plans, including: planned activities for the following year, travel plans, planned expenditures, event planning, and changes to any activity to be carried out under the Cooperative Agreement;

• Approval of Monitoring and Evaluation Plan; and

• Other country- or project-specific approvals will be included in the award documents.

3. Funding Notices

This award will be supported with International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement

(INCLE) funds under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. This notice is subject to the availability of funding.

Length of performance period: 24 months

Anticipated program start date: March 2026

Number of awards anticipated: 1 award

Award amount: Up to $2,766,000.00

Total available funding: $2,766,000.00

Type of Funding: FY21/22 and FY22/23 INCLE Funds

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicant Types

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

• U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);

• U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code or section 26 US 115 of the U.S. tax code;

• Foreign-based non-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);

• Foreign-based educational institutions

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost share is the portion of project costs not borne by the U.S. government. Cost share is recommended but not required for this project. Applicants must be able to ensure cost share is accounted for/tracked through accounting systems and/or supporting documentation (such as Personnel Activity Records, proof of voluntary hours, proof of any purchases for materials being included as cost share, etc.)

Any cost share proposed must be appropriately captured within the SF-424A, budget, and budget narrative.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

• In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity

Identifier (UEI) issued via SAM.gov as well as a valid registration in SAM.gov. Please see Section D for more information. Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov.

• Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. Organizations may form a consortium and submit a combined proposal; however, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant and other organization(s) listed as sub-recipient partner(s).

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• Applicants are reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law prohibits transactions with, and the provision of resources and support to, individuals and organizations associated with terrorism. It is the legal responsibility of the recipient to ensure compliance with these Executive Orders and laws. This provision must be included in any sub‐awards issued under this grant award.

Note: Public International Organizations (PIOs) and For-Profit Organizations are excluded from applying to INL grant/cooperative agreement announcements.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Applicants should carefully follow all instructions in this section to ensure their application is formatted properly and includes all required documents. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be deemed ineligible for review.

1. How to Apply and Submit Questions

This opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov, along with all required application forms and, where applicable, templates for application documents. Applications and all supporting documents must be submitted via www.grants.gov. INL reserves the right to reject any applications submitted through improper channels.

Applicants are encouraged to closely review the NOFO and email questions to the INL points of contact by the deadline listed on the first page(s) of this document. After the question deadline has passed, INL will respond to all questions publicly through a Questions & Answers document uploaded to the Related Documents tab of this opportunity.

2. Required Application Documents

All documents in the following list must be included in your application, unless explicitly listed as optional. If a document includes a page limit, please adhere to that limit in your application.

Applicants that do not submit all required documents will be notified via email of their ineligibility after the application deadline.

Standard Application Forms

SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – Organizations)

Must be signed by an authorized signatory of the applicant’s organization.

SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs)

SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction Programs) – Optional

The SF-424B is only required for applicants who are not registered in SAM.gov.

Project Proposal

The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant is proposing to do. The following documents may be submitted separately or combined into one document. If combined, please be sure to adhere to the page limits for each section.

Proposal Narrative – Maximum 20 pages

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Applicants may use their own proposal template, but it must include all the sections below.

Refer to Appendix A for additional guidance on drafting a proposal narrative.

Cover Page: include organization name, project title, requested number of months, target country(ies), point(s) of contact, and requested funding amount.

Table of Contents: list all documents and attachments with page numbers.

Executive Summary: Provide a synopsis of the project.

Project Context: Include an analysis of the issue to be addressed, including why it is important to address, what the main causes of the issue are, and who has power to effect change on the issue; suggested approaches and solutions (with evidence to support suggestions); and suggestions for outcomes, i.e., the specific changes the project could expect to achieve within the period of performance.

Theory of Change & Implementation Plan: Describe the implementation plan

(specific activities to implement suggested solutions); and explain how or why they should result in accomplishment of the outcomes. Projects should be designed such that activities, if implemented according to plan, should result in achievement of the outcomes. The Theory of Change should clearly address why the outcomes do not already exist in practice, and how the project will address those constraints. Finally, discuss likely challenges to implementation, including any risks of harm to project implementers or participants, along with mitigation strategies.

Evidence: The theory of change should demonstrate a clear understanding of where previous relevant interventions have succeeded or failed, and demonstrate how those lessons will inform the proposed intervention(s). Projects are also expected to incorporate insights from the evidence on what has been shown to be promising in related areas of the intervention(s). The Center for Evidence-Based

Crime Policy provides a good overview of the available systemic reviews in criminal justice policy, linked here. In addition, the National Academies of

Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine publishes consensus reports including those on international crime and justice issues such as policing, linked here, that should be reviewed if relevant to the intervention(s). Where feasible, it is highly recommended that projects incorporate a research or evaluation components to ensure lessons developed through the course of implementation can inform the broader stakeholder community for future projects.

Description of Prior Work: Provide brief descriptions, including outcomes and deliverables, of any similar projects the organization has implemented.

Future Funding Plan/Sustainability: Briefly discuss the plan for ensuring the sustainability of the project (i.e., that the project continues to have impact beyond the grant period) or note if sustainability is unlikely without continued support.

Applicants may also include a brief section outlining how additional funds could potentially be used to expand work into additional activities or countries beyond the initial project period.

Performance Monitoring Plan

See Appendix A for more details and instructions. Applicants MUST submit the following:

• Change Map (see template). Note: The Change Map will eventually include INL Standard Indicators, as determined by grantee responses to the Standard Indicator Form. These do not need to be reflected in the

Change Map at the application stage.

https://cebcp.org/systematic-reviews/ https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/evidence-to-advance-reform-in-the-global-security-and-justice-sectors

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• Illustrative Performance Indicator Reference Sheet (see template)

Note 1: If full performance monitoring information is not available at the time of the proposal, the applicant should indicate that the Change Map and PIRS are notional. If selected, a final version of the documents will be required as an early deliverable.

Note 2: Grantee must generate quarterly performance reports using INL’s performance monitoring system (DevResults). Grantee must submit several forms and templates (see

Appendix A) within 30 days of award to enroll in the system. INL will provide user accounts and training for new users.

Project Risk Analysis

A template is included under the Related Documents section of this NOFO announcement on www.grants.gov. Refer to Appendix B for additional guidance on drafting a Project

Risk Analysis.

Timeline

Outline key milestones in the project, project start-up, and closeout, programmatic activities, and monitoring and evaluation activities (e.g., monitoring trips or semi-annual reviews). May be a written schedule and/or a GANTT chart.

Organization, Staff, and Partners

The following documents may be submitted separately or combined into one document. If combined, please be sure to adhere to the page limits for each section.

Biographical Information of Applicant Organization – Maximum 4 pages

Introduce the applicant organization, including biographical information such as mission statement, organization size, relevant office location(s), etc.

Provide a summary description of past and present operations, demonstrating the applicant’s ability to carry out the project

Describe any experience the organization has in the target country or region

Confirm whether the organization is a registered business entity within the target country or region

List of Key Personnel – Maximum 3 pages

Names, titles, responsibilities, and relevant experience or qualifications of key personnel involved in the management of the project

Partner Information (if subrecipient) is being proposed) – Maximum 3 pages

Introduce and provide relevant information about key partner organizations and sub-recipients

Briefly describe the division of labor and/or distinct roles and responsibilities among the applicant organization and its partners

If proposing a sub-recipient, please briefly describe the applicant organization’s experience related to managing sub-recipients

Letters of Support – Optional

If desired, applicants may submit letters of support from project partners, host government entities, or other relevant stakeholders

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Project Budget and Cost Documents

Summary and Detailed Budgets

A proposal budget must be submitted in spreadsheet format (e.g., Microsoft Excel). A template is located under the Related Documents section of this NOFO announcement on www.grants.gov for applicants as a reference. Refer to Appendix C for additional guidance on drafting a proposal budget.

One tab of the spreadsheet shall contain the Summary Budget, which lists the

OMB-approved budget categories and total estimated cost per category

One tab of the spreadsheet shall contain the Detailed Budget, which breaks down the OMB-approved budget categories into individual line items and provides detailed cost estimates per line item

If applicable, federal costs and recipient cost share must be reported in separate columns

Budget Narrative

The Budget Narrative is a companion document to the summary and detailed budgets and must be submitted in word document format. A template is included under the Related

Documents section of this NOFO announcement on www.grants.gov. Refer to Appendix

C for additional guidance on drafting a Budget Narrative.

The Budget Narrative should communicate to INL any budgetary information that is not readily apparent in the detailed budget. Rather than simply repeating with words what is stated numerically in the budget, the Budget Narrative should explain the logic behind the amount budgeted for each line item

If applicable, proposed recipient cost share must be included in the Budget

Narrative, including reference to the source of the cost share

Indirect Costs

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA):

If the applicant has an approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

(NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, a copy of the organization’s most-recent NICRA must be included in the application

If the applicant is proposing a sub-recipient that has an approved NICRA, and includes NICRA charges in the sub-award budget, a copy of the sub-recipient organization’s most recent NICRA must be included in the application

De Minimis Rate:

The applicant can elect to charge the de minimis rate up to 15% of modified total direct costs (MTDC), which is allowable if the organization does not have a current agreement. (Please see Appendix C: Budget and budget narrative for more information regarding the de minimis rate.)

If the applicant elects to utilize the de minimis rate, that rate may be used indefinitely.

If an award is issued utilizing the de minimis rate and the recipient subsequently negotiates a NICRA, the GO may consider amending the award to reflect the new

NICRA rate under the following conditions:

15 | P a g e o If the applicant intends to negotiate a NICRA, the applicant must inform the

GO during the application period that they plan to negotiate a NICRA, or are in the process of doing so, and would like to amend the award in the future after a rate is finalized.

o Once the recipient receives a rate, they may submit a written request for a budget realignment. The new rate may only be applied to costs incurred during the effective period of the NICRA.

o The NICRA cannot be applied to costs incurred during a period of performance that is prior to the effective date of the new rate.

Applicant Management Capabilities

INL must assess each potential applicant for organizational risks related to the financial and programmatic management of a federal assistance project.

History of U.S. Government Federal Assistance Awards

This document outlines the applicant organization’s experience with implementing U.S.

government-funded federal assistance awards, including current and completed projects.

The list must include the awarding agency, point of contact, name of the project, start and end dates, and amount of the award.

If the applicant has never received a U.S. federal assistance award, please list other projects the organization has implemented, including the information requested in the bullet above.

FY2026 INL Applicant Pre-Award Risk Survey

This risk survey reviews the applicant organization’s financial capacity, policies, and infrastructure. The FY2026 template is included under the Related Documents section of this NOFO announcement on www.grants.gov.

Please take note of the questions within the survey that request additional documentation. These documents must be included in the application.

Submission of an outdated INL Applicant Pre-Award Risk Survey does not satisfy the FY2026 INL Applicant Pre-Award Risk Survey submission requirement.

Organizational Audit

If the applicant organization is required to undergo an audit (per regulations outlined in 2 CFR 200.500 – Subpart F), a complete copy of the organization’s most-recent audit must be submitted. (The Single audit report is an additional requirement for domestic and foreign organizations that spend $1,000,000 or more in federal funds in the fiscal year. The submission of the financial statement is not a substitute for a single audit report nor does not satisfy the organizational audit submission requirement.)

If the applicant organization is not required to undergo an audit (per the regulation cited above), a brief explanation must be submitted with the application. This explanation shall include confirmation that the organization is under the threshold for which an audit is required and/or plans for the organization to undergo an audit in the future. The brief explanation can be included in the FY2026 INL Applicant

Pre-Award Risk Survey.

3. Document Formatting

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Applicants must ensure that their application documents conform to the following requirements:

• 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 fit 8 ½ x 11 paper, and

• All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

4. Required Entity and Account Registrations for Applicants

All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique

Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration in 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. An applicant must maintain an active registration while it has a proposal under review by the Department and must continue to keep the registration active for the entire duration of the period of performance of any Federal award that results from this NOFO.

The 2 CFR 200 requires subrecipients to obtain a UEI. Please note the UEI for subrecipients is not required at the time of application but will be required before an award is processed and/or directed to a subrecipient.

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 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 prior to registering in

SAM.gov.

● 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 to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities. If an applicant organization is mid-registration and wishes to remove an NCAGE code from their SAM.gov registration, the applicant should submit a help desk ticket (“incident”) with the Federal Service Desk (FSD) online 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 an 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.

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

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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:

NCAGE Homepage:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/sc/CageList.aspx

NCAGE Code Request Tool (NCRT):

NCAGE Code Request Tool (nato.int)

Exemptions

An exemption from the UEI and sam.gov registration requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis. See 2 CFR 25.110 for a full list of exemptions.

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.

Grants.gov

To submit an application to this NOFO, applicants must register in grants.gov.

• Go to www.grants.gov and select “Register” from the banner at the top of the page.

• This should be the last step of the entity registration processes, completed after obtaining a UEI number, NCAGE/CAGE Code (if applicable), and SAM.gov registration.

Help with grants.gov registrations and application submission:

• Go to the grant.gov support page at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html

• Call +1 800-518-4726

• Email support@grants.gov

Each applicant is responsible for ensuring that their application is correctly submitted through www.grants.gov. INL is not responsible for errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes during application submission. If applicants cannot resolve technical issues with the system, they should email the INL points of contact listed on the first page of this NOFO, providing an explanation of the issue and proof of attempts to resolve it (e.g., correspondence with grants.gov support). The INL Grants Office will then determine whether the applicant may submit application materials via email.

5. Funding Restrictions

i. Funding Restrictions for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)

None of the funds awarded resulting from this Notice of Funding Opportunity may be made available for subawards, direct financial support, or otherwise used to provide any payment or transfer to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

ii. Prohibition on Funding Activities that Encourage Mass-Migration Caravans towards the

United States Southwest Border 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 https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/Codification/CageTool/home https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-A/section-25.110 http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html mailto:support@grants.gov

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None of the funds awarded under this grant may be made available to encourage, mobilize, publicize, or manage mass-migration caravans towards the United States southwest border.

Funds may not be made available for legal counseling on the United States asylum process;

and/or for referrals to legal representation in the United States.

Funds may only be used for cash cards for use in the country in which they are provided or to facilitate assisted voluntary returns and other purposes that do not encourage, mobilize, publicize, or manage mass migration caravans towards the United States southwest border.

The provision of humanitarian assistance is permitted.

iii. Certification Regarding Compliance with applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws

If the place of performance or delivery of any award made under this NOFO will be within the United States, applicants are advised that they will be required to certify the following at the time of award:

1) Its compliance in all respects with all applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws is material to the government’s payment decisions for purposes of section 3729(b)(4) of title 31, United States Code and;

2) It does not operate any programs promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that violate any applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws. A program promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion means a program whose purpose is to promote preferences based on race, color religion, sex, or national origins, such as in training or hiring.

iv. Certification Regarding Compliance with 20 U.S.C. 1011f and any other applicable foreign funding disclosure requirements

Applicants are advised that IHEs must certify the following at the time of award, and that this certification requirement must be included in any subaward agreements to IHEs:

1) Its compliance in all respects with section 1011f of title 20, United States Code, and any other applicable foreign funding disclosure requirements is material for purposes of section 3729 of title 31, United States Code, and for receipt of appropriate Federal grant funds.

v. Certification of Trafficking in Persons Compliance and Compliance Plan

Applicants are advised that they will be required to certify the…