NOFO PAS-MOROCCO-FY23-03.pdf

U.S. MISSION IN MOROCCO PUBLIC DIPLOMACY GRANT PROGRAM

Notice of Funding Opportunity for Fiscal Year 2023

Funding Opportunity Title: Support for Emerging Moroccan Filmmakers Funding Opportunity Number: PAS-MOROCCO-FY23-03 Deadline for Applications: May 31, 2023 Assistance Listing Number: 19.040 - Public Diplomacy Program Total Amount Available: $30,000 Contact Email: Rabatgrants@state.gov

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The U.S. Mission to Morocco is pleased to announce an open grant competition to award a cooperative agreement to carry out a project in support of emerging Moroccan filmmakers.

The U.S. Mission’s Public Affairs Section invites filmmakers, producers, film technicians, cultural and educational institutions, film guilds, organizations, and NGOs to design and present a plan to support skills development and capacity building in the Moroccan film industry by creating training opportunities for a diverse group of emerging industry professionals. The project will serve as part of the American Film Showcase (AFS) program, which is a partnership between the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The film industry offers the potential to create jobs and deliver new economic opportunities, as well as foster mutual understanding between people and cultures. However, the industry also requires highly specialized knowledge, skills, and connections. The objectives of this program are two-fold:

• to support the entrepreneurial development of emerging Moroccan professionals in the film and production industry; and

• to empower these same professions with the confidence and knowledge that will allow them to embark on a successful career through a skills-building workshop.

The workshop would ideally connect Morocco’s next generation of filmmakers with professional U.S. screenwriter-producers through specially tailored masterclasses, amplifying their voices and helping them overcome barriers that hinder their ability to work in the field.

Activities should have a significant training component and include in-person events, when possible. The project should facilitate networking opportunities between senior-level and less experienced film industry professionals, both in Morocco and in the United States, and could be supported by one or more virtual or social media platforms or any other communication tool that reaches the target community. The awardee should ensure that diverse voices and varied geographic backgrounds are represented in the final participant makeup of the workshop.

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Additionally, proposals should support the Public Diplomacy Grants Program’s objectives of promoting a positive relationship between Morocco and the United States; reinforcing shared values and connecting Morocco’s emerging leaders to the American film industry.

Audience:

Sixteen emerging talents in the film industry (current students or recently graduated within the past two years), aged from 20-35 from Morocco, with an emphasis on participants from underserved regions or groups. All participants must be proficient in written and spoken English and could include aspiring filmmakers, producers, directors, or screenwriters.

The selected grantee should meet the specific criteria below:

Professional capacity and record on previous grants: The grantee has expertise in the film industry, and has demonstrated its ability to implement the program, including having strong financial management skills and appropriate personnel.

Workshop design and preparation: With the guidance of the U.S. Mission’s Public Affairs Section, the grantee will assist bringing one or two U.S.-based filmmaker(s) to Morocco to lead an intensive in-person workshop with up to sixteen (16) emerging Moroccan filmmakers who represent a diverse group of film institutions and regions in Morocco for a duration of no less than three program days. The awardee will be responsible for obtaining all necessary film permits and authorizations from local authorities to support the production of the original content created by workshop participants.

Logistics: The grantee will be responsible for making all logistical arrangements to support the project activities, including:

• Travel, lodging, M&IE, and local transportation for both program's participants and the facilitators; honoraria for the facilitators will also be included.

• Secure and book an appropriate and properly equipped venue.

• Obtain all necessary film permits and authorizations from local authorities to support the production of original content created by workshop participants.

• The printing of workshop materials including supplies and/or collateral materials.

Program participants: The grantee will be responsible for selecting target cities, regions, and populations for recruitment (under-represented, under-served, and/or at-risk), and reaching out to film schools, universities, and cultural institutions to recruit up to sixteen (16) Moroccan participants, with ultimate final approval of the participants by the U.S. Mission.

Monitoring and evaluation: The grantee will develop a monitoring and evaluation plan in consultation with the U.S. Mission, to measure the impact of the program on the beneficiaries.

B. AWARD INFORMATION

Length of performance period: June 2023-January 2024

Program performance period: Proposed programs should be completed by December 31, 2023.

Number of awards anticipated: 1

Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $25,000 to a maximum of $30,000

Total available funding: $30,000

Type of Funding: FY23 Smith Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds

Anticipated program start date: Fall 2023

Required registrations: SAM.gov

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement

This will be a Cooperative Agreement in which the U.S. Mission’s Public Affairs Section will have a substantial involvement in the planning and implementation of this grant. U.S. Mission staff will:

1. authorize the implementer to incur costs associated with the management of this grant (Grant Officer) once the exact dates and nature of the program has been confirmed and award documents signed;

2. have final approval of up to sixteen (16) Moroccan participants;

3. have final approval over the workshop theme in consultation with the awardee and will designate appropriate U.S. experts for the project in collaboration with the American Film Showcase (AFS).

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

The U.S. Mission encourages applications from Moroccan citizens and/or organizations, including:

• Registered public or private non-profit organizations, such as think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations.

• Public or private non-profit educational institutions

• Public or private non-profit cultural institutions

• Individuals

For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost-share is not required; however, if provided, please detail whether the cost-share is through in-cash or in-kind contributions and the approximate dollar amount. Cost-share is not included in the criteria for evaluation and will not be considered during the review. Any cost share must be monitored throughout the lifecycle of the entire grant.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued via www.SAM.gov as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov.

Please see Section D.3 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.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Content of Application

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

• The budget should be in USD and have a narrative for each line item.

• The proposal should be for no more than $30,000.

• Acquisition of a UEI and SAM.gov registration is required to apply.

• The project should not have an intended start date before June 30, 2023.

• All proposals must adhere to the policies explained in the “Support for Emerging Moroccan Filmmakers” Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) including the “eligibility requirements.” Please review these requirements carefully.

Please ensure:

• All documents are in English (except final registration).

• All pages are numbered.

• All documents are formatted to 8.5 x 11 paper.

• All documents are single-spaced, 12 point Calibri, with 1-inch margins.

• The document is a PDF.

The following documents are required and the first 6 can be found on our website:

1. SF424 (Application for Federal Assistance)

2. SF424A (Budget Information) http://www.sam.gov/

3. SF424B (Assurances)

4. Proposal Narrative Form (in English)

5. Applicant Organization Information Form in English

6. Budget Proposal with Narrative (in USD - please use $1 = 10 MAD as exchange rate)

7. CVs for Director and key project personnel

8. Final registration papers for the organization (

(وصل نهائ

Submit all forms as PDFs in electronic format to Rabatgrants@state.gov no later than May 31, 2023, at midnight. All questions about this NOFO should be addressed to:

Rabatgrants@state.gov.

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 not be reviewed.

2. Registrations

All organizations applying for this grant should apply for a UEI number and a SAM.gov registration at the time of application. Both are free of charge. The DUNS number and NCAGE code (if not applying for Department of Defense funding) are no longer required for federal assistance applications.

Step 1: Validate your organization.

UEI application: Organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier from SAM.gov. If your organization has not yet been assigned a UEI number (if you have had U.S. government funding before and had a DUNS number, you should have been assigned a UEI number) you may obtain one by visiting: https://sam.gov/content/home. You must validate your organization before you will be assigned a UEI number.

Step 2: Register in SAM.gov.

After receiving your UEI number, begin your registration in SAM.gov by logging onto:

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

If you encounter any error, please contact the SAM Federal Service Desk to report problem at https://www.fsd.gov/clients. There is a standard (not toll free) number that customers can use 334-206-7828.

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.

Exemptions

An exemption from the UEI and sam.gov registration requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if:

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• An applicant’s identity must be protected due to potential endangerment of their mission, their organization’s status, their employees, or individuals being served by the applicant.

• For an applicant, if the Federal awarding agency decides that there are exigent circumstances that prohibit the applicant from receiving a unique entity identifier and completing SAM registration prior to receiving a federal award. In these instances, Federal awarding agencies must require the recipient to obtain a unique entity identifier and complete SAM registration within 30 days of the Federal award date.

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.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Selection Criteria

Each application will be evaluated and rated based on the evaluation criteria outlined below.

Institution’s Record and Capacity to Manage Grants The U.S. Mission will consider the past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants. Applications should demonstrate an institutional record, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with all reporting requirements for past grants. The organization should have expertise in its stated field and have the internal controls in place to manage federal funds. Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the project's objectives.

Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives A strong application will include a clear articulation of how the proposed project activities contribute to the overall project objectives, and each activity will be clearly developed and detailed.

Budget The U.S. Mission strongly encourages applicants to clearly demonstrate project cost-effectiveness in their application. Costs should be reasonable and realistic in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. Budgets however should have low and/or reasonable overhead and administration costs and applicants should provide clear explanations and justifications for these costs in relation to the work involved. All budget items should be clearly explained and justified to demonstrate their necessity, appropriateness, and their link to project objectives.

Project Monitoring and Evaluation Applicant demonstrates that they can measure program success against key indicators and provide milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The program includes output and outcome indicators and shows how and when those will be measured.

Sustainability Applications should clearly delineate how elements of the project will have a multiplier effect and be sustainable beyond the life of the grant. A good multiplier effect will have an impact beyond the direct beneficiaries of the grant (e.g., participants trained under a grant go on to train other people, workshop participants use skills from a workshop to enhance a national level election that affects the entire populace, project outcomes can be championed by others aside from direct implementers). A strong sustainability plan may include demonstrating continuing impact beyond the life of a project or garnering other donor support after Mission funding ceases.

Support for Underserved Communities The U.S. Mission will look favorably on proposals that clearly demonstrate how the program will support and advance equity, and engage underserved communities in program administration, design, and implementation.

Review and Selection Process

A Merit Review Panel will evaluate all eligible applications.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

The grant award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document, and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer and after the Kickoff meeting has taken place.

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

Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S.

government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

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

These include:

• 2 CFR 25 - UNIVERSAL IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

• 2 CFR 170 - REPORTING SUBAWARD AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION INFORMATION

• 2 CFR 175 - AWARD TERM FOR TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

• 2 CFR 182 - GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE

(FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE)

• 2 CFR 183 - NEVER CONTRACT WITH THE ENEMY

• 2 CFR 600 – DEPARTMENT OF STATE REQUIREMENTS

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

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

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

o Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based on the program objectives through an objective process of evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR part 200.205), o Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. No. 115—232) (2 CFR part 200.216), o Promoting the freedom of speech and religious liberty in alignment with Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty (E.O. 13798) and Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities (E.O.

13864) (§§ 200.300, 200.303, 200.339, and 200.341), o Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States (2 CFR part 200.322), and o Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest extent authorized by law, if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities (2 CFR part 200.340).

In accordance with the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Underserved Communities, proposals should demonstrate how the program advances equity with respect to race, ethnicity, religion, income, geography, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability. The proposal should also demonstrate how the program will further engagement in underserved communities and with individuals from underserved communities. Proposals https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.25&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.170&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.175&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.182&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.182&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.183&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2chapterVI.tpl https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/ https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 should demonstrate how addressing racial equity and underserved communities will enhance the program’s goals and objectives, as well as the experience of participants.

The support of underserved communities will be part of the review criteria for this opportunity. Therefore, proposals should clearly demonstrate how the program will support and advance equity and engage underserved communities in program administration, design, and implementation.

3. Reporting Requirements

Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

Any prospective applicant who has questions concerning the contents of this NOFO should email Rabatgrants@State.gov. Note that once the NOFO deadline has passed, Department of State staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the review process has been completed.

H. OTHER INFORMATION

Guidelines for Budget Justification

Personnel and Fringe Benefits: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the program, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the program.

Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this program, for program staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. If the program involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.

Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the program, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the program), and costs at least $5,000 per unit.

Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the program. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under Equipment.

Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor. Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the program activities.

Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the program, which do not fit in the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials and equipment or applicable taxes. All “Other” or “Miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained.

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Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the program activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating. If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.

“Cost Sharing:” refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S. Embassy. It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues.

Alcoholic Beverages: Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.