NOFO for Submission to Grant.Gov - 30JUL2021 - REOBKKMRB001.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. EMBASSY BANGKOK

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Announcement Type: New Announcement

Assistance Type: Cooperative Agreement

Funding Opportunity Title: Mekong River Basin Monitoring Tools Funding Opportunity Number: REOBKKMRB001

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 19.124

Total Available Funding: 400,000 U.S. Dollars (USD)

NOFO Issuance Date: July 30, 2021 Deadline for Receipt of Questions: August 13, 2021, at 5:00PM Eastern Daylight Time Application Deadline: August 31, 2021, at 11:59PM Eastern Daylight

Time

Eligibility Category: U.S. Non-profit/non-governmental organizations

(NGOs) having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, or overseas-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations, and U.S. and overseas private/state institutions of higher education (See full eligibility criteria below in Section C).

Executive Summary:

The Regional Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Office (REO) at U.S. Embassy Bangkok announces this Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”) for Mekong River Basin Monitoring Tools. A Cooperative Agreement for up to $400,000 U.S. Dollars (USD) in FY 2020 Economic Support Funds (ESF) will be awarded for a program intended to strengthen the political will and catalyze support for integrated and cooperative solutions to improving water data management in the Lower Mekong River Basin.

Eligibility is limited to U.S. non-profit/nongovernmental organizations subject to section 501 (c)

(3) of the U. S. tax code, foreign not-for-profit/nongovernmental organizations, educational institutions, and to public international organizations.

A Cooperative Agreement for up to $400,000 U.S. Dollars (USD) in FY 2020 Economic Support

Funds (ESF) will be awarded for work that will support efforts to modernize both national and regional capacities to maintain and improve the collection, availability, analysis, and management of hydrological, hydrometerological, and environmental data and information necessary for the sustainable management of water resources in the Lower Mekong River Basin.

The program will also work with the Mekong River Commission and National Mekong Committees, as appropriate, to conduct outreach, training, and potential integration with existing tools in support of the Mekong Water Data Initiative. The initial period of performance will be for two years (24 months). Funding authority rests in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

Contact Person: Mr. Thomas Schmidt U.S. Embassy Bangkok SchmidtTM@state.gov

Please carefully read the entire solicitation package if you plan to submit an application; there are steps that you should take immediately in order to make your submissions by the deadline.

A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A.1. Background

Regional and Program Background

The United States is working to create a more prosperous and secure East Asia-Pacific region through sustained, balanced, and inclusive economic growth. A key part of this initiative is the sustainable development of the Mekong River for the benefit of all the people that live within the basin.

The Mekong River is home to more than 80 million people, more than 1,100 aquatic species, and some of the most productive agricultural lands in the world. Population growth and economic development are putting greater pressure on the region’s unique fisheries and coral reefs, forests and grasslands, rivers, lakes, and air. Effective and sustainable management of these natural resources requires improved access, analysis, and application of water data for sound, evidence -based decision making. This is one of the primary goals of the Mekong-U.S. Partnership.

The United States is committed to working with Mekong countries to realize a secure, open, and prosperous Mekong region. Through the Mekong-U.S. Partnership, the United States is partnering with Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam on solutions to emerging challenges, including transboundary resource management, regional economic connectivity and human resources development, and non-traditional security issues like health security, and human, narcotics, weapons, wildlife and timber trafficking. The United States and like-minded partners align through the Friends of the Mekong group to support transparent and effective governance through development.

The Mekong-U.S. Partnership strengthens Mekong-U.S. economic connections, which provide new business opportunities and jobs for the people of the Mekong region and the United States.

The Mekong-U.S. Partnership helps safeguard the environment and natural resources. Mekong countries and the United States are working together to promote environmental conservation and protection, including sustainable water and natural resources management. The Mekong-U.S.

mailto:SchmidtTM@state.gov

Partnership promotes human resource development, providing opportunities to the people of the Mekong to obtain training and new skills, and promoting education and women’s empowerment.

The Mekong-U.S. Partnership strengthens regional border security and reduce transnational crime by increasing the capacity of partners to interdict, disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations, investigate and prosecute money laundering, and fight trafficking in persons, and the trafficking of narcotics, weapons, wildlife and timber. The Mekong-U.S.

Partnership also advances regional cooperation in health security.

Background for Applicants

The goal of this program is to develop public facing monitoring tools that strengthening regional and national capacity to better access, manage, and share data and analysis products to improve the management of natural resources and reduce the risks from natural disasters such as floods and droughts.

Ideal NOFO applicants will have a minimum of 5 years of experience of demonstrated results working on water-energy-food nexus, infrastructure, or environmental/climate issues in mainland

Southeast Asia (or IndoPacific); demonstration of effective capacity building across a comprehensive range of stakeholders including news media, under-represented and marginalized cohorts, civil society, private sector, and government agencies, and development partners;

possess an ability to deploy activities at large scale for maximum outreach and impact, e.g., use of online tools, big data, remote sensing to drive change; a proven ability to leverage US and international think tank and academic institutions toward advancing common goals; demonstrate an expert level of understanding of, and capability in, process facilitation, transboundary water and water data cooperation and environmental governance, data management systems and issues associated with data ownership and data sharing, conflict mitigation, mediation, decision sciences, climate resilience, political economy analysis, diplomacy, international development, and stakeholder engagement. Applicants that have significant experience working in these areas will be scored more favorably. The U.S. Department of State will work closely with the

Recipient to, when needed, facilitate the process, and integrate the results of these activities into the appropriate bilateral and regional fora. Applications must demonstrate critical knowledge, substance, and relevance of the program components to the goal of enhancing shared prosperity and regional stability through enhanced transboundary cooperation.

Additional Strategic and Program Principles

• Country ownership. The program should be responsive to the needs expressed by the representative countries.

• Local knowledge. The program should work to make scientific and technical knowledge understandable and consumable to stakeholders at all levels of society and integrate local wisdom into activities and planning including identifying partners at the local level.

• Identifying and sharing best practices and lessons learned. The program should support experience sharing between countries in the region, and between the Lower

Mekong River Basin countries and the broader international community.

• Gender considerations. Gender will be part of program planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation

• Utilize Existing Resources and Expertise: When possible, the applicant is encouraged to utilize existing initiatives and programs to further the goals of the project. For example, stakeholder meetings may be held on the sidelines of existing sector meetings or conferences.

Eligibility for this NOFO is spelled out in Section C.

One cooperative agreement will be awarded for the implementation of this project, pending availability of funds. Up to $400,000 in FY20 Economic Support Funds is available for this project. The initial period of performance will be for at least 24 months. Funding authority rests in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended. All award decisions are contingent upon the availability of funding.

The U.S. government may make award(s) based on initial applications received, without discussions or negotiations. Therefore, each initial application should contain the applicant's best terms from a cost and technical standpoint. The U.S. government reserves the right (though it is not under obligation to do so), however, to enter discussions with one or more applicants in order to obtain clarifications, additional detail, or to suggest refinements in the project description, budget, or other aspects of an application.

A2. Program Goals

The goal of the program is to strengthen the coherency of, and catalyze support for, improving the collection, availability, analysis, and application of water and water-related data to improve the sustainable management of natural resources in the Lower Mekong Basin.

Objectives: The program will focus on four main objectives:

(1) Strengthen national and regional institutions that support transboundary cooperation on water data and water resources management: This component should involve collaboration with and sharing best practices and lessons learned among riparian countries, donor partners, basin planning organizations, academic institutions, and other relevant stakeholders.

(2) Support increased collaboration on water data and water resources management both within and among riparian country ministries including through the Mekong River Commission:

Identify policy, governance, capacity, or technology bottlenecks that limit data sharing or use of data services through targeted dialogue and outreach efforts.

(3) Improve access to and capacity for analysis and management of water data: This component may primarily consist of training in a classroom/workshop setting targeting relevant government ministries. It may include presentations, hands-on training modules and discussions, introducing participants to state-of-the-art technical solutions and best practices.

(4) By the end of the funding period, identify and transfer the knowledge and skills needed to continue the mission of the Mekong Dam Monitor to an entity (Government, NGO, University, etc.,) which will take over the funding and operations of the Mekong Dam Monitor in an ongoing and sustainable manner.

A3. Expected Results

(1) By the end of the two-year program, that the policies, plans and strategies of the Mekong

River Commission and the people of the Lower Mekong River Basin countries for data management and sharing have been strengthened. (Proposed Output: Revised polices, plans and strategies)

(2) By the end of the two-year program, that the Mekong River Commission and the people of the Lower Mekong River Basin countries have a greater capacity to internalize and analyze global data sets for improved natural resources management and, in particular, the MRC is able to provide the countries with near real –time basin assessments of flood and drought risks. (Proposed Output: Trainings, workshops and reports.)

The project should monitor and report on performance indicators (outputs and outcomes) that are specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable, and time bound. The project should also establish, where possible, performance baseline data and performance targets for each expected result and include details on what sources of data will be used to document performance, how the outputs and outcomes will be measured, frequency of measurement, and units of measure. The proposal should identify which performance indicators will be measured and how data on these indicators will be collected, analyzed, and used for program management. It should present indicators linked to specific project objectives in table format and include source of data and proposed frequency of collection. Applicants should suggest activities, outputs, and outcomes based on their proposal’s plan for achieving the program’s goal and objectives.

The State Department takes into consideration the quality of data reported by grant recipients as part of the award activities; therefore, applicants should be aware that recipients will be subject to data quality assessments.

The program will run for 24 months. The effective start date is 30 September 2021 and is expected to end by 30 September 2023.

A4. Main Activities

Based on the strong diplomatic aspect of this program, REO U.S. Embassy Bangkok anticipates working closely with the Recipient to help achieve the program’s objectives by providing technical feedback, program guidance, fostering connections, and/or otherwise assisting to overcome obstacles. For example, if necessary/appropriate, REO Embassy Bangkok is prepared to utilize its diplomatic networks to assist with promoting the program and its activities or to facilitate collaboration through diplomatic channels in support of the goal of this program. REO Embassy Bangkok will work with Recipient on any activity adaptions required because of changing circumstance in the basin throughout the program. REO Embassy Bangkok will also engage with the Recipient to ensure opportunities to engage with the Sustainable Infrastructure Partnership.

In the past, such programs have benefitted from a close collaboration between the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, and the Recipient. This close collaboration might include substantial involvement such as weekly check-in calls and approving all program activities before they begin in addition to the broader work of engaging diplomatically and assisting with brainstorming about potential issues as outline above.

The program will meet its objectives through 2-3 regional workshops and trainings per year, designed and managed through regular communication with Mekong River Commission representatives. Communication between the implementing partner and the Mekong River Commission will be facilitated by the Department of State.

A5. Performance Indicators

In the Proposal Narrative of the application, please outline a Program Strategy, i.e. an illustrative course of action that advances the goal and objectives of this program. This document should include sufficient detail as to explain how proposed activities, outputs, and outcomes will serve to advance water data management and sharing throughout the region and meet said goals and objectives. The applicant’s illustrative course of action will demonstrate the intended approach, methodology, and suggested processes for achieving each of the program objectives.

The project should monitor and report on performance indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable, and time-bound. Establish, where possible, performance baseline data and expected performance targets for each expected result and include details on what sources of data will be used to document performance, how the indicators will be measured, frequency of measurement, and units of measure. Where possible, indicators should also allow for sex disaggregation. Indicators should reflect key project outputs or outcomes that reflect on the primary goals or objectives of the project and that the implementer can collect with high quality data.

All applicable indicators should be included in the proposal and after the award, routine, periodic reporting of all indicators will be required. The implementer will be responsible for quarterly progress reporting on each performance indicator included in the award agreement as well as analysis of progress or impediments to reach indicator targets.

Applicants must select and report against at least one of the standard performance indicators listed below:

• EG. 10.2-3: Number of people with increased economic benefits derived from sustainable natural resource management and conservation as a result of USG assistance (number of men/number of women).

• EG. 10.2-4: Number of people receiving USG-supported training in natural resources management and/or biodiversity conservation (number of men/number of women).

• HL. 8.3-3: Number of water and sanitation sector institutions strengthened to manage water resources or improve water supply and sanitation services as a result of USG assistance (institution scale: national/regional/local)

• HL. 8.5-1: Number of people benefiting from the adoption and implementation of measures to improve water resources management as a result of USG assistance (number of men/women, type of measure: water allocation/watershed protection/risk reduction)

In addition to the DOS standard indicator(s), REO Embassy Bangkok encourages applicants to identify custom program-specific indicators for monitoring and reporting against program activities. Potential program-specific indicators could include, but are not limited to:

• Number of key organizations included within the initiative and participating in events.

• Number of workshops/trainings held.

• Number of knowledge tools identified, analyzed, publicized.

• Number of action items implemented from program trainings.

All applicable indicators and outcome metrics should be included in the proposal and after the award, routine, periodic reporting all outcomes will be required.

The State Department takes into consideration the quality of data reported by grant recipients as part of the award activities, therefore applicants should be aware that recipients will be subject to data quality assessments.

A6. Substantial Involvement

REO Embassy Bangkok anticipates awarding a cooperative agreement as a result of this NOFO. The distinction between grants and cooperative agreements revolves around the existence of “substantial involvement.” Cooperative agreements require greater involvement from the Federal government during the implementation of the award agreement. For this cooperative agreement, it is anticipated that the Department of State will be substantially involved in the following areas at a minimum:

1. Approval of one stage of work before the next stage can begin.

2. Involvement in the selection of participants or program venues.

3. Joint preparation of presentation of project results with the recipient.

4. Coordination with other cooperating agencies or U.S. embassies (if applicable).

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

REO Embassy Bangkok anticipates having approximately $400,000 of FY20 Economic Support Funds (ESF) available to support one successful application submitted in response to this NOFO, subject to the ability of funding. The authority for this funding opportunity is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA).

Applicants should include an anticipated start date before 30 September 2021and and the period of performance should be two years.

The Department of State may make award(s) on the basis of initial applications received, without discussions or negotiations. Therefore, each initial application should contain the applicant's best terms from a cost and technical standpoint. The Department of State reserves the right (though it is not under obligation to do so), however, to enter into discussions with one or more applicants in order to obtain clarifications, additional detail, or to suggest refinements in the project description, budget, or other aspects of an application.

Depending on the quality of performance and other factors, REO Embassy Bangkok may consider additional supplemental funding to continue activities and extend the period of performance, if funds are available and REO Embassy Bangkok and the Recipient mutually agree.

Summary of Award Information

Type of Award Cooperative Agreement

Type of Funding FY2020 Economic Support Funds (ESF)

Funding Amount: $ 400,000 USD

Number of Awards: 1

Award Date: 30 September 2021

Project Completion Date: September 2023

B2. Award Management

The successful applicant awarded under this NOFO will need to routinely collaborate with relevant U.S. Government agencies, primarily the U.S. Department of State.

The Recipient must ensure that all funds are used in a manner consistent with U.S. Government laws on the use of foreign assistance funds, including any applicable restrictions on funding.

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

C.1 Eligible Applicants

Eligibility is limited to U.S. non-profit/nongovernmental organizations subject to section 501 (c)

(3) of the U.S. tax code, foreign non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and public international organizations.

For-profit and commercial firms are not eligible to apply in response to this NOFO.

Please see 2 CFR 200.307 for regulations regarding program income.

Technically eligible submissions are those which: 1) arrive electronically to www.grants.gov by the designated deadline; 2) have heeded all instructions contained in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), including length and completeness of submission; and 3) do not violate any of the guidelines stated in the solicitation and this document.

C.2 Cost Sharing or Matching

Providing cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not an eligibility requirement for this

NOFO.

Please note: If cost-share is included in the budget then the recipient 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 recipient does not meet the minimum amount of cost-sharing as stipulated in the recipient’s budget, EAP’s contribution may be reduced in proportion to the recipient’s contribution.

C.3 Other Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (Data Universal Numbering System/DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations.

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System in the System for Award Management (SAM)(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 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the Excluded Parties List System in SAM can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Excluded Parties List System in

SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

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

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

D.1 Address to Request Application Package

Applicants can find application forms and other materials need to apply on grants.gov and under the announcement title and funding opportunity number provided above.

Note: Applications will not be accepted through grants.gov.

Please contact the REO Embassy Bangkok point of contact listed in section G if requesting reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or for security reasons. Please note:

reasonable accommodations do not include deadline extensions.

Please carefully read the entire announcement and follow the guidelines below before sending inquiries or submitting proposals.

D.2 Content and Form of Application Submission

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

For all submitted application documents, please ensure:

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

• All documents are in English. If an original document within the application is in another language, an English translation must be provided (please note: The Department of State, as indicated in 2 CFR 200.111, requires that English is the official language of all award documents. If any documents are provided in both English and a foreign language, the English language version is the controlling version);

• All budget costs are in U.S. dollars.

• All pages are numbered, including budgets and attachments.

• All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper.

• All documents are single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins.

Captions and footnotes may be 10-point Times New Roman font. Font sizes in charts and tables, including the budget, can be reformatted to fit within 1-page width.

Complete applications must include the following required documents:

1. Completed and signed SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B and SF-LLL forms. These forms are available electronically via grants.gov. The SF-424 B is required only for those applicants who have not registered in SAM.gov or recertified their registration in

SAM.gov since February 2, 2019 and completed the online representations and certifications. The SF-LLL is required for applicants that may engage in lobbying activities.

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

3. Table of Contents that includes a page numbered contents page and any attachments.

4. Proposal Narrative (not to exceed 10 pages), should be organized using the following section headings: Executive Summary, Organizational Capacity and Past Performance, Program Strategy, Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, and Management Plan.

Please see the “Narrative Components” section below for details on the information to include in the proposal.

(The 10-page limit does not include the Summary Page, Table of Contents, Budget, Budget Narrative, Letter of Disclosure, Letter of Institutional Support, NICRA, Audit, CVs, or SF-424s).

5. Summary and Detailed Line-Item Budget (in Microsoft Excel) that includes three [3] columns including the request to EAP, any cost sharing contribution, and total budget (see below for more information on budget format). The federal share requested should not exceed the amount of funds available under section B. A summary budget should also be included using the OMB approved budget categories (see SF-424A for budget categories). Costs must be in U.S. dollars. Detailed line-item budgets for sub-awardees should be included in additional tabs within the excel workbook. A template budget is provided, but is not required, as long as the submitted budget follows OMB budget categories.

6. Budget Narrative (in Microsoft Word) that includes substantive explanations and justifications for each line item in the detailed budget spreadsheet, as well as the source and a description of all cost-share offered. For ease of review, REO Embassy Bangkok recommends applicants order the budget narrative as presented in the detailed budget.

Personnel costs must include a clarification of the roles and responsibilities of all staff, base salary, and percentage of time devoted to the project. The budget narrative should support the activities described in the proposal and provide additional information that might not be readily apparent in the detailed line-item budget, not simply repeat what is represented numerically in the budget, i.e. salaries are for salaries or travel is for travel.

The budget narrative should also explain any cost share provided.

7. NICRA: If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your most recent NICRA should be included as a PDF file. This document will not be reviewed by the panelists, but rather used by project and grant staff if the submission is recommended for funding and therefore does not count against the submission page limitations. If your proposal involves subawards to organizations charging indirect costs, please submit the applicable NICRA.

Per 2 CFR200.414(f), organizations that have never had a NICRA may request a de minimis indirect rate of up to 10% of the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) as defined in 2 CFR 200.68. MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000 . The budget narrative should indicate what costs will be covered using the 10% de minimis rate.

8. Letter of Disclosure for proposed consultants/personnel (if applicable) of potential conflicts of interest, employment with a local/state/federal government.

9. A PDF file copy of your organization’s most recent single audit is required, if your organization meets the threshold as defined in 2 CFR 200 Subpart F.

Narrative Components

As stated above, the proposal may be a maximum of 10 pages. The proposal must include the following information:

a. Executive Summary

This section should be a succinct one-page summary containing information that the applicant believes best represents its proposed program and includes: the name and contact information for the project’s main point of contact; the project’s purpose; targeted countries; program length (dates/duration); total funding requested (indicate any sub-grants proposed); project’s goals, primary objectives and expected results (highlighting any aspects of innovation, sustainability and impact of the project); involvement or use of any NGO’s or civil society organizations; and expected results and sustainability; and a one-paragraph program description. Countries of implementation are those countries or participants from countries that will receive financial or technical support as a result of this project.

b. Organizational Capacity and Past Performance

This section of the application provides information about the applicant organization. It provides evidence that the applicant has the ability to successfully carry out the program activities of the agreement.

• Provide a description of the applicant organization – including its general purpose, goals, annual budget (including funding sources), and major past and current activities and projects undertaken.

• Discuss the applicant’s experience on the Mekong Water Data Initiative (MWDI), remote sensing tools, basin monitoring, and training.

• As an attachment (which does not count as part of the 10 pages), please provide at least one past performance reference which describes any contracts, grants, cooperative agreements which the applicant organization has implemented involving similar or related programs over the past three years. Please provide the reference in an attachment and include the following information: name and address of the organization for which the work was performed;

current telephone number and email address of responsible representative from the organization for which the work was performed; contract/grant name and number (if any), annual amount received for each of the last three years and beginning and end dates; brief description of the project/assistance activity and key project accomplishments/results achieved to date.

c. Program Strategy

• Propose a clear and realistic implementation plan to significantly address the Program Goals in Section A2.

• The proposal should further outline the expected and achievable results for the project which should include suggestions in Section A3. It should also outline the relevant and appropriate Main Activities to accomplish the goals and expected results, which could include those found in Section A4. Explain the assumptions on which the success of the project depends, and the involvement of other stakeholders.

• In table format, please present a brief, one- to two-page work plan matrix (which does count as part of the 10 pages), with a timeline including target dates for activities for the life of the agreement, which reflects the overall program approach, and objectives. The following timeline below is provided as an example.

Primary Activities, Deliverables, and/or Milestones

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Etc.

Project Monitoring Plan X

XYZ Activity X X X X

Activity 123 X X X

Etc.

d. Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

• Discuss how progress towards the expected results will be measured, as outlined by the Performance Indicators in Section A5. Identify which performance indicators will be measured and how data on these indicators will be collected, analyzed, and used for program management. Present indicators linked to specific project objectives in table format and include source of data and proposed frequency of collection. See the full list of Performance Indicators in Section A5.

e. Management Plan

• Describe the proposed management structure for this project and provide a project organizational chart in the attachments. Include in the narrative a description of the responsibilities of all principal organizations and staff involved, reporting relationships, authority and lines of communication within and between each of these organizations.

• Include job descriptions and CVs of key staff (Project Director, etc.) as attachments (do not count as part of the 10-page limit), which demonstrate that the proposed key staff are consistent with the requirements and needs of the project. The project should have a designated Project Director who will be expected to have lead responsibility for communicating with REO Embassy Bangkok. Note the location where key staff will be based.

• Recognizing that COVID-19 has limited where and when staff/participants can travel, the Recipient should also include a contingency plan should restricted travel remain through some portion of the period of performance. Contingency plans could include remote or virtual training tools.

Note: Applications that do not include all required documents will be marked as incomplete, and will therefore be deemed technically ineligible.

REO Embassy Bangkok retains the right to ask for additional documents not included in this NOFO. Additionally, to ensure all applications receive a balanced evaluation, the REO Embassy

Bangkok Review Panel will review the first page of the requested section up to the page limit and no further. REO Embassy Bangkok encourages organizations to use the given space effectively.

D.3 Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

All organizations applying for grants must obtain these registrations. All are free of charge:

• Unique Entity Identifier from Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS number)

• NCAGE/CAGE code

• www.SAM.gov registration

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

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

NCAGE application: Application page here:

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

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

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

Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM.gov by logging onto:

https://www.sam.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.

Applicants must have an active registration in SAM (www.sam.gov) prior to submitting an application, must prove a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, formerly referred to as a DUNS number, and must continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by the U.S. government. If an organization does not have an active registration in SAM.gov prior to submitting an application, the application will be deemed ineligible. Note: The process of obtaining a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.

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.

SAM is the Federal government's primary database for complying with FFATA reporting http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf https://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ requirements. OMB designated SAM 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 SAM.

SAM requires all entities to renew their registration once a year in order to maintain an active registration status in SAM. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure it has an active registration in SAM and to also maintain its active registration in SAM.

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, their organization’s status, their employees, or individuals being served by the applicant. Organizations requesting an exemption should email the point of contact listed in Section G of this NOFO.

Please note: foreign organizations will be required to register with the NATO Support Agency (NSPA) to receive a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code in order to register in SAM. NSPA will forward your registration request to the applicable National Codification Bureau (NCB) if your organization is located in a NATO or Tier 2 Sponsored Non- NATO Nation. (As of January 2015, NATO nations included Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States of America; and Tier 2 nations included Australia, Austria, Brazil, Finland, Israel, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Serbia, and Singapore.)

NSPA and/or the appropriate NCB forwards all NCAGE code information to all Allied Committee 135 (AC/135) nations, which as of January 2015 also included Afghanistan, Argentina, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Montenegro, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates.

D.4 Submission Dates and Times

Applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), on August 31, 2021.

Applicants are urged to begin the application process well before the submission deadline. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

Grants.gov automatically logs 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. Late applications are neither reviewed nor considered.

If ultimately provided with a notification of intent to make a Federal award, applicants typically have two to three weeks to provide additional information and documents requested in the notification of intent. The deadlines may vary in each notification of in tent and applicants must adhere to the stated deadline in the notification of intent.

D.5 Funding Restrictions

REO Embassy Bangkok will not consider applications that reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated terrorist organization. No entity listed on the

Excluded Parties List System in SAM is eligible for any assistance.

Project activities that provide training or other assistance to foreign militaries or paramilitary groups or individuals will not be considered for REO Embassy Bangkok funding given purpose limitations on funding.

If a proposed grant or cooperative agreement will provide assistance to foreign security forces or personnel, compliance with the Leahy Law is required. Federal awards generally will not allow reimbursement of pre-award costs; however, the Grants Officer may approve pre-award costs on a case-by-case basis. Generally, construction costs are not allowed.

D.6 Other Submission Requirements

All application submissions must be made electronically via grants.gov. This system requires registration by the applying organization.

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 grants.gov in its entirety. REO Embassy Bangkok bears no responsibility for disqualification that result from applicants not being registered before the due date or for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. Additionally, you must save a screen shot of the checklist showing all documents submitted in case any document fails to upload successfully.

Faxed, couriered, or emailed documents will not be accepted. Reasonable accommodations may, in appropriate circumstances, be provided to applicants with disabilities or for security reasons.

Applicants must follow all formatting instructions in the applicable solicitation and these instructions.

Should an applicant experience technical issues, contacted the helpdesk, and is not receiving timely assistance (e.g. if you have not received a response after 2 days of contacting the helpdesk), you may contact the point of contact listed in section G, who may assist in contacting the appropriate helpdesk. Applicants should document their efforts in contacting the helpdesk.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

E.1 Criteria

Each application will be evaluated and scored on the five-part Proposal Components and the two-part Budget Components using a 100-point scale. Each application will be evaluated individually against the criteria below and not against competing applications.

Proposal Narrative: The Review Panel will score each of the five sections of the Proposal Narrative based on how completely they address the bulleted points described in the Proposal Narrative Guidance in Section D2. The Panel will assign up to 80 points for the proposal narrative. The importance of each section is indicated by the maximum score as follows:

• Executive Summary – 8 points

• Organization Capacity and Past Performance – 33 points

• Program Strategy – 24 points

• Performance Monitoring and Evaluation – 10 points

• Management Plan – 5 points

Budget: The Review Panel will also review the budget components in order to assign up to 20 points for the overall program budget and cost-effectiveness. Proposals should keep estimated overhead and administrative costs as low as possible and have proposed expenditures that are reasonable, allowable, and allocable to the proposed project activities and reflect the applicant’s understanding of the allowable cost principles established by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 2 CFR 200. Applicants should provide clear explanations and justifications for costs in relation to the work involved. All budget items should be clearly explained and justified to demonstrate its necessity, appropriateness, and its link to the project objectives. Amount of funding contributed by the applicant, sub-awardees, and other partners – while not required – shows a commitment to the success of the project.

• Budget Appropriateness – 10 points

• Cost-effectiveness – 10 points

E.2 Review and Selection Process

REO Embassy Bangkok strives to ensure each application receives a balanced evaluation by an Review Panel. All technically eligible applications for a given notice of funding opportunity are reviewed against the same criteria, listed above. Additionally, the Review Panel will evaluate how the application addresses the NOFO request, U.S. foreign policy goals, and the priority needs of REO Embassy Bangkok overall.

The Review Panel generally includes representatives from the embassy, as well as other representatives from the Department of State, and may include additional panelists from other U.S. embassies, other U.S. government departments or agencies. All Panelists must sign non-disclosure agreements and conflicts of interest agreements.

Review Panels may provide conditions and recommendations on applications to enhance the proposed project, which must be addressed by the applicant before further consideration of the award. To ensure effective use of funds, conditions or recommendations may include requests to increase, decrease, clarify, and/or justify costs and project activities.

E.3 Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System

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 (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313).

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

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.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

F.1 Federal Award Notices

REO Embassy Bangkok will provide a separate notification to applicants on the result of their applications. Successful applicants will be notified by REO Embassy Bangkok via email. This notification is not an authorization to begin activities and does not constitute formal approval or a funding commitment.

Final approval is contingent on the applicant successfully responding to the panel’s conditions and recommendations, being registered in required systems and completing and providing any additional documentation requested by the Department of State. Final approval is also contingent on Congressional Notification requirements being met and final review and approval by the Department’s warranted Grants Officer.

The grant award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the warranted Grants Officer. The signed assistance award agreement is the sole authorizing document and it will be provided electronically to the recipient’s authorized signatory for review and signature via email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses beginning on the start date show on the award document signed by the Grants Officer.

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

F.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements

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

These include:

• 2 CFR 25 - UNIVERSAL IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD

MANAGEMENT

• 2 CFR 170 - REPORTING SUBAWARD AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

INFORMATION

• 2 CFR 175 - AWARD TERM FOR TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

• 2 CFR 182 - GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE

WORKPLACE (FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE)

• 2 CFR 183 - NEVER CONTRACT WITH THE ENEMY

• 2 CFR 600 – DEPARTMENT OF STATE REQUIREMENTS

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

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

• 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…