NDF-339 Notice of Funding Opportunity_Final.docx

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 Number:

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 NDF’s nonproliferation mission through a biological threat reduction and border security program. Proposals may not exceed the total availability of funds under this NOFO. ISN/NDF prefers proposals that address multiple objectives of at least one line of effort, which are further described in section II.

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. 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 global biological threat reduction and improving border security to prevent the proliferation of high consequence pathogens seeks to strengthen the ability of foreign entities in the human and animal health, law enforcement, and border security sectors to prevent, detect, and respond to outbreaks of accidental, natural, or deliberate origin to mitigate the threat of high consequence pathogens. This program will aim to: improve safe and secure pathogen detection capabilities at the laboratory and network level; improve biosafety and biosecurity infrastructure and practices in laboratories and medical facilities that may encounter or work with high consequence pathogens; and promote and improve multisectoral coordination across animal and human health, law enforcement, and border security sectors for efficient prevention, detection, and response to biological incidents. ISN/NDF will specifically focus on countries and regions with high levels of endemic high consequence pathogens, demonstrated ability or interest from nonstate or state actor threats in using biological agents, and biological infrastructure that may be of interest to nefarious actors.

Lines of Effort (LOEs)

LOE 1. Build indigenous capacity and improve capabilities to quickly and accurately detect and identify outbreaks of high consequence pathogens.

Funded proposal(s) will emphasize:

· Building capacity to detect biological incidents using molecular diagnostics techniques and advanced molecular diagnostic approaches including bioinformatics analysis and interpretation.

· Improving field surveillance and coordination within diagnostic laboratory networks for public health and animal health sectors as well as communication among relevant sectors to include government, academic, and private institutions.

· Improving case reporting, cooperation with international organizations, and adoption of relevant international standards such as International Health Regulations (IHR).

· Improving regional coordination to detect and respond to transboundary outbreaks of high consequence pathogens.

· Improving sample transportation networks and protocols.

LOE 2. Build indigenous capacity to improve biorisk management, biosecurity, and biosafety practices in diagnostic and research laboratories and medical facilities that work with or may encounter high consequence pathogens.

Funded proposals will emphasize:

· Improving biorisk management and biosecurity in government, academic, and clinical laboratories to include new labs established during the COVID-19 pandemic.

· Improving biorisk management, biosecurity, and infection prevention and control in medical facilities.

· Improving sample and facility decontamination methods and proper waste management at diagnostic and research laboratories and medical facilities.

· Improving physical security of laboratories through risk assessment training and infrastructure improvements.

· Improving sample security by developing and operationalizing priority pathogen lists, pathogen inventory systems, promoting pathogen consolidation, and sample management protocols.

· Training researchers and other stakeholders on the risks of dual-use research and how to mitigate these risks with a focus on facilities that conduct advanced research, those that handle high consequence pathogens, and/or those that work on the development and production of therapeutics and vaccines.

· Improving evidence-based protocols for applied biosafety and biosecurity to better inform standard operating procedure development for labs of varying resource levels.

· Promoting sustainable biosecurity and biorisk management expertise within countries and regions of interest.

LOE 3. Enhance and promote multisectoral coordination across animal health, human health, border, and other related security sectors to mitigate biological threats.

Funded proposals will emphasize:

· Developing or improving biological incident preparedness plans and operationalization of these plans for human and animal health sectors along with law enforcement, first responders, disaster response teams, and border security sectors.

· Developing or improving emergency management operationalization for human health, animal health, law enforcement, and border security sectors.

· Improving coordination between national public health authorities and border security authorities to develop customized operational procedures to support quarantine, reporting, and information sharing in keeping with international regulations.

LOE 4. Augment border security to mitigate biological threats and promote legitimate use and innovation of life sciences and biotechnology.

Funded proposals will emphasize:

· Improving foreign government development of laws, regulations, policies and/or standard operating procedures in coordination with industry, academic and private sectors on tangible and intangible technology, equipment, or data crossing borders that may have applications in biological proliferation.

· Ensuring supply chain security to prevent transfers of illicit or counterfeit dual-use healthcare goods, pharmaceutical products, and WMD-applicable materials as well as their theft or diversion.

· Developing scenario-based incident command system and emergency response training for CBRNe response units or equivalent entities at ports of entry to mitigate dissemination of biological threats.

For all LOEs, potential regions (countries) of impact include but are not limited to: Sub-Saharan Africa (Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan), Near East (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia), East Asia and Pacific (Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam), and South and Central Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India), and Western Hemisphere (Argentina, Brazil, Peru)

FY22 Proposal Consideration

This funding opportunity focuses primarily on workforce development that builds sustainable in-country expertise to prevent the natural emergence, accidental release, or intentional diversion of high consequence pathogens. All proposals must make a clear and compelling case for how the applicant will reduce these biological 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. ISN/NDF welcomes the submission of targeted bilateral as well as multilateral approaches to advance the broad biosecurity objectives of this project. Sustainability is paramount to ISN/NDF’s long-term biological 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 address multiple biological threat reduction objectives of at least one of the above lines of effort, resulting in cost and/or programmatic efficiencies;

· Outcomes that go beyond awareness raising and aim to operationalize and institutionalize biosafety and biosecurity approaches;

· Physical security and equipment upgrades may be included within proposals for infrastructure improvement, but laboratory construction and renovation efforts are not appropriate;

· Incorporation of capacity building, training, coordination, and procurement efforts that make an immediate and lasting threat reduction impact and tie into long-term sustainment;

· Effective mechanisms for long-term sustainment post-engagement, such as including follow-up activities as part of other USG or other donor-funded programs;

· Proposals that leverage indigenous or previous USG-developed capacities and highlight clear coordination of how proposed activities will augment and support current capacity;

· Proposals that emphasize building indigenous capacity within a partner country, and establish relationships between regional partners;

· The inclusion of virtual engagements, asynchronous training modules, and related course structures where appropriate;

· Development of training curricula and materials that can be adapted for country- and region-specific contexts as needed;

· Incorporation or coordination with applicable international institutions and organizations such as WHO, OIE, and IFBA, when appropriate;

· Multi-phased proposals to scope vulnerabilities and develop country- or region-specific solutions;

· 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;

· 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

A. Eligible Applicants 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

B. Cost Sharing or Matching 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.

C. Other Eligibility Requirements In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (Data Universal Numbering System/DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov.

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.

Applicants should submit one proposal package per organization/or PI. If more than one proposal package is submitted from an organization/or PI, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Award Period: 12 to 24 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 biological 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 November 22, 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 biological 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:

Guidelines for Budget Justification Personnel and Fringe Benefits: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the project, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the project.

Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this project, for both program staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. If the project involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.

Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the project, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the project), and costs at least $5,000 per unit.

Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the project. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under Equipment.

Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor. Also, describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the project activities.

Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the project, which do not fit in the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials and equipment or applicable taxes. All “Other” or “Miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained.

Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the project activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating. If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.

“Cost Sharing” refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S. Embassy. It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues.

Alcoholic Beverages: Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.

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: http://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=184&menu_id=78b

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 multiple 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 biological 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.

· Impactful and Measurable Engagements: Although complex nonproliferation objectives demand persistent engagement with partner countries, discrete projects should individually advance progress toward a particular objective. Proposals should describe the end-state the project aims to achieve, along with specific, measurable, and realistic benchmarks by which to gauge progress toward that end-state. Compelling project proposals will establish milestones to be met during the training period, and describe observable progress in the adoption, implementation, or enhancement of nonproliferation or sanctions enforcement and compliance best practices.

· 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 maintain NIST 800 IT Security Standards – (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 report cyber incidents directly to the grantor within 48 hours of the incident. Proposals must describe the applicant’s computer and cyber security practices and capabilities.

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:

· Assistance activities conducted during the reporting period;

· Milestones and successes achieved to date;

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

· Details of any problems encountered with proposed solutions; and

· 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.

VII. CONTACT INFORMATION

For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, please contact ISN/NDF Project Managers Emily Kelley, KelleyES@state.gov, and Timothy Brown, BrownTJ@state.gov.