NOFO-Coordinating and Technical Assistance-Final.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. EMBASSY Eswatini

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity Title: PEPFAR Small Grants: National level Coordination &

Technical Support of Community-led Monitoring Program

Funding Opportunity Number: PSG-MBA-FY24-02

Deadline for Applications: August 12, 2024

CFDA Number: 19.029

Total Amount Available: $ 75,000

Total Length of Performance: 12 months

Number of Awards anticipated: 1 award.

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Embassy Mbabane / PEPFAR Coordination Office (PCO) is pleased to announce an open

Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to submit applications that support Community- led

Monitoring (CLM) activities to be implemented in close collaboration with local civil society organizations (CSOs), PEPFAR, UNAIDS and the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini.

The PEPFAR Community-led feedback program is funded through the U.S. President’s

Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). One of the goals of PEPFAR in Eswatini is to support efforts to achieve HIV epidemic control through implementation of evidence-based interventions to drive progress in HIV prevention, care and treatment and ultimately, save lives. Through the

PEPFAR Coordination Office, the U.S. Embassy Eswatini administers the Community Grants

Program and is seeking proposals from organizations representing registered local Community-based Organizations (CBOs) whose mission and activities focuses on HIV programming, in order to coordinate the CLF activities.

Client experience feedback is key to ensuring availability, access to, and delivery of quality HIV care and services. CLM will empower patients and communities to seek out this information, increase health literacy, expand engagement with health service delivery, support demand creation, and demand accountability from the health system to improve and deliver these services. Client experience feedback data will be collected for HIV services delivery at the facility level.

Results from CLM will be analyzed and presented in collaboration between community representatives, providers and facility managers at facility and regional level and in collaboration with stakeholders at the national level to ensure participating with identification of issues and subsequent implementation and monitoring of solutions. This will include developing the dissemination and quality improvement integration plan in collaboration with the MOH with the goal of improving service quality, continuity, and retention.

1. OBJECTIVE:

The collective objective of client experience feedback is to develop a shared understanding of the enablers and barriers to treatment retention in a manner that is productive, collaborative, respectful, and solutions oriented. As such the grantee is expected to coordinate the implementation of CLM, strengthen data management and analytics system, report and disseminate CLM findings to all key stakeholders and develop and implement advocacy strategies and campaigns to address identified barriers to accessing quality health services.

1.1 Sub-objective

The grantee is expected to implement the following sub objectives of the grant:

1.1.1 Coordination

The grantee will coordinate the implementation of the CLM activities at national, regional, facility and community level. The grantee will work with implementing CBOs across the regions including networks for PLHIV, KP, PWD and Youth to collect client feedback data at facility and community service delivery points. The grantee will support capacity building of involved organizations to be self-reliant and be able to undertake similar activities on their own in the future.

Liaise and coordinate with other CLM TA partners to leverage on the available resources. This will include coordinating with Ministry of Health, Global Fund and other CLM related stakeholders.

1.1.2 Scale up of CLM site coverage.

The grantee will support the scale up of CLM facilities across the regions. Scale up will include coverage of all PEPFAR funded programs, including KP, DREAMS, AGYW, and OVC programs.

Ensure that there is no duplication in the health facilities and community sites being monitored among all implementing CBOs. The grantee will ensure implementation of CLM is compliant to the CLM protocol as approved by the Ethics Board. Conduct CLM data collection tool reviews, updates and trainings and provide continuous technical support on implementation.

1.1.3 Data Management, Analytics and Reporting

CLM generates big data and seeks to process that data to draw insights into clients’ experiences as they access health services to inform service quality improvement. The grantee is expected to support data management, analytics, and triangulation of the results to the PEPFAR data streams and other related national data streams. This will include preparing data analysis plans, conducting data analysis, visualizations, and results reports.

Ensure timely consolidation and reporting of CLM results at facility, regional and national level and organize national level stakeholders’ dissemination meetings to all stakeholders and follow up on the agreed action plans and advocacy efforts.

1.1.4 Corrective Actioning Planning (CAP) and Advocacy

The grantee is responsible for working with the MOH and other key stakeholders to develop corrective action plans to address service delivery issues identified through CLM at Facility, Regional and National level. This will include developing advocacy strategies and campaigns for addressing systemic issues that affect Health service delivery.

2 Grant Implementation Period

The implementation period for the grant is from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025.

The criteria to be used for determining the grant to coordinate and provide Technical Assistance to the CLM program includes experience in.

• Coordinating civil society organizations including capacity building for HIV-related community-based organizations to manage grant reporting.

• Coordinating national programming and program results reporting and dissemination activities

• Building capacity for HIV-related community-based organizations to collect and manage data.

• Data management and analytics.

• Developing and managing advocacy strategies and campaigns.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Length of Performance: 12 months

Number of Awards anticipated: 1 awards

Award amounts: U.S. Mission can contribute up to $75, 000 per project.

Total available funding: $75,000

Type of funding: FY22 - U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

Anticipated program start date: no later than September 15, 2023

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Funding Instrument Type: The successful proposal will be supported via a grant instrument. In cases requiring a higher level of involvement from PCO staff in managing the award, a

Cooperative Agreement may be used. The PCO will provide further information regarding

Cooperative Agreements as needed.

Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed by September 30, 2025

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, community-based groups, FBOs, umbrella organizations and groups of persons living with HIV.

2. Cost sharing or matching

PCO encourages applicants to provide cost-sharing from additional sources in support of projects, but this is not a mandatory requirement.

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.

Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Proposals should be submitted online to the U.S. Mission Eswatini at the following email address:

SmallGrantsMbabane@state.gov

Applications and all supporting documents are accepted in English only.

The grant application deadline is August 12, 2024

Content and Form of Application Submission mailto:SmallGrantsMbabane@state.gov

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 Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

The following documents are required:

1. Mandatory application forms

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

• SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)

• SF424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs)

Please find the Mandatory application forms through this link:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html

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 enough 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.

• Needs Assessment: Indicate whether you included your beneficiaries in a need assessment or in the project planning. Please describe any contacts or meetings you have completed with these beneficiaries or their representatives.

• 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.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html

• 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 timeframe 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 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

1. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

Required Registrations

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)

All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a UEI and an active registration with the SAM.gov before submitting an application. A UEI and an active

SAM registration are available free of charge from www.sam.gov website. The Small Grants

Panel may not review applications from or make awards to organizations that have not completed all applicable UEI and SAM.gov requirements. A UEI is one of the data elements.

mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act

(FFATA), for all Federal awards.

The 2 CFR 200 requires that sub-grantees obtain a UEI number. Please note the UEI for subgrantees is not required at the time of application but will be required before the award is processed and/or directed to a sub-grantee.

Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.

• Organizations based in the United States or that pay employees within the United States will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service

(IRS), a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, and a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov.

• Organizations based outside of the United States and that do not pay employees within the

United States do not need an EIN from the IRS but do need a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov. Please note that as of December 2022, organizations based outside of the United States that do not intend to apply for U.S. Department of Defense

(DoD) awards are no longer required to have a NATO CAGE (NCAGE) code to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities.

If an applicant organization is mid-registration and wishes to remove an NCAGE code from their

SAM.gov registration, the applicant should submit a help desk ticket (“incident”) with the Federal

Service Desk (FSD) online at www.fsd.gov to seek guidance on how to do so.

All organizations must also continue to maintain active SAM.gov registration with current information at all times during which they have an active Federal award or application under consideration by a Federal award agency. SAM.gov requires all entities to renew their registration once a year in order to maintain an active registration status in SAM. It is the responsibility of he applicant to ensure it has an active registration in SAM.gov and to maintain that active registration.

If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements at the time of application, the applicant may be deemed technically ineligible to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Please refer to 2 CFR 25.200 for additional information.

Note: SAM.gov is not the same as SAMS Domestic. It is free of charge to register in both systems, but the registration processes are different. Information is included on the SAM.gov website to help international registrations. Navigate to www.SAM.gov, click “HELP” in the top navigation bar, then click, “Explore” and “New to SAM.gov?” for general information. Please note, guidance on SAM.gov and the guidance on GSA’s website is being updated to reflect the change in NCAGE requirement. Applicants should review the website frequently for the most up-to-date guidance.

Exemptions

An exemption from these requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if:

• An applicant’s identity must be protected due to potential endangerment of their mission, their organization’s status, their employees, or individuals being served by the applicant.

• The Federal awarding agency makes a determination that there are exigent circumstances that prohibit the applicant from receiving a unique entity identifier and completing SAM registration prior to receiving a Federal award. In these instances, Federal awarding agencies must require the recipient to obtain a unique entity identifier and complete SAM registration within 30 days of the Federal award date.

Organizations requesting exemption from UEI or SAM.gov requirements must email the point of contact listed in the NOFO at least two weeks prior to the deadline in the NOFO providing a justification of their request. Approval for a SAM.gov exemption must come from the warranted

Grants Officer before the application can be deemed eligible for review.

Note: As of December 2022, organizations based outside of the United States that do not intend to apply for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awards are no longer required to have a NATO

CAGE (NCAGE) code to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities.

Steps to register for a UEI and SAM

Step 1: Create a Login.gov account using this website https://login.gov/

The following information is needed when creating the account:

a) An email address that is accessible to the individual who will be entering the data about the organization. A personal email address rather than a work email address is recommended.

b) A password that must be at least 12 characters and should not include commonly used words or phrases.

c) Select one or more authentication methods such as (security key, text message, or backup codes).

d) Activate account by clicking the verification link in the email received from Login.gov within the stipulated time.

Step 2: Once the Login.gov account is created, register or renew the organization’s details in

SAM.gov by signing onto: https://www.sam.gov using the credentials provided in Step1.

Note: Since April 2022, the UEI is assigned when an organization registers or renews its registration in SAM.gov at www.SAM.gov. Organizations should renew their registration once a year to maintain an active registration status in SAM.gov. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure it has an active SAM registration.

Note: As of April 2022, a DUNS number is no longer required.

All applications must be received by August 12, 2024. Any applications received after this deadline will not be considered.

Very important: Please note that punctuation, spelling, and abbreviations must be the same for information you provide on the different registration portals to avoid problems or delay with registration.

2. Submission Dates and Times

Applications are due no later than August 12, 2024.

3. Funding Restrictions

The ASG cannot provide funding for the following:

• Police or military activities

• Cultural activities

• Religious activities (Note: Religious organizations may sponsor or supervise local community activities that serve KPs needs rather than religious purposes; such activities may be eligible for assistance).

• Construction projects

• Projects in refugee camps or communities.

• Projects involving pesticides, fungicides or herbicides

• Individually owned businesses or enterprises.

• Used for cost of direct medical treatment.

4. Other Submission Requirements

Application can be emailed to SmallGrantsMbabane@state.gov

The proposal should include:

• Budget template provided

• Copy of the organization’s registration certificate

Application Deadline: August 12, 2024

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria

Each application will be evaluated and rated based on the evaluation criteria outlined below:

mailto:SmallGrantsMbabane@state.gov

Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea – 25 points: The program idea is well developed, with detail about how program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline.

Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants – 25 points: The organization has expertise in its stated field and has the internal controls in place to manage federal funds. This includes a financial management system and a bank account.

Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives – 15 points: Goals and objectives are clearly stated, and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.

Budget – 10 points: The budget justification is detailed. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities.

Monitoring and evaluation plan – 15 points: Applicant demonstrates it can measure program success against key indicators and provides milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The program includes output and outcome indicators and shows how and when those will be measured.

Sustainability – 10 points: Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program.

2. Review and Selection Process

The PCO will conduct a preliminary review of all applications to determine completeness and technical eligibility after which a Grants Selection Committee will evaluate all eligible applications and make recommendations. The ASG Program Manager will schedule a phone call or site visit to discuss the proposal and recommendations of the Grants Selection Committee and review the organization’s capacity. The PCO will then provide feedback and recommend funding priorities to the Grants Selection Committee for their final approval. The PCO will notify each successful applicant about the outcome of their proposal.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

The grant award or 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 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: Payments will be made by electronic funds transfer in quarterly advances, as needed to carry out the project activities, and based on agreed milestones.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Terms and Conditions: Before applying, 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 200, 2 CFR 600, and the Department of State Standard Terms and

Conditions which are available at: https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/. Note the U.S Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and

Conditions.

3. Reporting

Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. All awards issued under this announcement will require periodic program and financial reports on a frequency specified in the award agreement. The disbursement of funds is tied to submission of these reports in a timely manner. All other details related to award administration will be specified in the Award Specifics. Final programmatic and financial reports are due 90 days after the close of the project period. Progress reports should be submitted via electronic mail to the email address provided in the award.

Applicants should be aware of the post award reporting requirements reflected in 2 CFR 200

Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact: PCO-

ASG@state.gov https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/ https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/ https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=027fb85899500d580fc71df69d11573a&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML%20-%20ap2.1.200_1521.i#ap2.1.200_1521.xii https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=027fb85899500d580fc71df69d11573a&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML%20-%20ap2.1.200_1521.i#ap2.1.200_1521.xii mailto:PCO-ASG@state.gov mailto:PCO-ASG@state.gov

H. OTHER INFORMATION

Guidelines for Budget Justification

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.

Personnel: Describe the allowances 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.

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.