NoFo English Access Microscholarship Program.docx

English Access Microscholarship Program: Student Scholarships

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Cultural Affairs Office Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy Guatemala City, Guatemala

Funding Opportunity Title: English Access Microscholarship Program: Student Scholarships Funding Opportunity Number: PAS-GUA-FY23-05 Statement of Interest Deadline: July 03, 2023 Proposal Deadline: August 01, 2023 CFDA Number: 19.421 Academic Exchange Programs – English Language Programs Total Amount Available: $336,000.00

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

This Notice of Funding Opportunity seeks proposals for the implementation of the English Access Microscholarship (Access) program. Those interested should send a statement of interest to the Public Affairs (PAS) Grants, U.S. Embassy, Guatemala City no later than midnight CDT, Monday, July 03, 2023 (gtm-pasgrants@state.gov). PAS will follow up with requests within one week. Further steps include drafting a detailed proposal to be entered into the Access proposal portal, which is overseen by FHI-360, the U.S. Department of State's U.S.-based Access grantee. Final proposals must be submitted no later than midnight CDT, Tuesday, August 01, 2023. Interested partners should refer to the Access handbook for additional information on the Access program.

Why:

Access Goals and Objectives The goal of the Access Program is to provide participants with improved skills that contribute to building more resilient, engaged, and prosperous communities that are more aware of, and better connected to, U.S. culture. While the direct recipients of the scholarships are the students, the impact of the Access program should extend to families, communities, educators, and institutions.

What:

The Cultural Affairs Office (CAO), Public Affairs Section (PAS), U.S. Embassy, Guatemala oversees the Access program in Guatemala. PAS selects implementing partners, prepares partners to administer the program, provides ongoing guidance throughout the two-year performance period, collaborates with partners on professional development opportunities for teachers, and visits and monitors program sites. PAS selects proposals that accurately reflect the criteria in this Notice of Funding Opportunity and the Access handbook. Access is a learner-centered program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State that provides a minimum of 580 hours, over a maximum period of two years of English language skills to underserved students – primarily básico and/or diversificado students, recruited at ages 14 to 16 – through extracurricular classes, projects, activities, and immersion experiences. Access provides participants with a foundation of English language, leadership, entrepreneurial and professional skills, civic and environmental awareness, and exposure to U.S. culture and democratic values that contribute to cross-cultural understanding, societal and environmental awareness, and improved educational and occupational prospects, including future exchanges and study in the United States. The Access Program has provided scholarships to over 200,000 students in over 80 countries since its inception in 2004. Guatemala has hosted Access since 2010, and more than 4,000 students across the country have benefited from scholarships. Qualitative studies show that Access alumni continue contributing to their families, institutions, workplaces, and communities through a wide variety of informal and organized activities.

During the life of the program, Access students will:

1. Be given a foundation of English language skills Equipping students with English language skills can increase their competitiveness in the job market, allow them to expand their network, build people-to-people connections, empower them to read and understand a wide variety of sources, and make students more competitive for future U.S. Department of State and other exchanges.

2. Gain an appreciation for U.S. culture and democratic values A key element of the Access Program is to familiarize students with important features of U.S. culture and democratic values to encourage mutual understanding between the U.S. and the host country. Students are encouraged to develop respect for and interest in other cultures, customs, and beliefs. Partners are encouraged to thoughtfully design their curriculum to integrate the following topics: global citizenship, critical thinking, environmental awareness, human rights, U.S. democracy and government, U.S. civil society, diversity and tolerance, U.S. History, U.S. education system, U.S. family and relationship values, U.S. and global gender issues, U.S. and global health, and other STEM subjects.

3. Develop digital literacy skills In addition to learning general computer skills, using, and understanding a wider variety of informational technologies has become essential to a young person’s personal and academic future. Applicants must demonstrate that they can prepare program participants for an ever-changing digital world by improving participants’ ability to 1) find, evaluate, and critically analyze online information for its trustworthiness and accuracy, 2) to connect and collaborate with others in and outside their Access group, and 3) create and share content. The underpinning of this effort should focus on gaining the appropriate skills to build a positive online identity and understanding the features of a safe and secure online identity.

4. Participate in personal development activities The Access Program seeks to foster students’ personal development by building balanced intellectual and emotional capabilities to better prepare them for future academic and professional endeavors. Students should be introduced to topics such as lifelong learning, career development and employable skills, critical thinking, self-confidence, leadership skills, emotional literacy and self-awareness, higher education and employment tracks and trajectories, and U.S. government-sponsored exchange program options.

5. Take part in Service-Learning activities Service-learning is a teaching approach that combines specific learning objectives with service to the community in order to provide a learning experience in which students develop new skills and a deeper understanding of their community and environment. Students must be actively involved in the service-learning project planning process and should 1) lead the assessment of community and environmental needs, 2) design the project to address the community and environmental need, and 3) reflect before, during and after the service experience. In addition, service activities should be designed to meet specific learning objectives as well as empower the students with the skills of researching, planning, implementing, monitoring, and reflecting. It is important for students to use English as much as possible while completing their service-learning project.

Core Program Components The Access program should be a model of excellence for host communities in several ways.

In terms of the learning experience for the participants, partnering institutions should ensure that classes be learner-centered, making full use of modern approaches that maximize the participants’ hands-on usage of language (in contrast to a more passive learning experience that is teacher-centered and lecture-driven). Such innovations as project-based and task-based learning are well-suited to this overall approach. In order to increase learning opportunities and improve digital literacy, lessons should be available on a Learning Management System (LMS) such as Canvas, Moodle, or Google Classroom. Class schedules should balance in-person and online experiences, the latter of which should include synchronous and asynchronous options. Classes should be no larger than 20 students and aim for gender balance.

The three core components of the Access program are:

· After-School Instruction (mandatory) Access is a two-year program that requires a minimum of 580 hours of instruction for each cohort, with hours being reasonably distributed over a two-year period. Classes should meet at least 2 times per week in-person, and 1-2 times synchronously online. Each in-person class should last from 1.5 to 3 hours and each synchronous lesson should last 45-90 minutes. In addition to the synchronous class, asynchronous opportunities should be included in the LMS. The time students spend on asynchronous classes should not be counted in the total required instructional hours. It is the responsibility of the partners to consider the schedule of the students to ensure that Access classes do not interfere with students’ regular school schedule. PAS is confident that a blended approach will help alleviate – but not necessarily always solve - scheduling conflicts.

· Enhancement Activities (mandatory) There are four kinds of enhancement activities: U.S. culture, technology, community service, and personal development. These activities must occur regularly throughout the two-year program, and the hours involved in these activities are considered part of the total number of hours offered. Partners should be creative in their approach to planning such activities. Past successful activities include creating an Access web page or newspaper, conducting a Model United Nations project, running an environmental awareness campaign for a neighborhood, performing drama activities for underserved populations, including those in senior citizen homes, and tutoring English to students at a nearby elementary school.

Where possible, appropriate, and relevant, partners should:

o find ways to ensure that activities have a long-lasting impact (through multiple visits over several months) rather than taking a once-and-done approach o look for opportunities to maximize the use of English in meaningful contexts and use Spanish only when needed with certain audiences o collaborate with PAS to involve U.S. Embassy and Consulate personnel, U.S. English Language Fellows, Fulbright exchange participants and/or Peace Corps volunteers Access students should also be involved in community service activities to increase their awareness of social and environmental issues facing their respective communities while also gaining an understanding of the ways they can positively contribute to civil society. Access programs must improve the students’ digital and critical media literacy skills. Possibilities include making use of guest experts to teach students about these topics, working through PAS to involve a Virtual Educator or Fellow to co-teach a series on this issue, taking advantage of such open source resources as the OPEN Media Literacy Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), asking students to take turns reviewing tools and resources that may help them better understand an issue in their community, allowing students to create their own websites, such as a Google site, or e-portfolios.

· Intensive Sessions (encouraged) Intensive sessions are immersive experiences that provide students with time to fully experience an English-medium environment outside of the classroom for a sustained period. The sessions are often organized around a specific theme, such as environmental awareness, and may last from three days to two weeks, with no more than 40 hours per week of activities.

Intensive sessions should combine English language instruction with U.S. cultural activities such as drama, computers, art, music, or games and sports, or civic responsibility projects, leadership and teamwork training, or tolerance programs. The most successful immersion experiences are those run primarily by the implementing partner itself, with outside individuals included as needed to support the Access teachers. In collaboration with RELO, it is also possible to include an English Language Fellow, Specialist, Peace Corps Volunteer, Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, Access alumni, or other support.

In addition to these learner-focused components, two additional components are as follows:

· Professional Development for English Educators (encouraged) Access partners are to ensure that the educators chosen to work with the Access students are professional English teachers who are well-equipped with a strong understanding of - and experience using - the most recent approaches in the field. In addition, Access implementing teams should be dedicated to lifelong learning and work collaboratively with PAS and other Access sites to continue learning about, trying, and sharing new ideas. In addition to providing professional development opportunities to the Access teachers, partners should provide ongoing opportunities to share best practices with a wider community of teachers. Two main groups consist of the English teachers at the schools from which the Access students are recruited and future teachers enrolled in nearby básicos, diversificados, teacher training schools or universities with majors related to English language teaching. Options include running an “Open Classroom” visiting schedule that would allow those interested to observe classes, team-teaching an activity with 1-3 pre- or in-service teachers, conducting a workshop series to share best practices.

· Awareness Activities for Families, the Community, and Stakeholders (encouraged) The partner should provide opportunities for a wider audience to learn about and from the Access experience. Family members should be given updates on student and classroom progress on a regular basis. Access partners should explain the approaches and activities (in Spanish). Family members should also be invited to student presentations (drama, posters, etc.). Partners can conduct similar meetings or activities with such stakeholders as the local Ministry of Education, education-related non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and others in the community interested in learning about new approaches to foreign language instruction.

In addition, such stakeholders as Access alumni, Education USA, local government, non-governmental organizations, and private enterprise can contribute to improving academic and occupational mobility by serving as guest speakers (preferably in English) during enhancement activities. If there are Access alumni nearby, they could also serve to support in-person activities, including immersion programs. Note that the total number of hours dedicated to enhancement activities and intensive sessions must not exceed 30% of the total time allotted to instruction (see Access Handbook for guidance).

Where:

Proposals will be accepted for the following seven (7) sites:

· Huehuetenango, Huehuetenango

· Quetzaltenango, Quetzaltenango

· Solola, Solola

· Chichicastenango, Quiche

· Guatemala City, Guatemala

· Coban, Alta Verapaz

· Esquipulas, Chiquimula Implementation Location and Space:

Proposals should include sites where the partner is confident it can provide an easily accessible, safe, and healthy space with a qualified administrative and teaching staff, over the duration of the program. The classrooms must have seating for at least 20 students spaced up to 1.5 meters from one another, at moments when a resurgence of the pandemic requires such an approach. Mobile seating that allows for pair and group work is highly recommended, as is breakout space that allows students to move freely while working on drama projects or other activities that necessitate physical movement. Classrooms must also have a blackboard/whiteboard, power outlet, and nearby bathrooms. The space should also have internet capability, provided by the facility or the partner (through a portable modem, for example). Partners are encouraged to seek additional spaces on the premises that add to the overall experience (theater, garden, sports facility, etc.). The partner must specify the sites and spaces that will be used for the classes and activities. The partner must either provide verification that the space belongs to the grantee or a written agreement with the holder of the space.

Who:

Partner Capacity:

Potential partners should have a background in creating, implementing, and monitoring quality English language teaching programs. While there is no “standard” partner, most are educational institutions and/or NGOs. It is important that partners show a history of embracing the values of the Access program, through a track record of professional development for its instructors, incorporating environmental awareness and social responsibility concepts and practices into the curriculum, building a wider network of stakeholders, and addressing digital and critical media literacy. While potential partners might not have a history with all of these themes, it is important that they show a commitment to addressing all of them in the proposal.

Teacher Selection:

Partners are responsible for identifying and, if necessary, recruiting highly competent Access teachers. RELO representatives will often be involved in teacher selection.

Access teachers must have:

· At least a B2 proficiency in the CEFR and be comfortable and fluent in English with proof.

Access teachers should have:

· Progressive views about methodology, employing interactive, learning-centered approaches that focus on tasks and projects

· Experience teaching teens

· First-hand experience with American culture

· Experience in designing and carrying out service-learning activities

· The ability to organize and participate in enhancement and out-of-class activities

· Confidence engaging students online and working with an LMS

· A willingness and availability to attend Access training courses offered by the partner and PAS Student Selection:

The partner is responsible for demonstrating that students enrolled in the program fit the target audience, which is:

· Economically disadvantaged youth (demonstrated by documents such as an electric bill)

· Academically strong students (demonstrated by official school transcript from previous year and/or aptitude and attitude in interview)

· Students with a strong motivated to learn English and help their communities (demonstrated in an application and interview)

· Teens ages 14-16 at time of recruitment; exceptions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis

· PAS does not accept children from families of partner administrative or teaching staff.

When:

Access programs should run from February 2024 to December 2025.

The start date of the program will depend largely on the length of the time needed to finalize an agreement and on the student selection process. The course of study should last no less than 20 months and no longer than 24 months. Once the course calendar is finalized, opening and graduation ceremony dates will be coordinated with PAS so that Embassy officials can participate. Note that partners should be sensitive to major changes in participants’ schools. PAS does not recommend choosing students who may need to move from básico to diversificado level or from diversificado level to university. Partners should also include breaks when needed, and especially during the holidays when participants and staff might travel. PAS does not recommend suspending classes for an entire summer and appreciates creative efforts to ensure students continue learning and practicing English when their normal school year is interrupted.

How much:

Partners should prepare a representative budget for two classes in each site that they can serve. The following guidelines must be considered as implementing partners prepare budgets:

· No more than 20 students per class

· Two classes of 20 students

· Minimum of 580 hours of instruction; no maximum number of hours

· All amounts should be in U.S. dollars

· Access teachers’ salaries must be a minimum of $8 to 10 per hour

· Per student costs should be no greater than $1,200 per student; for example, ALL costs for two classes of 20 students should not exceed $48,000

· Administrative costs much not exceed 15% of the total budget

· Other costs can include enhancement activities, service-learning activities, student transportation, branding (t-shirts), opening and closing ceremonies, exams at the start and end of the program, and off-site immersion programs

· When books (e.g. textbook, dictionary, easy readers) are purchased, they should be new and available to all students; upon the completion of the program, books should become the property of the student

· T-shirts, banners and publications (Branding should feature the U.S. Embassy logo, and it must be the most prominent if displayed with other logos. Access is written as a word (Access), not as an acronym (ACCESS). PAS will work with partners to ensure they have the necessary logos.)

Health precautions:

Implementing partners need to take into consideration health-related issues, such as the ongoing pandemic and take the necessary steps to minimize the risk of an outbreak. Such steps include taking precautionary measures (masks, social distancing, testing) and troubleshooting symptoms (isolation, medical treatment, transportation, etc.)

FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Length of performance period: 24 months Number of awards anticipated: Seven (7) awards.

Award amount: Award is a maximum of $48,000.

Total available funding: $336,000.

Type of Funding: FY22 Smith-Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds Anticipated program start date: February 2024

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative agreement. PAS will provide significant involvement in the following aspects:

· Approval of recruiting and selection of program staff, teachers, and students.

· Curriculum oversight, to ensure compliance with standardized curriculum.

· Approval of books and materials, to ensure compliance with standardized curriculum.

· Approval of program partners (other institutions providing support to, or receiving benefit from, program).

· Approval of selected enhancement activities.

· Coordination of graduation planning.

· Approval of press engagements related to the programs.

Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 24 months or less. The actual instruction period runs from February 2024 to December 2025.

The scholarship must be announced widely in the target community via newspaper, radio, social media, other local media, and posters in schools. The process should provide an opportunity for the implementing partner to reach out to and begin nurturing stronger ties with local schools, and especially with the administrators and English teachers in those schools. Partners should conduct an initial vetting of the applicant pool and interview a number of semi-finalists that allows for a competitive selection of students. Applications and interviews should be in Spanish. PAS encourages parents or responsible adults to be involved in some step of the vetting in order to gauge commitment.

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

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

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

· Local public and private educational institutions

For-profit or commercial entities are NOT eligible to apply.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

· Cost sharing, whether in-kind or direct program support, is encouraged and will be viewed favorably during the grant review process.

· Required class size for the PAS-funded teacher training programs is not larger than 21 participants, but applicants are encouraged to consider including and self-funding up to four more students as a form of cost share.

· Grantee organizations are also encouraged to cover the costs of opening and closing ceremonies as a form of cost share.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements To be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain this registration. Individuals are not required to be registered in SAM.gov.

Organizations must have a commitment to current equal opportunity employment practices and to non-discrimination practices regarding beneficiaries, i.e., without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.

In order to be eligible, potential Access partners must be able to…

1. …legally operate within the country where the proposed Access Program will be implemented. (“Legally operate” means the Applicant Organization is incorporated, registered, or licensed as a legal entity in the country where the Access Program will be implemented)

2. …open a separate bank account that accepts wire transfers in U.S. Dollars.

3. …follow a reporting schedule and submit well-written and detailed program and financial reports on time and in English.

4. …fulfill the mandatory minimum of 580 program hours over 20-24 months.

5. …acquire a room or space to accommodate the classes.

6. …retain teachers, administration, and students that can devote extended periods of time (6-8 hours) for Enhancement activities, Intensive Sessions, and teacher training events (for Access teachers) that can occur on weekends.

7. …acquire and use Microsoft Excel 2010 (or newer) for reporting purposes.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

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

1. Suggested application forms

· PAS Guatemala Small Grant Proposal Template 2023-PAS-Guatemala Proposal Template

· PAS Guatemala English Language Programs Budget Template 2023-PAS-Guatemala Budget Template

· SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) Download at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1

2. Proposal (10 pages, maximum): We highly recommend using the PAS Guatemala Small Grant Proposal Template. Be sure to include all items below. The proposal should contain sufficient information so that anyone unfamiliar with it may understand exactly what the applicant wants to do.

· Proposal Summary: Short narrative outlining 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 about any/all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or other U.S. government agencies.

· Problem Statement: Clear, concise, 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 achieving the goals. Objectives 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 stated goal(s).

· Proposed Program Schedule: The proposed timeline for the program activities. Include 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 portion of their time is expected to 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 occurring in a timely manner? 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 and/or the availability of other resources, if applicable.

3. Budget Justification Narrative: Make sure to describe each of the budget expenses in detail, including any cost share.

Guidelines for Budget Justification Personnel: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will work directly for the applicant on the program.

Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this program. If the program involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for said travel. Please note that any international travel between the United States and the host country must be done via a U.S. Flag carrier.

Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property 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 items and materials, including any computer devices, needed for the program. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then itemize it in the budget under “Equipment.”

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

Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the program which do not fit into other available 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. As this is an Access grant, indirect cost does not apply. Any administrative cost has to be well described under the other line items.

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

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

4. 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 must obtain the following registrations before submitting the proposal for funding. All are free of charge:

· NCAGE/CAGE code

· www.SAM.gov registration

Step 1: Apply for NCAGE. Application page here:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx Step 2: A quick guide can be downloaded from: https://www.sam.gov/sam/transcript/Quick_Guide_for_International_Entity_Registration.pdf

SAM at this link: https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/##11#1.

Note: SAM registration must be renewed annually.

These databases interface with each other, so the information in your NCAGE must match exactly with what you put in your DUNS application, and the same with SAM. It is advisable to print a screenshot of the NCAGE information that is entered.

5. Submission Dates and Times

Statement of Interest Deadline: July 03, 2023 Proposal Deadline: August 01, 2023

Funding Restrictions

Award funds cannot be used for construction, vehicle purchases, and/or property rental.

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

Other Submission Requirements

All application materials must be submitted by email to GTM-PASGrants@state.gov. Materials submitted by cloud-sharing service, portable hard drive, disk, or other shared media will not be reviewed.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria

Each application will be evaluated and rated based on the evaluation criteria outlined below. The criteria listed are closely related and considered holistically in judging the overall quality of an application.

Embassy priorities: Applicant has clearly described how stated goals are related to and support U.S. Embassy Guatemala’s priority areas or target audiences, including ethnic, gender, and geographic diversity.

Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea: The program idea is well developed and details how program activities will be executed. The proposal includes a reasonable timeline for implementation.

Goals and objectives: Goals and objectives are stated clearly, and the program approach is likely to have maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.

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

Organizational capacity and record on previous grants: The organization has expertise in its stated field, and PAS Guatemala is confident of its ability to undertake the program. Organizational capacity includes a reasonable financial management system and bank account.

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

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

Review and Selection Process

A Grants Review Committee will evaluate all eligible applications.

PAS Guatemala reserves the right to request modifications or adjustments to proposed activities and budget based on Embassy goals and other relevant factors.

Applicants will be informed of decisions by October 15, 2023, by email. Grants to selected applicant organizations will be awarded by December 15, 2023. Organizations whose applications have not been selected for funding will also be notified via email.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

The cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The authorizing document, the assistance award agreement, will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses on or after 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 solely 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 in at least two installments, as needed to carry out the program activities.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Terms and Conditions: Before applying, it important to review all terms and conditions and required certifications which apply to this award, to ensure ability to comply. These include:

2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 600, Certifications and Assurances, and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, all of which are available at:

https://www.statebuy.state.gov/fa/pages/home.aspx.

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. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact: GTM-PASGrants@state.gov.