NOFO 2021 Quincy College Prep Program.docx

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia – Embassy Riyadh Notice of Funding Opportunity

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Department of State’s Mission to Saudi Arabia announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program that would (a) select a number of high achieving Saudi Arabian secondary school students from underserved backgrounds, (2) coordinate their participation in the Education USA Connect Academies in the United States during the summer of 2022, and (3) provide an individualized follow-on program of educational advising services to guide participants through the U.S. college admission process in the year following the U.S. visit. Organizations must have a physical presence in Saudi Arabia or a partnership with a Saudi-based organization.

Program Objectives:

Maintaining Saudi student mobility and access to the U.S. higher education system is a primary strategy for promoting long-term mutual understanding between the people of Saudi Arabia and the United States. It is also a key contributor to Saudi Arabia’s ambitions for economic transformation including youth and women’s workforce development. These policies promote regional stability and greater bilateral economic opportunities.

The Quincy College Prep Program aims to improve opportunities for Saudi Arabian students from disadvantaged backgrounds and traditionally underserved communities to attain higher education in the United States. The program seeks to increase the cultural and academic awareness of a limited number of individuals in these targeted communities and support their U.S. higher education journeys by providing them with a first-hand experience on a U.S. college campus and parallel academic advising and leadership development.

A successful proposal will include the following activities:

1. Recruitment and Selection – The grantee should create a mechanism to announce the program, solicit applications, and screen applicants for program eligibility and academic merit.

0. The recruitment and selection should conclude with sufficient time to place the students in Connect Academies programs and organize pre-departure activities.

0. Eligible candidates should be in grade 10 or 11 at the time of the application.

0. Selection criteria should emphasize academic merit; ability to participate successfully in the Academy program, including English-language skills at the intermediate to advanced level; likelihood of future acceptance to a U.S. college or university; likelihood of successful completion of an undergraduate degree program at a U.S. institution; family support of the applicant’s participation in the program.

0. The selection process should include participation by Embassy personnel.

0. The selection process should evaluate parental a/o family support for the applicant’s participation and the likelihood that the applicant, if selected, will ultimately attend and participate in the program through completion.

1. Placement and Pre-Departure – The grantee should place students in EducationUSA Connect Academies and coordinate logistical arrangements for their travel and participation.

1. Follow-on Pre-Academic Support and Leadership Development – Following return to Saudi Arabia after the summer U.S. experience, the grantee should engage students in a program of cohort educational advising and leadership development activities with individualized support for each student.

2. These activities may include educational advising, entrance exam preparation courses, mentoring in college application preparation and submission, or other activities that meet the program objectives.

2. Pre-Academic Support should include supporting the participants in competing for available Saudi national scholarship programs.

1. Communications and Public Affairs – The grantee should design social media and email communications campaigns in conjunction with the recruitment and to highlight program outcomes.

1. Budget Proposal and Scalability – Applicants may present 2-3 budget proposals at different funding levels between $50,000 and $130,000 so that they can be considered depending on the availability of funds. Alternatively, applicants may present a per participant cost along with their detailed budget so that the program can be scaled and a final program cost determined depending on availability of funds.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Substantial Involvement: The U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia will be substantially involved in the execution of this program in the following ways:

· Project Branding and Materials Review – The Mission will review and approve all promotional materials related to the project, including announcements, application solicitations, media and public relations releases, and external project reports, and will consult with the grantee regarding project branding. The Embassy will review and approve all templates for standard written correspondence with applicants, selectees, their families, and Saudi educational and governmental institutions.

· Recruitment – The Embassy will support recruitment by distributing announcement materials provided by the grantee to Mission contacts and through Embassy social media platforms.

· Selection – The Mission will participate in candidate screening and approve candidates for final selection.

· Pre-Travel Support – The Mission will participate in pre-departure orientation or information sessions.

· Participant Contact – The Mission may be in direct contact with applicants or selectees, will invite participants to join the Embassy Program Alumni Association at the conclusion of the program, and invite selectees to visit the Embassy and meet with Embassy officials on a periodic basis during and after program completion.

Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 months or less. The Department of State will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants: The following organizations are eligible to apply:

· Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost-sharing is not required but is highly encouraged. Any cost-share should be clearly indicated in the budget. Proposals that include substantial cost share will receive up to five (5) additional points in the merit review process.

3. 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. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations. Individuals are not required to have a unique entity identifier or be registered in SAM.gov.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package: Application forms required below are available at grants.gov.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.

Content of Application

Please ensure:

· The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity

· All documents are in English

· All budgets are in U.S. dollars

· All pages are numbered

· All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and

· All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12-point Calibri font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

The following documents are required:

1. Mandatory application forms

· SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations)

· SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)

· SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs)

2. Summary Page: Cover sheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program.

3. Proposal (8 pages maximum): The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. You may use your own proposal format, but it must include all the items below.

· Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives and anticipated impact.

· Introduction to the Organization or Individual applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies.

· Problem Statement: Clear, concise and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed

· Program Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve. The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable.

· Program Activities: Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.

· Program Methods and Design: A description of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal. Include a logic model as appropriate.

· Proposed Program Schedule and Timeline: The proposed timeline for the program activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events.

· Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program?

· Program Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees.

· Program Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants. Throughout the time-frame of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant?

· Future Funding or Sustainability Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable.

4. Budget Justification Narrative: After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate sheet of paper to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. See section H. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.

5. Attachments:

· 1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program

· Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner

· If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file.

· Official permission letters, if required for program activities

Required Registrations:

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations. All are free of charge:

· Unique entity identifier from Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS number)

· NCAGE/CAGE code

· www.SAM.gov registration

Step 1: Apply for a DUNS number and an NCAGE number (these can be completed simultaneously)

DUNS application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet. If your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866-705-5711 or visiting http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform

NCAGE application: Application page here: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx Instructions for the NCAGE application process:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf

For NCAGE help from within the U.S., call 1-888-227-2423 For NCAGE help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766 Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code.

Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM.gov by logging onto: https://www.sam.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.

4. Submission Date and Time: Applications are due no later than August 23, 2021 at 12:00 a.m. (EDT).

5. Funding Restrictions

Funds cannot be used to support participation by non-U.S. accredited higher education institutions.

6. Other Submission Requirements

All application materials must be submitted by email to RiyadhGrants@state.gov.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A review committee will evaluate all eligible applications. Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below.

Program Alignment—25% Responsiveness to NOFO/Solicitation (15pts) Alignment with Mission Objectives (10pts)

Program Design—25% Quality and Creativity of the Proposed Activity (15pts) Probability of Success and Impact (10pts)

Organizational Capacity—25% Organizational Resources (10pts) Track Record on Previous Similar Awards (15pts)

Budget—25% Reasonableness (15pts) Alignment to Program Objectives (5pts) Level of Detail (5pts)

In addition, applications that include substantial cost share will receive up to five (5) additional points in the merit review.

Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System (FAPIIS): For any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity, if the Federal awarding agency anticipates that the total Federal share will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold on any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity may include, over the period of performance (see §200.88 Simplified Acquisition Threshold), this section must also inform applicants:

i. That the Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);

ii. That an applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM;

iii. That the Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.206 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

The cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer.

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

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

Payment Method: All requests for payment will be made via SF-270 to the Grants Officer and Grants Officer Representative.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications which will apply to this award, to ensure that they will be able to comply.

These include:

· 2 CFR 25 - UNIVERSAL IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

· 2 CFR 170 - REPORTING SUBAWARD AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION INFORMATION

· 2 CFR 175 - AWARD TERM FOR TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

· 2 CFR 182 - GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE)

· 2 CFR 183 - NEVER CONTRACT WITH THE ENEMY

· 2 CFR 600 – DEPARTMENT OF STATE REQUIREMENTS

· U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS

In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department of State will review and consider applications for funding, as applicable to specific programs, pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity in accordance with the following:

· Guidance for Grants and Agreements in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR), as updated in the Federal Register’s 85 FR 49506 on August 13, 2020, particularly on:

· Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based on the program objectives through an objective process of evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR part 200.205),

· Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. No. 115—232) (2 CFR part 200.216),

· Promoting the freedom of speech and religious liberty in alignment with Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty (E.O. 13798) and Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities (E.O. 13864) (§§ 200.300, 200.303, 200.339, and 200.341),

· Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States (2 CFR part 200.322), and

· Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest extent authorized by law, if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities (2 CFR part 200.340).

In accordance with the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Underserved Communities, proposals should demonstrate how the program advances equity with respect to race, ethnicity, religion, income, geography, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability. The proposal should also demonstrate how the program will further engagement in underserved communities and with individuals from underserved communities. Proposals should demonstrate how addressing racial equity and underserved communities will enhance the program’s goals and objectives, as well as the experience of participants.

The support of underserved communities will be part of the review criteria for this opportunity. Therefore, proposals should clearly demonstrate how the program will support and advance equity and engage underserved communities in program administration, design, and implementation.

3. Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit financial reports via SF-425 as well as narrative program reports. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted. In addition, the grantee should collect data for use in reporting on the outcomes and effectiveness of the activity using registration data and post conference surveys. The grantee will provide short summary reports on participation following each event, and a fuller analysis report at the conclusion of the grant period. The grantee will also provide raw data collected to the U.S. Mission, including participant contact information.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact: RiyadhGrants@state.gov. A Question and Answer session for potential applicants will be held via teleconference during the week of August 1. Please register your interest in participating by emailing RiyadhGrants@state.gov. An announcement with log-on information will be shared in advance.

H. OTHER INFORMATION

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 program, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the program.

Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this program, for program staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. If the program 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 program, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the program), 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 program. 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 program activities.

Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the program, 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 program 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.