nofa-afr13.pdf

OMB No. 1018-0123

Expiration: 09/30/2014

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Division of International Conservation

Wildlife Without Borders Programs

Notice of Funding Availability & Application Instructions

Fiscal Year 2013

Funding Opportunity Title: FWS-DIC-WWB-AFR2013

Announcement Type: New Applications

Funding Opportunity Number: FWS-DIC-WWB-AFR2013

Submission Deadline: November 1, 2012

Wildlife Without Borders – Africa

Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance (CFDA):15.651

Failure to register in the System for Award Management (SAM) and provide complete information, as outlined below, may cause delays, postponement, or rejection of a grant application.

Agency Contact

Dirck Byler

Division of International Conservation

Branch of Near East, South Asia and Africa

4401 North Fairfax Drive, MS 100

Arlington, Virginia 22003-1622 USA

Tel: +1-703-358-2337

Fax: +1-703-358-2115

E-mail: dirck_byler@fws.gov

I. DESCRIPTION OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

The Congo Basin is a globally important region for forest and biodiversity conservation. The U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service (USFWS) works closely with national governments, U.S. agencies, and a range of other partners to ensure a strategic, results-based approach to wildlife conservation in the basin. In collaboration with

U.S. Agency of International Development’s (USAID) Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment

(CARPE), the USFWS is providing this funding opportunity to improve protected area management, reduce threats to key wildlife populations, and develop the requisite individual and institutional conservation capacity to undertake long-term conservation programs.

It is anticipated that grant funding through the USFWS Multinational Species Conservation Funds will continue to provide support on a competitive basis to Congo Basin countries and corresponding landscapes not covered in the priorities outlined below, in future funding cycles.

The FY 2013 call for applications will be limited to the following geographic and thematic areas:

1. Gabon

Description: The basins of the Congo and Ogooué rivers comprise the second largest expanse of tropical forest on earth. The creation of Gabon’s National Parks network and National Parks Agency

(ANPN) demonstrates international leadership in biodiversity conservation and protected area management. Yet despite these tremendous achievements, the ability of Gabon to successfully protect its national biological treasures remains significantly challenged. USFWS will support activities by

ANPN’s partner organizations to reduce threats to wildlife both in and around its protected area network.

Funding Mechanism: Multiple, one year grants that collectively total $1,000,000. Individual proposals requesting less than $100,000 USD have a higher likelihood of being selected. Government agencies, non-governmental organizations, institutions of higher education, and individuals are eligible to apply.

Desired Results: Reduction of illegal killing of elephants. Mitigation of the impacts of extractive industries in national parks and buffer zones. Improved management of national parks and buffer zones.

Sustainable revenue for conservation activities through tourism.

2. Sangha Trinational and Odzala National Park

Description: The Sangha Trinational Landscape, a new World Heritage site, encompasses three contiguous national parks buffered by timber concessions. The landscape supports large populations of elephants, great apes, and many other endangered species. Odzala National Park and its surrounding timber concessions play an equally important role in conserving the biodiversity of this contiguous forest ecosystem. USFWS will continue to support activities in these areas aimed at developing conservation capacity, mitigating threats from poaching and extractive industries, enhancing law enforcement, monitoring wildlife populations and threats, and assisting in the development of sustainable revenue schemes through eco-tourism.

Funding Mechanism: A single, five year cooperative agreement of up to $2,000,000 per annum developed in collaboration with government agencies and non-governmental organizations currently active in the Sangha Trinational landscape, Odzala National Park, and their surrounding timber concessions. Government agencies, non-governmental organizations, institutions of higher education, and individuals are eligible to apply. Proposals have a higher likelihood of being selected if submitted by a consortium of conservation partners.

Desired Results: Reduction of illegal killing of elephants and mitigation of the impacts of extractive industries in national parks and buffer zones, including the adoption of management plans and best practice guidelines by extractive industries that clearly define the activities they will undertake to maintain healthy wildlife populations; improved management of national parks and buffer zones;

reduced bushmeat consumption in logging (or other extractive industry) camps; reduced use of infrastructure and transport in logging and mining concessions which facilitate illegal bushmeat trade;

proper wildlife surveys to map the distribution and density of key wildlife populations in national parks and concessions, particularly Lobeke NP; clear understanding of (a) the impact of Ebola hemorrhagic fever on ape populations, (b) transmission of Ebola among wildlife, and (c) appropriate intervention strategy and critical control measures; and sustainable revenue for conservation activities through tourism.

3. Virunga National Park

Description: Virunga National Park contains the highest biological diversity of any national park in

Africa, with 2,000 plant species, 706 bird species, and 218 mammal species, including hippos and one-third of the world’s mountain-gorilla population. Despite recent setbacks in the security situation, Virunga National Park has made significant progress in the development of its ranger force, tourist facilities (in FY11, tourist revenues approached $1 million), and local livelihood projects. USFWS will provide operational support to enable park operations and support the further development of tourism opportunities necessary to develop a park constituency at local and national levels as well as securing a revenue source for park staff.

Funding Mechanism: A single, five year cooperative agreement of up to $250,000 per annum developed in collaboration with the Congolese Wildlife Authority (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la

Nature, ICCN) and the non-governmental organizations currently active in Virunga National Park.

Desired Results: Mitigation of the impacts of extractive industries in national parks and buffer zones;

improved management of national parks and buffer zones; reduction in illegal wood harvest for charcoal production; strong local constituency that supports the park; and sustainable revenue for conservation activities through tourism.

4. Tsuapa-Lomani-Lualaba (TL2)

Description: The Tsuapa-Lomani-Lualaba (TL2) conservation area in the Democratic Republic of

Congo is home to a significant population of bonobos as well as forest elephant, congo peacock, okapi, and a recently discovered new primate species. In the TL2, the USFWS will continue to provide support to the creation of new protected areas, wildlife and threat monitoring, participatory management, and law enforcement.

Funding Mechanism: A single, one year grant of up to $200,000. Government agencies, non-governmental organizations, institutions of higher education, and individuals are eligible to apply.

Desired Results: Reduction of illegal killing of elephants; improved management of national parks and buffer zones; proper wildlife surveys to map the distribution and density of key wildlife populations in national parks and concessions; decreased profitability and incentive for commercial bushmeat hunters;

and strong local constituency that supports protected areas and conservation activities.

5. Maringa-Lopori-Wamba

Description: The Maringa-Lopori-Wamba landscape covers potentially over 20% of the estimated bonobo distribution range. Progress in previous years has led to the creation of an emerging network of protected areas. USFWS support to this landscape will focus on increasing coverage (and ensuring adequate management) to at least 12,000km2 or 15% of the landscape to safeguard enough habitat to assure the long-term viability of bonobo and other large mammals.

Funding Mechanism: A single, one year grant of up to $200,000. Government agencies, non-governmental organizations, institutions of higher education, and individuals are eligible to apply.

Desired Results: Decreased profitability and incentive for commercial bushmeat hunters and improved management of national parks and buffer zones.

6. Wildlife Law Enforcement

Description: USFWS will support national efforts to assist governments of the Congo Basin countries to increase wildlife law enforcement capacity, produce effective deterrents to the killing of threatened or endangered wildlife, monitor the illegal wildlife trade and other activities, ensure the effective prosecutions of wildlife crimes and application of appropriate penalties, and raise public awareness of the increased enforcement of wildlife law.

Funding Mechanism: Multiple, one year grants that collectively total $500,000. Individual proposals requesting less than $50,000 USD have a higher likelihood of being selected. Government agencies, non-governmental organizations, institutions of higher education, and individuals are eligible to apply.

Desired Results: Increased awareness, political will and legal system capacity to enforce wildlife laws and assure effective prosecutions; greater awareness and political will among government agents and policy-makers to detect, apprehend and prosecute wildlife criminals and to dismantle smuggling networks; and greater capacity among range state governments in Central Africa to carry out law enforcement and other key functions to reduce illegal killing of elephants and to deter and detect ivory smuggling.

7. Capacity Building

Description: USFWS will support national and regional activities designed to strengthen the ability of African individuals and institutions to reduce threats to biodiversity. Capacity building approaches can include training, facilitating dialogue, program development, and provision of equipment and other resources.

Funding Mechanism: Multiple, one year grants that collectively total $200,000. Individual proposals non-governmental organizations, institutions of higher education, and individuals are eligible to apply.

Desired Results: Government partners have the capacity to protect and manage natural resources in

Central Africa; Central African universities and faculty have the capacity to deliver effective education and training programs on protected area management and species conservation; rural communities are active advocates for wildlife conservation; and strong political support among decision makers to positively influence wildlife policy and management.

8. Species Conservation and Applied Biodiversity Research

Description: USFWS will support national and regional activities designed to conserve Central African species and biodiversity not eligible for funding through the Multinational Species Conservation Funds. Example activities include the collection of reliable scientific data for management, efforts to conserve freshwater fish stocks, and protection of highly threatened species. Project activities that emphasize data collection and status assessment should describe a direct link to management action, and explain how lack of information has been a key limiting factor for management action in the past.

Funding Mechanism: Multiple, one year grants that collectively total $200,000. Individual proposals non-governmental organizations, institutions of higher education, and individuals are eligible to apply.

Desired Results: Protected area managers and field personnel have the capacity, information and equipment to identify, monitor, and take action against key threats to Central African wildlife and no species endemic to

Central Africa goes extinct.

In addition to the call for proposals above, two cooperative agreements will be developed with government agencies in Gabon and Cameroon to raise national and regional conservation capacity.

l’Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN) – Gabon: A single, five year cooperative agreement of up to $3,000,000 per annum.

The Parks Gabon project, a collaboration between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Gabon’s

Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN), aims to enhance the near- and long-term capacity of ANPN to respond to the increased threats of elephant poaching and extractive industry expansion (oil, mining, forestry, and fishing) within and around the national park network. A component of this agreement will include the continuation and expansion of the MENTOR-FOREST Master’s degree program based at the Forestry College

(ENEF). The USFWS will continue to partner with ANPN and other organizations to respond directly to existing and emerging needs at all of Gabon’s protected areas, including support for “model parks” as learning laboratories for management effectiveness and training. Efforts will raise capacity for wildlife law enforcement and trade.

Desired Results: Reduction of illegal killing of elephants; mitigation of the impacts of extractive industries in national parks and buffer zones; improved management of national parks and buffer zones; and sustainable revenue for conservation activities through tourism.

Ecole de Faune de Garoua – Cameroon: A single, five year cooperative agreement at $100,000 per annum.

USFWS will collaborate with Ecole de Faune de Garoua and Cameroon’s protected area authorities on the development of training programs to increase the country’s capacity for wildlife management and effective law enforcement.

Desired Results: Ecole de Faune de Garoua and its faculty have the capacity to deliver effective education and training programs on protected area management and species conservation.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

This program uses grant and cooperative agreements as assistance instruments. The type of assistance instrument to be used is the decision of USFWS.

Grants Awards

Although the period of performance for projects funded under this program is typically one year, there are no restrictions on funding proposals for activities exceeding one year. The period of performance for all funded projects begins on the date the award is signed by the USFWS. Past and present recipients of awards under this Fund are eligible but must submit new proposals to compete for funding each year.

Cooperative Agreements

The criteria for funding levels, matching in-kind or financial support, period of performance, and the requirement for new proposal for past and present recipients of awards are the same as under Grant Awards. For cooperative agreements, substantive involvement by the USFWS should be expected and may include collaborating jointly with the recipient partner in carrying out the scope of work, drafting the proposal and offering technical assistance. To submit a proposal for consideration as a cooperative agreement, provide a justification statement in the project proposal as to the type and duration of assistance requested of the USFWS and a rationale for why involvement of USFWS is needed to fulfill project objectives.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Eligible Applicants: Applicants under this program can be: individuals; multi-national secretariats, federal, state and local government agencies; non-profit, non-governmental organizations; public and private institutions of higher education, and individuals with demonstrated and proven experience in wildlife conservation and management. U.S. non-profit, non-governmental organizations must submit documentary evidence of their Section 501(c)(3) non-profit status.

Ineligible Activities: The Division of International Conservation will not fund:

the purchase of firearms or ammunitions;

buying intelligence information or paying informants;

gathering information by persons who conceal their true identity;

law enforcement operations that, to arrest suspects, prompt them to carry out illegal activities (entrapment);

any activity that would circumvent sanctions, laws or regulations of either the U.S. or the country of proposed activity;

material support or resources to individuals, entities, or organizations of countries that the U.S. Department of

State has identified as state sponsors of terrorism. These countries are: Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria. (Exceptions may be allowed with clearance from U.S. Department of State.)

Applicant and Partner Contributions: Applicants and/or other project partners must contribute funds to the project, which may include cash or in-kind contributions. Applicant and partner contributions cannot be included as contributions for any other federally assisted project or program. Funds provided by another U.S. Federal Government agency or another USFWS award cannot be reported as matching contributions but should be noted and explained in detail. Only verifiable contributions should be included as match. A match shown during one year may not be repeated as a match in a subsequent proposal.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Failure to register in the System for Award Management (SAM) and provide complete information, as outlined below, may cause delays, postponement, or rejection of a grant application.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: November 1, 2012

A confirmation e-mail will be sent out to applicants once their submission has been received.

1. APPLICATION FORMAT AND CONTENT: You must submit your proposal in English or French. If you submit a proposal in French, you must include a project summary in English. Proposals should be 10 pages or less. Figures, tables, maps, and required forms do not count toward the 10 page limit.

Your proposal should include these elements:

A. Application Cover Page

Complete the Application Cover Page located at http://www.fws.gov/international/dic/pdf/Cover_Page.pdf according to the instructions on page 3 of the form.

B. Project Summary: This section should answer the question, “What is the purpose of this project?” BRIEFLY summarize your project in one page or less. This section should be a stand-alone summary of your project and it may be shared with the public. Include the title of the project, geographic location, and a brief overview of the key threats to wildlife and habitats, the intended audience of any capacity building activities (e.g. number and type of people trained), and anticipated conservation outcomes.

C. Project Narrative

1. Statement of Need: This section should answer the question, “Why is this project necessary?” In three pages of text or less, the statement of need should clearly identify the targeted species or habitats and any existing estimates of population size, geographic range, or extent; a description of the direct threats that affect the targeted species at the project site; and the specific threats that the project will address.

Explain how your proposal differs from past work or builds upon it. Explain the success or failures of past efforts by yourself or others, and how your proposal expands upon those efforts and lessons learned.

Former recipients of USFWS support should remember that every proposal must be a stand-alone document.

Not all proposal reviewers may be familiar with past grants. If you have received grants previously (from

USFWS or another donor) for this work or this specific site, provide a summary of those activities and accomplishments so that reviewers can better understand the proposal in context. A table may be the most efficient way to convey this information, including columns for: (1) donor, (2) USFWS reference number (if appropriate), (3) amount funded in USD, (4) year of activity, and (5) bullet points of major activities, outcomes, or products.

2. Project Goals, Objectives, and Activities: This section should answer the question, “What do you want to achieve and how are you going to do it?” As an example, the following format is recommended:

GOAL:

Objective 1.

Activity 1.1

Activity 1.2

Objective 2.

Activity 2.1

Objective 3.

Activity 3.1

Activity 3.2

Activity 3.3

A goal is the long-term biological outcome that you want to achieve in order to successfully conserve the target species. The strongest goals will be directly related to species status or habitat quality.

http://www.fws.gov/international/dic/pdf/Cover_Page.pdf

Objectives are the specific outcomes that you want to achieve in order to reach your stated goal(s), and should reflect a desired change in capacity, threat, or species status. Your proposal will be strengthened if the objectives align with the desired results identified in the Description of Funding Opportunity section. Your objectives must be attainable within the project period and should be specific, capable of being measured, realistic, and results-orientated. Objectives should form the basis for the project’s Monitoring and Evaluation section. A recommended reference for identifying and developing appropriate objectives and measures of success is the Conservation Measures Partnership website (Internet link:

http://www.conservationmeasures.org/initiatives/standards-for-project-management).

Activities are the specific actions that you undertake to fulfill your objectives and reach your goal. Provide a detailed description of the method(s) for each activity. The equipment used/requested and personnel conducting the work should be clearly articulated in this section, and proposed activities should correspond with the Project Budget Table. For activities that build capacity, the intended audience should be identified (e.g., rangers, protected area managers, local community leaders) and quantified (e.g., number of rangers trained). Activities in which no USFWS funds are being requested should be clearly identified as such.

3. Project Timetable: This section should answer the question, “Over what time period will project activities be implemented?” Provide a timetable indicating when activities or project milestones will be accomplished.

Include any tables, spreadsheets or flowcharts within the body of the narrative (DO NOT include separate attachments). The timetable should not propose specific dates, but rather list the activities described in Section

2, for each month over a 12-month period. To view a sample project timetable go to:

http://www.fws.gov/international/DIC/pdf/Sample_timetable.pdf

4. Project Monitoring and Evaluation: This section should answer the question, “How will we know that the project is working successfully?” Project monitoring and evaluation involves two components: (1) ensuring project implementation by documenting anticipated outputs or products, and (2) measuring the conservation outcomes (also known as impacts) of project activities.

(1) Anticipated Outputs: Identify all expected project outputs, also known as products (e.g., management plans, brochures, posters, training manuals, number of people trained, workshops held, hours of training provided). Where appropriate, describe how outputs will be distributed to the relevant stakeholders, such as host country government agencies, resource managers, local communities, media, and civil society.

(2) Conservation Outcomes: Conservation outcomes are the desired impacts of a project, such as a change in capacity, threat, or condition of a species or habitat, and should directly relate to your objectives. To track your progress toward achievement of each project objective, identify what you will measure (i.e., indicators), and how will you will measure it (i.e., methods, sample sizes, survey tools). If the current status of the indicator is known, and the applicant identifies the indicator’s desired status or qualitative condition, providing this information will strengthen the proposal.

The USFWS values projects that report both the success and failures of efforts as a means by which an applicant can improve their performance and provide lessons learned to improve our efforts to conserve wildlife. Projects have a higher likelihood of being selected that advance the practice of conservation by being designed and implemented in a way that the effectiveness of capacity-building activities can be credibly assessed and shared.

5. Description of Organization(s) Undertaking the Project: This section should answer the question, “Who are you, and who are you going to be working with?” Provide a brief description of the applicant organization and all cooperating organizations and agencies. State the activities for which each group or individual is responsible. Provide brief (1-2 pages) curricula vitae for key personnel, identifying their qualifications to meet the project objectives. DO NOT include Social Security numbers, the names of family members, or any other personal or sensitive information including marital status, religion or physical characteristics.

http://www.conservationmeasures.org/initiatives/standards-for-project-management http://www.fws.gov/international/DIC/pdf/Sample_timetable.pdf

Where multiple groups are working in the same site, or are listed as stakeholders in the proposal, letters of endorsement specifically referring to this proposal, and to the proposed collaboration from each partner organization, will strengthen your proposal, and may be requested by reviewers.

6. Project Budget Table

Things to consider when developing your Budget Table:

Federally Funded Equipment: If the U.S. Federal Government has paid for equipment for another award, applicants cannot claim it to be a matching or in-kind contribution and SHOULD NOT include it in the budget table. Instead, provide a separate list of any equipment paid for by the U.S. Federal Government that will be used for the project, including the name of the Federal agency that paid for the equipment.

Indirect Costs: We encourage applicants to keep indirect costs to a minimum. Applicants with Negotiated

Indirect Cost Rate Agreements (NICRA) must include a copy with their proposal. If they so choose, applicants with NICRA rates may request less than their negotiated rate and/or contribute indirect costs as a match.

Program Income: Your project may include activities that will generate program income. Program income earned as a result of activities supported with Federal funding includes, but is not limited to the following: income from fees for services, the use or rental of property, the sale of commodities or fabricated items, license fees and royalties on patents and copyrights, and interest on loans. Program income does not include interest earned on advances of Federal funds. Under this Fund, income earned during the project period of an approved award shall be retained by the recipient and used in at least one of the following ways:

1. added to the funds requested from the USFWS for the project in addition to those committed by the recipient/other partners, and later used to conduct additional activities that will further the project objectives; OR

2. used to finance the non-Federal share of the project.

If your project will generate program income, provide: (1) a description of how the income will be generated, (2) an estimate of how much income will be made during the project duration, and (3) a description of how the funds will be used. If the income is to be used to conduct additional activities, you must include a Program Income column in your budget table and include all cost categories/items and associated amounts that the program income will cover.

Instructions for Budget Table:

Begin your project budget table on a new page. The budget table should include a column for all cost categories/items for the project, one column to show the cost calculation, a column for the total costs, one column for the requested USFWS funding, one or more columns for applicant and partner contributions, and, if applicable, a column for any program income that will be used to conduct project activities, as demonstrated here:

Category/

Budget

Item**

Cost

Calculation*

TOTAL

COST

USFWS “Applicant” “Partner

X”

“Partner

Y”

Program

Income

(if applicable)

Totals

*Present all amounts in U.S. dollars

**We cannot accept the term “contingencies” in the budget as a line item

Go to http://www.fws.gov/international/dicprograms/Sample%20Budget.pdf to view to view a sample project budget table.

The budget table should provide enough information for reviewers to be able to understand the cost basis and calculation at a glance. For example, a $3,300 line item for lodging costs should include the formula for how http://www.fws.gov/international/dicprograms/Sample%20Budget.pdf the cost was calculated: Lodging for 20 nights x 11 people x $15/night = $3,300. Wherever possible, cost calculations should be included in the Project Budget Table, but where necessary, additional description should be provided in the Budget Justifications. If the budget table requires more than one page, verify that the column headings and row titles appear on all pages.

7. Budget Justifications: Justify or explain all requested budget items/costs. Demonstrate a clear connection to project activities, and show how line item amounts were determined. For expensive items or large single purchases, provide detailed technical specifications or a pro-forma invoice. Requests for personnel salary should be well documented, including the base-line salary figure and the estimate of time (percent) to be directly charged to the project. Assistance to cover personnel salaries is generally given a lower priority.

8. Governmental Endorsement: Non-governmental applicants must include a RECENT letter of support (no older than two years) from the appropriate local, regional, or national government wildlife or conservation authority. Endorsement letters should make specific reference to the project by its title, as submitted on the applicant’s proposal.

9. Map: This section should answer the question, “Where is this project located?” Provide a map showing the location of your project site at the regional or national level. Ensure that the sites that you have referred to in the proposal are labeled on the map.

Provide the latitude and longitude coordinates of a representative geographic location for your project in decimal degrees format (NOT degree-minute-seconds format). For example, USFWS in Arlington, Virginia, USA, would be provided as 38.8825°, -77.1145° (latitude, longitude). Please correctly enter north and east coordinates as positive values, and south and west coordinates as negative values.

2. PROPOSAL APPLICATION CHECKLIST

ALL PROPOSALS MUST INCLUDE:

□ Signed Grant Application Cover Page (MUST be signed by authorized representative)

□ DUNS Number

□ System for Award Management (SAM) registration

□ Project Summary (1 page)

□ Project Narrative

□ Timetable

□ Budget Table

□ Budget Justification

□ Curricula vitae (1-2 pages) for key personnel

□ Recent Letter of Governmental Endorsement

□ Map

□ Audit Report (Only necessary if your organization has expended more than $500,000 of Federal assistance per year. For more information go to: http://harvester.census.gov/sac/)

□ Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (India only)

PROPOSALS FROM U.S. APPLICANTS MUST ALSO INCLUDE:

□ A complete, signed Standard Form 424-Application for Federal Assistance http://www.fws.gov/international/DICprograms/sf%20424.pdf

□ A complete Standard Form 424b-Assurances http://www.fws.gov/international/DICprograms/sf%20424b.pdf

□ Grants.gov registration (Domestic grantees) http://www.fws.gov/international/DICprograms/sf%20424.pdf http://www.fws.gov/international/DICprograms/sf%20424b.pdf

□ Documentary evidence of Section 501(c)(3) non-profit status, if applicable

□ A copy of your organization’s Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, if applicable

3. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. REGISTRATION: Before submitting a proposal, you must be registered in the following databases (registration may take several weeks for each):

Dun & Bradstreet Universal Number System (DUNS): U.S. Government-wide policy requires that all applicants, organizations and individuals, both domestic and non-domestic, apply for, and include, a nine-digit Dun & Bradstreet

Data Universal Number System (DUNS) on their proposal. Applicants without a DUNS number should go to http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. Applicants who already have a DUNS number are responsible for updating changes to their address or business name with Dun and Bradstreet directly. The organizational address (Grant

Administrator) must match the address in Dun & Bradstreet’s system.

System for Award Management (SAM): All foreign and domestic applicants MUST be registered in the

SAM database to apply for funding. SAM is used by the U.S. Government as the repository for standard information about applicants and recipients of federal funds. SAM interfaces with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife grants management database and financial systems, therefore all applicants must be registered with in SAM to receive an award. Recipients must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during the project period.

For information on registration and exemptions go to: https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/

Grants.gov: Domestic Applicants MUST apply through Grants.gov. If you do not have an account, you must register. Go to: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.

B. SUBMISSION

Domestic Applicants: You must apply through Grants.gov. Your entire proposal including the cover page

MUST be uploaded as a SINGLE pdf file. Attach your file on the Attachment Form. For further instructions, see above.

Non-Domestic Applicants: May submit through Grants.gov or e-mail

Grants.gov: See above

E-mail: All documents must be printable on letter paper (8 ½” x 11”). Format all pages to display and print page numbers. We prefer to receive the entire proposal as a SINGLE file attachment. If you need to submit separate attachments please try to send them all together in a single e-mail message. If your files are too big for a single e-mail, please number your e-mails and attachments so that we know the order of your submissions.

E-mail your proposal to the USFWS at WWB_Africa@fws.gov

V. APPLICATION REVIEW

The USFWS may solicit advice from qualified experts to conduct a technical review of your proposed project. The

USFWS may also discuss your proposal with known past and present partners to reduce the potential for waste, fraud and abuse and to encourage coordination and collaboration among projects on the ground.

Review Criteria: To be considered for funding, proposals must address one or more of this program’s priority areas, listed above in the Description of Funding Opportunity. The Division of International Conservation ranks proposals by http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp mailto:WWB_Africa@fws.gov scoring how well each proposal addresses the program priority areas and the requested elements listed in the Application and Format section above. High priority, well-justified projects that address all of the requested proposal elements will receive higher scores. These scores are not the sole determining factor for final funding decisions. Other review criteria include considering the degree to which a project:

Fits the programmatic goals of the Wildlife Without Borders - Africa Program, including addressing biodiversity loss by reducing threats and managing wildlife habitat in Central Africa;

Demonstrates clear conservation benefit;

Meets a conservation capacity need;

Indicates that the applicant organization and/or individual(s) have the ability to implement the proposed activities successfully, particularly in the curricula vitae of key personnel;

Meets proposal submission requirements and if a previous grantee, has performed satisfactorily, including on-site collaboration timely completion of reporting requirements to USFWS and other donors.

The above considerations are not listed in any order of importance. All considerations listed do not necessarily apply to every proposal. Following review, applicants may be asked to revise the project scope and/or budget before a final funding decision can be made. The Division of International Conservation occasionally receives and funds proposals outside of the announced submission deadlines that are of such a critical nature that they warrant immediate consideration

(e.g., projects resulting from a natural disaster, disease outbreak, other imminent threats or population crash, among others.)

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION

Award Notices: Successful applicants will be e-mailed written notice in the form of an Assistance Award document, along with an enrollment form for the Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) for their banking information. Applicants whose projects are not selected for funding will receive an e-mail notice within 180 days of their proposal submission.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements: Go to http://www.fws.gov/international/DIC/pdf/aag.pdf to review the Division of International Conservation’s Assistance Award Guidelines, which details the policies, terms and conditions applicable to awards made under this program.

Domestic registrants: Payments will be issued through U.S. Department of Treasury via the self-initiated electronic drawdown system, Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP). To view instructions and initiate ASAP enrollment, go to: http://www.fws.gov/fbms/

Non-Domestic registrants: Payments to non-domestic grantees are transferred electronically through the U.S. Treasury’s

International Treasury Services (ITS) system. To receive funding, you must submit a signed Standard Form-270, Request for Advance or Reimbursement (SF-270.) This form is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/sf270.pdf

You must also complete an ITS Payment Cover Sheet which will be included in your award notification email. Be sure your account numbers and banking information is accurate. Email both your completed ITS Payment Cover Sheet and your signed SF-270 to the appropriate FWS program located in Section 4 of the ITS Payment Cover Sheet.

Reporting: Grantees are required to submit a mid-term and a final report that conform to USFWS reporting requirements as described in detail in the Assistance Award Guidelines http://www.fws.gov/international/DIC/pdf/aag.pdf

Branding: All materials (presentations, reports, large equipment purchases, infrastructure, awards, and other items as deemed relevant) produced under any award intended for distribution must acknowledge the support of USFWS by showing the USFWS logo. Photo-ready and vector format logos are available upon request from the USFWS Program

Officer.

http://www.fws.gov/fbms/ http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/sf270.pdf

VII. AGENCY CONTACT

Dirck Byler

Division of International Conservation

Branch of Near East, South Asia and Africa

4401 North Fairfax Drive, MS 100

Arlington, Virginia 22003-1622 USA

Tel: +1-703-358-2337, Fax: +1-703-358-2115

E-mail: dirck_byler@fws.gov

Website: www.fws.gov/international

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT: The Paperwork Reduction Act requires us to tell you why we are collecting this information, how we will use it, and whether or not you have to respond. Your response is required to receive funding. A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. We estimate that it will take an average of 22 hours to complete the application and 40 hours to complete a report. These burden estimates include time for reviewing instructions and gathering data. OMB has approved this collection and assigned OMB Control No. 1018-0123, which expires 05/31/2011. The burden estimates do not include the time needed to complete Standard Forms associated with the application and financial reports. You may send comments concerning the burden estimates or any aspect of this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Mailstop 222, Arlington, VA 22203.

mailto:dirck_byler@fws.gov