Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange:

Ca Mau, Quang Ngai

U.S. Embassy Hanoi / Bureau of East Asia Pacific Bureau (EAP) Department of State

Opportunity number: OFOP0003897

Application deadline: November 19, 2026, at 17:00 EST

OFOP0003897 - Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange: Ca Mau, Quang Ngai

Contents

A. Basic Information B. Eligibility

C. Program Description

D. Application Contents and Format E. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

F. Application Review Information G. Award Notices

H. Post-Award Requirements and Administration I. Other Information

Attachment 1

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

OFOP0003897 - Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent

U.S Department of State Bureau of East Asia Pacific Bureau (EAP)/ U.S. Embassy Hanoi

Notice of Funding Opportunity

A. Basic Information

1. Overview

Funding Opportunity Title Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange: Ca Mau, Quang Ngai

Funding Opportunity Number OFOP0003897 Announcement Type Initial announcement Deadline for Questions October 19, 2026, at 17:00 EST via email Deadline for Applications November 19, 2026, at 17:00 EST via MyGrants Assistance Listing Number 19.124 Length of performance period 05 years Number of awards anticipated 01 award Award amount $28,500,000

Total available funding $28,500,000 pending availability of funds Type of Funding FY 2025 Economic Support Funds (ESF) and FY 2026

National Security Investment Programs (NSIP) funds under the Foreign Assistance Act

Anticipated project start date December 26, 2026

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative agreement.

Project Performance Period: Proposed project(s) should be completed by December 31, 2031.

The Department of State will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

2. Executive Summary

The United States and Vietnam share a deepening partnership rooted in a commitment to overcoming the consequences of war. The recent Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Departments of Defense and State and Vietnam's Ministry of National Defence (MND) for Strengthening Cooperation to Overcome the Consequences of War (signed Hanoi, October 31, 2025) formalizes this effort, which includes U.S. funded activities to support persons with disabilities, regardless of cause, in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange and other target provinces in Vietnam. Building on the decades of collaboration, in 2019 USAID and MND's National Action Center for Chemical and Environmental Treatment (NACCET) formalized the

OFOP0003897 - Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent joint collaboration through the project "Improved Quality of Life for Persons with Disabilities in Provinces Heavily Sprayed with Agent Orange." This partnership continues to stand as a powerful symbol of the U.S.-Vietnam relationship as the two countries move forward together in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

This new program represents a comprehensive initiative designed to improve the lives of persons with disabilities in two Vietnamese provinces - Ca Mau and Quang Ngai. The program's overarching goal is to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities in these regions.

The initiative addresses critical gaps in health, rehabilitation, and social services while fostering greater social integration and reducing barriers to full participation in community life.

Particularly, the program pursues four interconnected objectives: (1) expanding health and rehabilitation services; (2) enhancing social services and promoting social participation; (3) improving disability policy implementation and reducing barriers to participation; and (4) strengthening institutional capacity at all levels.

The primary beneficiaries are persons with severe physical mobility, cognitive, or developmental disabilities, regardless of cause. The program prioritizes two specific groups: persons with severe disabilities in areas heavily affected by Agent Orange/dioxin exposure including those whose disabilities resulted from unexploded ordnance accidents, and; children with identified disabilities. This focus reflects the program's commitment to addressing war legacies while ensuring that the most vulnerable populations receive comprehensive support based on individualized case management assessments.

Beyond direct beneficiaries, the program provides training and support to a broader ecosystem of service providers. This includes frontline health workers, teachers, caregivers, family members, hospitals and health facilities, and organizations serving persons with disabilities. By building capacity among these stakeholders, the program creates sustainable systems that will continue supporting persons with disabilities long after the initiative concludes.

The program engages multiple participant groups across various intervention areas. In health and rehabilitation, frontline healthcare workers and rehabilitation service providers will receive professional capacity development to meet Ministry of Health requirements. Rehabilitation units will adopt multidisciplinary approaches, with service delivery models established in both provinces to ensure comprehensive care. In social services, social workers and managers from public and private providers will receive capacity development, while social protection centers, organizations, and associations will have their capabilities enhanced. Family members play a crucial role as participants, receiving appropriate training and assistance in providing care for persons with profound and severe disabilities. People with disabilities and their family members will participate in networking and social activities designed to improve public attitudes and promote social integration.

Geographic coverage focuses on Ca Mau and Quang Ngai provinces, with additional relevant provinces and cities having high commitment identified for capacity-building activities and transition plan implementation. Selected universities and national or regional hospitals will receive support to provide specialized training and services, ensuring long-term sustainability and promoting cooperation between the U.S. and Vietnamese governments in health system

OFOP0003897 - Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent strengthening. The program will conduct baseline surveys and needs assessments to ensure services are tailored to the specific requirements of each beneficiary through comprehensive case management approaches.

B. Eligibility

1. Eligible Applicants

Non-governmental and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply.

• Non-governmental organization means any organization that is not:

o A foreign government or foreign governmental entity;

o An entity owned (in whole or in part) or controlled by a foreign government; or o Any other entity consisting wholly or partially of one or more foreign governments or foreign governmental entities.

• Non-profit organization means any organization that:

o Is operated primarily for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purposes in the public interest;

o Is not organized primarily for profit;

o Uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the organization's operations;

and o Is not an institution of higher education.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Providing cost sharing, matching, or cost participation, while encouraged, is not an eligibility factor or requirement for this NOFO, and providing cost share will not result in a more favorable competitive ranking. 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.)

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

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 E.3 for more information. All organizations must have a valid Vietnamese government tax registration and other organizational registrations necessary to reimburse any VAT payments made during performance of project activities.

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. There is no limitation on being included as a potential sub-recipient across multiple applications. The use of exclusive teaming arrangements is discouraged.

C. Program Description

The successful applicant must achieve the below Goal and Objectives. For illustrative outputs and activities, please refer to the Attachment 1 of this Notice of Funding Opportunity. Please

OFOP0003897 - Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent note that some specific activities (home modifications) or procurements shall be reviewed on a case-by case basis during the implementation.

1. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Goal

Improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities in Ca Mau and Quang Ngai provinces.

Objectives

• Objective 1: Expand medical support and rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities in Ca Mau and Quang Ngai provinces.

• Objective 2: Expand social services and social participation support for persons with disabilities in Ca Mau and Quang Ngai provinces.

• Objective 3: Improve policy implementation, public attitudes, and remove barriers faced by persons with disabilities.

• Objective 4: Strengthen capacity at all levels for training, management, and implementation of activities to support persons with disabilities.

2. TARGET GROUPS

Primary beneficiaries of the project are persons with severe physical, mobility, cognitive, or developmental disabilities with a priority for: 1) persons with severe/very severe disabilities, regardless of cause, in areas heavily sprayed by Agent Orange/dioxin, or persons with severe/very severe disabilities as a result of unexploded ordnance accidents; 2) children with an identified disability;

Secondary beneficiaries of the project are frontline health workers, teachers, caregivers, family members, other service providers, hospitals/health facilities, organizations/associations of and for people with disabilities.

3. EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Goal

● 10,000 persons with disabilities receive direct support through a comprehensive range of services based on individual needs assessment. (One person may receive more than one service under Objective 1 and Objective 2, with a minimum of 18,000 services provided.)

● Of these, 75% persons with disabilities show improvement in quality-of-life indicators.

Objective 1: Expand medical support and rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities in Ca Mau and Quang Ngai provinces;

● Baseline surveys of the primary and secondary beneficiaries’ needs are conducted:

healthcare and rehabilitation support needs in both provinces; the actual provincial capacity to deliver rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities, as well as the capacity-building needs of relevant organizations and individuals serving persons with disabilities in

OFOP0003897 - Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent both provinces.

● 10,000 persons with disabilities receive comprehensive need assessment to develop customized services of health care and rehabilitation services, including specialized rehabilitation service (physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, assistive devices), nursing/home care, etc., based on comprehensive case management needs assessments.

● Of these, 75% of beneficiaries are expected to achieve the intervention objectives

● Nine rehabilitation units apply a multidisciplinary approach through: adoption of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation orientation, multidisciplinary rehabilitation workforce training, and investment in, installation, and use of rehabilitation equipment.

Roadmap/action plans are developed for rehabilitation services supported by the project to be covered by the health insurance. Of these nine rehabilitation units, two are supported as service delivery models applying a multidisciplinary rehabilitation approach in the two provinces (prioritizing facilities with training functions and provincial hospitals).

● 600 frontline healthcare workers, rehabilitation service providers and managers have their professional capacity improved and meet the requirements of service provision.

● Provincial strategies for rehabilitation development and annual implementation plans are proposed in the two provinces (for example: training, infrastructure upgrades, service provision, budgeting).

Objective 2: Expand social services and social participation support for persons with disabilities in Ca Mau and Quang Ngai provinces

● Baseline needs surveys of the primary and secondary beneficiaries are conducted: non-health support needs, the current state of social service delivery and participation support for persons with disabilities, as well as the capacity-building needs of relevant organizations and individuals serving persons with disabilities in both provinces.

● 10,000 persons with disabilities receive comprehensive need assessment to develop customized services of social services including access to housing, learning and working environments, economic development, independent living, social participation support, home modification, etc. based on comprehensive case management needs assessments.

● 75% of beneficiaries meet the intervention objectives.

● Family members receive appropriate assistance in providing care/support for persons with profound and severe disabilities

● 30 social protection centers, organizations, associations, groups, and clubs of and for persons with disabilities have their capacity improved.

● 600 social workers and managers, teachers and other individuals involved in both public and private social service provision are provided with capacity development through training.

Objective 3: Improve disability-related policy implementation, public attitudes, and the removal of barriers facing by persons with disabilities

● Review existing policies and the state of their implementation at the central and local levels regarding support for persons with disabilities, including analysis of gaps. This will help guide project support for the implementation of policies directly relevant to activities under Objective 1 and Objective 2.

● 15,000 persons with disabilities and family members participate in activities of persons

OFOP0003897 - Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent with disabilities networks.

● Propose and support the implementation of policies, action programs, and persons with disabilities support plans at the central and local levels.

Objective 4: Improve capacity in management, training, implementation, and activities support to persons with disabilities at all levels

● Transition plans in the relevant provincial project sites of the current U.S. funded disabilities project (for example: former Quang Nam, Hue, Quang Tri, former Kon Tum, former Binh Dinh, former Dong Nai, former Binh Phuoc) are developed and implemented. Transition plans are drafted for Ca Mau and Quang Ngai provinces.

● 90% of supported organizations and systems providing or managing programs/projects for persons with disabilities have their capacity strengthened and their operational effectiveness improved.

● 100% of persons with disabilities supported by the project have their information updated in local disability management information systems.

● The capacity of six selected universities and national/regional hospitals is improved, and they are selected to provide trainings, services for persons with disabilities and for persons with disabilities/their family members who are affected by of Agent Orange and unexploded ordinance (UXO).

● The quality of disability information system in Ca Mau and Quang Ngai provinces is improved.

● Cooperation between the U.S Government and the Government of Vietnam in training, health system strengthening, and health services for persons with disabilities is improved.

● Program management support, monitoring/evaluation and training/capacity building support are provided to related project stakeholders.

4. GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE

Two provinces - Quang Ngai, Ca Mau, and other relevant provinces and cities will be proposed by Applicants under the Objective 4

5. PARTNERSHIP WITH HOST GOVERNMENT

The U.S Embassy in Vietnam is the funding Agency and the Vietnam Ministry of National Defence/ National Action Center for Chemical and Environment Treatment (NACCET) is the host government counterpart.

6. SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT

This award will be structured as a cooperative agreement. Department of State will maintain substantial involvement in this program through the potential following mechanisms. The specific terms will be negotiated and finalized before the period of performance begins between the selected implementing organization, Grants Officer, Grants Officer’s Representative, U.S.

Embassy Hanoi, and any other relevant entity as identified by Department of State.

OFOP0003897 - Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent

Substantial involvement includes, but is not limited to:

• Approval of Monitoring and Evaluation plans

• Approval of the recipient’s annual workplan and budget

• Involvement in the selection and approval of project sites

• Specific programmatic oversight in the award, beyond normal monitoring.

• Review and approval of small-scale home modifications under this award to support persons with disabilities to perform their daily life activities and their independent living in home setting will be on case-by-case basis.

D. Application Contents and Format

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

Content of Application Please ensure:

• 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, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

The following documents are required:

1. Mandatory application forms

• SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-mandatory-family

• SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-mandatory-family

• SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-mandatory-family (note: the SF- 424B is only required for individuals, organizations exempt from registration, and for organizations not required to fully register in SAM.gov)

• SF-LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities) at https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SFLLL_2_0-V2.0.pdf (note: the SF-LLL is only required for entities that engage in lobbying activities)

2. Cover Page

Cover sheet stating the applicant’s name and organization, Unique Entity ID (SAM), identification and signature of the primary contact person, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program.

3. Technical Proposal (25 pages maximum, excluding the cover page, table of contents, https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-mandatory-family https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-mandatory-family https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-mandatory-family https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SFLLL_2_0-V2.0.pdf

OFOP0003897 - Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent attachments as specified in Section D.5)

The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do and why the applicant does it. The proposal should include the sections and content below and should be directed at the program as described in Section C. Program Description.

• Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed project description, including project objectives and anticipated impact.

• Organization's capability and experience: Applicants must describe the organization's current operational capacity. Outline a financial management system with the existence of a dedicated bank account, explaining how the organization’s internal controls ensure the responsible stewardship of federal funds. Describe the organization's ability to mobilize quickly in the targeted provinces and areas, referencing any logistical infrastructure, local networks, or operational systems that enable rapid deployment. If the proposed program includes sub-awards, describe the organization's current capacity and experience to manage subaward relationships, including oversight mechanisms and compliance procedures.

Describe the organization's capacity and provide specific examples of the organization’s experience engaging and coordinating with central and local government authorities to facilitate project approvals and support smooth implementation across all targeted sites.

Highlight the organization's track record and experience in successfully carrying out work of a similar nature and explain what sets the organization apart from others working in this field to ensure the project success. Applicants must provide in an attachment a list of previous grants, which are relevant to the proposed project funded by the Department of State and/or other U.S. Government agencies as a prime or sub-recipient in the last 5 years, if any, briefly describing the scope of work, target population or geography, and notable outcomes for each.

• Project Methods and Design: Applicants must provide a comprehensive description of how the organization will achieve the project's goal, objectives, and targeted results. Clear rationale for the organization’s chosen approaches, particularly in the context of Vietnam's recent transition to a 2-tier provincial administration structure, and explicit reference to the relevant legal framework, laws, action plans, and national target programs. Draw on lessons learned from previous projects that organization has implemented to demonstrate how past experience will contribute to achieving expected outcomes. Include a logic model where appropriate. This section must include the following:

Project Activities: For each objective, applicants must describe the specific activities proposed and explain how those activities are interlinked to collectively drive progress toward the project's goals and objectives, how objectives are interlinked and contributing to other objectives. Applicants must also detail the technical approaches or protocols for each intervention, including how primary and secondary beneficiaries will be identified; how primary beneficiaries will be prioritized when resources are limited; and how interventions and support will be delivered in a manner that is responsive to the specific provincial and national context in Vietnam. Applicants are encouraged to propose sub-awards to local and/or international entities, in this case, clearly describe the organization's

OFOP0003897 - Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent leading role in providing technical oversight and management coordination across all sub-awardees.

Proposed Project Schedule and Timeline: Applicants must provide a realistic timeline covering all phases of program implementation, including project approval processes where required, project setup, staff recruitment, and program implementation. Applicants must also demonstrate feasibility by identifying the human, financial, and logistical resources available to support the proposed schedule and ensure activities are completed on time.

Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: Applicants must describe how project activities will be monitored throughout the grant period to ensure outcomes and targets are achieved on time and to a high standard of quality. Applicants must explain how the program will be evaluated to assess whether it is meeting its stated goals and objectives. Applicants must describe what and how contextual factors, underlying assumptions, and emerging risks will be tracked and incorporated into adaptive management decisions as the project evolves.

Future Funding or Sustainability: Applicants must describe how the project's impact will be sustained after the grant period concludes. This includes identifying any additional funding sources or resources the applicant has secured or is pursuing, as well as concrete plans to continue key activities beyond the life of the grant. Applicants must propose how sustainable models of service and support to the primary beneficiaries are developed and piloted in different settings (home-based, hospital-based, etc.), where applicable. A strong sustainability plan demonstrates that the program's benefits will endure and that the applicant has thought strategically about long-term impact.

Project Partners: Applicants must list the names and types of involvement of all key partner organizations and describe how program implementation and management will be coordinated with these partners and other relevant stakeholders. Applicants must also explain how and why engagement with these stakeholders will contribute to program success, including a description of each partner's specific role, any formal agreements in place, and how responsibilities will be shared across the partnership to ensure accountability and effective collaboration.

• Management Plan: Applicants must submit a comprehensive management plan that demonstrates their capacity to deliver a high-quality program. The plan must address the following core areas: human resource management, financial resource management, technical oversight, risk management and mitigation, and where applicable the coordination and management of sub-awards.

Human Resource Management and Staffing Plan: The management plan must include a comprehensive staffing plan covering all program personnel, including full-time and part-time staff at both the home office and any field-based offices.

Applicants must propose at least three (3) key personnel positions whose expertise, leadership, and time commitment are critical to achieving program results. For each key personnel position proposed by the applicants, applicants must clearly describe their responsibilities, level of effort (LOE), and required qualifications and experience. Applicants may name the individuals proposed for

OFOP0003897 - Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent key personnel positions if they are known when the application is submitted.

However, the names of individuals proposed for key personnel positions will not be evaluated.

Organizational Structure and Operations: The management plan must present clear reporting lines across the project team, whether through an organizational chart or a descriptive narrative. Applicants must specify their planned office location(s) and rationale for these locations, and the total number of proposed sub-awards, if any.

Sub-Awards: If sub-awards are proposed, applicants must provide the following information for each sub-recipient: the sub-recipient's designated role within the project, the specific activities they will carry out. Applicants must also describe how they will provide management oversight and coordination support to sub-recipients to ensure accountability, quality, and alignment with overall program goals throughout the period of implementation.

• Proposed Subawards: The applicant must submit information for all subawards that it wishes to have approved at the time of award. For each proposed subaward the applicant must provide the following:

− Name of organization − Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) if available at the time of proposal submission. If the

UEI is not available the information shall be provided before the award is made.

− Confirmation that the subrecipient does not appear on the Treasury Department’s

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list − Confirmation that the subrecipient does not have active exclusions in the System for

Award Management (SAM) − Confirmation that the subrecipient is not listed in the United Nations Security designation list − Confirmation that the subrecipient is not suspended or debarred − Confirmation that the applicant has completed a risk assessment of the subrecipient, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.332(b) − Any negative findings as a result of the risk assessment and the applicant’s plan for mitigation.

4. Budget Applicants must submit SF-424A – “Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs” along with a comprehensive budget for the entire program. In addition to the SF-424A, the Budget must include the following worksheets or tabs, and contents, at a minimum (all formulas must be displayed, and the budget must not be locked). See section I. Other Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.

• Summary and Detailed Budgets

A proposal budget must be submitted in spreadsheet format (e.g., Microsoft Excel).

− One tab of the spreadsheet shall contain the Summary Budget, which lists the OMB-approved budget categories and total estimated cost per category (federal and non-federal), broken out by major budget category and by year for activities implemented by

OFOP0003897 - Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent the Applicant and any potential sub-applicants for the entire period of the project − 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. The Detailed Budget must include a breakdown by unit cost, by month and by year, sufficient to allow the Grants Officer to determine that the costs represent a realistic and efficient use of funding to implement the applicant’s proposed activities and are allowable in accordance with the cost principles found in 2 CFR 200 Subpart E.

− Detailed Budgets for each sub-recipient, for all federal funding and cost share, broken out by budget category and by year, for the entire implementation period of the project.

− 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. (e.g. Microsoft Word) − The Budget Narrative should communicate 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 word document format. (e.g. Microsoft Word)

5. Attachments

• Documentation sufficient to demonstrate the applicant’s eligibility, as specified in Section B.

• One-page Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume of proposed key personnel, if known when the application is submitted.

• Letters of support from proposed sub-recipients and other relevant stakeholders.

• If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and includes

NICRA charges in the budget, include your latest NICRA as a PDF file.

• Official organization’s operating license if available and if required for program activities.

• List of previous awards from USG agencies as required in Section D.3.

E. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

1. Address to Request Application Package

Application forms required above are available at Grants.gov.

2. Department of State Contacts

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact: Marialice Ariens, Senior Foreign Assistance Officer, U.S. Embassy Hanoi at AriensM@state.gov with a copy to Le Nguyen, Program Management Specialist, U.S. Embassy Hanoi at NguyenLT7@state.gov and mailto:AriensM@state.gov mailto:NguyenLT7@state.gov

OFOP0003897 - Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent

Huyen Dang, Acquisition and Assistance Specialist, U.S. Embassy Hanoi at DangHT@state.gov.

Responses to questions received prior to the deadline will be furnished to all potential applicants through an amendment to this notice posted on www.grants.gov.

3. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov)

Required Registrations

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:

Step 1: Proceed to SAM.gov to obtain a UEI and complete the SAM.gov registration mailto:DangHT@state.gov https://www.grants.gov/ 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

OFOP0003897 - Improved quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent 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.

4. Required Registration with MyGrants.

All award recipient organizations and recipient contacts and signatories must be registered with the U.S. Department of State’s MyGrants system by accessing https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com and clicking the “create an account” link.

MyGrants is the U.S. Department of State’s grants management system and is supported by the Department’s Integrated Logistics Management System (ILMS). Recipient organizations and recipient contacts and signatories that have previously used MyGrants as a U.S.

Department of State award recipient do not need to register again. If the organization is not able to access the system, please contact the ILMS Help Desk for help in gaining access.

Support for Recipient Organizations and recipient contacts and signatories is available 24 hours, 7 days a week (except federal holidays), and can be reached at 1-888-313-ILMS (4567) or through the ILMS Self Service Portal at https://afsitsm.servicenowservices.com/ilms/.

5. Submission Dates and Times

Applications are due no later than the date and time specified in the cover page. This deadline is firm and is not a rolling deadline. If organizations fail to meet the deadline noted above their application will be considered ineligible and will not be considered for funding.

For the purposes of determining if an award is submitted on time, see section 7 below.

6. Funding Restrictions

i. Funding Restrictions for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) 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 https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/ https://afsitsm.servicenowservices.com/ilms/

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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

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).

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-175

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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 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 a UAS, see this link for 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.

7. Other Submission Requirements

All application materials must be submitted electronically through MyGrants (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com).

F. Application Review Information

1. Merit Review Criteria 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 https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/

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Timely and completed applications from eligible applicants will be evaluated and rated based on the evaluation criteria outlined below. The criteria are of equal importance and will be assigned equal weight in the selection process.

Organizational Capacity and Experience: To what extent does the Applicant's organizational capability and experience demonstrate the capacity and likelihood of successfully achieving the project's goal, objectives, and intended outcomes?

Project Methods and Design: To what extent does the Applicant's proposed Project Activities, Project Schedule and Timeline, Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, Future Funding and Sustainability Plan, and Project Partnerships collectively demonstrate a credible, coherent, and feasible approach to achieving the project's goal, objectives, and intended outcomes while ensuring that no proposed activities are contrary to any standing Executive Orders? For a full list of Executive Orders, see https://www.federalregister.gov/.

Management Plan: To what extent does the Applicant's proposed Management Plan demonstrate the organizational capacity and operational readiness to successfully achieve the project's goal, objectives, and intended outcomes across the following core areas: human resource management, financial resource management, technical oversight, risk management and mitigation, and where applicable the coordination and management of sub-awards?

The Review Committee will use an adjectival approach when evaluating the received applications. The chart below details the rating scheme and the definitions that apply to the technical factors.

Adjective Character Definition Exceptional An Exceptional rating under a review factor has the following characteristics:

● A comprehensive and thorough application of exceptional merit.

● Application meets and fully exceeds the Government expectations or exceeds the program description requirements and presents very low risk or no overall degree of risk of unsuccessful performance.

● Strengths significantly outweigh any weaknesses that may exist.

Very Good A Very Good rating under this a review factor has the following characteristics:

● Application demonstrating a strong grasp of the requirements.

● Application meets program description requirements and presents a low overall degree of risk of unsuccessful performance.

● Strengths significantly outweigh any weaknesses that exist.

Satisfactory A Satisfactory rating under a review factor has the following characteristics:

● Application demonstrating a reasonably sound response and a good grasp of the requirements.

● Application meets solicitation requirements and presents a moderate overall degree of risk of unsuccessful performance. Strengths outweigh weaknesses.

Marginal A Marginal rating under a review factor has the following characteristics:

https://www.federalregister.gov/

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● Application shows a limited understanding of the requirements.

● Application meets some or most of the program description requirements but presents a significant overall degree of risk of unsuccessful performance.

● Weaknesses equal or outweigh any strengths that exist.

Unsatisfactory An Unsatisfactory rating under a review factor has the following characteristics:

● Application does not meet the program description requirements or requires a major rewrite of the application.

● Presents an unacceptable degree of risk of unsuccessful performance.

● Deficiencies and significant weaknesses demonstrate a lack of understanding of the Government’s needs.

● Weaknesses and or deficiencies significantly outweigh any strengths that exist.

2. Cost Review

Department of State will evaluate the cost application of the applicant(s) under consideration for an award as a result of the merit criteria review to determine whether the costs are allowable in accordance with the cost principles found in 2 CFR 200 Subpart E.

Department of State will also consider (1) the extent of the applicant's understanding of the financial aspects of the project and the applicant's ability to perform the activities within the amount requested; (2) whether the applicant's plans will achieve the program objectives with reasonable economy and efficiency; and (3) whether any special conditions relating to costs should be included in the award.

3. Indirect Costs

If two or more applications receive equivalent ranking based on the…