McGovern Dole - Q A Responses Week of March 25-29 2024.pdf

McGovern-Dole FY2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity Questions and Answers

Week of March 25-29

1. Q: In the past, recordings and the presentation have been published online. Will that be the case this year, and if so, where will the recording/presentation be made available?

A: Yes, the recording is available on the FAIS homepage (https://apps.fas.usda.gov/fais/webapp/).

2. Q: Will we be able to submit a grant on behalf of our implementation partners in Ethiopia as a registered foreign NGO?

A: No, all applicant organizations must be registered with the United States Internal Review Service as a 501c3 organization. Foreign NGOs may work with implementing organizations to offer specific services and establish working relationships and learn more about being part of a McGovern-Dole program as a foreign NGO.

3. Q: Could you please provide us with the full package of the funding announcement and the associated application documents?

A: Please find the full package announcement on Grants.Gov (https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/352719).

4. Q: The NOFO on grants.gov notes a maximum of $30 million. Can USDA please confirm if the ceiling is $30 million?

A: Yes, per the NOFO on grants.gov, the award ceiling for the FY2024 McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program is $30 million.

5. Q: Can we use a whole number instead of rounding to two decimal places in both excel budget and the budget narrative for all numbers?

A: Applicants must ensure figures include no more than two decimal places and lines add correctly. The figures in the Budget Summary and Budget Narrative must match, i.e., if Applicants round figures to the nearest dollar in the Budget Summary, they should round to the nearest dollar in the Budget Narrative.

6. Q: Are you allowed to procure all food supplies in the country in which services are being provided?

A: No, applicants may use approximately 10% of the award value for LRP but may not exclusively procure LRP commodities. U.S. Donated commodities are an integral part of all McGovern-Dole awards. Recipients may also procure LRP commodities within the broader project region.

https://apps.fas.usda.gov/fais/webapp/ https://apps.fas.usda.gov/fais/webapp/ https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/352719).

https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/352719 https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/352719

7. Q: Can USDA/FAS confirm if vehicle fuel will be consistently under "Travel" category in the section Administration, Activities and ITSH? Will vehicle maintenance will be consistently under "Other" category in the section Administration, Activities and ITSH?

A: Correct, vehicle maintenance and insurance should be categorized as “Other” within each budget section; vehicle fuel should be categorized within “Travel.”

8. Q: Could you confirm that 'sustainability and lasting impact' equals graduation, as USDA understands it? That seems to be the case, from the slide shared during the public meeting.

A: The NOFO highlights in the Sustainability and Lasting Impact section (pg. 30), Applicants must explain: “How the benefits of school feeding, nutrition, health, education, enrollment, and attendance of children in schools in the targeted communities will be sustained when assistance under McGovern-Dole terminates.” To support program sustainability and graduation, USDA/FAS strongly encourages Applicants to include advocacy, capacity building, and policy strengthening activities at all levels of government. Strong applications will support schools and communities to build self-reliance and sustain school feeding after a successful graduation.

9. Q: Will it be possible to get a list of NGOs and/or participants in the call? We would have had a chance to interact with other organizations if the meeting had been in person.

A: USDA/FAS cannot share that information with the public.

10. Q: How do we incorporate preschool young children and mothers in a setting where formal pre-school facilities /services and systems are absent or non-functional? Can we consider community-based Nutrition approach in such context to reach infants/young children and their mothers (Pregnant Lactating Women) under this action?

A: If contextually appropriate, Applicants may include Maternal and Child Nutrition (MCN) activities. Illustrative examples of MCN activities include but are not limited to early childhood development centers, growth monitoring and promotion, take-home rations, and social and behavior change interventions. If proposing MCN interventions, Applicants should describe how their project would align and coordinate with existing MCN policies, strategies, institutional structures, and programs at the country’s national and sub-national levels (pg. 24 NOFO).

USDA/FAS encourages Applicants to co-locate their nutrition and health efforts in the same communities and target areas as schools.

11. Q: What activities constitute capacity-building in terms of supporting adoption and transition to Home Grown School Feeding Program?

A: Please see page 31 of the NOFO for a list of what some McGovern-Dole supported activities may include but are not limited to.

12. Q: Is the ICR rate on LRP purchase the same throughout duration of the project or the rate would be established under the bulk purchase rate based on the forecasted purchase volume for each application?

A: Organizations with a current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) from a cognizant U.S.

Government agency must submit that NICRA with their application; indirect costs will be allowable as defined in that NICRA. For organizations that have never had a NICRA, please reference page 44 of the NOFO.

13. Q: Given the limited page count for the budget narrative, can USDA confirm that a summary budget table included in the narrative is sufficient for subcontractors?

A: Applicants need to identify each planned Subcontractor and its total proposed budget. Each Subcontractor's budget and supporting detail should be included as part of the Applicant's budget narrative. Please reference page 108 of the NOFO, Cost Categories, f. Contractual. Provide the following information for each planned subcontract: a brief description of the work to be subcontracted; the number of quotes solicited and received, if applicable; the cost or price analysis performed by the Applicant; names and addresses of the Subcontractors tentatively selected and the basis for their selection e.g., unique capabilities (for sole source subcontracts), low bidder, delivery schedule, technical competence; type of contract and estimated cost and fee or profit; and, affiliation with the Applicant, if any.

14. Q: In the standardized budget summary template and the budget narrative template, there is no additional line for "Travel" under Internal Transportation as per section "New in FY2024" point no. 8. Could we add this in the proposal budget?

A: USDA/FAS has updated the standard budget summary template on the FAIS homepage to reflect the current NOFO guidance. (https://apps.fas.usda.gov/fais/webapp/).

15. Q: The budget narrative is using "Internal Transportation" to include all costs associated with internal distribution of commodities which occurs after the recipient takes possession of the commodities. However, in the standardized budget summary template, the line still use "Transportation". Please confirm which budget title to be used?

A: Please use “Internal Transportation,” as included in the updated standard budget summary template on the FAIS homepage.

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