NDF-337 Notice of Funding Opportunity.pdf

U.S. Department of State

Notice Of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Program Office: Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Office of the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund

(ISN/NDF)

CFDA:

Funding Opportunity Title: Global Chemical and Biological Weapons Terrorism Prevention

Announcement Type: Cooperative Agreement – Initial Funding Opportunity Number:

Deadline for Applications: July 31, 2021

Available Funding: $5,500,000

ELIGIBILITY

The following organizations are eligible to apply (domestic and international)

• Not-for-Profit organizations

• Public and private educational institutions

• For-profit organizations

• Public International Organizations

Cost-Sharing or Matching This program does not require cost sharing; however, proposals which demonstrate cost sharing are welcomed and encouraged.

Other Special Eligibility Criteria Not Applicable.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, please contact ISN/NDF Project Manager Timothy Brown, BrownTJ@state.gov

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Department of State’s Office of the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund (ISN/NDF) is pleased to announce an open competition for assistance awards through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). ISN/NDF invites non-profit/non-governmental organizations, international organizations, educational institutions, and for-profit organizations to submit proposals for projects that will advance the mission of NDF’s chemical and biological weapons (CBW) terrorism threat reduction special project. Proposals may not exceed the total availability of funds under this NOFO. ISN/NDF prefers proposals that fully address the objectives of at least one of NDF’s CBW threat reduction lines of effort, which are further described in section II, in its entirety.

Organizations that submit an application in response to this NOFO announcement acknowledge and accept all the requirements contained herein. The submission in response to this announcement is voluntary and does not obligate the Department of State to fund the proposal or proposal preparation costs. Please note: Receipt of this NOFO requesting a full application should not be construed as a guarantee of funding. All awards are subject to the availability of funds and the negotiation and finalization of the approved budget and award package.

II. BACKGROUND AND PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Office of the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund (NDF), part of the Department’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN), develops and executes projects in support of U.S. Government disarmament and proliferation threat reduction priorities. ISN/NDF efforts prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), missiles, and advanced or destabilizing conventional weapons to terrorists and other rogue entities; support bilateral and multilateral efforts to halt the proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons, their delivery systems, related technologies, and other weapons; and secure, remove, or destroy WMD and its delivery systems.

ISN/NDF’s program on countering CBW terrorism seeks to strengthen the ability of foreign law enforcement, industry, and other critical stakeholders to prevent, detect, respond to, and mitigate mass casualty terrorist attacks involving rudimentary chemical and biological materials.

Specifically, the program will develop stand-alone training modules for law enforcement, military, intelligence services, and others that build upon CBW threat reduction assistance provided by other Department of State and U.S. Government Interagency efforts. The program will also build cross-sector partnerships to promote the cooperative oversight of highly toxic substances and provide relevant industry and market leaders the resources necessary to effectively secure vulnerable materials against terrorist diversion and use. ISN/NDF will focus its efforts on countries where non-state actors have demonstrated an ability or interest in developing or using CBW and acquiring relevant materials or expertise. ISN/NDF values the use of innovative strategies and novel tools that address top-tier CBW terrorism threats.

In Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22), ISN/NDF will fund proposals that align with and support at least one of its four CBW terrorism threat reduction lines of effort in its entirety.

Lines of Effort (LOEs)

LOE 1. Establish interagency CBW response units and train foreign law enforcement partners to disrupt and respond to non-state actor chemical and biological weapons attacks, including from toxic gases, crude toxins, and other rudimentary CBW agents

Estimated funding level: $2,500,000 Funded proposal(s) will emphasize:

• Strengthening law enforcement analytical capabilities (detecting pre-attack indicators, conducting cyber-forensic investigations, utilizing behavioral threat assessments) to identify behavioral anomalies and early warning signs of CBW terrorism plots;

• Training law enforcement tactical units to identify key precursors of rudimentary CBW agents and precursors using low technology solutions and locally available resources;

• Engaging relevant law enforcement units and private security providers in the ground transportation and aviation sectors to effectively detect, prevent, and respond to mass casualty attacks involving rudimentary CBW agents;

• Developing personnel reliability and insider threat mitigation programs with foreign airport and passenger rail security units to prevent radicalized individuals from gaining access to sensitive security areas and facilitating CBW attacks; and

• Providing low-cost, locally available, personal protection equipment, detection systems, decontamination solutions, environmental and biomedical sampling supplies, and other CBW-related threat reduction equipment.

Potential countries of impact include but are not limited to: Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey, Libya, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Kenya, Mali, Chad, and Bangladesh

LOE 2. Develop and support the implementation of voluntary chemical industry action plans to prevent violent extremist organizations and other non-state actors from acquiring weaponizable chemicals through commercial and informal sources

Estimated funding level: $1,250,000 Funded proposals will emphasize:

• Raising awareness of insider threats and potential mitigation strategies at key production facilities and markets of rudimentary CBW precursors (e.g., sulfur, castor oil, etc);

• Strengthening physical and procedural security practices and implementing Know-Your- Customer (KYC) programs at key production facilities and informal markets of rudimentary CBW precursors.

• Fostering a cadre of chemical and biological security leaders to develop and disseminate awareness-raising materials and best practice guides throughout relevant informal and unregulated markets; and

• Recommending and/or providing low-cost, easily implementable physical security solutions for key production facilities and markets of rudimentary CBW precursors in high-threat locations on an urgent basis to address identified vulnerabilities.

Potential countries of impact include but are not limited to: Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey, Libya, Algeria, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Mali, Chad, Pakistan, and Jordan

LOE 3. Launch national cross-sector CBW threat reduction committees to improve law enforcement coordination with private industry and informal markets and encourage suspicious incident reporting/information sharing across sectors

Estimated funding level: $1,000,000 Funded proposals will emphasize:

• Detecting and disrupting mass casualty CBW attack plots through joint law enforcement-industry training exercises, engagements, and public messaging;

• Helping law enforcement units identify sources of high-threat rudimentary CBW agents (e.g., sulfur, castor oil, etc) within their jurisdictions for enhanced vigilance and private-sector engagement on suspicious incident reporting;

• Training law enforcement units to engage unregulated markets and third-party retailers on problematic sales of potential improvised explosive device (IED) components that could be used as rudimentary CW agents/precursors; and

• Facilitating information sharing between law enforcement and informal/unregulated market leaders on measures to prevent terrorist acquisition of rudimentary CW, crude toxins, and other commercially available CBW materials of concern.

Potential countries of impact include but are not limited to: Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey, Libya, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Mali, Chad, Pakistan, and Jordan

LOE 4. Establish an Afghan Chemical Interdiction Task Force to prevent the unauthorized acquisition and use of rudimentary CBW materials in mass casualty attacks

Estimated funding level: $750,000 Funded proposals will emphasize:

• Cooperating with the Office for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons within the Atomic Energy High Commission of Afghanistan and representatives from various government ministries to include Interior, Customs, and relevant law enforcement units to stand up a Task Force;

• Helping the Task Force develop policies, practices and procedures for tracking all chemicals within the country as well as a dedicated database focusing on key precursor chemicals of concern, high-risk chemicals, and bulk shipments;

• Developing an operations unit within the Commission responsible for identifying, securing, documenting, and/or neutralizing unsecured or abandoned rudimentary chemicals (e.g., bulk sulfur) and detecting/disrupting CW terrorism plots;

• Training Task Force members to conduct outreach to chemical industry, informal markets, and the academic community to improve the broader chemical security posture in Afghanistan; and

• Providing Task Force members with personal protective equipment, detection/analytical systems, and chemical neutralization solutions, as needed.

Country of impact: Afghanistan

FY22 Proposal Consideration

All proposals must make a clear and compelling case for how the applicant will reduce CBW terrorism threats, how they will address partner-specific political, technical, and/or logistical realities, and how they will support the objectives of the NOFO and complement existing U.S.

Government initiatives in this area. To the maximum extent possible, proposals should address all elements within a CBW line of effort. Sustainability is paramount to ISN/NDF’s long-term CBW threat reduction objectives for each funded line of effort. ISN/NDF will view the following attributes favorably in the FY22 proposal consideration process:

• Comprehensive proposals that fully address all CBW terrorism threat reduction objectives of at least one of the above lines of effort in its entirety;

• Outcomes that go beyond basic chemical and biological safety and security awareness raising and address complicated threats such as attacks involving rudimentary agents;

• Standalone capacity building, training, and procurement efforts that make an immediate and lasting threat reduction impact within the first year of funding availability;

• Effective mechanisms for long-term sustainment post-engagement, including follow-up activities as part of other USG-funded CBW threat reduction programs;

• Proposals that emphasize engagement with foreign law enforcement and private sector partners on effective preventative measures with response-oriented techniques and planning as a secondary focus area;

• Nonproliferation/CBW terrorism threat reduction benefit clearly evidenced by data-driven analysis and approaches targeted to current threat assessments;

• Proposals that emphasize train-the-trainer methodologies, build indigenous capacity within a partner country, and establish relationships between regional partners;

• Multi-phased proposals to scope vulnerabilities and develop country- or region-specific solutions and training exercises;

• Proposals tailored to fit local technical capabilities as well as threat environments;

• Financial and/or in-kind cost-sharing, including but not limited to subject matter expertise, facilities, equipment, technology, or other forms of cost-sharing;

• Virtual or web-based activities that prioritize public health during the global COVID-19 pandemic and low-cost equipping solutions for difficult operating environments;

• Proposals that highlight efforts to encourage the inclusion of more women and other historically under-represented groups in both implementer and participant roles.

III. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The following organizations are eligible to apply (both domestic and international):

• Not-for-profit organizations

• Public and private educational institutions

• For-profit organizations

• Public international organizations

Applicants are not required to include funding from other donors. However, applications that include additional in-kind and/or cash contributions from non-U.S. Government sources will be more competitive, since cost sharing demonstrates a strong commitment to the planned activities and will be considered to show greater cost effectiveness.

When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal and later included in an approved agreement.

Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability purposes, you must maintain written records to support all costs that are claimed as your contribution, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s Circular 2 CFR Parts 200 and 600, entitled the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. In the event you do not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ISN/NDF contribution will be reduced in like proportion.

All potential applicants should be knowledgeable of existing programs in the proposed countries/regions, including those funded by other Department of State and U.S. Government interagency programs, in order to avoid duplication of effort.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Award Period: 18 months, though longer periods of performance may be considered on a case-by-case basis. ISN/NDF will provide an additional 3 months for project close out.

Award Amount: One award or several smaller awards may be granted in response to this NOFO, with the maximum amount per award determined by the number of discrete lines of effort funded. ISN/NDF prefers proposals that fully address the objectives of at least one CBW threat reduction line of effort in its entirety, but will also consider individual projects that address a portion of a particular line of effort. ISN/NDF will prioritize proposals that efficiently meet programmatic goals at the lowest technically acceptable cost.

Application Submission Process: Applicants should submit project proposals electronically using Grants.gov. Thorough instructions on the Grants.gov application process are available at http://www.grants.gov. For questions relating to Grants.gov, please call the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726.

Application Deadline: All applications must be submitted on or before July 31, 2021, 11:59 p.m. eastern time. Applications submitted after 11:59 p.m. will be ineligible for consideration.

Begin the application process early, as this will allow time to address any technical difficulties that may arise in advance of the deadline. There will be no exceptions to this application deadline.

All applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. Registering with

Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, it could take as long as two weeks to have the registration validated and confirmed. Please begin the registration process immediately to ensure that the process is completed well in advance of the deadline for applications. Until that process is complete, you will not be issued a user password for Grants.gov, which is required for application submission. There are four steps that you must complete before you are able to register: (1) Obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet (if your organization does not have one already) by calling 1-866-705-5711; (2) Register with Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (3) Register yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (4) Be authorized as an AOR by your organization. For more information, go to www.grants.gov. Please note that your CCR registration must be annually renewed. Failure to renew your CCR registration may prohibit submission of an application through Grants.gov.

Application Content: Applicants must follow the NOFO instructions and conditions contained herein and supply all information required. Failure to furnish all information or comply with stated requirements will result in disqualification from the competition. Applicants must set forth full, accurate, and complete information as required by this NOFO. The penalty for making false statements in proposals to the U.S. government is prescribed on 18 U.S.C.1001.

The completed submission must consist of the following four parts:

Section 1 - Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424):

This form can be found on-line at: http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15

Section 2 – Consolidated Project List:

This list outlines the individual project proposals addressing one or more of NDF’s CBW terrorism threat reduction lines of effort within your overall proposal submission.

Section 3 – Project Proposal(s):

Using the provided template, the applicant must provide a completed project proposal. The proposal form must be completed in its entirety and clearly specify the proposed scope, deliverables, and timeline. ISN/NDF encourages applicants to submit proposals that fully address the objectives of at least one CBW threat reduction line of effort in its entirety. Applicants must specify a point of contact for each project that is proposed.

Section 4 - Budget:

Also using the provided project proposal template, applicants must provide a budget for each project. The budget must identify the total amount of funding requested, with a breakdown of amounts to be spent in the following budget categories:

• Personnel and fringe benefits;

• Travel;

• Equipment and supplies;

• Contractual services;

• Construction;

• Other direct costs; and

• Indirect costs.

Applicants must adhere to the requirements of the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), including Fly America Act requirements, when proposing and conducting travel. For further information and current foreign per diem rates, please visit: https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp

V. AWARD SELECTION CRITERIA

Applicants should note that the following criteria serve as a standard against which all project proposals will be evaluated and identify significant considerations that should be addressed in all proposals. ISN/NDF will award a cooperative agreement to the applicant(s) whose offer represents the best overall value to the government from both a technical and cost perspective.

ISN/NDF will evaluate proposals against the stated criteria. Criteria are listed in descending order of importance.

• Proposed Activity or Activities: Applications should be responsive to the program framework and policy objectives identified in the solicitation, appropriate in the country/regional and organizational context, and should clearly describe what they propose to do and how they will do it. The proposed project(s) should directly relate to meeting all specified objectives within at least one of the above lines of effort and applicants should include specific information on how these objectives will advance ISN/NDF’s mission. ISN/NDF will evaluate the project proposal in terms of how well it addresses the CBW terrorism threat reduction issues at hand, relevance and feasibility of the proposed activities, the timeline for completion, and the extent to which the impact of the project will continue beyond the conclusion of the period of performance.

• Organizational Capability: Applicants must demonstrate how their resources, capabilities, and experience will enable them to achieve the stated goals and objectives in an international technical context. The proposal(s) must identify all key partners and organizations that will be involved in implementation of this project. Finally, proposals should demonstrate how the applicant will manage all specified objectives within at least one of the above lines of effort.

• Budget: Proposed costs will be evaluated for realism, fiscal control practices, and efficiency. ISN/NDF must be able to determine that proposed costs are reasonable, allowable, and allocable to the proposed project activities. ISN/NDF will evaluate the budget to determine if the overall costs are realistic for the work to be performed, if the costs reflect the applicant’s understanding of the allowable cost principles established by OMB Circulars A-122 and/or A-21, and if the costs are consistent with the project narrative.

• Past Performance: In reviewing proposals, ISN/NDF will evaluate the organization’s past performance on other federal and non-federal grants and cooperative agreements.

This will include a review of whether objectives for past awards were met; whether the organization complied with the terms of conditions of past awards, including reporting and financial management requirements; and the timeliness of project implementation.

• Cyber Security: Recipients and subcontractors are required to provide adequate security

– (e.g. protective measures that are commensurate with the consequences and probability of loss, misuse, or unauthorized access to, or modification of information) on all covered information systems, and to rapidly report cyber incidents directly to the grantor.

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

Award Notices: The cooperative agreement shall be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The Grants Officer is the government official delegated the authority by the U.S. Department of State Procurement Executive to write, award, and administer grants and cooperative agreements. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document and it will be provided to the Recipient through either mail or facsimile transmission. Organizations whose applications will not be funded will also be notified in writing.

Anticipated Time to Award: Applicants should expect to be notified of the recommended concepts within 90 days after the submission deadline. Following this initial notification, selected applicants will be expected to submit a full application within 30 days. ISN/NDF staff will provide information at the point of notification about the requirements for the full application, which may include revisions to the activities. The full applications will not be subject to further competition, but must incorporate any suggested changes made by ISN/NDF.

Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government, nor does it commit the Government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the Government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.

Project Implementation Meeting: The Recipient will have a pre-project implementation meeting with ISN/NDF within 30 days after the cooperative agreement is awarded and before any work is performed for the award.

Project Work Plan: The Recipient shall submit to ISN/NDF within 30 days of award a draft project work plan (PWP), aligned with project management best practices, that includes a description of the project goal, discrete objectives, and planned activities; projected timeframes for accomplishing them; and performance indicators/metrics of success toward intended outcomes. ISN/NDF will review the plan in consultation with appropriate stakeholders and provide feedback to the Recipient detailing necessary revisions/adjustments to the plan to be made within 15 days of receipt.

Reporting Requirements: As a cooperative agreement, reporting and deliverable requirements for this project exceed those of typical grants administered by ISN/NDF. Applicants should pay special attention to these enhanced reporting and deliverable requirements. Specifically:

• Using a template provided by ISN/NDF, the Recipient shall submit quarterly progress reports to the designated Grants Officer Representative (GOR) detailing:

o Assistance activities conducted during the reporting period;

o Milestones and successes achieved to date;

o Key assistance activities remaining to be implemented with a projected timetable;

o Details of any problems encountered with proposed solutions; and o Any other pertinent information requested by ISN/NDF.

• The Recipient shall provide the GOR with copies of all materials developed under this cooperative agreement.

• In addition to regular quarterly reports, the Recipient shall furnish the GOR with ad hoc reports as requested from time to time.

In addition to the above, the Recipient shall submit quarterly financial reports throughout the project period. Financial reports are due 30 days after the reporting period. Final programmatic and financial reports are due 90 days after the close of the project period.

VII. DISCLAIMER

If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding in connection with the award. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the total discretion of the Department of State.