NOFO - Speaker and Specialist Grants Program (FY2024).docx

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. EMBASSY SARAJEVO, PUBLIC DIPLOMACY SECTION

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Funding Opportunity Title: U.S. SPEAKER AND SPECIALIST GRANTS PROGRAM

Funding Opportunity Number: BH – 007 – FY2024

Deadline for Application: Tuesday, April 30, 2024

CFDA Number: 19.440

Total Amount Available: USD 50,000

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The United States Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, through the Public Diplomacy Section, is pleased to announce a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the U.S. Speaker and Specialist Grants Program.

U.S. SPEAKER AND SPECIALIST GRANTS PROGRAM

This program supports NGO and academic institution efforts to connect U.S. experts (U.S. citizens only) with audiences and institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to organize visits to BiH focused on topics related to the rule of law, anti-corruption, promoting citizen political participation, promoting civil society, modernizing education, entrepreneurship, investigative journalism, countering disinformation, media literacy, countering gender-based violence, supporting vulnerable populations, and countering violent extremism.

The U.S. Speaker and Specialist Grants Program will bring American experts to Bosnia and Herzegovina to engage audiences through lectures, workshops, and seminars; through appearances in foreign media; and in a consultancy capacity. The U.S. Speaker and Specialist Grants Program will promote an understanding of U.S. strategic priorities, policies, and institutions, and build linkages between experts and institutions in the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

PROJECT THEMES

Projects should address one of the following themes:

· Rule of law

· Anti-corruption

· Promoting political participation

· Promoting civil society

· Modernizing education (e.g., curriculum and teaching methodology development)

· Entrepreneurship

· Investigative journalism

· Countering disinformation

· Promoting media literacy

· Countering gender-based violence

· Supporting vulnerable populations

· Countering violent extremism

· Euro-Atlantic integration (i.e., EU accession process, benefits of EU membership, partnership with NATO)

· Cultural heritage preservation

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: This program aims to support the travel of U.S. subject matter experts (SME) to Bosnia and Herzegovina for up to a week, for speaking engagements including conferences, symposia, seminars, media interviews, or other large-scale or wide-ranging speaking opportunities. Local organizations registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina may apply for grant funding for the visit of a SME from the United States, or a U.S.-based speaker may apply for funding to attend one or more conferences or events in Bosnia and Herzegovina. U.S. speakers who apply for funding must demonstrate a connection to one or more institutions or organizations in BiH. For example, a U.S. SME may apply for funding to present at a conference in BiH but should also partner with a local organization or institution – this might be a university with whom they partner to provide special lectures, an NGO that can help the U.S. speaker to conduct additional outreach to relevant audiences, or other partnership as makes sense. A U.S. speaker who applies for funding only to attend a conference or symposium with no other related engagement or activities will not be considered a competitive applicant. Preference will be given for those applications that demonstrate multiple engagements of the U.S. speaker, that demonstrate an existing relationship between the speaker and the organization(s) and/or institution(s) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or which explain how such a visit will build such a relationship, creating opportunities for future cooperation.

PARTICIPANTS AND AUDIENCES: Universities, NGOs, civil society organizations, academics, subject matter experts. We especially encourage universities, NGOs, and civil society organizations from smaller and remote communities in BiH to apply for this program.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Length of Performance Period: 12 months* (*In certain circumstances, we will consider proposals that incorporate evaluation activities that take place more than a year after the initial grant award. Such plans should be included in the monitoring and evaluation plan of the proposal.)

Number of Awards Anticipated: Up to 10

Award Amounts: Awards may range from USD 1,000 to USD 8,000

Total Available Funding: USD 50,000

Type of Funding: FY23/24 Assistance to Europe, Eurasia & Central Asia, Ukraine Supplemental under the Foreign Assistance Act

Anticipated Award Date: May 2024; proposed programs should not start any earlier than July 2024

Funding Instrument Type: Grant, Fixed Amount Award (FAA), Cooperative Agreement

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

PROJECT PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The budget for single project proposals for the Speaker and Specialist Grants Program should not exceed USD 8,000 and program activities are envisioned to take place no sooner than July 2024. Please note that the precise timeframe in which grant money will be received cannot be guaranteed. Grantees should design projects that can be implemented if money is received after July 2024.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

C1. Who can apply: non-governmental, non-profit organizations (including think tanks, civil society organizations), academic institutions, and independent media organizations that are based and legally registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina are eligible to apply. American individuals are also eligible to apply. U.S.-based organizations are eligible to apply, but please note that there is a strong preference to grant to BiH-based organizations. Organizations and individuals may only submit one proposal per program.

C2. Other eligibility requirements: In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations (except individuals) 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 E. for more information.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

D1. Mandatory application forms: Your application cannot be reviewed without all the below elements. All forms and instructions are available on our website, under Application Forms on the top of the grant’s programs page.

Please note: Obtaining the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and registering in the SAM system can take up to one month. We strongly encourage you to start this process as soon as possible.

· SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – Organizations) Please make sure to include your UEI in the application.

· SF-424 I (Application for Federal Assistance – Individual).

· SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)

· SF-424B I- (Assurances for Non-Construction Programs-Individual)

· Project Proposal (8 pages maximum): The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do.

D2. General Guidelines: Please read all instructions carefully – proposals that do not meet the requirements listed here will not be considered for funding.

· All proposals must be written and submitted in English.

· Proposals may not exceed 8 pages in length (including budget) in Calibri size 12 font.

· All fields in the grant application form must be completed and sent via email as one document.

· In general, the entirety of the project duration may not exceed three months, including preparation and follow-on activities. In general, the visit of the speaker or specialist may not exceed 7 to 10 days. Under certain circumstances, we will accept proposals with a longer visit and/or a longer project duration, if justification is provided in section 9 of the application, Project schedule and timeline.

· Grants are normally made on a one-time basis and reiterations of past programs usually do not receive funding. If you are requesting support to fund a repetition of a project you previously implemented, you must include a very strong justification as to why the repetition is necessary.

· Please submit your filled-in application to the following email address: SarajevoPDSGrants@state.gov

The deadline for submission of the U.S. Speaker and Specialist Grants Program proposals and supporting documentation is Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at 17:00 (GMT + 1).

Upon submission, please request a confirmation of receipt of your application. If you don’t receive the confirmation, we encourage you to give us a call.

D3. Budget Guidelines: Any application not meeting the budget requirements below will not be considered for funding.

· Detailed budget should be written in USD. Award amount may be up to a maximum of $8,000, although the majority of award amounts may be smaller.

· Budget should NOT include VAT expenses; organizations need to ask for VAT return based on bilateral agreements signed between the U.S. government and BiH government.

· Budget costs should be grouped into the following categories:

· Speaker Travel (transportation costs, lodging, meals, and incidentals).

· Speaker Honorarium ($200 per day that speaker is in Bosnia and Herzegovina and working – speaking, consulting, giving an interview. Honorarium should not be provided on rest days or on days when a speaker is engaged in cultural or tourism activities).

Please note that the following are permitted, but due to the nature of the U.S. Speaker and Specialist Grants Program and duration, are expected to be minimal:

· Personnel costs (salaries for staff who already work for your organization, fees for project manager, project coordinator/assistant, and/or accountant).

· Fringe (social and pension insurance contributions).

· Other direct costs: (please describe other costs directly associated with the project, which do not fit in the other categories. For example: office rent, utilities, phone/fax/internet, office supplies, bank charges, etc.).

· Alcohol, entertainment, or “miscellaneous” expenses are not allowed.

· Costs incurred before the grant period start date will not be reimbursed.

Grant funds may not be used for the following:

· Printing or promotion of books or manuscripts

· Ongoing salary costs

· Office equipment

· Paying to complete activities begun with other funds

· Projects that are inherently political in nature or that contain the appearance of partisanship/support to individual or single-party electoral campaigns.

· Partisan political activity. (Note: non-partisan election education and public information activities are allowable.)

· Fundraising campaigns

· Commercial or trade activities

· Citizen exchange programs

· Funding of charitable activity and humanitarian aid, commercial projects, or fundraising campaigns.

Please note: All program, travel, and visit logistics are the responsibility of the grantee.

D4. Application Instructions: Please read carefully and complete each question as instructed. Omitting any of the requested information will delay the review of your proposal and may result in it being eliminated from consideration.

1. Applicant’s Contact Information:

· Implementing organization or individual: For organizations, specify the officially registered name of the organization.

· Contact person and title: Name and the title of the person who is authorized to sign official documents, if different from the Project Coordinator. You may state the name of the Project Coordinator too.

· Address/Postal Code and City.

· Phone number.

· E-mail: Please include both the general email address for your organization and the email address of the project coordinator or person who is authorized to sign official documents.

2. Basic Information about the Proposal:

· Project title

· Amount requested (USD)/Amount of cost share (USD)/Total cost (USD): Please list the amount of funding requested from the Embassy. If there is a cost share (another organization covering part of the total cost of the project), please list the amount here. Please list the total cost of the project which you get when you add the amount you request from U.S. Embassy and amount of cost share.

3. Elevator pitch: In 50 words or less, describe what your project is designed to accomplish and why it should receive support from the U.S. Embassy.

4. Definition of situation: Clearly identify the problem or issue that your speaker or specialist program or visit will address. Please explain what causes the problem or issue, and what aspect the speaker program will address.

5. Project outcomes: Please explain how you want to solve this problem by explaining the potential outcomes of your speaker program. Outcome is defined as the impact or change in a participant’s knowledge, skills and/or attitudes as well as the longer-term effect on their organization or community. For example, a short-term impact of the training may be that attendees learned enough to be willing to run for office. A long-term outcome may be that more young people are elected to public office. Please note, we are seeking proposals that go beyond just building awareness.

6. Description of project activities: Explain the activities and events the speaker will engage with to reach the desired outcome.

7. Activity locations: List the conferences, symposia, lectures, events, and locations (cities/towns/communities) in BiH where the project activities will take place.

8. Project beneficiaries: Describe the anticipated beneficiaries of your project, including estimated number, age range, and profile, i.e., “approximately 50 entrepreneurs in Capljina, ages 25-40” or “about 100 high school students in Rogatica.”

9. Project schedule and timeline: Note your project duration and give an overview of the schedule. If you have a specific timeframe, please list the dates, and explain why your project must take place within that timeframe. Please note that grant money could be received any time between July and September 2024, depending on the U.S. budget cycle.

10. Project partners: If you are implementing your project jointly with any other organizations, please list the names and type of involvement of those partner organizations. A partner organization is an organization with which you work to develop and implement the project. Partner organizations also need to obtain UEI numbers.) Please note that contractors you engage to deliver goods or services, such as trainers, web developers, or suppliers, are NOT partner organizations.

11. Anticipated outputs of the project: Output is defined as the direct and tangible results of the project activities (number of entrepreneurs trained, number of university students spoken to, number of media interviews given, etc.).

12. Monitoring and evaluation plan: If possible, the proposal should outline in detail how project success and impact will be determined. We understand that this may not follow the trajectory of a “normal” monitoring and evaluation plan. Please include how you intend to measure the success of the speaker – this could involve pre- and post-event surveys of participants; it could also include evidence that your program led to observable change. In certain circumstances, we will consider proposals that incorporate evaluation activities that take place more than a year after the initial grant award. We encourage you to consider the following examples of indicators to use when evaluating your project:

· Participant satisfaction with the event.

· Participant learning, such as increased knowledge, aptitude, skills, and changed understanding and attitude. Learning includes both substantive (subject-specific) learning and mutual understanding.

· Participant attitudes and perceptions of a particular issue, as measured through pre- and post-event surveys.

· Participant behavior, such as concrete actions to apply knowledge in work or community; greater participation and responsibility in civic organizations; interpretation and explanation of experiences and new knowledge gained; continued contacts between participants, community members, and others.

· Institutional changes, such as increased collaboration and partnerships, policy reforms, new programming, and organizational improvements.

· Please note: Consideration should be given to the appropriate timing of data collection for each level of outcome. For example, satisfaction is usually captured as a short-term outcome, whereas behavior and institutional changes are normally considered longer-term outcomes. In certain circumstances, we will consider proposals that incorporate evaluation activities that take place more than a year after the initial grant award. Such plans should be included in the monitoring and evaluation plan of the proposal.

13. Project publicity: Please describe how you plan to publicize the speaker and their engagements through traditional media and/or social media. If your plans include inviting U.S. Embassy representatives to attend or media to cover one or more project activities, please describe those plans.

14. Project sustainability: If applicable, please explain your plans for follow-up activities after the grant period ends to maximize project impact. Example: “After the conference, lecture attendees will continue to meet and serve as a support network to each other, as well as mentor others.”

15. Background of implementing organization or individual: Organizations should briefly explain the mission of the organization, date of registration, number of employees, their work experience, number of volunteers, past and current programs implemented, as well as its technical and management capacity. Please briefly explain what internal controls and procedures you have put in place to manage grant funds. Individuals should briefly explain their past work in this area and their qualification(s) to implement a program of this sort; they should also provide the above-requested information about the organization(s) and/or institution(s) that they intend to partner with while in BiH.

16. Key personnel: The speaker or specialist to be brought to BiH should be listed; a copy of their CV should be submitted along with the program application. Organizations should list the names, titles and roles of key personnel involved in the project, including organization staff and any experts or trainers you will engage to implement the project. Give a brief overview (1-2 sentences) of the implementing organization or individual’s experience/qualifications. What proportion of their time will be used in support of your project?

17. Previous U.S. government funding: Indicate whether the implementing organization or individual has received previous funding from the U.S. government. If so, please state the name of the project, the year, and the amount of funding for each project.

18. Detailed budget: Present the budget in the form of a spreadsheet, in USD amounts, dividing the budget into the categories delineated in the application. Ensure that your stated project activities are properly budgeted based on reasonable market price for personnel, fringe, travel, contractual services, supplies, and other direct costs. The ratio between administrative costs (personnel, fringe, and other direct costs) and program costs (travel, supplies and contractual) will be a factor in the evaluation of the proposal. Cost sharing is not required, and the absence of cost sharing will not in any way impact evaluation of the project. However, if the Recipient includes cost sharing in the project proposal, then the Recipient is accountable for providing it. In the event the Recipient does not provide the minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the Recipient’s approved budget, the government contribution may be reduced in kind. The Recipient may present cost sharing on voluntary basis including in-kind contributions.

19. Budget narrative: Please explain your budget in narrative form, detail speaking engagements, notional schedule, personnel duties, list names of trainers/moderators/experts and project staff and break down travel and lodging costs (i.e., how many people, how many overnights, cost per person per day).

E. HOW TO APPLY FOR REQUIRED REGISTRATIONS

All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain the following registration which is free of charge:

• www.SAM.gov registration which will generate a UEI

Any applicant with an exclusion in the System for Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.”

The Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards. SAM.gov is the Federal government's primary database for complying with FFATA reporting requirements. OMB designated SAM.gov as the central repository to facilitate applicant and recipient use of a single public website that consolidates data on all federal financial assistance. Under the law, it is mandatory to register in SAM.gov.

The UEI will be assigned when an organization registers or renews its SAM registration. To access SAM.gov an organization is required to have a Login.gov account. Organization can create an account at https://login.gov/. As a reminder, organizations need to renew their sam.gov registration annually.

www.sam.gov requires all entities to renew their registration once a year to maintain an active registration status in SAM.gov. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure it has an active registration in SAM.gov.

If an organization plans to issue a sub-contract or sub-award, those sub-awardees must also have a unique entity identifier (UEI number). Those entities can register for a UEI only at SAM.gov.

If an organization does not have an active registration in SAM.gov the grant will not be signed with that organization. If you experience difficulties in registering in SAM during the process of applying, you may send us the screenshot as the proof that you already started the SAM registering process. All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations, the latter are free of charge.

However, if you experience any problem in registering in SAM.gov use the following link to register for live chat, so the SAM administrators can answer your questions. Working hours for this service are from Monday through Friday after 14:00.

IMPORTANT: Please be informed that DUNS was replaced by UEI which will be assigned by sam.gov.

A CAGE/NCAGE number is no longer needed to register in SAM.gov! *

*Only organizations which plan to do business with the Department of Defense (DOD) will be issued a CAGE code or be required to obtain an NCAGE number. When registering in SAM.gov, organization must self-select whether it plans to submit proposals to DOD. Only if an organization indicates “yes” will it be issued a CAGE code or be prompted to enter its NCAGE number.

If you are planning to respond to this call, please carefully follow instructions how to register in SAM and select “NO” if asked whether you plan to submit proposal to Department of Defense (DOD.)

F. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

All proposals will be evaluated by the U.S. Speaker and Specialist Grants Program review panel on the below criteria:

· Quality and feasibility of the project idea: The proposal is well developed, innovative and offers creative solutions with all necessary details about how the speaker’s activities will be carried out (location, number of participants, events to organize, media coverage, etc.) and the speaker or specialist’s qualifications for the proposed project idea.

· Outcomes: Project clearly identifies goals and objectives of the project and is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving proposed results.

· Organizational capacity and record on previous grants: The organization or individual demonstrates expertise and the ability to perform the proposed activities.

· Budget: Budget and narrative justification are completed and reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results.

· Monitoring and evaluation: When possible, the proposal outlines in detail how project success and impact will be determined. This will include methods to measure project impact and/or indicators/milestones to indicate project progress towards achieving the outcomes outlined in the proposal.

· Sustainability: When possible, the proposal outlines sustainability of the project. Project activities should continue to have a positive impact after the end of the project. Proposals should explain this future impact and/or sustainability of the project.

· Geographic diversity: The proposal includes participants and audiences from smaller communities outside the major cities of BiH.

G. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

G.1. Federal Award Notices The grant award will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer and the grants management team. The Recipient may only start incurring project expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grant Officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document, and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email.

Funding decisions are contingent on the availability of funds. Total amount for this program may not exceed 50,000 USD. The U.S. Embassy reserves the right to cancel this Notice of Funding Opportunity at any time without any commitment to any applicant.

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.

Payment Method: The payment of the award amount will be affected in one or two installments. A certain percentage of the total award amount up to 50% of the total award amount will be paid immediately after signing the grant and submission of the valid bank account by Recipient. However, if the project implementation requires a percentage of advance payment higher than 50%, the Public Diplomacy Section will make a payment based on the Recipient’s justification. The rest will be paid upon submission of the interim and final program and financial reports by Recipient. Each award document will contain detailed payment information.

G2. Terms and Conditions Before applying, applicants may wish to 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 200, 2 CFR 600, Certifications and Assurances, and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, all of which are available at:

https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/. Note the U.S Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.

G3. Reporting Requirements Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award document will specify the forms and how often these reports must be submitted.

FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

The U.S. Embassy receives hundreds of proposals and takes time to carefully review each application. We expect to inform applicants of the status of their proposals approximately 3-6 months from the closing date of this Notice of Funding Opportunity. Funding decisions are contingent on the availability of funds. The U.S. Embassy reserves the right to cancel this Notice of Funding Opportunity at any time without any commitment to any applicant.

For more information about the program, please contact us by email: SarajevoPDSGrants@state.gov.