NOFO - Kenya - Crowd Control (FINAL) 7-16-2026.pdf

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Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

.U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)

Announcement Type: Request for Federal Assistance Award Applications

Funding Opportunity Title:

Kenya: Crowd Control and Less-Than-Lethal Riot

Response Training

Funding Opportunity Number: OFOP0003355

Program: Kenya Security Sector Reform Support

Assistance Listing Number: 19.705 - Transnational Crime

Total Funding Available: $1,600,000 U.S. Dollars

Funding Source: Post-Funds

Application Ceiling: $1,600,000 U.S. Dollars

Application Floor: At least $500,000 U.S. Dollars

Anticipated Number of Awards: 1-2 awards

Initial Project Implementation

Length:

12 months

Estimated Project Start Date: November 2026

NOFO Issuance Date: July 16, 2026

Deadline for Submission of

Questions:

August 13, 2026 by 11:59 PM EST via email

Deadline for Submission of Applications:

September 10, 2026 by 11:59 PM EST via www.grants.gov

Assistance Type: Cooperative Agreement (CA) http://www.grants.gov/

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Applicant Types and

Eligibility Categories:

Organizations only.

Refer to Section C: Eligibility Information for more information.

INL Points of Contact:

Najar Starr (StarrND@state.gov) - GO

Maureen Mimnaugh (MimnaughM@state.gov) – PO

Jerry Chelulei (CheluleiJK@state.gov

BUREAU MISSION

The mission of the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement

Affairs (INL) is to keep Americans safe by countering crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad.

INL is at the forefront of responding to these challenges, uniting these overarching themes through our foreign assistance programs, diplomatic engagement, and policy coordination.

mailto:StarrND@state.gov mailto:MimnaughM@state.gov mailto:CheluleiJK@state.gov

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

F. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

APPENDIX A: PERFORMANCE MONITORING PLAN

APPENDIX B: PROJECT RISK ANALYSIS

APPENDIX C: APPLICABLE COST PRINCIPLES, BUDGET, AND BUDGET

NARRATIVE

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A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Overview: The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) seeks an implementing partner to address a critical security sector skills gap that exposes U.S. citizens and businesses in Kenya to heightened risks.

This program will strengthen Kenyan police command and control during critical incidents by training commanders, officers, and recruit trainees scheduled to begin service in late 2026, focusing on public order management. By building these capabilities, the program will enhance stability and protect U.S. interests in Kenya.

Project Reporting: Note that this award must submit quarterly performance reports through INL’s

DevResults system. See Appendix A for more details.

Priority Region/Countries: Kenya

Problem Statement: Kenya serves as a regional hub for numerous American technology, finance, and infrastructure companies and hosts approximately 300,000 annual American visitors and nearly

$750 million in U.S. private investment. However, the country's recurring civil disturbances, often associated with electoral cycles, and anniversary protests—including Gen Z and Saba Saba demonstrations—have historically triggered widespread civil unrest, resulting in property damage, injuries, fatalities, and disruptions to essential services such as internet, communications, energy, transportation, water, basic commodities, and healthcare. These disruptions threaten both U.S. private investment and embassy operational continuity.

The challenge is compounded by Kenyan law enforcement's protest management approach, which relies heavily on traditional anti-riot techniques and firearms that often escalate rather than de-escalate public violence. Kenyan police have a history of ineffectively applying less-than-lethal methods or inappropriately utilizing lethal force during large protests, leading to a loss of public confidence in the police force and causing further destruction to public safety, infrastructure, services, and businesses. The severity of this problem became evident during the 2024 and 2025 protests, which each resulted in more than 60 deaths. Large-scale police responses in at least 20 counties forced the U.S. Embassy into multiple days of maximum telework, and led to the closure of many businesses, including U.S.-operated enterprises. The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and

Industry reported significant losses in investor wealth due to these disruptions.

Without enhanced police leadership and increased less-than-lethal crowd control capabilities, Kenya’s recurring civil unrest will continue to threaten U.S. investments, endanger American citizens, and undermine bilateral law enforcement coordination, jeopardizing U.S. regional objectives.

Project Goal(s) and Objectives:

Goal: Protect U.S. and Kenyan citizens, businesses, and interests from harm caused by potential public disorder and violence surrounding Kenya's August 2027 elections and other future civil disturbances. The project will build the capacity of Kenyan law enforcement to prevent and respond effectively to protest activity.

Program Objectives:

1. Conduct a comprehensive assessment of Kenyan law enforcement capabilities in crowd control and riot response, identify key skill gaps, produce a written assessment report, and

5 | P a g e design a tailored training program that leverages existing equipment and resources available to Kenya law enforcement.

2. Deliver targeted training to Kenyan law enforcement personnel from relevant riot response units on less-than-lethal techniques and crowd control strategies, enabling them to respond effectively and proportionately to public disorder.

Project activities and deliverables: Applicants should propose evidence-based activities and address both program objectives. All proposals must demonstrate how the proposed activities address skill gaps facing Kenyan law enforcement in crowd control and riot response.

Proposed strategies may include, but are not limited to, the following lines of effort:

Strategy 1: De-escalation and Communication Training; Equip officers with verbal de-escalation techniques, protocols for engaging protest organizers, early warning capabilities, and structured command chains with trained negotiators.

Deliverable: Enhanced communication skills and consistent application of de-escalation methods in the field.

Strategy 2: Less-Than-Lethal Force Application and Safety; Deliver training on less-than-lethal equipment and define use-of-force continuum standards.

Deliverable: Appropriate and proficient deployment of less-than-lethal force options in the field.

Strategy 3: Tactical Crowd Management Operations; Deploy containment formations, position units to safeguard critical infrastructure, apply controlled dispersal methods, and maintain safe evacuation routes.

Deliverable: Orderly crowd dispersal that protects public safety and preserves infrastructure integrity.

Strategy 4: Scenario-Based Training and Simulations; Execute realistic field drills that include roleplaying protesters at scale reflecting Kenya-specific contexts (electoral unrest, Saba

Saba/Gen-Z protests), practice de-escalation through role-play and build stress resilience.

Deliverable: Proficient application of de-escalation methods during high-stress and unpredictable riot conditions.

Strategy 5: Intelligence-Led Policing and Early Warning Systems; Develop threat assessment capabilities, establish protocols for identifying and isolating instigators through lawful and proportionate means, build community liaison networks, and deploy early intervention units.

Deliverable: Strengthened police-community intelligence exchange enabling proactive and prepared riot response.

Strategy 6: Medical and Humanitarian Response Coordination; Provide first aid instruction, define medical access procedures, organize casualty transport systems, and secure essential service continuity plans.

Deliverable: Reduced casualties and sustained operation of critical services during unrest.

Strategy 7: Leadership Development and Command Training; Prepare senior officers in strategic operations planning, establish decision frameworks prioritizing life preservation, define engagement authorities, and institutionalize after-action learning.

Deliverable: Strengthened leadership and command effectiveness resulting in less-than-lethal riot management with limited casualties and property damage.

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Strategy 8: Train-the-Trainer (ToT) Program; Develop and certify police officers as instructors in less-than-lethal riot response and crowd control techniques to ensure program sustainability and institutional capacity.

Deliverable: Established cadre of certified police instructors capable of delivering standardized training on less-than-lethal riot response and crowd control, ensuring long-term program sustainability and knowledge transfer within the service. The National Police Service and its subordinate Kenya Police Service include less-than-lethal riot response and crowd control learned during this program into its police academies.

Note: Though not required, proposals may include procurement of protective equipment including, but not limited to, full-body armor, shields, helmets, gloves, and gas masks. However, the general strategy must be based on resources currently available to Kenyan law enforcement officers and proposals may not include procurement of less-than-lethal weapon systems or munitions. Applicants must provide written documentation in their proposal of current licenses or other import/export requirements if applicable for all protective equipment proposed.

Participants and Audiences: Kenyan Law Enforcement: Engagement with riot response personnel and units within the National Police Service (General Service Unit, Rapid Deployment Unit, Sub

County Quick Response Units, Police Station Commanders etc.) tasked with responding to protests.

Proposals should note how activities will reach units most likely to encounter volatile situations. The grantor anticipates a role under the Cooperative Agreement in the selection of targeted units and counties/sub-counties identified for training.

Project Expansion: If the project is successful, INL will consider the option of an award modification to expand the project to other areas, subject to availability of future funding. Applicants may include in their proposal a brief section outlining how additional funds could potentially be used to expand work into additional activities in future years. Applicants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate how their project might leverage funding through other organizations.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Applicants are encouraged to reference the table on the first page(s) of this NOFO to determine the basic federal award information (e.g., project length, amount of funding available, anticipated number of awards, assistance type, etc.). Additional award information is included in this section, although specific aspects of the award(s) issued from this NOFO may differ from program to program.

1. Project Implementation Period

The initial project implementation length is the amount of time (e.g., months) applicants should plan to implement the project. If a range of months is listed, applicants should propose a realistic project length within that range. INL reserves the right to decrease or increase the initial project implementation period in accordance with the needs of the INL project/program.

INL may extend the project implementation period, contingent on INL priorities, good performance of the recipient, Department of State management approvals, and funding availability. INL projects shall not exceed five (5) total years of project implementation.

2. Assistance Type

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The type of assistance is determined by the scope of INL’s involvement in the implementation of the project. Refer to the table on the first page(s) of the NOFO to determine whether this particular project will be a grant or cooperative agreement.

For cooperative agreements, INL may be substantially involved in the following ways:

• Approval of the recipient’s annual work plans, including: planned activities for the following year, travel plans, planned expenditures, event planning, and changes to any activity to be carried out under the Cooperative Agreement;

• Approval of Monitoring and Evaluation Plan; and

• Other country- or project-specific approvals will be included in the award documents.

3. Funding Notices

This award will be supported with International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement

(INCLE) funds under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. This notice is subject to the availability of funding.

Length of performance period: 12 months

Anticipated program start date: November 2026

Number of awards anticipated: 1-2 awards (dependent on amounts)

Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $500,000 to a maximum of $1,600,000

Total available funding: $1,600,000

Type of Funding: FY2023 International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement funds

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicant Types

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

• U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);

• U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code or section 26 US 115 of the U.S. tax code;

• Foreign-based non-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);

• Foreign-based educational institutions

• U.S.-based For-profit organizations

• Foreign-based For-profit organizations

Applicants must also meet the following requirements to be eligible to apply to this NOFO:

• Current registration under the Public Benefit Organizations (PBO) Act 2013 (formerly the

NGO Coordination Act)

The Prime organization must demonstrate that it is performing most of the project activities (in terms of both scope and budget). Proposals that rely predominantly on sub-grantees to execute the technical components of the project will be considered 'pass-through' arrangements and will not be eligible for award.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

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Cost share is the portion of project costs not borne by the U.S. government. Cost share is recommended but not required for this project. Applicants must be able to ensure cost share is accounted for/tracked through accounting systems and/or supporting documentation (such as Personnel Activity Records, proof of voluntary hours, proof of any purchases for materials being included as cost share, etc.)

Any cost share proposed must be appropriately captured within the SF-424A, budget, and budget narrative.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

• In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity

Identifier (UEI) issued via SAM.gov as well as a valid registration in SAM.gov. Please see Section D for more information. Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov.

• Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding. Organizations may form a consortium and submit a combined proposal; however, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant and other organization(s) listed as sub-recipient partner(s).

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

Note: Public International Organizations (PIOs) are excluded from applying to INL grant/cooperative agreement announcements.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Applicants should carefully follow all instructions in this section to ensure their application is formatted properly and includes all required documents. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be deemed ineligible for review.

1. How to Apply and Submit Questions

This opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov, along with all required application forms and, where applicable, templates for application documents. Applications and all supporting documents must be submitted via www.grants.gov. INL reserves the right to reject any applications submitted through improper channels.

Applicants are encouraged to closely review the NOFO and email questions to the INL points of contact by the deadline listed on the first page(s) of this document. After the question deadline has passed, INL will respond to all questions publicly through a Questions & Answers document uploaded to the Related Documents tab of this opportunity.

2. Required Application Documents

All documents in the following list must be included in your application, unless explicitly listed as optional. If a document includes a page limit, please adhere to that limit in your application.

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Applicants that do not submit all required documents will be notified via email of their ineligibility after the application deadline.

Standard Application Forms

SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – Organizations)

Must be signed by an authorized signatory of the applicant’s organization.

SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs)

SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction Programs) – Optional

The SF-424B is only required for applicants who are not registered in SAM.gov.

Project Proposal

The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant is proposing to do. The following documents may be submitted separately or combined into one document. If combined, please be sure to adhere to the page limits for each section.

Proposal Narrative – Maximum 25 pages

Applicants may use their own proposal template, but it must include all the sections below.

Refer to Appendix A for additional guidance on drafting a proposal narrative.

Cover Page: include organization name, project title, requested number of months, target country(ies), point(s) of contact, and requested funding amount.

Table of Contents: list all documents and attachments with page numbers.

Executive Summary: Provide a synopsis of the project.

Project Context: Include an analysis of the issue to be addressed, including why it is important to address, what the main causes of the issue are, and who has power to effect change on the issue; suggested approaches and solutions (with evidence to support suggestions); and suggestions for outcomes, i.e., the specific changes the project could expect to achieve within the period of performance.

Theory of Change & Implementation Plan: Describe the implementation plan

(specific activities to implement suggested solutions); and explain how or why they should result in accomplishment of the outcomes. Projects should be designed such that activities, if implemented according to plan, should result in achievement of the outcomes. The Theory of Change should clearly address why the outcomes do not already exist in practice, and how the project will address those constraints. Finally, discuss likely challenges to implementation, including any risks of harm to project implementers or participants, along with mitigation strategies.

Evidence: The theory of change should demonstrate a clear understanding of where previous relevant interventions have succeeded or failed, and demonstrate how those lessons will inform the proposed intervention(s). Projects are also expected to incorporate insights from the evidence on what has been shown to be promising in related areas of the intervention(s). The Center for Evidence-Based

Crime Policy provides a good overview of the available systemic reviews in criminal justice policy, linked here. In addition, the National Academies of

Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine publishes consensus reports including those on international crime and justice issues such as policing, linked here, that should be reviewed if relevant to the intervention(s). Where feasible, it is highly recommended that projects incorporate a research or evaluation components to https://cebcp.org/systematic-reviews/ https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/evidence-to-advance-reform-in-the-global-security-and-justice-sectors

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Description of Prior Work: Provide brief descriptions, including outcomes and deliverables, of any similar projects the organization has implemented.

Future Funding Plan/Sustainability: Briefly discuss the plan for ensuring the sustainability of the project (i.e., that the project continues to have impact beyond the grant period) or note if sustainability is unlikely without continued support.

Applicants may also include a brief section outlining how additional funds could potentially be used to expand work into additional activities or countries beyond the initial project period.

High-Cost Procurement Justification: Applicants proposing the procurement of high-cost crowd control or riot response equipment or expensive third-party services must include a brief market analysis or cost-comparison. Proposals must justify why the chosen solution is the most cost-effective and appropriate for the local Kenyan riot response environment. This justification should demonstrate that the proposed technology is sustainable, compatible with local infrastructure and skillsets, and provides a clear comparative advantage over lower-cost or open-source alternatives.

Sustainability and Institutional Continuity Plan: Applicants must submit a detailed Sustainability Plan that demonstrates how the project’s outcomes will be maintained by receiving state counterparts following the conclusion of USG assistance. A strong proposal will move beyond theoretical goals and provide a concrete roadmap for institutional transition. The plan must address:

o Institutional Ownership: Identify the specific Kenyan law enforcement entities that have formally agreed to assume responsibility for the project’s outcomes (e.g., command and control guidelines, crowd control tools).

Applicants should describe the mechanism for this transition (e.g., formal adoption of standard operating procedures by the riot response units, inclusion in police academy training for new recruits).

o Operational Integration: Describe how any technical capabilities developed under this award—less-than-lethal response, deescalation tactics, safe crowd dispersal techniques etc.—will be embedded into the permanent daily operations of Kenyan counterparts rather than existing as standalone, project-dependent tools.

o Knowledge Transfer: Detail the strategy for internal capacity building, ensuring that Kenyan counterparts are trained as "trainers" to mentor future staff, thereby reducing reliance on external international experts.

o Resource Alignment: Where applicable, indicate if the receiving state has committed—or is expected to commit—budgetary or personnel resources to maintain systems established and equipment provided by this project.

Performance Monitoring Plan

See Appendix A for more details and instructions. Applicants MUST submit the following:

• Change Map (see template). Note: The Change Map will eventually include INL Standard Indicators, as determined by grantee responses to the Standard Indicator Form. These do not need to be reflected in the

Change Map at the application stage.

• Illustrative Performance Indicator Reference Sheet (see template)

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Note 1: If full performance monitoring information is not available at the time of the proposal, the applicant should indicate that the Change Map and PIRS are notional. If selected, a final version of the documents will be required as an early deliverable.

Note 2: Grantee must generate quarterly performance reports using INL’s performance monitoring system (DevResults). Grantee must submit several forms and templates (see

Appendix A) within 30 days of award to enroll in the system. INL will provide user accounts and training for new users.

Project Risk Analysis

A template is included under the Related Documents section of this NOFO announcement on www.grants.gov. Refer to Appendix B for additional guidance on drafting a Project

Risk Analysis.

Timeline

Outline key milestones in the project, project start-up, and closeout, programmatic activities, and monitoring and evaluation activities (e.g., monitoring trips or semi-annual reviews). May be a written schedule and/or a GANTT chart. This timeline should also include a Sustainability Timeline that provides a phased timeline that outlines the transition from USG-supported mentorship and operational oversight to independent receiving state management by the end of the 12-month period of performance.

Organization, Staff, and Partners

The following documents may be submitted separately or combined into one document. If combined, please be sure to adhere to the page limits for each section.

Biographical Information of Applicant Organization – Maximum 4 pages

Introduce the applicant organization, including biographical information such as mission statement, organization size, relevant office location(s), etc.

Provide a summary description of past and present operations, demonstrating the applicant’s ability to carry out the project

Describe any experience the organization has in the target country or region

Confirm whether the organization is a registered business entity within the target country or region

List of Key Personnel – Maximum 3 pages

Names, titles, responsibilities, and relevant experience or qualifications of key personnel involved in the management of the project

Partner Information (if subrecipient) is being proposed) – Maximum 3 pages

Introduce and provide relevant information about key partner organizations and sub-recipients

Briefly describe the division of labor and/or distinct roles and responsibilities among the applicant organization and its partners

If proposing a sub-recipient, please briefly describe the applicant organization’s experience related to managing sub-recipients

Letters of Support

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A letter of support from the receiving state is required, and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) between the applicant and the receiving state lead agency is preferred. INL will prioritize proposals with the highest demonstrated buy-in showing receiving state commitment to implement the proposed activities.

Project Budget and Cost Documents

Summary and Detailed Budgets

A proposal budget must be submitted in spreadsheet format (e.g., Microsoft Excel). A template is located under the Related Documents section of this NOFO announcement on www.grants.gov for applicants as a reference. Refer to Appendix C for additional guidance on drafting a proposal budget.

One tab of the spreadsheet shall contain the Summary Budget, which lists the

OMB-approved budget categories and total estimated cost per category

One tab of the spreadsheet shall contain the Detailed Budget, which breaks down the OMB-approved budget categories into individual line items and provides detailed cost estimates per line item

If applicable, federal costs and recipient cost share must be reported in separate columns

Budget Narrative

The Budget Narrative is a companion document to the summary and detailed budgets and must be submitted in word document format. A template is included under the Related

Documents section of this NOFO announcement on www.grants.gov. Refer to Appendix

C for additional guidance on drafting a Budget Narrative.

The Budget Narrative should communicate to INL any budgetary information that is not readily apparent in the detailed budget. Rather than simply repeating with words what is stated numerically in the budget, the Budget Narrative should explain the logic behind the amount budgeted for each line item

If applicable, proposed recipient cost share must be included in the Budget

Narrative, including reference to the source of the cost share

Indirect Costs

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA):

If the applicant has an approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

(NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, a copy of the organization’s most-recent NICRA must be included in the application

If the applicant is proposing a sub-recipient that has an approved NICRA, and includes NICRA charges in the sub-award budget, a copy of the sub-recipient organization’s most recent NICRA must be included in the application

De Minimis Rate:

The applicant can elect to charge the de minimis rate up to 15% of modified total direct costs (MTDC), which is allowable if the organization does not have a current agreement. (Please see Appendix C: Budget and budget narrative for more information regarding the De Minimis Rate.)

If the applicant elects to utilize the De Minimis Rate, that rate may be used indefinitely.

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If an award is issued utilizing the de minimis rate and the recipient subsequently negotiates a NICRA, the GO may consider amending the award to reflect the new

NICRA rate under the following conditions:

o If the applicant intends to negotiate a NICRA, the applicant must inform the

GO during the application period that they plan to negotiate a NICRA, or are in the process of doing so, and would like to amend the award in the future after a rate is finalized.

o Once the recipient receives a rate, they may submit a written request for a budget realignment. The new rate may only be applied to costs incurred during the effective period of the NICRA.

o The NICRA cannot be applied to costs incurred during a period of performance that is prior to the effective date of the new rate.

Applicant Management Capabilities

INL must assess each potential applicant for organizational risks related to the financial and programmatic management of a federal assistance project.

History of U.S. Government Federal Assistance Awards

This document outlines the applicant organization’s experience with implementing U.S.

government-funded federal assistance awards, including current and completed projects.

The list must include the awarding agency, point of contact, name of the project, start and end dates, and amount of the award.

If the applicant has never received a U.S. federal assistance award, please list other projects the organization has implemented, including the information requested in the bullet above.

FY2026 INL Applicant Pre-Award Risk Survey

This risk survey reviews the applicant organization’s financial capacity, policies, and infrastructure. The FY2026 template is included under the Related Documents section of this NOFO announcement on www.grants.gov.

Please take note of the questions within the survey that request additional documentation. These documents must be included in the application.

Submission of an outdated INL Applicant Pre-Award Risk Survey does not satisfy the FY2026 INL Applicant Pre-Award Risk Survey submission requirement.

Organizational Audit

If the applicant organization is required to undergo an audit per 2 CFR 200.501

(Subpart F – Audit Requirements), a complete copy of the organization's most recent audit must be submitted. Organizations (domestic and foreign) that expend

$1,000,000 or more in federal awards during their fiscal year must submit a single audit report conducted in accordance with 2 CFR 200.514. The submission of financial statements alone does not satisfy the audit submission requirement.

If the applicant organization is not required to undergo an audit (per the regulation cited above), a brief explanation must be submitted with the application. This explanation shall include confirmation that the organization is under the threshold for which an audit is required and/or plans for the organization to undergo an audit in the future. The brief explanation can be included in the FY2026 INL Applicant

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Pre-Award Risk Survey.

3. Document Formatting

Applicants must ensure that their application documents conform to the following requirements:

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

• All documents are in English

• All budgets are in U.S. dollars

• All pages are numbered

• All documents are formatted to fit 8 ½ x 11 paper, and

• All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

4. Required Entity and Account Registrations for Applicants

All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique

Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration in SAM.gov. A UEI is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act

(FFATA), for all Federal awards. An applicant must maintain an active registration while it has a proposal under review by the Department and must continue to keep the registration active for the entire duration of the period of performance of any Federal award that results from this NOFO.

The 2 CFR 200 requires subrecipients to obtain a UEI. Please note the UEI for subrecipients is not required at the time of application but will be required before an award is processed and/or directed to a subrecipient.

Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from

4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.

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

(IRS) and a UEI prior to registering in SAM.gov.

● Organizations based outside of the United States and that do not pay employees within the United States do not need an EIN from the IRS but do need a UEI prior to registering in

SAM.gov.

● Organizations based outside of the United States that do not intend to apply for U.S.

Department of Defense (DoD) awards are no longer required to have a NATO

Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities. If an applicant organization is mid-registration and wishes to remove an NCAGE code from their SAM.gov registration, the applicant should submit a help desk ticket (“incident”) with the Federal Service Desk (FSD) online at www.fsd.gov using the following language: “I do not intend to seek financial assistance from the Department of Defense. I do not wish to obtain an NCAGE code. I understand that

I will need to submit my registration after this incident is resolved in order to have my registration activated.”

Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO NOT plan to do business with the DoD should follow the below instructions:

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsd.gov%2Fgsafsd_sp%3Fid%3Dgsafsd_kb_articles%26sys_id%3Dc81018e71b1601d0937fa64ce54bcb57&data=05%7C01%7Cfjeldkk%40state.gov%7C0cc4e2b471f44abcd32308db093ecead%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638113937577534024%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=W2ShcazZBQbanYGj0cLOTnUJwv%2BGL4xfwr83%2BycQY2E%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsd.gov%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cfjeldkk%40state.gov%7C0cc4e2b471f44abcd32308db093ecead%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638113937577534024%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=t32ANWzgpiB93pMWoq%2BFCSHz4YJY9QF1S1iQzCsS6RM%3D&reserved=0

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Step 1: Proceed to SAM.gov to obtain a UEI and complete the SAM.gov registration process. SAM.gov registration must be renewed annually.

Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO plan to do business with the

DoD in addition to Department of State should follow the below instructions:

Step 1: Apply for an NCAGE code by following the instructions on the NSPA NATO website linked below:

NCAGE Homepage:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/sc/CageList.aspx

NCAGE Code Request Tool (NCRT):

NCAGE Code Request Tool (nato.int)

Exemptions

An exemption from the UEI and sam.gov registration requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis. See 2 CFR 25.110 for a full list of exemptions.

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

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

Grants.gov

To submit an application to this NOFO, applicants must register in grants.gov.

• Go to www.grants.gov and select “Register” from the banner at the top of the page.

• This should be the last step of the entity registration processes, completed after obtaining a UEI number, NCAGE/CAGE Code (if applicable), and SAM.gov registration.

Help with grants.gov registrations and application submission:

• Go to the grant.gov support page at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html

• Call +1 800-518-4726

• Email support@grants.gov

Each applicant is responsible for ensuring that their application is correctly submitted through www.grants.gov. INL is not responsible for errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes during application submission. If applicants cannot resolve technical issues with the system, they should email the INL points of contact listed on the first page of this NOFO, providing an explanation of the issue and proof of attempts to resolve it (e.g., correspondence with grants.gov support). The INL Grants Office will then determine whether the applicant may submit application materials via email.

5. Funding Restrictions

i. Funding Restrictions for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)

None of the funds awarded resulting from this Notice of Funding Opportunity may be made available for subawards, direct financial support, or otherwise used to provide any payment or transfer to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

ii. Certification Regarding Compliance with applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Feportal.nspa.nato.int%2FAC135Public%2Fscage%2FCageList.aspx&data=05%7C01%7Cfjeldkk%40state.gov%7C0cc4e2b471f44abcd32308db093ecead%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638113937577534024%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=v3TLT8F%2FNfk5SuTcI2zw7SMhV4HK542OhP9XDx4ln%2BY%3D&reserved=0 https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/Codification/CageTool/home https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-A/section-25.110 http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html mailto:support@grants.gov

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If the place of performance or delivery of any award made under this NOFO will be within the United States, applicants are advised that they will be required to certify the following at the time of award:

1) Its compliance in all respects with all applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws is material to the government’s payment decisions for purposes of section 3729(b)(4) of title 31, United States Code and;

2) It does not operate any programs promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that violate any applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws. A program promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion means a program whose purpose is to promote preferences based on race, color religion, sex, or national origins, such as in training or hiring.

iii. Certification Regarding Compliance with 20 U.S.C. 1011f and any other applicable foreign funding disclosure requirements

Applicants are advised that IHEs must certify the following at the time of award, and that this certification requirement must be included in any subaward agreements to IHEs:

1) Its compliance in all respects with section 1011f of title 20, United States Code, and any other applicable foreign funding disclosure requirements is material for purposes of section 3729 of title 31, United States Code, and for receipt of appropriate Federal grant funds.

iv. Certification of Trafficking in Persons Compliance and Compliance Plan

Applicants are advised that they will be required to certify the following at the time of award for awards where the estimated value of services to be performed outside the United

States exceeds $500,000:

1) To the best of the Recipient’s knowledge, neither the Recipient, nor any subrecipient, contractor, or subcontractor of the Recipient or any agent of the recipient or of such a subrecipient, contractor, or subcontractor, is engaged in any of the activities described in 2 CFR 175.105(a);

The recipient has implemented a Trafficking in Persons compliance plan to prevent activities described in 2 CFR 175(a) and is compliant with this plan; and the compliance plan must follow the minimum requirements described in 2 CFR

175(b)(5).

2) That the Recipient has and will implement procedures to prevent activities described in 2 CFR 175.105(a) and to monitor, detect, and terminate any subrecipient, contractor, subcontractor, or employee of the recipient engaging in these activities.

Recipients do not need to submit a copy of the plan. However, they must provide it to the Grants Officer upon request, and as appropriate, must post the useful and relevant contents of the plan or related materials on their website and at the https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-175 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-175 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-175

17 | P a g e workplace. Recipients must re-certify on an annual basis for the entire award period of performance.

v. Prohibition on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). If your project involves the purchase or use of an UAS, see this link or requirements and information you must include in your application

vi. Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance (PHFFA)

Applicants for foreign assistance awards should be aware of requirements in 2 CFR Part 602, 603, and 604.

These policies are referred to collectively as the Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign

Assistance (PHFFA) Policy.

602: The award term imposes certain abortion-related requirements on foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), United States NGOs, public international organizations, foreign governments, and parastatals.

603: The award term imposes certain requirements relating to gender ideology on foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), United States NGOs, international organizations, foreign governments, and parastatals.

604: The award term imposes certain requirements relating to discriminatory equity ideology on foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), United States NGOs, international organizations, foreign governments, and parastatals.

The Department recognizes there are costs associated with these policies. Potential one-time and recurring costs the Department identifies for recipients and grantees are for familiarization with the policy, development and delivery of organizational training and implementation guidance, routine compliance monitoring, and recordkeeping and reporting requirements.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Technical Evaluation Criteria

A technical evaluation committee, using the criteria shown in this Section, will evaluate the applications. The various functional elements of the technical criteria are assigned weighted scores, so that the applicants will know which areas require emphasis in the preparation of applications.

Where technical applications are considered essentially equal, cost may be the determining factor.

Applicants should note that these criteria serve as the standard against which all applications will be evaluated and serve to identify the significant matters which applicants should address in their applications.

https://usdos-my.sharepoint.com/personal/starrnd_state_gov/Documents/link https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/27/2026-01519/protecting-life-in-foreign-assistance https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/27/2026-01516/combating-gender-ideology-in-foreign-assistance https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/27/2026-01517/combating-discriminatory-equity-ideology-in-foreign-assistance-rules

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The relative importance of each criterion is indicated by the number of points assigned. A total of 100 points is possible.

Project Analysis & Design – Total Possible Points: 35

• Analysis of the problem is insightful and accurate. Insightful analysis includes a thorough discussion of the main causes and scope of the issue the project seeks to address and discussion of who has power to effect change on the issue. Are the activities clearly aligned with crowd control and riot response and are activities well-integrated with the Kenyan law enforcement agencies. (10)

• Suggested approaches and solutions (i.e., the theory of change) are: (10) o Specific and clear;

o Based on evidence-based research, learning, or experiential analysis; and o Appropriate given the problem, its causes, and its scope.

• Proposed implementation plan is: (10) o Aligned with suggested approaches and solutions;

o Feasible given timeline, resources, and context; and o Designed such that activities, if implemented according to plan, should result in achievement of outcomes.

o Demonstrates a realistic timeline.

• Description of likely challenges to implementation plan, including risks of harm to organization staff, project participants, and/or others, is thorough and mitigation strategies are appropriate (2)

• Analysis and planning for sustainability is realistic (3)

Program Monitoring and Risk – Total Possible Points: 30

• The sustainability plan is realistic for the local context and accounts for Kenyan law enforcement budget timelines. (8)

• Change Map includes quantitative and concrete (i.e., it is clear what to count or measure) indicators demonstrating applicant’s ability to eventually monitor the most important outcomes (7)

• Illustrative Performance Indicator Reference Sheet demonstrates a thorough plan for data collection for the outcome indicators (6)

• Risk assessment is thorough and realistic, addresses challenges in the operating environment, and proposes adequate strategies to mitigate risks to the project (4)

• The risk analysis (Do No Harm) is comprehensive and addresses both Kenyan law enforcement beneficiaries and potential citizens. (5)

Institution’s Record and Capacity Rating – Total Possible Points: 20

• The applicant demonstrates an institutional record of successful programs in Kenya, East

Africa, or similar environments in supporting law enforcement programs? (10)

• The applicant receiving state buy-in as demonstrated within the proposal (5)

• Professional experience of staff and institutional resources are adequate and appropriate to achieve the project's objectives (3)

• Applicant is a current/former INL grantee and they successfully manage/managed the project OR the applicant has not worked with INL previously and demonstrates experience in managing similar-sized projects (2)

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Cost Effectiveness – Total Possible Points: 15

• Activity-related costs are realistic, appropriate, and clearly linked to project objectives (5)

• Personnel costs (e.g., staff salaries, contractor rates, and honoraria) are reasonable given the amount of work and oversight needed to manage the project (3)

• Administrative costs (e.g., staff travel, supplies, office costs) are necessary, justified, and in good proportion to direct activity costs (5)

• For any procurement (e.g., riot response equipment, PPE, etc.), are market costs realistic and necessary for the stated objectives? (2)

2. Indirect Costs

If two or more applications receive equivalent scores based on the evaluation criteria outlined in this NOFO, preference will be given to the applicant with the lower indirect cost rate, as consistent with Executive Order 14332, Section 4(b)(iii). This preference will only be applied as a tie-breaking mechanism and does not supersede the primary evaluation criteria.

3. Review and Selection Process

INL first reviews all submitted applications for technical eligibility, based on the list of required documents in Section D: Application and Submission Information. All technically eligible applications are then passed to a review committee, which will evaluate the applications against the Technical Evaluation Criteria listed in the previous sub-section. The application(s) selected by the review committee are then presented to INL management and the Grants Officer for approval.

INL will notify successful applicant(s) via email and pass along any conditions, recommendations, or questions from the review committee. INL will notify unsuccessful applicants via email after an award has been issued to the successful applicant(s); therefore, this notification process may take several months.

INL reserves the right to fund any number of applications or none of the applications submitted and will determine the resulting level of funding for each award(s).

4. Risk Review

i. Risk Factors – must include

Under the merit review as required by 2 CFR 200.206, prior to making a Federal Award the

Department will review and consider the following risk factors:

a. Financial stability

b. Management systems and standards

c. History of performance

d. Audit reports and findings

e. Ability to effectively implement requirements

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

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The Federal awarding agency, 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 U.S.