NOFO Final 5.18.pdf

Table of Contents Executive Summary

Section A: Funding Opportunity Description

A1. Project Description

A2. Project Goals and Objectives

A3. Expected Results

A4. Performance Indicators

Section B: Federal Award Information

B1. Available Funding

B2. Award Management

Section C. Eligibility Information

C1. Eligible Applicants

C2. Cost-Sharing

C3. Other Eligibility Criteria

Section D: Application and Submission Information

D1. Address to request Application Package

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission

D3. Unique entity identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management

D4. Submission Dates and Times

D5. Funding Restrictions

D6. Other Submission Requirements

Section E: Application Review Information

E1. Criteria

E2. Review and Selection Process

E3. Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov (formerly FAPIIS)

Section F: Federal Award Administration Information

F1. Federal Award Notices

F2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

F3. Reporting

Section G: Federal Awarding Agency Contact

G1. Contacts

G2. Questions

Section H: Other information

H1. Conflict of Interest

H2. Applicant Vetting

H3. Marking Policy

H4. Evaluation Policy

H5. Monitoring Site Visits

H6. Privacy Disclosure

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

(WHA/PPC/SRU)

Announcement Type: New Funding Title: Strengthening Sustainable Communities in

Panama and Costa Rica Assistance Instrument Type: Grant Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0009810 Funding Type: Discretionary Assistance Listings Number: 19.750 Funding Amount: $4,740,000 U.S. Dollars Funding Authority: Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 as amended Source of Funding: Economic Support Funds (ESF) Funding Activity Category: Grant Cost Sharing Requirement: Not Required Number of Awards: 1 award

Key Dates: 1. Application must be submitted by 11:59 P.M. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on July 5, 2023)

2. Questions must be submitted by 11:59 P.M. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on June 19, 2023)

3. Notification of the recommended for funding proposal August 2023

Application Submission: Application must be submitted through www.grants.gov.

Electronic Requirement: Yes - e-mailed, faxed, or mailed proposal packages, or individual submission documents, will NOT be considered.

Eligibility Category: U.S. Non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS;

Overseas non-profit NGOs;

U.S. small business development centers (SBDCs);

U.S. and overseas, both public and private Institutions of higher education to include both colleges and universities;

Public international organizations (PIOs).

Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.400, it is a U.S. Department of State policy not to award profit under federal assistance instruments. For-profit and commercial firms are not eligible to apply in response to this NOFO. No exceptions.

Type of Applicant: Organizations only. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

Number of Applications: One (1) per applicant organization.

http://www.grants.gov/

Note: Organizations may form consortia and submit a combined proposal.

However, only one organization may be designated as the lead applicant. The lead applicant must meet the eligibility criteria listed in this NOFO.

Country Eligibility: Costa Rica and Panama

Project Duration: 48 Months

Est. Project Start Date: September 2023 Est. Project End Date: September 2027

This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov and may be amended.

Answers to questions from eligible interested organizations will be posted as attachments to this NOFO. Applicants should regularly check the www.grants.gov for the most recent information pertaining to this funding opportunity.

WHA reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted and reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the project and the availability of funds. The authority for this NOFO is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

Eligible organizations interested in submitting an application are encouraged to review this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of project sought and the application submission requirements and review process as outlined in this NOFO.

file:///C:/Users/BrattonJW/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Word/www.grants.gov file:///C:/Users/BrattonJW/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Word/www.grants.gov

Executive Summary

The United States Department of State Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) announces a Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to support sustainable communities and migration management approaches in Panama and Costa Rica that promote inclusive and equitable policies and practices in coordination with Department of State and WHA. WHA has $4,740,000 in FY 2022 ESF for a 48-month project to help support communities hosting large numbers of migrants and marginalized and vulnerable populations such as women, Indigenous, and Afro-descendants through a whole of community approach that will provide technical expertise training to small business development centers and support sustainable tourism development in communities and associated industries. These small business and industries include but are not limited to agriculture, textile, transportation, restaurants, and hotels. The sustainable community approach will include technical expertise training on small business and economic development, and will engage local government officials, civil society, and small business development centers. The anticipated start date for this activity is September 2023.

Section A: Funding Opportunity Description

A1. Project Description

This grant will incentivize support and help build sustainable communities in Panama and Costa Rica, to include rural areas where possible. This will be done through the development of small to medium-sized business enterprises supported by small business development centers (SBDCs). This project will include a two-track process. Track one will focus on developing sustainable tourism for economic development. Track two will focus on workforce development that supports industries/business sectors related to or handling tourism, which include textiles, agriculture, restaurants, hotels, and tourism service sectors, and trains host community small businesses and migrants and marginalized and vulnerable populations to work in these industries. WHA is also open to applicants suggesting other business sectors that would fit or support their project design.

This project also seeks to improve the institutional capacity and training of business counselors at SBDCs specific to communities in Panama and Costa Rica, with a focus on migrants and marginalized and vulnerable populations. This project intends to encourage collaboration management approaches in Central America that promote inclusive and equitable policies and practices in coordination with Department and WHA partners. This may include supporting communities that host migrants. The project activities should be conducted in coordination with feedback from WHA, Panama’s Autoridad De La Micro Pequeña Y Mediana Empresa (AMPYME), and Costa Rica’s Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje (INA) and Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comercio (MEIC).

The prime applicant should have experience working with SBDCs and small businesses in Latin America and have capacity and experience to develop project activities that enable small business training. This is to include the development of a training curriculum for developing small businesses in communities and working with sub-recipient organizations to support sustainable tourism and complimentary industries of textiles, agriculture, restaurants, and tourism service sectors and transportation. The applicant should have a sub-recipient with a non-profit organization with project activities providing training in Costa Rica and Panama to entrepreneurs and small businesses to help enable regional, social, and economic integration. This subrecipient project’s activities should work with the local or regional based NGOs or SBDCs that have experience and knowledge of the small business operating environments in Costa Rica and Panama. Training activities must also follow Panama law that restricts certain jobs and professions to Panamanians. Migrant women could not be included in training in these restricted professions.

The prime applicant should also have a sub-recipient with a sustainable tourism nonprofit, which specializes in sustainable tourism development in Latin America.

This sub-recipient should work in coordination with Central American universities that lead in sustainable tourism training curriculum development in Costa Rica, the Panamanian Foundation of Sustainable Tourism, and other organizations involved in administrative tourism to create sustainable tourism development plans. These plans should help market and bring tourism jobs to rural areas where possible in coordination with more established cities, such as Panama City and San José. The sub-recipient and prime applicant will need to work together to develop 3-5 day bootcamps and bring in technical experts to develop a curriculum which builds the beneficiaries’ workforce skills in tourism related industries. The sub-recipient will provide the logistics of implementing the bootcamps. The prime applicant and sub-recipient will also work to ensure that project activities promote a circular economy creating partnerships with larger hotel or transportation companies (i.e., Marriot, Sheraton, Barcelo, Delta Airlines, United Airlines, COPA Airlines etc.) to offset the carbon footprint of tourism and help the overall sustainability of communities in Costa Rica and Panama.

Additionally, the prime applicant will also need to hire a third-party Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) firm to conduct baseline data mapping at the beginning of the project and conclude with a final project evaluation.

This sustainable communities approach will: 1) help create durable labor solutions for communities hosting migrant populations by linking long-term migrants into their host communities to help them contribute to the socio-economic development of their host countries and prevent them from needing to migrate again; and 2) foster long-term economic development and build social cohesion among host community members (particularly those from marginalized and vulnerable populations) to relieve the economic and societal stress of accepting large numbers of migrants in already economically disadvantaged areas, thus increasing local support for integration and incentivizing host communities to continue receiving immigrants.

The prime applicant should ensure programming complements existing diplomatic efforts, such as the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, programming already implemented in Panama and Costa Rica by USAID; the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM); and other State Department Bureaus.

Theory of Change: This project is based on the theory of change that if host communities and migrants and marginalized and vulnerable populations receive training in workforce skills, small business development, and/or the tourism industry and if the sustainable tourism industry is developed in communities in Costa Rica and Panama and if SBDCs are implemented in Panama and expanded in Costa Rica, then Panama and Costa Rica can better link migrants and marginalized and vulnerable populations to their host communities by providing economic opportunities and having a stronger local economy.

Relevant Department Policy Strategies: Implementer is recommended to design project activities informed by existing U.S. Department of State strategies, including the Collaborative Migration Management Strategy, the U.S. Strategy for Addressing the Root Causes of Migration in Central America, and the WHA-LAC Joint Regional Strategy. Programs may also align with the implementation of America’s Partnership for Economic Prosperity and the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection.

A2. Project Goals and Objectives

Project Goal: Strengthen sustainable communities in Panama and Costa Rica, to include rural areas where possible, through small business support and sustainable tourism development, providing economic and employment opportunities for migrants and marginalized and vulnerable populations, thus helping to mitigate the effect of migrant influxes on local communities.

Objectives & Activities

As applicable, proposals should specify the expected results from projects benefitting from these funds, such as the number of participants trained;

improvement in local government migration policy; and other improvements in basic government services that impact migrants. All proposals should state clear objectives and show plans to measure project performance and contributions to meeting those objectives.

Proposals should include specific objectives and indicators that allow the organization to measure and demonstrate progress. As applicable, proposals should specify the expected results from projects benefitting from these funds, such as the number of participants trained; improvement in local government migration policy; and other improvements in basic government services that impact migrants. All proposals should state clear objectives and show plans to measure project performance and contributions to meeting those objectives.

Project objectives should include but are not limited to the following objectives:

For objective 2, 3, and 5 the applicant needs to develop contingency and risk management planning in case challenges arise in developing project activities that support the SBDC model training curriculum in Panama and Costa Rica, or if AMPYME or INA flag issues that the applicant needs to address. This contingency planning entails showing how the applicant could revise the training curriculum to focus on small business development and to strengthen sustainable communities and focus less on providing training based on the U.S. SBDC model. This contingency planning is to address risk management. No funding can be provided for contingency planning.

Objective 1 – Sustainable Communities to Integrate Migrants Stabilize communities hosting large numbers of migrants and marginalized and vulnerable populations. Support inclusive economic opportunity and the integration of long-term migrants and marginalized and vulnerable populations into their host communities so they may contribute to the socio-economic development of their host countries.

Project Activities for Objective 1:

1.1 Provide workforce training for small and medium sized (SMEs) businesses that could include but is not limited to textile, agriculture, restaurants, and tourism sector industries which could include hotels and transportation companies.

1.2 Utilize SBDCs, sustainable tourism experts, non-profits, and universities to provide this training.

1.3 Enable the integration of migrants and marginalized and vulnerable populations into the local economy by developing connections between the project implementors, migrant women, marginalized and vulnerable populations, local communities, and businesses. The project would need to conduct outreach to local businesses looking to employ persons with skills developed in the workforce training provided.

1.4 Incorporate job application skills into workforce training curriculum, networking project beneficiaries to the local businesses and connecting participants with resources to obtain legal work documentation to participate in the formal economy.

Objective 2 – SBDC Network Expansion Expand the SBDC network by establishing the SBDC model in Panama and assist the support and expansion of SBDCs in Costa Rica.

Project Activities for Objective 2:

2.1 Conduct a needs assessment of technical assistance and capacity building among SBDCs and small businesses.

2.2 Create a representative survey of SBDC services and small businesses in relation to the overall project goal and objectives.

2.3 After the technical needs assessment is completed, the project implementer or third-party evaluator will draft an analysis of what SBDC services are provided and the gaps in small business services that project training would address. This data can also be used in drafting the final project evaluation.

Objective 3 – Improved Institutional Capacity Improve the institutional capacity and training of business counselors at SBDCs, with a focus on migrants and marginalized and vulnerable populations.

Project Activities for Objective 3:

3.1 Develop a small business and entrepreneurship training curriculum for Costa Rica SBDCs and AMPYME and their staff and business counselors.

3.2 Develop a detailed curriculum design and implementation strategy.

3.3 Develop training modules for SBDC counselors that could include marketing, accounting, strategic planning, and business plan development with a focus on sustainable tourism, textiles, agriculture, restaurants, transportation, and tourism to support job growth in marginalized and vulnerable communities, to include rural areas where possible.

3.4 Incorporate training related to industry certifications and work with universities in Costa Rica and Panama on sustainable tourism and industry specific certifications.

Objective 4 – Equal Access & Training Opportunities Address gender barriers and ensure women, migrants, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous small business owners and employees receive equal access to training opportunities and services from SBDC in Costa Rica and AMYPME in Panama, which should be implemented through a subaward with a local Central American organization that has experience working with SBDCs.

Project Activities for Objective 4:

4.1 Provide migrants, women, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people access to economic development and include them in SBDC business development training and services.

4.2 Assist knowledge management and capacity building of women-owned small businesses, focusing on migrants, women, and Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples.

4.3 Work with local NGOs, the private sector, and local governments to support female entrepreneurship through training and workshops focused on small business development.

4.4 Create opportunities for project beneficiaries and NGOs to support businesswomen in the small-medium size enterprise (SME) policy development within their communities.

4.5 Ensure women entrepreneurs and small businesses receive equal access to opportunities and services by addressing gender barriers and incorporating business advising focused on training and mentorship.

4.6 Develop training curriculums specific to women, migrants, and marginalized and vulnerable communities that could include but are not limited to sales and marketing, accounting, strategic planning, business plan development, and access to finance and investment opportunities.

Objective 5 – Entrepreneurial Development in Communities Work with local NGOs, private sector, and local governments to support entrepreneurship and small business development in communities, including rural areas where possible.

Project Activities for Objective 5:

5.1 Develop workshops to engage families and community leaders on employment issues and entrepreneurship.

5.2 Work with a third-party monitoring and evaluation firm to create a final project evaluation to review the sustainable community approach, assess the effectiveness of the approach, and review final project outcome and output results against the initial project goal and objectives.

5.3 Design project activities that will impart the SBDC methodology in Panama and work with AMPYME to adopt the SBDC model to support economic and workforce development through SBDC business counselors providing small business and job training.

Objective 6 – Workforce Training & Support Support and strengthen sustainable communities by providing training and support to small business in the agriculture, textile, restaurants, hotels, transportation, and sustainable tourism services sectors. WHA is also open to other business sectors or workforce development areas that the applicant deems necessary to support and strengthen sustainable communities.

Project Activities for Objective 6:

6.1 Project activities will support the development of new SBDCs in Costa Rica and assist Panama in adopting the SBDC methodology successfully.

6.2 Carry out a series of consultations, trainings, and other activities to facilitate the establishment of new SBDCs in the identified communities.

6.3 Provide ongoing support to participant SBDCs and micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) through information technology systems and other support to ensure efficient replication and future viability of newly established SBDCs.

6.4 Provide Costa Rica and Panama stakeholders with consulting services to develop, implement, and maintain a system for the accreditation of centers which, among other things, should include standards for regular training of business counselors and regular reporting of standard performance metrics.

6.5 Develop an outreach plan to municipal and state governments on future ways for governments to adopt and fund the SBDCs beyond the period of performance in the award.

Objective 7 – Tourism Sector Development Strengthen sustainable community-based tourism, to include rural areas where possible, in coordination with larger cities, such as Panama City and San José, through a sub-recipient, by creating and implementing a tourism development plan and by coordinating with tourism sector officials.

Project Activities for Objective 7:

7.1 Implement Bootcamps and market/advertise workshops by working with community leaders and local businesses to create sustainable tourism development plans which includes a whole of community approach and is measured by short term/long-term job creation, carbon footprint mitigation, and economic impact on host communities.

7.2 Analyze towns and other select locations, which could be along the borders of the countries, to host sustainable tourism boot-camps, mapping available sustainable tourism services and what is needed to create a sustainable tourism development plan.

7.3 Build a curriculum and tourism development plan with local universities and NGOs, based on relevant skillsets for the regional tourism industry, which sustains a green economy with a reduced carbon footprint.

7.4 Develop a mentoring project and train the trainer activities for sustainable tourism post boot camp to ensure multiplier and greatest impact.

7.5 Network with key regional actors and community leaders, such as those involved in administrative tourism, to inform on challenges, successes, and strategies to implement startup businesses in the tourism industry.

7.6 Work with bootcamp attendees, local governments, and civil society for the period of performance to help them develop and implement tourism development plans.

7.7 Create a communication strategy to help the communities market their destinations.

A3. Expected Results

Expected results should include but are not limited to the following:

1. Workforce trained in small business development and for short-term and long-term jobs in sustainable tourism and supporting industries/business sectors related to or handling tourism, which include textiles, agriculture, restaurants, and hotels.

2. Available employment and training opportunities for at-risk communities including migrants, Afro-descendants, women, and Indigenous populations.

3. Local communities supported with a stronger economy and opportunities from workforce training and available employment.

4. Sustainable tourism established with an offset carbon footprint due to a circular economy.

5. Developed small business and entrepreneurship training curriculums for Costa Rica SBDCs and Panama AMPYME.

6. Effect of migrant influxes mitigated in local communities.

7. Established SBDC in Panama and expansion of SBDCs in Costa Rica.

8. Local communities, SBDCS, civil society, and small businesses participating in trainings/workshops to bolster economy and understand migration challenges.

A4. Performance Indicators

WHA/PPC will work with the successful applicant to develop a monitoring and evaluation plan that measures progress via specific, clear, and quantifiable performance indicators at the output and outcome level. The selected indicators will measure the applicants progress in implementing this project and achieving project’s objectives and goals, along with the effects of training and technical assistance for grantees and targeted project beneficiaries. The applicant and WHA will assess the results and impact of project activities. The project’s overall performance will be monitored using indicator results against baseline data.

Relevant indicators will be disaggregated by refugee status, legal work documentation, migration patterns, and employment status. This approach will provide analysis of key variables from an immigration and economic inclusion perspective.

Applicants will develop a Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) with annual and end-of-project targets and results anticipated for key performance indicators.

Further guidance on this PMP is included in TAB A of the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI). The recipient organization will be required to monitor these targets and indicators during and after the project’s activities. All applicants should propose additional outputs, indicators, and/or targets that correspond to their project proposal.

The required output and outcome indicators for the project are provided below.

The applicant should review these and provide illustrative targets for each output and outcome indicator, as appropriate. The applicant is expected to identify targets for these indicators based on what it can reasonably achieve within the performance period of the project and on the expected overall project results described above.

Required output and outcome indicators are listed below. The applicant and sub-recipients should develop additional indicators as necessary for subawards in coordination with the prime recipient.

Outputs Indicators are the results of what the project does. For example, the number of participants who successfully complete a job-training course or received job placement through the project activities are outputs.

Required Output Indicators Required Targets:

GNDR-2 Percentage of female participants in USG-assisted programs designed to increase access to productive economic resources (assets, credit, income or employment.)

TBD

DR.4.2-2 Number of civil society organizations (CSOs) receiving USG assistance engaged in advocacy interventions.

TBD

EG.5-3 Number of microenterprises (female entrepreneurs) supported by USG assistance.

E.G. 3-9/4.5-2 Number of full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs created with USG assistance.

EG. 5.12 Number of small and medium-sized enterprises

EG. 5.2-2 Number of private sector firms that have improved management practices or technologies as a result of USG assistance.

Number of SBDCs that expanded or were strengthened as a result of USG assistance.

Number or women or migrant or underserved businesses benefiting from sustainable communities’ project activities.

TBD

Number of sustainable tourism bootcamps developed and implemented in Panama and Costa Rica.

Number of participants in sustainable tourism boot camps. 400

Number of local groups contacted addressing migrants and project goals and objectives.

TBD

Number of sustainable tourism dialogues developed between local government agencies, local leaders, civil society and private sector small business owners.

TBD

Number of sustainable development plans created. TBD

Person hours of training completed in workforce development supported by USG assistance.

TBD

Person hours of training completed in workforce development

Outcomes Indicators are changes that take place because of project activities.

The outcomes of the project are the differences that will have been made by delivering objectives and achieving outputs. For example, an outcome could be increased job placement as a result of the training, or reduction in local unemployment rate.

Required Outcome Indicators Required Targets:

EG. 5-2 Full-time equivalent employment of firms receiving USG assistance.

EG. 6.12 Percent of individuals with new employment following participation in USG assisted workforce development programs.

TBD

EG. 6-15 Precent of individuals with better employment following participation in USG assisted workforce development programs.

TBD

Policies enacted to support women involvement in the workforce.

Number of women owned businesses with increased access to national, regional, or international markets.

Number of migrant women reporting better living standards. TBD

Section B: Federal Award Information

B1. Available Funding

This notice is subject to availability of funding. Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 as amended (Economic Support Funds) and several funding restrictions apply, to include country-applicant restrictions.

The Department of State reserves the right to fund any or none of the proposals submitted and reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase the budget in accordance with the needs of the project and the availability of funds.

The Department of State may consider continuing the program funded under this award beyond the initial period of performance 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 and USG.

B2. Award Management

The successful applicant will need to routinely collaborate with WHA through regular meetings and conference calls to discuss progress, challenges, emerging topics, etc.

The successful applicant must ensure that all funds are used in a manner consistent with any applicable restrictions on funding. See D5 below for funding restrictions.

Section C. Eligibility Information

C1. Eligible Applicants

See page 3, Eligibility Category.

The Department of State will issue an award to the Applicant whose application represents the best value to the U.S. Government based on technical merit, efficient use of U.S. Government funds, and satisfactory organizational capacity. The Department of State reserves the right to make an award based on the initial application received with or without discussion or negotiations.

Preference will be given to organizations with experience working with SBDCs and small businesses in Latin America and have capacity and experience to develop project activities that enable small business training. Experience developing a training curriculum and providing training to entrepreneurs and small businesses while enabling regional, social, and economic integration is desired. Former work with a subaward organizations is preferred, along with a knowledge of how to support sustainable tourism and complimentary industries of textiles, agriculture, restaurants, and tourism service sectors and transportation. An understanding of local economic and migration issues facing Panama and Costa Rica, or the ability to subaward to an organization that has this experience is desired.

Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to non‐discrimination with respect to beneficiaries and adherence to equal opportunity employment practices. Non‐ discrimination includes equal treatment without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, and political affiliation.

Applicants are reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law prohibits transactions with, and the provision of resources and support to, individuals and organizations associated with terrorism. It is the legal responsibility of the recipient to ensure compliance with these Executive Orders and laws. This provision must be included in any sub‐awards issued under this grant award.

In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via www.SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section IV for more information.

Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov.

C2. Cost-Sharing

The non-Federal share of costs, frequently called “cost share” or “matching costs,” refers to that portion of the project or program costs not borne by the Federal Government. This may include cash and third-party in-kind contributions.

These costs must reflect the realistic capacity of the applicants and any third-party contributors.

Cost-sharing is not required. Providing cost-sharing, matching, or cost participation is not an eligibility requirement for this funding opportunity and will not be factored in during the merit review of proposals.

Note: If cost-share is included in the budget, the applicant must maintain written records to support all allowable costs that are claimed as its contribution to cost-share, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. In the event the applicant does not meet the minimum amount of cost-sharing as stipulated in the applicant’s budget, DOS contribution may be reduced in proportion to the Applicant’s contribution.

C3. Other Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (UEI), as well as a valid registration on www.sam.gov. Please see Section D3 for information on how to obtain these registrations.

http://www.sam.gov/

Applicants, including U.S. affiliates of international organizations must provide a valid Unique Entity Identification (UEI), and completed www.sam.gov registration when submitting application on www.grants.gov in response to this NOFO.

Applicants that do not have a valid UEI and completed www.sam.gov registration will NOT be eligible for consideration. Implementing partners/sub-recipient organizations are required to have a valid UEI number.

Applicants listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) are 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.

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

Organizations may only submit one application per organization. If more than one application is submitted by an organization, only the first application received will be reviewed for eligibility and funding.

Section D: Application and Submission Information

D1. Address to request Application Package

Applicants can find application forms on www.grants.gov under the announcement title and funding opportunity number provided above.

Once the NOFO deadline has passed, DOS may not discuss this competition with any applicant until the proposal review process has been completed.

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Please follow both, the PSI and the NOFO, to ensure that the proposal package submission is in full compliance with the requirements. Please follow the guidelines in the attached Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for additional application submission instructions, including information on required documents and format. Proposal submissions that do not meet all the requirements outlined in this NOFO and the associated PSI will not be considered.

Any prospective applicant who has questions concerning the contents of this NOFO should submit them by email to the contacts listed in Section G. Please refer to the funding opportunity number and title.

Any updates about this NOFO will also be posted on www.grants.gov.

D3. Unique entity identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management

Required Registrations:

The Unique Entity Identifier (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. www.sam.gov is the Federal government's primary database for complying with FFATA reporting requirements. OMB designated www.sam.gov as the central repository to facilitate applicant and recipient use of a single public website that consolidates data on all federal financial assistance. Under the law, it is mandatory to obtain a UEI number and register in www.sam.gov.

UEI is assigned by www.sam.gov assigned to organizations that have to register/or renew their www.sam.gov registration.

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (www.sam.gov) 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 http://www.grants.gov.

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sam.gov%2F&data=04%7C01%7CChagnonRX%40state.gov%7Ccff17d24a6904724ce4008d9e0fce293%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637788198997747268%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=93dwoZMkI1HwCxusuuIorVeeVcngkEaPBl0DcloQkVc%3D&reserved=0

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 www.SAM.gov to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

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 they do need a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov. This guidance and instructions are to the best of our knowledge available at the time of posting this solicitation. Where guidance in this NOFO differs from the www.sam.gov website, SAM.gov prevails, and the applicant is encouraged to seek and document clarity provided by the SAM.gov helpdesk.

www.sam.gov requires all entities to renew their registration once a year in order to maintain an active registration status. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure it has an active registration in www.sam.gov.

If an organization plans to sub-contract or sub-award any of the funds under an award, those sub-recipient organizations must also have a unique entity identifier (UEI number). www.sam.gov registration is not required.

If an organization does not have an active registration in www.sam.gov prior to submitting an application in response to this NOFO, the application will be deemed ineligible. All organizations applying for USG federal assistance awards (except individuals) must obtain these registrations. Please note that registration is free of charge.

Note: The process of obtaining a www.sam.gov registration may take from 2-8 weeks or longer. Please begin your registration as early as possible. Numerous errors require correction, such as an address mismatch, and can delay final registration. If the application is not corrected within 90 calendar days of original registration/or renewal submission, it will be automatically deleted and the organization will need to re-start the process.

An exemption from this requirement may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if the applicant’s identity must be protected due to possible endangerment of their https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sam.gov%2F&data=04%7C01%7CChagnonRX%40state.gov%7Ccff17d24a6904724ce4008d9e0fce293%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C637788198997747268%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=93dwoZMkI1HwCxusuuIorVeeVcngkEaPBl0DcloQkVc%3D&reserved=0 mission. Organizations requesting an exemption should email the point of contact listed in Section G of this NOFO.

D4. Submission Dates and Times

Applicants are urged to begin the application process well before the submission deadline as stated on page 3. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps. Grants.gov automatically log the date and time an application submission is made, and the Department of State will use this information to determine whether an application has been submitted on time. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

D5. Funding Restrictions

The following activities and costs are not covered under this announcement (this list is NOT exhaustive):

• Construction or renovations is not an allowable activity under this award;

• Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the applicant organization;

• Projects seeking funds for personal use;

• Administration of a project that will make a profit;

• Expenses incurred before or after the specified dates of award period of performance (unless prior written approval is received);

• Projects designed to advocate policy views or positions of foreign governments or views of a particular political faction;

• Alcoholic beverages;

• Costs of entertainment, including amusement, diversion, and social activities, and any associated costs, are unallowable, except where specific costs that might otherwise be considered entertainment have a programmatic purpose and are authorized either in the approved budget for the federal award or with prior written approval of the Grants Officer.

Representation by Organization Regarding a Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Criminal Conviction: In accordance with section 7073 of Division K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (Public Law 113-76) none of the funds made available by that Act may be used to enter into an assistance award with any organization that –

(1) Was “convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency has direct knowledge of the conviction, unless the agency has considered, in accordance with its procedures, that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government”; or

(2) Has any “unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, unless the Federal agency has considered, in accordance with its procedures, that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.”

For the purposes of Section 7073, it is the Department of State’s policy that no award may be made to any organization covered by (1) or (2) above, unless the Procurement Executive has made a written determination that suspension or debarment is not necessary to protect the interests of the U.S. Government.

D6. Other Submission Requirements

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that it has an active registration in Grants.gov and that an application has been received by the system in its entirety. DOS bears no responsibility for disqualification that results from applicants not being registered before the due date or for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.

Section E: Application Review Information

E1. Criteria

The Department of State will issue an award to the applicant whose proposal represents the best value to the U.S. Government based on technical merit, efficient use of U.S. Government funds, and satisfactory organizational capacity. In addition, the organization must demonstrate adequate financial management capability to be measured by a responsibility determination.

Applications should contain the applicant’s best terms from both cost and technical standpoints. The implementing partners (sub-recipients) of the primary Recipient will be subject to Department of State approval.

Eligible applications will be evaluated by an independent review panel consisting of subject matter experts from other DOS bureaus/or offices, U.S. Embassies, and/or other U.S. Government agencies. Final approval resides with the DOS Grants Officer. The decision for the final eligibility and award determination rests with the Grants Officer.

The following criteria will serve as a standard, which all eligible applications will be evaluated against. Each eligible application will be evaluated and scored on the review criteria using a 100-point scale.

The review panel will apply the following criteria when rating proposals:

1. Quality and Feasibility of Project Idea (20 points)

• Responsive to the solicitation (4 points)

• Appropriate in the country/regional context (4)

• Exhibits substance, and precision (4)

• Prioritizes innovation, but is feasible (4)

• In countries where similar activities are already taking place, provides an explanation as to how new activities will not duplicate or merely add to existing activities (4)

2. Organizational Capacity and Record of Performance (10 points):

• The proposal demonstrates an institutional record of successful programs in the proposed country, the content area (e.g., media, access to justice), or other (describe) (4)

• Personnel and institutional resources are adequate and appropriate to achieve the project's objectives (2)

• Demonstrates relevant professional experience (2) o OR

• Demonstrates capacity for responsible fiscal management (2)

• Illustrates success in similar sized projects (2)

3. Program Planning and Ability to Achieve Objectives (25 points)

• Includes a clear articulation of the proposed program activities’ expected contributions to the overall program objectives (5)

• Each activity is clearly developed and detailed (4)

• Objectives are clear, specific, attainable, measurable, results-focused, and placed in a reasonable time frame (4)

• Addresses how the program will engage or obtain support from relevant stakeholders and identifies local partners where appropriate (4)

• Describes the division of labor among the direct applicant, any partners and any potential sub-grantees (4)

• Proposal clearly articulates understanding of the security situation/operating environment and plans for ensuring safety of participants (4)

4. Financial Capacity and Cost Effectiveness (15 points):

• All costs, including salaries and honoraria, are explained and justified for the work involved (5)

• All budget items are necessary, and linked to project objectives (5)

• Personnel costs are reasonable for the work involved (5)

NOTE: Cost share is not required. Applicants may offer cost share, however, cost share will not be considered or factored in when proposals are reviewed.

5. Performance Monitoring, Evaluating, and Learning (MEL) (20 points):

• The Project Monitoring Plan includes:

o Narrative explaining how monitoring and evaluation will be carried out and who will be responsible for monitoring and evaluation activities (7) o Table listing by project objectives the output- and outcome-based performance indicators with baselines and (yearly and cumulative) targets; data collection tools; data sources; types of data disaggregation, if applicable; and frequency of monitoring and evaluation (9) o Logic model that includes outcomes, outputs, and activities that specify measurable numerical targets (4)

6. Sustainability of Impact/Multiplier Effect (10 points)

• Clearly delineates how elements of the project will have a multiplier effect that could include train the trainer or other activities increase the impact (5)

• Clearly delineates how impact will be sustainable beyond the life of the grant (5)

Cost Review: Costs will be reviewed for reasonableness, allowability, allocability, and cost-effectiveness of the use of USG funds. The review of cost-effectiveness will include an examination of the application’s budget detail to ensure it is a realistic financial expression of the proposed project and does not contain estimated costs that are not allocable, reasonable, or allowable.

Applications that maximize direct activity costs and minimize administrative costs are encouraged. Other considerations are the completeness of the application, adequacy of budget detail, and consistency with elements of the technical application. In addition, the organization must demonstrate adequate financial management capability to be measured by a responsibility determination. Final approval of the budget resides with the Grants Officer.

Additional Budget Guidance

An allowable project must include the following budget items:

• Of the total $4,740,000.00, WHA suggests the applicant budgets for two subawards. The first subaward should be with an SBDC center or a local NGO focused on small business development in the Central America region at approximately $1,200,000; and the second subaward should be with a sustainable tourism development organization at approximately $800,000 to ensure that both subaward’s project activities are implemented for the entire 48-month period of performance of the cooperative agreement. The applicant needs to include sub award budgets in their application submission. The applicant can modify these suggested amounts according to their project design submitted in their application.

• Between $200,000 to $400,000 of funding should be budgeted for a third-party Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) firm to provide results-based framework training to small grantees.

E2. Review and Selection Process

Applications will first be reviewed to determine technical eligibility.

All technically eligible applications will move forward to the merit review panel. Applications will be reviewed against the same criteria as listed above. Applications will be scored based on the strengths and weaknesses of the afore-mentioned categories and for consistency with the program goals and objectives outlined in this NOFO.

The Merit Review Panel may provide conditions and recommendations to enhance the…