MexCen Call for Concept Notes 2021.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

BUREAU OF POPULATION, REFUGEES, AND MIGRATION (PRM)

FY 2021 Request for Concept Notes for NGO Programs in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and Panama.

Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0008134

Assistance Listings (CFDA) number: 19.518 - Overseas Refugee Assistance

Programs for Western Hemisphere

Announcement issuance date: Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Announcement type: Cooperative Agreement

Proposal submission deadline: Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 11:59:59 p.m. (23:59:59) ET.

Submissions after this deadline will not be considered.

Funding limits: Program proposals must not be less than the funding floor and not more than the funding ceiling per year or they will be disqualified.

• Funding floor per award (lowest $$ value): $750,000

• Funding ceiling per award (highest $$ value): $2,000,000

Anticipated timeframe for notification of selection for full proposal development:

PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, that within two weeks from the concept note submission deadline selected concept notes will be notified of request for full proposal development. Selected concept note applications can result in PRM requests for full proposals for new awards. Request for full proposal development does not guarantee an award.

Anticipated timeframe for award of selected full proposals: Pending the availability of funds, PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, that awards will be made less than 2 months from the proposal submission deadline.

ADVISORY: All applicants must submit application packages through the website

Grants.gov. PRM strongly recommends submitting your application packages early to allow time to address any technical difficulties that may arise on the Grants.gov website.

If you are new to PRM funding, the Grants.gov registration process can be complicated.

We urge you to refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines “Application Process” section for information and resources to help ensure that the application process runs smoothly.

PRM also strongly encourages organizations that have received funding from PRM in the past to read this section as a refresher.

PRM strongly recommends application packages be submitted in Adobe PDF, as

Microsoft Word documents may sometimes produce different page lengths based on software versions and configurations when transmitted. PRM prefers budgets be submitted as Microsoft Excel files separate from the narrative. Exceeding page length limits, including through the inclusion of cover pages, will result in disqualification. All documents must be in English.

Organizations can request copies of all PRM-recommended templates and NGO guidelines, by emailing PRM’s NGO Coordinator with only the phrase PRM NGO

Templates (exactly as written in bold) in the subject line, to

PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov. Organizations will receive an automated email reply containing the templates.

COVID-19: PRM recognizes the difficult circumstances under which organizations are currently operating as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and will take them into consideration in application package reviews. To the extent possible, organizations should address how COVID-19 and resulting risks, restrictions and limitations will factor into their designated programs and attempt to ensure that proposed indicators and activities can be implemented under the challenging circumstances created by the

COVID-19 response.

Full Text of Notice of Funding Opportunity

1. Program Description

Summary: This solicitation is the first step in a two-part process. After reviewing concept notes, PRM will invite (expected no later than 2 weeks after submission) selected organizations to expand their submissions into full 15-page proposals with objectives, indicators, and detailed budgets for each year of the program for a second competitive review. Selected organizations will have 30 calendar days after they are notified of their selection to complete their full proposals. Organizations may apply http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.state.gov/funding-opportunities/general-ngo-guidelines/ mailto:PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov as consortia. For purposes of this notice, PRM considers consortium to be a group of no fewer than three NGOs that comprise an agreement, combination, or group formed to undertake, or proposing to undertake, an assistance activity beyond the resources of any one member.

This announcement is designed to accompany PRM’s General NGO Guidelines which contain additional information on PRM’s priorities and NGO funding strategy with which selected organizations must comply. Please use both the General NGO

Guidelines and this announcement to ensure that your submission is in full compliance with PRM requirements and that the proposed activities are in line with

PRM’s priorities. Submissions that do not reflect the requirements outlined in these guidelines will not be considered.

A. Current Funding Priorities: Proposed concept note activities should primarily support refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and/or Panama. Because of PRM's mandate to provide protection, assistance, and sustainable solutions for refugees and victims of conflict, PRM will consider funding only those programs that include a target beneficiary base of at least 50 percent of these non-host country populations of refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants.

B. Program area: Proposed activities must align with one or more of the following program areas:

i. Humanitarian Protection and Assistance

ii. Interim and Durable Solutions

C. Program Sectors: Proposals must focus on one or more of the following programmatic sectors (see PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for sector descriptions):

i. In Costa Rica:

a. Protection

b. Education

c. Livelihoods

d. Shelter

e. Core Relief Items/Cash-Based Initiatives

ii. In Guatemala:

b. Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response https://www.state.gov/j/prm/funding/c78352.htm https://www.state.gov/j/prm/funding/c78352.htm https://www.state.gov/j/prm/funding/c78352.htm

c. Child protection

d. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)

e. Livelihoods

f. Shelter

g. Core Relief Items/Cash-Based Initiatives

iii. In Mexico:

b. Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response

c. Child protection

d. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)

e. Education

f. Livelihoods

iv. In Panama:

b. Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response

c. Child protection

d. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)

e. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

f. Shelter

g. Core Relief Items/Cash-Based Initiatives

h. Nutrition and Food Security

(Note: If selected, full proposals for cash and voucher assistance programs must include the relevant indicator(s) from the selection contained in the NGO

Guidelines in section A.C.2. of Appendix C.)

D. Organizations may submit a maximum of one concept note per country and four concept notes total. Each concept note may only cover one country each. Any subsequent submissions received will be disqualified. (Note: Submissions by organizations as part of a consortium do not count toward an individual organization’s submission limit.)

E. Country-specific Provisions (Applicable to All Four Countries):

1. Duration of Activity: PRM will consider program plans for up to 2 years.

2. Period of Performance: Program period of performance of up to 24 months will be considered.

3. Funding Limits: Proposed budgets must not be less than the funding floor and not more than the funding ceiling per year or they will be disqualified.

i. $750,000 and not more than $2,000,000 per year.

4. Scope Limitations: PRM will not consider concepts that include any components for implementation inside the United States or pertaining to

U.S. immigration proceedings.

i. Mexico Country-Specific Guidelines

i. General Guidance: Proposed activities should support refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants. PRM will only fund programs that include a target beneficiary base of at least 50 percent non-host country populations in one or more of the following areas of intervention under priority sectors as listed above in Section C. The concept may include additional interventions complementary to those listed here, so long as they fall within the priority sectors. Priority locations for interventions include Chiapas, Tabasco, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Puebla, and Mexico City. The concept may include additional location(s) for consideration.

i. Protection

i. Access to or provision of legal counsel and/or information, including to address improper registration or denial or lack of proper identity documents, and/or to counsel on other regularization options in Mexico for persons unable to apply or ineligible for asylum;

ii. Prevention and response to sexual exploitation and abuse;

iii. Responding to family separation within Mexico and/or Central

America;

iv. Addressing tensions with host communities; and

v. Responding to dangerous coping strategies.

ii. Child protection

i. Improving shelter and alternative accommodation approaches for children and families.

iii. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)

i. Support for victims of violent crimes and torture;

ii. Supporting trauma-informed care approaches among institutions and communities interacting with populations of concern.

iv. Livelihoods

i. Vocational training and education opportunities for populations of concern;

ii. Support to facilitate access to bank accounts or other key documents for personal financial management and/or employment.

v. Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response

i. Response to the immediate and life-saving needs of at-risk women, girls, LGBTQI+ people, and survivors of GBV, through health, psychosocial, case management, and legal services.

ii. Community mobilization and behavior change activities that address the social norms that perpetuate gender inequality and condone gender-based violence.

iii. Local capacity building and training opportunities that focus on GBV preparedness in advance of potential emergencies or sustainability of GBV programs.

ii. Costa Rica Country-Specific Guidelines

i. General Guidance: Proposed activities should support asylum seekers, refugees, and vulnerable migrants. PRM will only fund programs that include a target beneficiary base of at least 50 percent non-host country populations in one or more of the following areas of intervention under priority sectors as listed above in Section C. Concepts should reflect a “One

Refugee” approach. There is no requirement to target a specific nationality as a majority of the beneficiary base. The concept may include additional interventions complementary to those listed here, so long as they fall within the priority sectors.

including to address improper registration or denial or lack of proper identity documents; to improve the process for and/or otherwise assist with obtaining work permits, health insurance, and/or other social services; and/or to counsel on other regularization options in Costa Rica for persons ineligible for or unable to file for asylum.

ii. Livelihoods

i. Skills training, employment linkages with agricultural and food industry.

iii. Shelter

iv. Core Relief Items/Cash-Based Initiatives

iii. Guatemala Country-Specific Guidelines

i. General Guidance: Proposed activities should support those who are seeking protection in Guatemala, including asylum seekers, refugees, and vulnerable migrants. PRM will only fund programs that include a target beneficiary base of at least 50 percent non-host country populations in one or more of the following areas of intervention under priority sectors as listed above in Section C. The concept may include additional interventions complementary to those listed here, so long as they fall within the priority sectors.

including to address improper registration or denial or lack of proper identity documents and assist with access to social services and protection options.

ii. Improving reception and integration opportunities through initiatives to combat xenophobia.

iii. Initiatives tailored to strengthen protection for LGBTQI+ refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants.

ii. Child protection

i. Shelter

i. Innovative solutions to promote sustainable shelter capacity.

Shelter programming that would rely on continued PRM funding beyond two years will not be supported.

ii. Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response

i. Response to the immediate and life-saving needs of at-risk women, girls, LGBTQI+ people, and survivors of GBV, through health, psychosocial, case management, and legal services.

ii. Community mobilization and behavior change activities that address the social norms that perpetuate gender inequality and condone violence against women, girls, and LGBTQI+ communities.

iii. Local capacity building and training opportunities that focus on GBV preparedness in advance of potential emergencies or sustainability of GBV programs.

iv. Panama Country-Specific Guidelines

i. General Guidance: Proposed activities should support asylum seekers, refugees, and vulnerable migrants. PRM will only fund programs that include a target beneficiary base of at least 50 percent non-host country populations in one or more of the following areas of intervention under priority sectors as listed above in Section C. Concepts should reflect a “One

Refugee” approach. There is no requirement to target a specific nationality as a majority of the beneficiary base. The concept may include additional interventions complementary to those listed here, so long as they fall within the priority sectors.

including to address improper registration or denial or lack of proper identity documents; to assist with access to social services and protection options; and/or to support access to other regularization options in Panama for persons unable to apply for or denied asylum.

ii. Improving reception and integration opportunities through initiatives to combat xenophobia, which could include campaigns to highlight positive contributions refugees and immigrants bring to host communities.

ii. Child protection

iii. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)

iv. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

i. Priority locations include Peñitas, Bajo Chiquito, Darién province more broadly, and Chiriquí province.

v. Shelter

i. Innovative solutions to promote sustainable shelter capacity.

Shelter programming that would be reliant on continued PRM funding beyond two years will not be supported.

vi. Nutrition and Food Security

i. Priority locations include Peñitas, Bajo Chiquito, Darién province more broadly, and Chiriquí province.

vii. Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response

i. Priority locations include Peñitas, Bajo Chiquito, Darién province more broadly, and Chiriquí province.

F. Anticipated Number of Selections for Full Proposal Development: PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, to select as many as eight submissions to be developed into full proposals through this announcement.

G. Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total: PRM anticipates, but makes no guarantee, to award up to approximately $12,000,000 total across the four countries

(Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and Panama) through requests for full proposal development for selected concept note applications.

2. Federal Award Information

A. Proposed program start dates: August 1, 2021

B. Duration of Activity: See country-specific guidelines above. Applicants may submit multi-year proposals with activities and budgets that do not exceed two years from the proposed start date. Actual awards will not exceed two years in duration and activities and budgets submitted in year one can be revised/updated each year. Continued funding after the initial 12-month period of performance requires the submission of a noncompeting single proposal and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. In funding a program one year, PRM makes no representations that it will continue to fund the program in successive years and encourages applicants to seek a wide array of donors to ensure long-term funding possibilities. Please see Multi-Year Funding section below for additional information. Livelihoods programs are encouraged to be multi-year, and livelihoods proposals must include a market analysis which will only be required if the applicant is invited to submit a full proposal.

3. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants: (1) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education (U.S.-based NGOs must be able to demonstrate proof of non-profit tax status); (2) Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education (overseas-based NGOs must be able to demonstrate proof of registration in country of domicile); and (3)

International Organizations. International multilateral organizations, such as

United Nations agencies, should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this NOFO. Multilateral organizations that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the PRM Program Officer

(as listed below) on or before the closing date of the funding announcement.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not a requirement of an application in response to this funding announcement.

Concept notes and later proposals for consideration should describe the sources and amounts of additional funding that may be utilized to complement PRM funding, and meet the following criteria;

• Are not paid by the Federal Government under another Federal award;

• Are verifiable from the non-Federal entity's records;

• Are not included as contributions for any other Federal award; and

• Are necessary and reasonable for accomplishment of project or program objectives.

Please include this information in the indicated column in the Budget Summary of the concept note submission.

(Note: Though favorably looked upon, such will not result in a competitive ranking increase when evaluated.)

4. Other

A. Concept notes and eventually full proposals must encompass relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance, especially Sphere

Standards. See PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards including new guidance on proposals for programs in urban areas.

B. PRM strongly encourages programs that target the needs of vulnerable and underserved groups among the beneficiary population (such groups may include: women; children; adolescents; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex (LGBTI) individuals; older persons; the sick; persons with disabilities; and other religious, ethnic, or other minorities) and can demonstrate what steps have been taken to meet the specific and unique protection and assistance needs of these vulnerable groups effectively.

http://www.spherehandbook.org/ http://www.spherehandbook.org/

C. PRM will accept concept notes from any NGO working in the above-mentioned sectors, although, given budgetary constraints, priority will be given to concept notes from organizations that can demonstrate:

• a working relationship with UNHCR;

• a proven track record in providing proposed assistance both in the sector and specified location;

• evidence of coordination with international organizations (IOs) and other

NGOs working in the same area or sector as well as – where possible – local authorities;

• an emphasis on the outcome or impact of program activities. Full objective and indicator tables will only be required if the applicant is invited to submit a full proposal; however, the concept note must generally demonstrate the ability to deliver impact;

• a strong sustainability plan, involving local capacity building, where feasible, will be required if the applicant is invited to submit a full proposal;

• where applicable, adherence to PRM’s Principles for Refugee Protection in Urban Areas;

• an understanding of and sensitivity to the dynamics of violence or conflict in the program location.

Application and Submission Instructions

A. Address to Request Application Package: Application packages may be downloaded from the website www.Grants.gov.

B. Content and Form of Application: Organizations may submit a maximum of one concept note per country only. Any subsequent submissions received will be disqualified. (Note: Submissions by organizations as part of a consortium do not count toward an individual organization’s submission limit.)

Concept notes must be no more than 3 pages in length (or 4 pages if a consortia submission) submitted in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF, using Times New http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/187237.pdf http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/187237.pdf http://www.grants.gov/

Roman, 12-point font, with one-inch margins on all sides. Concept notes that are longer than 3 pages (or 4 pages if a consortia submission) will be automatically disqualified.

Note:

• PRM recommends proposals be submitted in Adobe PDF, as Microsoft Word documents may sometimes produce different page lengths based on software versions and configurations.

• Exceeding page length limits, including through the inclusion of cover pages, will result in disqualification.

• All documents must be in English.

i. Concept notes must include the following categories, in any arrangement.

a. Brief problem statement, description of target population with anticipated beneficiary numbers, and vulnerability criteria used to identify beneficiaries

b. Program description, location, and duration

c. Proposed measurable outcomes and impact of the program

d. Summary of the organization(s) and experience doing similar work

e. Organizational point(s) of contact

Organizations can request a concept note template by emailing PRM's NGO

Coordinator with only the phrase PRM NGO Templates (exactly as written in bold) in the subject line, to PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov. Organizations will receive an automatic reply email with the concept note templates.

ii. Budget summaries must be attached to the concept note and do not count against the 3-page limit (or 4 pages if a consortia submission). The budget summary is separate from SF-424, SF-F24A, and SF-424B documents, which are also required and similarly do not fall within the page limit. Budget summaries should be submitted under the budget narrative section in

Grants.gov. Budget summaries must include the following categories, and disaggregated by year:

a. Personnel allowances

b. Benefits

c. Travel

d. Program equipment

e. Supplies

f. Contractual

g. Construction

h. Other direct costs

i. Indirect costs

j. Total amount requested

Organizations can request a budget summary template by emailing PRM's NGO

Coordinator with the with only the phrase PRM NGO Templates (exactly as written in bold) in the subject line, to PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov; this will prompt an automatic reply email with the budget summary template.

iii. There should be no attachments, other than the summary budget and SF-

424 documents, to the initial concept note submission. For selected organizations, PRM will request fully developed, 15-page single-year/multi-year proposals with objectives, indicators, risk assessment, and detailed budgets for each year of the program. Organizations that are invited to submit full proposals may attach work plans, activity calendars, and/or logical frameworks as addendums to their full-length proposal at that stage.

iv. To be considered for PRM funding, organizations must submit a complete application package including:

a. 3-page concept note (or 4-page concept note for consortia);

• PRM recommends proposals be submitted in Adobe PDF, as Microsoft

Word documents may sometimes produce different page lengths based on software versions and configurations;

• Exceeding page length limits, including through the inclusion of cover pages, will result in disqualification; and

• All proposals, and required documents, must be in English.

b. One-page budget summary clearly indicating costs disaggregated by year for the program period. The budget summary does not count against page limits.

c. Signed completed SF-424, SF-424 A, and SF-424 B. These documents do not count against the page limit. Note: Form SF-424B is now required only for those applicants who have not registered in SAM.gov or recertified their registration in SAM.gov since February 2, 2019, and completed the online representations and certifications.

C. Consortia. Organizations may apply to this call as individual organizations or consortia; however, for consortia, one organization must be designated as the lead applicant at both the concept note and full proposal stage.

For purposes of consortia applying for PRM funding, PRM considers a consortium to be a group of no less than three NGOs that comprise an agreement, combination, or group formed to undertake, or proposing to undertake, an assistance activity beyond the resources of any one member.

Submissions by organizations as part of a consortium do not count toward an individual organization’s submission limit. If the applicant is applying as a consortium or partnership, a description of how the partnership will be organized and how lines of authority and decision-making will be managed across all team members and between the lead applicant and associate awardees should be included in the concept note.

Organizations can request a concept note template by emailing PRM's NGO

Coordinator with only the phrase PRM NGO Templates (exactly as written in bold) in the subject line, to PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov.; this will prompt an automatic reply email with the concept note template.

D. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number and System for Award Management (SAM).

i. Each applicant is required to:

a. be registered in SAM at (www.sam.gov) before submitting its application;

b. provide a valid DUNS number in its application; and

c. continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active PRM award or an application or plan under consideration by PRM.

No federal award may be made to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the PRM award is ready to be made, PRM may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a PRM http://www.sam.gov/ award and use that determination as a basis for making a PRM award to another applicant.

E. Concept notes must be submitted via Grants.gov. Grants.gov registration requires a DUNS number and active SAM.gov registration. If you are new to

PRM funding, the Grants.gov registration process can be complicated. We urge you to refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines “Application Process” section for information and resources to help ensure that the application process runs smoothly. PRM also strongly encourages organizations that have received funding from PRM in the past to read this section as a refresher. Applicants may also refer to the “For Applicants” page on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements.

i. Do not wait until the deadline to submit your application on Grants.gov.

Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should register well in advance of the deadline as it can take up to two weeks to finalize registration

(sometimes longer for non-U.S.-based NGOs to receive required registration numbers). We also recommend that organizations, particularly first-time applicants, submit applications via Grants.gov no later than one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in an application not being considered. PRM partners must maintain an active

SAM registration with current information at all times during which they have an active federal award or an application under consideration by PRM or any federal agency.

ii. When registering with Grants.gov, organizations must designate points of contact and Authorized Organization Representatives (AORs).

Organizations based outside the United States must also request and receive an NCAGE (https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx) code prior to registering with SAM.gov. Applicants experiencing technical difficulties with the SAM registration process should contact the Federal

Service Desk (FSD) online or at 1-866-606-8220 (U.S.) and 1-334-206-

7828 (International).

iii. Applications must be submitted under the authority of the Authorized

Organization Representative at the applicant organization. Having proposals submitted by agency headquarters helps to avoid possible technical problems.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants.html http://www.grants.gov/ https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx http://www.sam.gov/ https://gsafsd.service-now.com/fsd-gov/home.do https://gsafsd.service-now.com/fsd-gov/home.do

iv. If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov please contact the

Grants.gov Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-

4726.

v. Applicants who are unable to submit applications via Grants.gov due to

Grants.gov technical difficulties and:

• who have reported the problem to the Grants.gov help desk;

• received a case number;

• had a service request opened to research the problem;

may contact the relevant PRM Program Officer before the submission deadline to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate.

F. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure the appropriate registrations are in place and active. Failure to have the appropriate organizational registrations in place is not considered a technical difficulty and is not justification for an alternate means of submission.

G. Submission Dates and Times.

i. Announcement issuance date: Tuesday, May 18, 2021

ii. Proposal submission deadline: Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 11:59:59 p.m.

(23:59:59) EDT. Concept Notes submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

iii. This solicitation is the first step in a two-part process. After reviewing concept notes, PRM will invite selected organizations to expand their submissions into full-length proposals with detailed budgets. Selected organizations will have 30 calendar days after they are notified of their selection to complete their full proposals.

H. Intergovernmental Review – Not Applicable.

I. Funding Restrictions. Federal awards will not allow reimbursement of Federal

Award costs without prior authorization by PRM.

J. Other Submission Requirements.

mailto:support@grants.gov

i. Branding and Marking Strategy

The following provisions will be included whenever assistance is awarded:

The Recipient shall recognize the United States Government’s funding for activities specified under this award at the project site with a graphic of the U.S.

flag accompanied by one of the following two phrases based on the level of funding for the award:

Fully funded by the award: “Gift of the United States Government”

Partially funded by the award: “Funding provided by the United States

Government”

PRM highly encourages recognition of U.S. government funding on social media and website platforms to be included in proposals branding and marking strategy.

Recipients should tag PRM’s Twitter account @StatePRM and/or Facebook account @State.PRM (rather than using hashtags). Additionally, the applicable

U.S. Embassy should be tagged as well.

Updates of actions taken to fulfill this requirement must be included in quarterly program reports to PRM.

All programs, projects, assistance, activities, and public communications to foreign audiences, partially or fully funded by the Department, should be marked appropriately overseas with the standard U.S. flag in a size and prominence equal to (or greater than) any other logo or identity. The requirement does not apply to the Recipient’s own corporate communications or in the United States.

The Recipient should ensure that all publicity and promotional materials underscore the sponsorship by or partnership with the U.S. government or the

U.S. embassy. The Recipient may continue to use existing logos or project materials; however, a standard rectangular U.S. flag must be used in conjunction with such logos.

Do not use the Department of State seal without the express written approval from PRM.

Sub non-Federal entities (sub-awardees) and subsequent tier sub-award agreements are subject to the marking requirements and the non-Federal entity shall include a provision in the sub non-Federal entity agreement indicating that the standard, rectangular U.S. flag is a requirement. Exemptions from this requirement may be allowable but must be agreed to in writing by the Grants

Officer. (Note: An exemption refers to the complete or partial cessation of branding, not use of alternative branding). Requests should be initiated with the

Grants Officer and Grants Officer Representative. Waivers issued are applied only to the exemptions requested through the Recipient’s proposal for funding and any subsequent negotiated revisions.

In the event the non-Federal entity does not comply with the marking requirements as established in the approved assistance agreement, the Grants

Officer Representative and the Grants Officer must initiate corrective action with the non-Federal entity.

Application Review Information

A. Criteria. Eligible submissions will be those that comply with the criteria and requirements included in this announcement. In addition, the review panel will evaluate the concept notes based on the following criteria, in addition to a ranking of High/Medium/Low priority:

• Quality of program idea (10 points)

• Appropriate identification of beneficiary population, including vulnerable populations (10 points)

• Program feasibility/ability to achieve objectives (10 points)

• Organization’s experience and capacity (10 points)

• Cost effectiveness (10 points)

PRM will conduct a formal competitive review of all concept notes submitted in response to this funding announcement. A review panel of at least three people will evaluate submissions based on the above-referenced programmatic criteria and PRM priorities in the context of available funding.

After reviewing the concept notes, selected organizations will be invited to submit full proposals. PRM will provide formal notifications to NGOs of final decisions within 90 days after the closing date of this announcement.

Selected organizations will have 30 calendar days from notification to submit full proposals, with detailed budgets, and attachments as applicable (refer to PRM’s

General NGO Guidelines for general proposal formatting and submission guidance for single-year/multi-year programs).

Federal Award Administration Information

A. Federal Award Administration. A successful applicant can expect to receive a separate notice from PRM stating that an application has been selected before

PRM makes the federal award. That notice is not an authorization to begin performance. Only the notice of award signed by the grants officer is the authorizing document. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified following completion of the selection and award process.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements. PRM awards are made consistent with the following provisions in the following order of precedence: (a) applicable laws and statutes of the United States, including any specific legislative provisions mandated in the statutory authority for the award; (b) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR); (c) Department of State Standard Terms and

Conditions of the award; (d) the award’s specific requirements; and (e) other documents and attachments to the award.

C. Reporting. Successful applicants will be required to submit:

i. Program Reports: PRM requires program reports describing and analyzing the results of activities undertaken during the validity period of the agreement. A program report is required within thirty (30) days following the end of each three-month period of performance during the validity period of the agreement. The final program report is due ninety (90) days following the end of the agreement. The submission dates for program reports will be written into the cooperative agreement. Partners receiving multi-year awards should follow this same reporting schedule and should still submit a final program report at the end of each year that summarizes the NGO’s performance during the previous year.

The Bureau suggests that NGOs receiving PRM funding use the PRM recommended quarterly program report template. The suggested PRM NGO reporting template is designed to ease the reporting requirements while ensuring that all required elements are addressed. The Quarterly Program

Report Template can be requested by sending an email with only the phrase

PRM NGO Templates (exactly as written in bold) in the subject line, to

PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov.

ii. Financial Reports: Financial reports are required within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar year quarter during the validity period of the agreement (January 30th, April 30th, July 30th, October 30th). The final financial report covering the entire period of the agreement is required within ninety (90) days after the expiration date of the agreement. For agreements containing indirect costs, final financial reports are due within sixty (60) days of the finalization of the applicable negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA).

Reports reflecting expenditures for the recipient’s overseas and United States offices should be completed in accordance with the Federal Financial Report

(FFR SF-425) and submitted electronically in the Department of Health and

Human Services’ Payment Management System (HHS/PMS) and in accordance with other award specific requirements. Detailed information pertaining to the Federal Financial Report including due dates, instruction manuals and access forms, is provided on the HHS/PMS website.

iii. Audit Reports: When a recipient-contracted audit is not required because the Federal award amount is less than the $750,000 threshold, the

Department may determine that an audit must be performed and the audit report must be submitted to the responsible grants officer for review, dissemination, and resolution as appropriate. The cost of audits required under this policy may be charged either as an allowable direct cost to the award, or included in the organizations established indirect costs in the award’s detailed budget.

PRM Contacts

A. Applicants with technical questions related to this announcement should contact the PRM staff listed below prior to submission. Please note that responses to technical questions from PRM do not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.

• PRM Program Officer: Jackie (Westeren) Sawyer, westerenja@state.gov, Washington, D.C.

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PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov.

https://pms.psc.gov/ mailto:westerenja@state.gov