INL NOFO_Colombian Juvenile Drug Court Expansion_INLWHP20CA0009.pdf

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

United States Department of State

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Announcement Type: Request for Federal Assistance Awards Applications

Public Opportunity Title: Colombian Juvenile Drug Court Expansion

NOFO Opportunity Number: INL20CA0009-WHPColombia-DrugCourts-01212020

Catalog of Federal Domestic 19.704 – Counter-narcotics

Assistance (CFDA) Number:

Funding Amount: Not to exceed $1,000,000 U.S. Dollars

NOFO Issuance Date: January 21, 2020

Deadline for Receipt of Questions: February 5, 2020

11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time

Deadline for Submission of February 21, 2020

Applications: 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time via www.grants.gov

Program Type: Drug Demand Reduction

Grant Program: INL-Bogota

Assistance Type: Cooperative Agreement

Eligibility Category: U.S. based non-profit/non-governmental organizations

(NGOs);

U.S. based educational institutions having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS;

Overseas-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs); and

Overseas-based private/state educational institutions.

Applicants must demonstrate in-country business registration in Colombia.

See complete eligibility criteria below.

http://www.grants.gov/

Applicant Type: Organizations only

Award Ceiling: $1,000,000

Award Floor: $250,000

Cost Sharing Requirement: Not required but recommended

Agency Points of Contact: For any questions related to this opportunity, please email:

Alexandra Paez (PaezA@state.gov) and

Katelyn Smith (SmithKB@state.gov)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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

Affairs (INL) is to minimize the impact of international crime and illegal drugs on the United

States, its citizens, and partner nations by providing effective foreign assistance and fostering global cooperation. This mission, which centers on helping our partner nations establish a capable and accountable criminal justice sector, was expanded during the past decade to include stabilizing post-conflict societies through criminal justice sector development and reform. This mission supports peace and security by stabilizing and strengthening security institutions and by combating narco-trafficking and other transnational crimes such as money laundering and criminal gangs. It promotes just and democratic governments by strengthening justice sector institutions, good governance and respect for human rights.

INL combines forces with other U.S. Government (USG) and international agencies and takes a regional approach to widespread problems. INL also encourages more developed governments to take responsibility as equal partners in global efforts to combat transnational crime, including drug trafficking. The Bureau’s priority programs support three inter-related objectives:

• BUILDING CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS: Institutionalize rule of law by developing and expanding criminal justice systems to strengthen partner country law enforcement and judicial effectiveness, foster cooperation in legal affairs, and advance respect for human rights;

• COUNTER-NARCOTICS: Disrupt the overseas production and trafficking of illicit drugs through targeted counter-narcotics and institution-building assistance and coordination with foreign nations and international organizations, and;

• TRANSNATIONAL CRIME: Minimize the impact of transnational crime and criminal networks on the United States and its allies through enhanced international cooperation and foreign assistance.

mailto:PaezA@state.gov mailto:SmithKB@state.gov

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

The United States Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement

Affairs INL is seeking applications from qualified U.S.-based and non-U.S. based non-governmental (NGOs)/non-profit organizations or educational institutions for a cooperative agreement to implement a program entitled “Colombian Juvenile Drug Court Expansion” The authority for this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.400g, it is U.S. Department of State policy not to award profit under assistance instruments. All direct and indirect reasonable, allocable, and allowable expenses, however, that are related to the agreement program and are in accordance with applicable cost standards (2 CFR 200 for U.S. and overseas-based non-profit organizations, and education institutions) may be paid under the cooperative agreement . NOTE: overseas-based nonprofit organizations are legally required to comply with 2 CFR 200.

Subject to the availability of funds and pending Department of State internal approvals, INL intends to issue an award in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 in federal funding. The U.S.

Dollar amount will be funded from INL allocated funds, for an initial project period of three years. INL may award up to two additional years contingent on INL priorities, good performance of the recipient, and funding availability. INL reserves the right to fund any number of applications or none of the applications submitted and will determine the resulting level of funding for each award(s).

Eligible organizations interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of project sought and the application submission requirements and evaluation process.

To be eligible for an award, the applicant must submit all required information and documents in its application through www.grants.gov including the requirements found in any attachments to this funding opportunity.

This NOFO consists of the following Sections:

Contents

SECTION I – PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

SECTION II – FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

SECTION III – ELIGIBLITY INFORMATION

SECTION IV – APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

TAB A: PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

TAB B: PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION PLAN, LOGIC

MODEL, and PROGRAM RISK ANALYSIS

TAB C: BUDGET GUIDELINES

SECTION V – APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

SECTION VI – FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

SECTION VII – AGENCY CONTACTS

Any questions concerning this NOFO should be submitted via email to Alexandra Paez

(PaezA@state.gov) and Katelyn Smith (SmithKB@state.gov). The deadline for submission of questions for this NOFO is February 05, 2020 by 11:59 PM EST. Responses to questions will be made available to all potential applicants as an attachment to this NOFO and posted on www.grants.gov.

This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov and may be amended. See Section IV for further details. Potential applicants should regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this NOFO. Applicants will need to have available or download the most updated version of the Adobe program to their computers to view and save the Adobe forms properly. If you have difficulty registering on www.grants.gov or accessing the NOFO, please contact the www.grants.gov helpdesk at: 1-800-518-4726, International callers: 1-606-

545-5035, or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance. The Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except federal holidays).

See https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ for a list of federal holidays.

You may also obtain online assistance at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html or https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/GetStarted/Get_Started.htm.

INL encourages applicants to submit their applications during normal business hours (Monday

– Friday, 9:00AM- 5:00PM Eastern Standard Time). If an applicant experiences technical difficulties and has contacted the appropriate help desk, but is not receiving timely assistance, (e.g. if you have not received a response within 48 hours of contacting the help desk), you may contact the INL point of contact listed in the NOFO. The point of contact may assist in contacting the appropriate help desk, but an applicant should also document their efforts in contacting the help desk. Applicants may also contact the INL point of contact listed in the NOFO if mailto:PaezA@state.gov mailto:SmithKB@state.gov http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/GetStarted/Get_Started.htm experiencing technical issues with grants.gov that may result in a late submission.

Applicants experiencing technical difficulties should follow these three steps:

1) Contact the help desk for Grants.gov immediately.

2) Document (including screenshots) technical issues AND efforts to contact the help desk. Provide ticket number(s) and/or reference number(s) provided by the helpdesk in order to assist with the technical issue(s).

Note: The INL Grants Officer will determine technical eligibility of all applications and allowability of acceptable proposal submissions if applicants experience technical difficulties without a resolution.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that it’s application has been received from www.grants.gov in its entirety. INL bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes associated with electronic or late submissions.

Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S.

government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application. In addition, final award of any resultant grant agreement cannot be made until funds have been fully appropriated, allocated, and committed through internal INL procedures. While it is anticipated that these procedures will be successfully completed, potential applicants are hereby notified of these requirements and conditions for award. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant's expense.

SECTION I – PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

The 2016 Colombian National Study on the Use of Psychoactive Substances among School

Children (Colombian Drug Observatory, 2016) showed that the percentage of adolescents who recently used cocaine doubled between 2011 and 2016. Similarly, the study found that 9.7 percent of Colombian adolescents had used an illicit drug in the past year, representing a 12 percent increase from 2011. Persistent substance abuse is often accompanied by a wide range of problems, including gang violence and increased crime levels (“The Causal Connection

Between Drug Misuse and Crime,” The British Journal of Criminology, July 2009). This contributes to overall recruitment into gangs and transnational organized crime, as well as elevated levels of drug demand.

In order to interrupt criminal activity in the Colombian juvenile justice system, the Colombian government is expanding drug prevention and treatment programs for juvenile offenders as part of President Duque’s counternarcotics strategy. The U.S. government supports this and other efforts to provide alternatives to incarceration that reduce drug consumption and criminal gang recruitment. The program also improves Colombian judicial system efficiency by reducing recidivism and diverting adolescent offenders into treatment, rather than into the already crowded criminal justice system.

After a two-year viability study, the Government of Colombia piloted a juvenile drug court model in Medellin with U.S. government assistance. Since the program’s creation in 2016 it has successfully treated 32 Colombian youth, diverting them from detention centers. Based on these positive results, the Colombian government seeks to expand the drug treatment court pilot program to seven new cities.

To support the Colombian government’s efforts to reduce drug consumption, the U.S.

Department of State has allocated $1,000,000 USD in funding for designing the expansion of the program, training and mentoring Colombian staff in each target city, and evaluating its impact.

Under the proposed expansion, the Colombian government has identified the key judicial and administrative staff in each target city who will launch and run the new drug treatment courts.

The Colombian Ministry of Justice is funding the initial training for new drug treatment court staff and policy makers.

PROJECT PURPOSE/DESCRIPTION

The purpose of this project is to reduce criminal recruitment and recidivism by utilizing the juvenile justice system as an opportunity to divert Colombian youth from drug use. It will also improve judicial efficiency by reducing the number of adolescent offenders in the criminal justice system. This will be accomplished by expanding the successful juvenile drug treatment court pilot from Medellin to seven new regions.

The project is comprised of the following objectives and corresponding activities:

PROJECT GOALS

The project’s goal is to launch seven new drug treatment courts throughout Colombia in order to reduce criminal recruitment and juvenile drug consumption. The grantee will provide the technical assistance and planning necessary to accomplish this. In the course of the project, the grantee will complete the following:

1. Assess the existing pilot drug treatment court and recommend improvements

2. Design the three-year drug treatment court expansion plan

3. Mentor staff and policymakers to establish drug treatment courts in the target cities

4. Develop a practical training curriculum for future drug treatment court staff

5. Create a monitoring and evaluation plan for drug treatment courts

6. Advise officials on how to maximize future impact of the drug treatment court system

The seven cities included in the project are: Armenia, Barranquilla, Bogotá, Cali, Pereira, Villavicencio, and Yopal.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Objective 1: Assess the pilot drug treatment court and recommend process improvements.

Activity 1: Conduct an evaluation of Medellin’s drug treatment court program. This evaluation will provide recommendations to strengthen the program and inform future project design in the seven new cities. The evaluation should include an examination of existing monitoring and evaluation activities.

Objective 2: Design the three-year drug treatment court expansion plan

Activity 1: Design the three-year drug treatment court expansion plan. This objective will support the administrative and logistical coordination needed to expand the drug court model into the seven new cities of Colombia. The expansion plan will include timelines for training, mentoring, and monitoring in each of the seven cities, and include a risk mitigation plan.

Objective 3: Advise and mentor staff and policymakers to establish drug treatment courts in the target cities.

Guide key staff and policymakers to initiate a drug treatment court in each target city according to the implementation plan from Activity 2. The grantee will identify experts with experience in these fields to travel to Colombia and provide the necessary mentorship. While the exact staffing will vary based upon each city’s resources and needs, Medellin’s pilot drug treatment court included:

• Magistrates (2)

• Judge (1)

• Judicial coordinator (1)

• Prosecutors/fiscales (3)

• Public defenders (4)

• Family welfare representative (1)

• Inspector general/procurador (1)

• Municipal/mayoral office staff (3)

• Ministry of Justice representatives (3)

Activity 1: Mentor drug treatment court staff and policymakers to start up a drug treatment court in each target city. This will include on-site meetings with staff, observation of initial court proceedings, and feedback to improve processes. Initial mentoring will include Medellin drug treatment court staff, but should include initial project beneficiaries as mentors as the project advances. These discussions can occur virtually when appropriate.

Objective 4: Develop a practical training curriculum for future drug treatment court staff

This objective will create the permanent training module that the Colombian government will use to train future drug treatment court staff and continue to expand the program to other regions in the future. The Colombian government is funding the training of new officials in the seven new cities covered in this project.

Activity 1: Develop a permanent drug treatment court training module. The trainings modules will cover the drug treatment court legal, treatment, and prevention best practices and procedures, based upon the evaluation and recommendations from Activity 1. Whenever possible, training should be designed to be case-based and practical as opposed to traditional theoretical classroom training. The grantee will provide 30 copies of all written materials, and digital copies of all written and multimedia material.

Objective 5: Create a monitoring and evaluation plan for drug treatment courts

Activity 1: Develop an evaluation plan for the drug treatment court system. The guide will include information identified from the evaluation in Activity 1, and be designed to assist the

Colombian government with monitoring the operations in the court. The guide will also be used by the grantee to report on the status of new drug treatment courts.

Activity 2: Evaluate each new drug treatment court. The grantee will use the guide from

Activity 5 to evaluate the state of each new drug treatment court. This will ideally occur towards the end of the project period and after the court has been operating for several months without technical assistance from the grantee. The grantee will include Ministry of Justice and

ICBF representatives whenever possible to conduct the evaluation.

Activity 3: Monitor the impact of the drug treatment court system upon beneficiaries.

Activity 4: Conduct a limited impact study on the graduates of the Medellin Drug Treatment

Court pilot project, measuring the resulting recidivism rate compared to the national average.

Objective 6: Advise officials on how to maximize future impact of the drug treatment court system

Activity 1: The grantee will advise Ministry of Justice policy makers on ways to increase in the impact of the juvenile drug treatment court system. This includes advice on legislative and regulatory changes that could improve efficiency or efficacy. The deliverable will be a report that describes recommendations, estimated impact, and notional budgetary requirements, if any.

CROSS-CUTTING AND ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

1. Coordination and De-conflicting of Projects

INL Bogota and USAID are funding projects related to justice sector training, corrections and youth programs, including in drug treatment and prevention. The implementer will coordinate this project’s training plan with the GOR and other USG implementing partners, especially implementers of the Universal Treatment Curriculum and Universal Prevention Curriculum.

The implementer will inform the GOR in writing if there are concerns during implementation of other programs working in related fields.

2. Buy-in and Local Ownership

The Colombian MOJ and Medellin Drug Treatment Court staff have proven their commitment to continue this program beyond a project period of performance, as demonstrated in the pilot program. The implementer will involve Colombian officials in the development and implementation of this project in order to further build local capacity to expand the program beyond the target regions. The MOJ is already funding the initial site visits, training, and observation for the approximately 20 drug treatment court staff in the seven expansion cities.

TARGET POPULATION

Applicants should identify target audiences, specific demographics, and the region(s) in which the project will be implemented. It is particularly important to specify the approximate number of beneficiaries to be directly and indirectly impacted by project activities.

DESIRED RESULTS AND ILLUSTRATIVE INDICATORS

By the end of the three years of the project, the selected applicant is expected to provide technical assistance, training, and mentoring for the Colombian practitioners and policymakers involved in the expanded juvenile drug treatment court program.

The implementer will develop a project-level performance monitoring plan (PMP) with annual and end-of-project targets for key performance indicators. The following table shows example indicators that will be measured, as well as example illustrative targets, upon which the recipient will be responsible for monitoring and reporting during and after the project. In addition, INL Bogota will regularly monitor the project’s performance to assess whether project activities are on track and targets are being achieved.

Outcome indicators for the project are provided below. The recipient will identify targets for these indicators based on what it can reasonably achieve within the performance period of the project and based on the expected overall project results described above.

Example Outcome Indicators Illustrative targets:

Number of Colombian youth graduated through the expanded drug court system at conclusion of program.

Percentage of Colombian youth participating in drug court system who successfully graduate.

50%

Recidivism rate in first 12 months following graduation through the drug treatment court system.

25%

Output indicators and illustrative targets for the project are provided below. The recipient should review these and either confirm the illustrative targets or propose alternative targets, as appropriate.

Example Output Indicators Illustrative targets:

Number of Colombian drug treatment courts operating. 7

Number of Colombian drug treatment courts receiving a 90% or better evaluation at conclusion of program

Number of Colombian drug treatment court staff mentored. 140

The recipient may propose additional outputs, indicators, and/or targets as appropriate. The recipient will be required to collect baseline data for all the PMP indicators during the first year of the project. In addition, certain terms included in the outcomes and indicators will need to be defined at the very beginning of the project so it is possible to measure the change during and at the end of the project. Examples of such terms are “capacity”, “spread effect”, etc. Baseline information will be critical for both monitoring and evaluation of project progress and results.

[END OF SECTION I]

SECTION II – FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

INL expects to award one (1) cooperative agreement based on this NOFO, in an amount not to exceed the total ceiling amount noted on page 1. The anticipated total federal funding amount is up to $1,000,000. The period of performance is three years with an anticipated start date of April

2020. INL may extend the award up to two additional years contingent on INL priorities, good performance of the recipient, Department of State management approval, and funding availability.

The U.S. government will issue award(s) to the responsible applicant(s) whose application(s), conforms to this NOFO, and is the most responsive to the objectives and criteria set forth in this

NOFO. The U.S. government may (a) reject any or all applications, (b) accept other than the lowest cost application, (c) accept more than one application, (d) accept alternate applications, and/or (e) waive informalities and minor irregularities in applications received.

The U.S. government may make an award on the basis of the initial application received, without discussions or negotiations. Therefore, each initial application should contain the applicant's best terms from a cost and technical standpoint. The U.S. government reserves the right (but is not under obligation to do so) to enter into discussions with one or more applicant(s) to obtain clarifications, additional detail, or to suggest refinements in the program description, budget, or other aspects of an application.

Applicants please be advised that the following will be required if your organization is selected for this announcement:

State Department Leahy Amendment Vetting Requirements:

Funds provided under this award are subject to Section 620M of the Foreign Assistance Act of

1961, as amended, a provision titled “Limitation on Assistance to Security Forces” (the “Leahy

Amendment”). Subsection (a) of that provision states: “(a) In General.—No assistance shall be furnished under this Act [the Foreign Assistance Act] or the Arms Export Control Act to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of State has credible information that such unit has committed a gross violations of human rights.” Accordingly, none of the funds under this award may be used to provide training or other assistance to any unit or member of the security forces of a foreign country if the Department of State has credible information that such unit or individual has committed a gross violation of human rights.

In signing this agreement, the Recipient agrees to exercise due diligence to ensure compliance with the Leahy provision and State Department policy, and to cooperate with the State

Department in implementation of the Leahy requirement for funds under this award. The

Department implements the Leahy requirement by vetting units or individuals proposed for training or other assistance to check for credible information of a gross violation of human rights by such units or individuals. To facilitate State Department vetting, the Recipient must provide the following information for proposed participants at least sixty (60) calendar days prior to commencing award activities. This information should be submitted to the U.S. Embassy in the country where the award will be implemented in order to initiate Leahy vetting procedures:

Information needed: Full name, date of birth, country of birth, country of citizenship, gender, rank, title, and organizational affiliation. Please also include the activity and date that the activity will take place—if the person will participate throughout an extended program, please note the timeframe. Participant information should be submitted in the format attached.

Information required for “security forces” personnel: The above information is needed for each member of a foreign police or military unit (security forces, broadly defined) who will participate in any activity under this award. This includes both civilian and military employees of security forces participating in any activities funded under this award, including training, workshops or meetings, conferences, or other activities.

The Recipient must collaborate with the relevant U.S. Embassy on a case-by-case basis to determine if the Leahy requirement applies to specific activities or proposed participants.

Individuals who are not members of the security forces but who participate in activities under the award (e.g., politicians, academics, etc.) generally do not need to be vetted.

Submission Deadline: Each candidate must be cleared under Leahy vetting in advance of participation in activities funded under this award. The vetting process typically takes approximately one month, but may take longer if there are a large number of candidates or if issues arise. Thus, all information on proposed candidates must be received by the Embassy at least sixty (60) days in advance of the training event or other activity.

The Recipient agrees that it will not include any security forces candidate in training or other activities funded under this award until the State Department advises that the candidate has cleared Leahy vetting and is approved for participation.

[END OF SECTION II]

SECTION III – ELIGIBLITY INFORMATION

(1) Eligibility for this NOFO is limited to:

• Applicants that qualify to receive U.S. grants:

o U.S.-based not-for-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);

o U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code;

o Foreign not-for-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs); or o Foreign-based educational institutions

AND

• Applicants that demonstrate current or pending business registration in Colombia.

• Applicants that can develop and successfully implement a project in Colombia and meet

INL’s reporting requirements.

• Applicants that have demonstrated experience implementing similar education or capacity building programs, preferably in Colombia. INL reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering similar programs and/or federal grant awards.

• Applicants that can produce course materials, deliver training, and conduct evaluations in

Spanish and English. The applicant’s staff should be proficient in English in order to fulfill reporting requirements.

• Applicants that have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with stakeholders in order to successfully carry out the proposed program.

Organizations may form a consortium and submit a combined proposal. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant and other members as sub-award partners.

Public International Organizations (PIOs) and for-profit organizations are excluded from applying to this grant announcement.

To be eligible for a grant award, in addition to other conditions of this NOFO, organizations must have a commitment to non‐discrimination with respect to beneficiaries and adherence to equal opportunity employment practices. INL is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its programs and activities. INL welcomes applications irrespective of an applicant’s race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status. INL encourages applications from potential new partners.

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.

[END OF SECTION III]

SECTION IV – APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

INL urges prospective applicants to immediately confirm their organization’s Unique Entity Identifier

Number (formerly Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) number) as well as a current Central Contractor

Registration via www.SAM.gov.

All organizations must maintain active SAM.gov registration (with current information) at all times they have an active Federal award or application under consideration by a Federal award agency.

SAM.gov requires all entities to renew their registration once a year in order to maintain an active registration status in SAM.gov. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements at the time of application, INL may determine that the applicant is unqualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

http://www.sam.gov/

Note: The process of obtaining a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.

Organizations physically located outside of the U.S. and territories and wishing to conduct business

(contracts/grants) with the U.S. Government, must FIRST request a NCAGE Code, followed by a

DUNS Number and then complete the registration process in SAM.gov. U.S.-based organizations wishing to conduct business (contracts/grants) with the U.S. Government to include Foreign

Government, please proceed directly to SAM.gov. A U.S. CAGE Code will be assigned at the end of the SAM.gov Registration process.

CAGE/NCAGE Registration

For US-based organizations, a CAGE code will automatically be assigned to your entity once you submit your entity’s registration in SAM.gov and the TIN validation has been returned.

NCAGE Codes are required for all foreign entities prior to starting a SAM registration. The organization’s name, address, and email information must match exactly what you used to request your Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS Number). Please ensure that alphabets, numerical characters, symbols, etc. and spacing is the same in both systems during the registration process. Otherwise, you will receive error messages when applying for the NCAGE code. Organizations can submit a request for an NCAGE Code using the NCAGE Request Tool at https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAG

E.pdf. Detailed instructions are posted at that site. For additional information, please call 1-269-

961-4623 or send an email message to NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil.

NCAGE registrations for overseas organizations can take up to 10 days (or more) to finalize once a request has been received. Please plan accordingly.

Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS Number)

All applicant organizations (foreign and domestic) must obtain a DUNS number.

US-based organizations may request a DUNS number by calling 1-866-705-5711 or email:

SAMHelp@dnb.com; the DUNS number is usually provided immediately. Foreign organizations that do not have a Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS number) will need to go to the Dun & Bradstreet website at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/CCRSearch.do?val=1 to start the process for obtaining a DUNS number. If further assistance is required, please email:

SAMHelp@dnb.com.

NOTE: The organization’s name, address, and email information used to request the NCAGE

Code must match what is used to request your Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS Number). Please ensure that alphabets, numerical characters, symbols, etc. and spacing is the same in both systems during the registration process.

SAM.gov Registration

SAM.gov registration is required of all INL applicants prior to registering with www.grants.gov. If your organization was previously registered in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), you must https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf mailto:NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html mailto:SAMHelp@dnb.com http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/CCRSearch.do?val=1 mailto:SAMHelp@dnb.com still create a new Individual User Account in SAM.gov prior to receiving a future federal grant.

Applicant organizations can obtain assistance for SAM.gov registration by using the following link:

https://www.fsd.gov or by calling 1-866-606-8220 (U.S. calls)/or 1-324-206-7828 (international calls).

NOTE: The organization’s name, address, and email information used to request your organization’s Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS number) and the NCAGE Code must match what is used to request the SAM.gov validation Please ensure that alphabets, numerical characters, symbols, and spacing is the same in both systems during the registration process. Otherwise, you will receive error messages when registering in SAM.gov.

For U.S.-based organizations that already have a TIN (taxpayer identification number), your SAM registration should take approximately 3-5 business days to process. For U.S.-based organizations applying for an EIN (employer identification number), please allow up to 2 weeks.

Foreign organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier number and an NCAGE code prior to completing the SAM.gov registration process. Please follow the above listed instructions to obtain each.

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award

Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and

12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM.gov to ensure that ineligible entities are excluded from their applications.

All organizations must also continue to maintain active SAM.gov registration with current information at all times during which they have an active Federal award or application under consideration by a Federal award agency. SAM.gov requires all entities to renew their registration once a year in order to maintain an active registration status in SAM.gov. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements at the time of application, INL may determine that the applicant is unqualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

NOTE: If your organization is registered with SAM.gov and your status is NOT listed as ACTIVE, you will need to update your registration prior to submitting an application through www.grants.gov. SAM.gov requires ALL organizations (foreign and domestic) to register on an

ANNUAL basis.

In October 2017, new information was added to the www.SAM.gov website to help international registrations, including “Quick Start Guide for International Registrations” and “Helpful Hints”.

Navigate to SAM.gov, click HELP in the top navigation bar, then click International Registrants in the left navigation panel.

http://www.fsd.gov/

Grants.gov Registration

To apply for a grant, your organization must complete the Grants.gov registration process. The registration process can take 10 business days or longer, even if all registration steps are completed in a timely manner.

Please log into http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html to obtain complete instructions on the registration process.

Foreign Registrants: Anyone residing and doing business outside of the United States is still required to complete the five steps of the Grants.gov registration process, in addition to fulfilling supplementary requirements for doing business with the United States government. Please ensure that you have obtained an NCAGE code, a UEI number (also referred to as DUNS number), and an

“ACTIVE” status in SAM.gov prior to registering in Grants.gov.

Grants.gov Applications

Please refer to the Grants.gov website for definitions of various "application statuses" and the difference between a submission receipt and a submission validation. Applicants will receive a validation e-mail from Grants.gov upon the successful submission of an application. Validation of an electronic submission via Grants.gov can take up to two business days.

Late applications are neither reviewed nor considered unless the INL point of contact listed in the

NOFO is contacted prior to the deadline and is provided with evidence of a system error caused by

Grants.gov that is outside of the applicant’s control and is the sole reason for a late submission.

Applicants should not expect a separate notification from INL upon receiving their application.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that it has an active registration in Grants.gov.

Applicants are required to document that the application has been received by Grants.gov in its entirety. INL bears no responsibility for disqualification that result from applicants not being registered before the due date, for system errors in Grants.gov, or other errors in the application process.

TECHNICAL FORMAT REQUIREMENTS

For all application documents, please ensure:

A. All pages are numbered, including budgets and attachments, B. All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and

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

TECHNICAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Technically eligible applications are those that:

• Arrive electronically via Grants.gov by the designated due date and time noted in the NOFO.

If reasonable accommodations are granted for persons with disabilities or for security reasons, applications must still be received by INL by the designated due date and time noted in the NOFO;

• Are in English and all costs are in U.S. dollars. If an original document within the application is in another language, an English translation must be provided. If any document is provided in both English and a foreign language, the English language version is the controlling version. (Please note: the Department of State, as indicated in 2 CFR 200.111, requires that English is the official language of all award documents);

• Heed all instructions contained in the NOFO, including length and completeness of application, including all required documents; and

• Do not violate any of the guidelines stated in the NOFO.

It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all of the documents submitted in the grant application package are complete, accurate, and current. INL strongly encourages all applicants, especially foreign or first-time applicants, to submit applications before the designated due date to ensure that the application has been received and is complete.

REQUIRED APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

Complete applications must include the following items:

1. Completed and signed SF-424, SF-424A, and SF424B, submitted via www.grants.gov. (Tab

D includes instructions for completing Standard Forms 424, 424A, and 424B.)

Note: The SF-424B is required only for those applicants who have not registered in SAM.gov or recertified their registration in SAM.gov since February 2, 2019.

2. Proof of business registration in Colombia; Applicants must submit proof of active or pending in-country business registration in Colombia. For applicants with pending registrations, should submit a tentative date/timeline for completion of the business registration process.

3. Cover Page that includes a table with the organization name, project title, target country/countries, project synopsis, name and contact information for the application’s main point of contact, project length (period of performance),and requested funding amount in U.S.

dollars (see the award amount ceiling as stated in the NOFO)

4. Table of Contents (not to exceed one [1] page in Microsoft Word) listing all documents and attachments, with page numbers.

5. Executive Summary (not to exceed two [2] pages in Microsoft Word) that includes:

a) a statement of work or synopsis of the program, including a concise breakdown of the project’s goals, objectives, activities, and expected results, and

b) a brief statement on how the project is innovative, sustainable, and will have a demonstrated impact.

6. Proposal Narrative (not to exceed fifteen [15] pages in Microsoft Word). Please note the page limit does not include the required documents listed in items #2 - 4 and items #6 – 16.

A proposal narrative should:

• Fully explain the program’s goals, objectives, and activities. Objectives should be ambitious, yet measurable, results-focused, and achievable in a reasonable time frame.

Applicant should explain the project’s significance or contribution to the INL mandate specified in the NOFO.

• Activities should be clearly developed and detailed, and the narrative should clearly articulate how the proposed activities contribute to objectives and overall project goal.

• Outline the applicant’s organizational capacity to implement the proposed program,

• Outline in detail the program approach, sustainability, potential impact, and complementarity to ongoing efforts.

• Identify target areas for activities, identify target participant groups or selection criteria for participants, address how the program will engage relevant stakeholders, and identify local partners as appropriate, among other pertinent details. If partners are included, the narrative should clearly describe the division of labor between the direct applicant and partners.

The proposal narrative should expand upon the risk analysis to provide greater context, operational or programmatic security concerns, and a contingency plan for overcoming potential difficulties in executing the original work plan.

7. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan; (see TAB B below for more information on this section);

A template is provided as an attachment under the announcement via www.grants.gov.

8. Logic Model; (see TAB B below for more information on this section);

9. Roles and responsibilities of key project personnel with short bios that highlight relevant professional experience. Given the limited space, CVs/resumes are not recommended for submission.

10. Timeline of the overall proposal - Components should include activities, evaluation efforts, and program closeout

11. Project Risk Analysis: Please provide the required risk analysis information as noted in TAB

B of this NOFO.

12. Summary and Detailed Line-Item Budget (in Microsoft Excel) that includes the following three [3] columns: the amount requested from INL, cost sharing contributions (if any), and total budget (see below for more information on budget format). Applicants must submit a budget summary using the OMB-approved budget categories (see SF-424-A as a sample). Costs must be in U.S. dollars.

13. Budget Narrative (in Microsoft Word) that includes an explanation and justification for each line item in the detailed budget spreadsheet, as well as the source and a description of all cost-share offered. For ease of review, INL recommends applicants order the budget narrative as presented in the detailed budget. Personnel costs should include a clarification of the roles and responsibilities of key staff and percentage of time devoted to the project. Applicants that have other USG-funded projects must confirm that the total time devoted by personnel assigned to more than one project does not exceed 100%. The budget narrative should communicate to INL any information that might not be readily apparent in the budget rather than simply repeating with words what is stated numerically in the budget.

14. NICRA: If your organization has a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) and will include NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA must be included as a PDF file. This document will not be reviewed by the panelists, but rather used by program and grant staff if the submission is recommended for funding, and therefore does not count against the submission page limitations, as described above. If your proposal includes subgrants to organizations charging indirect costs, please submit the applicable NICRA also as a PDF file

(see “INDIRECT COST RATE” below for more information on indirect cost rates).

If your organization does NOT have a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) please specify if your organization elects to charge the de Minimis rate of 10% of the Modified Total

Direct Costs (MTDC). Note: MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000. The de Minimis rate must be included in the detailed budget and an explanation must be provided in the budget narrative.

15. A copy of your organization’s most recent audit (as required per 2 CFR 200.500 – Subpart

F). If an audit cannot be provided, an explanation must be submitted with the proposal submission.

16. A list of previous and/or current U.S. federal assistance awards received; please include the awarding agency, point of contact, name of the project, start and end dates, and amount of the award. If a list of previous and/or current U.S. federal assistance awards received cannot be provided, an explanation must be submitted with the proposal submission.

17. INL Pre Award Annual Survey; Template provided by INL that reviews the organization’s financial capacity and infrastructure.

18. Additional Attachments; Applicants may choose to submit additional attachments (not to exceed five (5) pages total, preferably in Microsoft Word) to supplement the required documents (e.g. further timeline information, letters of support, memoranda of understanding

(MOU)/agreement, etc.)

Note: For applicants with a large number of letters/MOUs, it may be useful to provide a list of the organizations or government agencies that support the program rather than the actual documentation.

Applications that do not include the required documents will be deemed technically ineligible.

INL retains the right to request additional documentation for those items not included on this form.

[END OF SECTION IV]

TAB A: PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

Proposals should include the following components:

• Introduction and Problem Statement

• Planned Activities

• Indicators

The proposal narrative should:

• Fully explain the program’s goals, objectives, and activities. Objectives should be ambitious, yet measurable, results-focused, and achievable in a reasonable time frame.

Applicant should explain the project’s significance or contribution to the INL mandate specified in the NOFO;

• Clearly develop and detail proposed activities and articulate how the activities will contribute to the project’s goals and objectives;

• Outline the applicant’s organizational capacity to implement the proposed program;

• Outline in detail the program approach, sustainability, potential impact, and complementarity to ongoing efforts;

• Identify target areas for activities, identify target participant groups or selection criteria for participants, address how the program will engage relevant stakeholders, and identify local partners as appropriate, among other pertinent details. If partners are included, the narrative should clearly describe the division of labor between the direct applicant and partners; and

• Expand upon the risk analysis to provide greater context, operational or programmatic security concerns, and a contingency plan for overcoming potential difficulties in executing the original work plan.

Problem Statement and Rationale: Describe the problem and how the project will achieve or contribute to achieving a sustainable solution and a measurable outcome. The applicant should explain the extent of existing assistance within the particular geographic area, and how the proposed intervention may complement (or differ from) other similar interventions. The implementer should also explain, as necessary, the particular experience and qualifications they bring to the project.

The rationale should…