NOFO FINAL 8.30.23.pdf

United States Department of State Under Secretary of Economic Growth, Energy and Environment

Office of Global Partnerships - Subnational Diplomacy Unit (SDU) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): Symposium on Strategic Subnational

Diplomacy

Table of Contents Section A: Funding Opportunity Description

A1. Background

A2. Program Goals and Objectives

A3. Expected Results

A4. Main Activities

A5. Performance Indicators

A6. Substantial Involvement

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 (www.sam.gov)

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

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

E/GP/SDU

Announcement Type: New Funding Title: Symposium on Strategic Subnational

Diplomacy Assistance Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0010051 Funding Type: Discretionary Assistance Listings Number: 19.301 Funding Amount: $246,193 Funding Authority: Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 as amended Source of Funding: Economic Support Fund (ESF) Funding Activity Category: Business and Commerce Cost Sharing Requirement: Required Number of Awards: 1 award Project Duration: 24 months Key Dates: 1. Application must be submitted by 11:59 PM

EST on Wednesday, November 1, 2023

2. Questions must be submitted by 11:59 P.M.

EST on Monday, October 20, 2023

3. Notification of recommended winning proposal expected by Monday, December 4, Application Submission: Application must be submitted through www.grants.gov.

Electronic Requirement: Yes Eligibility Category: - U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations with or without 501(c) (3) status with IRS

- U.S.-based private, public, or state institutions of higher education

- Non-Profit Organizations with headquarters located in the participant countries

- Public International Organizations (PIOs) with headquarters located in participant countries

- Private, public, or state institutions of higher education with headquarters located in participant countries

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.

Section A: Funding Opportunity Description

A1. Background

The U.S. Department of State Subnational Diplomacy Unit (SDU) announces an opportunity for organizations to submit applications to carry out logistics and planning in organizing an in-person Symposium on Strategic Subnational Diplomacy for subnational leaders from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, U.K., and U.S. The Symposium seeks to increase the benefits subnational governments gain from foreign engagement while mitigating potential risks, such as political interference, unfair economic practices, and challenges to rule of law.

The Symposium is a new program that seeks to foster a conversation among state, regional, and municipal staffers on strategic foreign engagement, including skills to address foreign malign influence, while creating linkages amongst leaders from like-minded countries.

The program will include three parts: (1) a discussion of geopolitics and subnational engagement; including background on various players in subnational engagement, their interests, strategies, and levels of risks they may pose to subnational entities; (2) skill-building in key areas including political and economic risk and opportunity analysis, due diligence, and negotiation; and (3) sharing best practices among subnational officials on diplomatic engagement strategies and protocols to maximize benefits for constituents. A set of guidelines for subnational officials will be drafted by Symposium Organizers and attendees based on these conversations. This document will then serve as a model to further guide subnational actors within these countries, as well as a baseline to continue to build on over the course of time to adapt to the increasingly changing geopolitical environment.

Each participating country will send two internationally-focused municipal and two provincial staffers to the Symposium (four total) from regions and cities that are both strongly engaged but also most vulnerable to the potential risks foreign engagement relative to their peers. There will also be an opportunity for countries to send one national-level representative that focuses on subnational diplomacy specifically, if applicable (five total, if applicable). Organizers (grantee and Subnational Diplomacy Unit) will work closely with participant national governments to identify candidates, but will make the final selections.

A2. Program Goals and Objectives

GOAL 1: Provide subnational stakeholders better understanding on the geopolitical context of subnational engagement and relevant skillsets to increase their ability to:

(1) identify opportunities for positive international engagement, including attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), boosting trade, educational and technical exchanges, sharing best practices, clean energy and climate cooperation

(2) recognize and counteract potential risks

(3) improve their capacity to fully benefit from international engagement

(4) improve awareness of national-level resources or agencies/ministries they can utilize for assistance

(5) create a support network and linkages amongst subnational officials and national governments to further increase benefits and limit risks of exposure to malign actors

GOAL 1 will be measured by surveys before and after the conference, as well with medium to long-term follow-up with attendees. Collaboration will be measured by remaining in contact with attendees to see whether concrete projects budding from resources provided in the conference, including connections and information.

GOAL 2: Draft guidance document on best practices in subnational engagement.

The guidance document/toolkit drafted based on best practices conversations within a month from the conference is used at the municipal and provincial level across participant countries and shared with other relevant subnational entities.

This toolkit would also include an appendix with resources identified by organizers and participants. The goal of this document is to improve their resilience in the medium and long-term, measured with follow-up surveys 6 months to 1-year out.

A3. Expected Results

Results will be tracked 6 months and 1 year after the event via surveys. By the year mark, expected results include:

Foreign actors engaging on a subnational level would demonstrate:

• Beneficial engagement: Engagement at the subnational level becomes limited to issues that benefit the subnational entity completely

• Reduction of instances of problematic encounters with the foreign entities (as in, encounters that challenge the security and rule of law of constituencies)

• More consistency among government responses at all levels: Instances where foreign actors engage subnational entities to push projects that are blocked at the national level decrease

Subnational entities would demonstrate:

• More effective foreign engagement strategies: More clarity and confidence when engaging with foreign actors through the creation of consultative mechanisms between national and local governments on foreign engagements

• Wide engagement when facing problematic behavior: Use a variety of resources from the federal/national level and/or networks created during the conference to improve negotiation position with foreign actors

• Increased due diligence: Actively perform effective due diligence when engaging with foreign entities

• Stronger national-subnational ties: Stronger ties between participating countries' subnational officials, the Department of State, and other national entities

A4. Main Activities

The project will have 3 lines of effort:

1. Training and capacity building by giving expert background information on geopolitical interests and strategies of foreign actors engaging at the local level; training on risk and opportunity analysis, due diligence, and international negotiations; and sharing best practices so that subnational leaders can best position themselves to benefit from international engagement

2. Peer support and network-building among subnational officials and subject-matter experts to provide long-term support for managing relations with foreign entities, from both speakers in the conference and amongst participants themselves, by giving municipal staffers the ability to meet in person and build long-term relationships

3. Long-term guidance for subnational actors by creating a product for local leaders to follow, reference, and share.

Recommended programming would be divided in three main sessions with panelists from civil society, private sector, and government:

1. Overview of the geopolitical context and how it influences subnational engagement

2. Maximizing benefit and mitigating risks through trainings and workshops on negotiation, media literacy, legal frameworks and due diligence

3. Networking and sharing best practices on relevant issues (e.g. setting yourself up to be in the best negotiating position, relationships with and safety of diaspora populations, risk mitigation tactics.)

A5. Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator Disaggregate by Custom Indicator: Reporting of coercive foreign actor behavior seen through reporting (mainly open source, through attendee survey, and internal cables/intelligence)

Government Civil Society Partner

Custom Indicator: foreign engagement more beneficial to subnational actors identified through follow-up surveys for 6 months and 1 year after event

Custom Indicator: Reporting of foreign levels of engagement: to what extent are foreign actors engaging national vs. subnational actors, particularly on contentious issues, as seen through reporting (e.g. are foreign actors asking subnational entities to defy national policies?)

Custom indicator: Subnational officials feeling more equipped to effectively engage internationally seen through post-event, 6-month and 1-year survey results

Custom indicator: Subnational engagement with national government and broader networks on foreign engagement seen through survey results and reporting

Custom indicator: Use of due diligence: How much and how to effectively conduct due diligence when engaging with foreign entities seen through reporting and survey

Custom indicator: Stronger national-subnational ties as shown by increased interactions with connections from the Department to coordinate further engagements with foreign entities

A6. Substantial Involvement

This potential award will be a cooperative agreement, requiring substantial involvement on the part of the Department of State’s Subnational Diplomacy Unit (SDU) including close collaboration and approval of each phase of the project before moving to the next. Examples of substantial involvement will include but are not limited to:

• Approval of the recipient’s implementation plans;

• Approval of the participant list;

• Approval of the recipient’s monitoring and evaluation plans;

• Approval of substance and organization of conference;

• Agency and recipient collaboration or joint participation in all the steps mentioned above

Areas of substantial involvement will be specified and outlined in the final Agreement.

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 the Subnational Diplomacy Unit 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:

Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with local in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders and have demonstrable experience in administering successful and preferably similar projects.

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. Therefore, applications should contain the Applicants’ best terms from both cost and technical standpoints.

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 required only in providing travel and accommodations for U.S.-based subnational officials and experts to attend the event, if the event is based in the U.S. Ability to provide this type of cost-sharing will 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

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) (www.sam.gov) and/or has a current debt to the U.S.

government 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 or person listed on the Excluded Parties List System in SAM.gov can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Excluded Parties List System in SAM.gov to ensure that no ineligible entity or person is included in their application.

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 Proposal Submission Instructions (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 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 (www.sam.gov)

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.

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 mission. Organizations requesting an exemption should email the points of contact listed in Section G of this NOFO by two weeks before the deadline at the latest.

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;

• 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 Program Design – 20 points: The program idea is well developed and responsive to the program objective of the NOFO. The applicant describes the project’s potential contribution to solving the problem addressed in the problem statement. The application clearly defines the problem; it’s causes; stakeholders; the approach taken to solve the problem; realistic milestones to indicate progress.

2. Organizational Capacity – 20 points: The applicant demonstrates an institutional record of successful projects in the content area proposed. The applicant demonstrates experience (e.g., has previously worked and/or has established contacts/partners) in the proposed country/territory/region.

The organization has expertise in its stated field and has adequate staffing to manage the proposed project. The applicant demonstrates capacity for responsible fiscal management of donor funding (e.g., successful management of a previous grant or sub-award).

3. Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives – 20 points: Goals and objectives are clearly stated, and project approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results. The applicant proposes activities that are feasible, and are also practical, and/or experiential in nature to encourage innovation. The applicant addresses how the project will engage or obtain support from relevant stakeholders and/or identifies local partners. Program logic is sound showing plausible pathways to achieve project outcomes. Key assumptions and risks have been identified and their potential influences described. The applicant acknowledges if activities similar to those proposed are already taking or have taken place previously and provides an explanation as to how proposed new activities will not duplicate or merely add to existing/recent activities.

4. Budget & Budget Narrative – 10 points: The budget justification is detailed, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results and provide detail of calculations, including estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, labor in-put and responsibilities, procurement practice and policy information, and other similar quantitative detail

5. Monitoring & Evaluation/Sustainability – 20 points: Applicant demonstrates it is able to 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 and who will be responsible for them. The applicant clearly details how activities will result in benefits that will continue beyond the funding period.

6. Support of Equity and Underserved Communities – 10 points: Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the program will support, advance, and engage underserved communities in program administration, design, and implementation.

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.

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 recommended proposal, which must be addressed by the applicant before further consideration of the award. To ensure effective use of US Government funds, conditions or recommendations may include requests to increase, decrease, clarify, and/or justify costs and project activities.

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

The Department of State, prior to making a federal award with a total amount of federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (formerly FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313).

The applicant, at its option, may review information about itself that a federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through www.sam.gov. Currently, federal agencies create integrity records in the integrity module of the Contractor Performance Assessment and Reporting System (CPARS) and these records are visible as responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov.

The Department of State will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

Applicant organizations must demonstrate adherence to equal opportunity employment practices and commitment to non-discrimination with respect to beneficiaries. 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 or support to individuals or organizations associated with terrorism.

• Proposals that reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative or a designate to terrorist organization or narcotics trafficker, including elected members of government, will NOT be considered. This provision must be included in any sub-awards/sub-contracts issued under this award.

• U.S. Applicant organizations must demonstrate adherence to equal opportunity employment practices and commitment to non-discrimination with respect to beneficiaries. Non-discrimination includes equal treatment without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, and political affiliation.

• Applicants under DOS-funded projects are responsible for complying with all applicable tax treaties and federal, state, and local laws on tax withholding and reporting for project participants.

Section F: Federal Award Administration Information

F1. Federal Award Notices

Successful applicant will be notified via email. This email may include a request for the applicant respond to panel conditions and recommendations. This notification is not an authorization to begin activities and does not constitute formal approval or a funding commitment.

Additional information that successful applicants may be required to submit after notification of intent to make a Federal award, but prior to issuance of a Federal award, may include:

• Written responses and any revised application documents addressing any conditions or recommendations from the Review Panel and awarding bureau;

• Completion of the Department’s Financial Management Survey, if receiving funding for the first time or requested by the Grants Officer;

• Submission of required documents to register in the Payment Management System (PMS) managed by the Department of Health and Human Services if receiving funding for the first time. PMS registration is bureau-specific;

• Other requested information or documents included in this funding opportunity or subsequent communications with the recommended applicant prior to issuance of a Federal award.

Final approval is also contingent on Congressional Notification requirements being met and final review and approval by the Department’s Grants Officer.

The Grants Officer is the U.S. Government official delegated the authority by the U.S. Department of State, Procurement Executive to write, award, and administer grants and cooperative agreements. The Award Agreement is the sole authorizing document and will be provided to winning organization electronically through DOS SAMS Domestic. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses beginning on the start date shown on the award agreement document signed by the Grants Officer. Organizations whose applications will not be funded will be notified in writing.

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

Award cannot be issued until funds have been fully appropriated, allocated, and committed through internal DOS procedures. While it is anticipated that these procedures will be successfully completed, potential applicants are hereby notified of these requirements. All preparation and submission costs are at the Applicant’s expense.

Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.400(g), it is U.S. Department of State policy not to award profit under assistance instruments.

2 CFR §200.501 requires domestic/US non-federal entities that expend $750,000, or more, in federal assistance during organization’s fiscal year to have a single or program-specific audit conducted for that year. In addition, the entity must report the collected audit data elements on the form SF-SAC and submit it to the FAC. Any findings such as material weaknesses, significant deficiencies, or material noncompliance are reported on the SF-SAC.

F2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

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

These include:

• 2 CFR 25 - UNIVERSAL IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR

AWARD MANAGEMENT

• 2 CFR 170 - REPORTING SUBAWARD AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

INFORMATION

• 2 CFR 175 - AWARD TERM FOR TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

• 2 CFR 182 - GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-

FREE WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE)

• 2 CFR 183 - NEVER CONTRACT WITH THE ENEMY

• 2 CFR 600 – DEPARTMENT OF STATE REQUIREMENTS

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

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

• The President’s September 2, 2020 memorandum, entitled Memorandum on Reviewing Funding to State and Local Government Recipients of Federal Funds that Are Permitting Anarchy, Violence, and Destruction in American Cities;

• Executive Order on Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Violence (E.O. 13933); and

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

o Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based on the program objectives through an objective process of evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR part 200.205), o Promoting the freedom of speech and religious liberty in alignment with Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty (E.O. 13798) and Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities (E.O. 13864) (§§ 200.300, 200.303, 200.339, and 200.341), o Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States (2 CFR part 200.322), and o Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest extent authorized by law, if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities (2 CFR part 200.340).

Applicants should plan to coordinate with the Subnational Diplomacy Unit throughout the period of performance of this award to ensure assistance is provided only to eligible participants.

F3. Reporting

The Foreign Assistance Data Review (FADR) FADR is an initiative at the Department of State to improve the overall quality, reliability, and availability of foreign assistance data to provide Congress, Department leadership and the public with an accurate picture of the Department’s foreign assistance portfolios. FADR affects how foreign assistance is tracked and accounted for. Geographical and program area information is now coded within the subaccount/award number and now it is possible to assign more than one Benefitting Country/Program Area to a single award if applicable. Where there is more than one line of accounting, your award will indicate specific fiscal information corresponding to FADR. Recipients will be required to work with the awarding Bureau to clearly identify the PMS account; corresponding FADR country/program area (if applicable); amounts of federal share and cost-share as well as instructions on reporting and requesting payment.

Financial Reports The Recipient will be required to submit quarterly financial reports (unless stipulated otherwise in the final Agreement) throughout the project period, using form SF-425, the Federal Financial Report form. If payment is made through the Payment Management System, all financial reports must be submitted electronically through the Payment Management System. The Recipient will also be required to upload to SAMS Domestic a pdf version of all financial reports (Federal Financial report) they have submitted in the Payment Management System. Form (SF-425) can be found here:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/post-award-reporting-forms.html#sortby=1

Progress Reporting The Recipient will be required to upload quarterly progress reports (unless stipulated otherwise in the final Agreement) to the award file in SAMS Domestic.

Progress reports must be submitted quarterly unless otherwise stipulated in the Agreement; the frequency will be determined by DOS prior to award.

Progress reports should also reflect the Recipient’s continued focus on measuring the project’s impact on the overarching goals or problems the project set out to address. An assessment of the overall project impact, as appropriate, should be included in each quarterly project report.

The Recipient should produce performance monitoring plans, including quantity and quality of the curriculum, participants’ progress reports, and pre- and post-training communications. The quarterly reports should be in narrative form which highlights the project’s progress (such as the number and type of students, events, ongoing engagements, etc.), achievements, lessons learned, adaptive management changes, and any regulatory reporting required. Further, the project, data collection, and report should also include information on post-class contact between students and staff.

Final Reports The final summary financial and progress reports will be due no later than 120 calendar days after the end date of the award or termination of all project activities. The Final Progress Report shall include the following elements:

executive summary, successes, outcomes, best practices, how the project addresses gender issues and marginalized communities, how the project will be sustained. Additional guidance may be provided prior to the award end date.

NOTE: delays in reporting may result in delays of payment approvals and failure to provide required reports may jeopardize the recipients’ ability to receive future U.S. government funds.

The Subnational Diplomacy Unit reserves the right to request any additional programmatic and/or financial project information during the award period of performance.

NOTE: In accordance with 2 CFR part 200.111, English is the official language of all award documents. If reports or any other supporting documents are provided in both English and a foreign language, it must be stated in each version that the English language version is the controlling version. U.S. dollar is the controlling currency. Financial reports must be submitted in U.S. dollars.

Section G: Federal Awarding Agency Contact

G1. Contacts

Grant-specific email address:

SubnationalSymposium@state.gov

Main grant point of contact:

Natalia Cote-Muñoz Senior Advisor to the Special Representative cote-munozn@state.gov

G2. Questions

Any prospective applicant who has questions concerning the contents of this NOFO must email them to the contacts listed above with the subject “[Applicant Name] [NOFO title].” To maintain fairness and transparency in competition, (bureau) will not answer substantive NOFO questions except when posting questions and answers to the announcement page as described below.

All questions must be submitted via email to contacts listed above by the deadline stated on page 3. Awarding bureau will periodically create a document of submitted questions with answers and upload it and post them in grants.gov. Questions and answers will be posted within one to two business days from the date of submission. Prospective applicants are advised to regularly review the announcement page in grants.gov for any updates. Note that once the NOFO deadline has passed, DOS staff in Washington, D.C. may not discuss this completion with applicants until the review process has been completed.

With the exception of technical submission questions, during the solicitation period U.S. Department of State staff will not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire proposal review process has been completed and an award has been made.

The information in this NOFO is binding and may not be modified by any awarding bureau representative.

Explanatory information provided by any awarding bureau that contradicts this language will not be binding.

Section H: Other information

H1. Conflict of Interest

In accordance with applicable Federal awarding agency policy, applicants must disclose in writing any potential conflict of interest to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity.

H2. Applicant Vetting

N/A

H3. Marking Policy

Applicants are advised that recipients and sub-recipients of Federal assistance awards are subject to the State Department’s Marking Policy. More information on this policy can be found in Section N of the Department of State’s Standard Terms and Conditions:

https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/U.S.-Department-of- State-Standard-Terms-and-Conditions-10-21-2020-508.pdf

H4. Evaluation Policy

Applicants are advised that recipients and sub-recipients of Federal assistance awards are subject to the Department of State Evaluation Policy. More information on this policy can be found here: https://www.state.gov/guidance-for-the-design-monitoring-and-evaluation-policy-at-the-department-of-state/

H5. Monitoring Site Visits

A monitoring site visit, at least once during the lifetime of an award, may be conducted by Department of State personnel. The site visit is conducted to gather additional information on the recipient’s ability to properly implement the project, manage DOS funds and share substantiating document for programmatic and financial reporting. Specifically, the site visit may involve the review of the programmatic progress (progress on activities, sub-recipient/consultant work, etc.) as well as administrative and financial management controls. This may include observing classroom modules virtually or in person and visit applicant’s headquarters and regional offices to observe operations.

H6. Privacy Disclosure

DOS understands that some information contained in applications may be considered sensitive or proprietary and will make appropriate efforts to protect such information. However, applicants are advised that DOS cannot guarantee that such information will not be disclosed, including pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or other similar statutes.

Mandatory disclosures (2 CFR 200.113)

Non-federal entity, applicant or applicant for a federal award must disclose, in a timely manner, in writing to the federal awarding agency or pass-through entity all violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal award. Non-federal entities that have received a Federal award including the term and condition outlined in Appendix XII of the 2 CFR 200—Award Terms and Conditions for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters -- are required to report certain civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings to www.sam.gov .

Failure to make required disclosures can result in any of the remedies described in §200.338 Remedies for Noncompliance, including suspension or debarment.

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.

DISCLAIMER:

The Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding in connection with the award. Renewal of an award to increase or decrease funding or extend the period of performance is at the total discretion of the Department of State and availability of funding.

Attachments:

1. Budget Template for New Awards

2. Budget Guidelines

3. Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI)