Notice of Funding Opportunity for CPC Partnership Programming in Romania.pdf

U.S. Department of State Notice of Funding Opportunity:

Child Protection Compact (CPC) Partnership

Federal Awarding Agency: U.S. Department of State

Program Office: Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in

Persons, International Programs Section

Funding Opportunity Title: Child Protection Compact (CPC) Partnership

Programming in Romania

Announcement Type: CPC Partnership Notification of Funding

Opportunity

Funding Opportunity: DFOP0016624

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 19.019

Deadline for Applications: 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, 18 July 2024

Total Funding Floor: $1,000,000

Total Funding Ceiling: $10,000,000

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) announces an open competition for projects in support of a forthcoming Child Protection Compact (CPC) Partnership between the United States and the Government of Romania. The CPC Partnership is jointly developed and implemented by the United States and the Government of Romania through a multi-year plan (at least five years). The purpose of the CPC is to strengthen Romanian government and civil society efforts to prevent child trafficking in Romania; effectively investigate, prosecute, and convict perpetrators of child trafficking; proactively identify, protect, and provide comprehensive, trauma-informed care for child victims; and promote effective collaboration to combat child trafficking. The United States has previously signed CPC Partnerships with the Governments of Ghana (2015), the Philippines and Peru (2017), Jamaica (2018), Mongolia (2020), and Colombia and Cote d’Ivoire (2022). More information is available at: https://www.state.gov/child-protection-compact-partnerships/.

U.S.-Romania CPC Partnership goal: The Government of Romania combats forced child labor and child sex trafficking in a coordinated, victim-centered, and proactive manner that addresses targeted risk factors, ensures comprehensive victim protection, and effectively investigates, prosecutes, and convicts child traffickers. The anticipated overarching objectives (pending the signing of the CPC Partnership) are:

Objective 1 (Prevention): The Government of Romania coordinates with civil society on child trafficking prevention efforts to reduce the influence of risk factors and vulnerabilities leading to victimization through trafficking in persons.

Objective 2 (Protection): The Government of Romania supports child trafficking victims directly by providing accessible, trauma-informed, and victim-centered care and by supporting local civil society working on protection throughout the country.

Objective 3 (Prosecution): Justice sector actors utilize trafficking-specific legal frameworks to identify child trafficking victims, investigate cases, and prosecute and convict perpetrators of child trafficking in a child-friendly, victim-centered and trauma-informed manner.

Objective 4 (Partnership): The Government of Romania addresses child trafficking in a coordinated manner across all relevant national and county authorities as well as with civil society.

The TIP Office will allocate funding for anti-child trafficking projects in Romania through an open, competitive process. Applicants are invited to submit a project narrative (no more than 5 pages in length) that includes a situational assessment of child trafficking in Romania, identifies existing key gaps and potential intervention points, and details previous work the organization has conducted on child trafficking and child protection in Romania. Proposals should also document existing relationships the applicant (and when applicable, sub-applicants) holds with relevant entities within the Government of Romania. Applicants should not propose specific activities; an implementation plan will be created and validated at a later date based on a joint U.S. government and Government of Romania co-creation process following grantee selection. Applicants are required to submit at least one letter of intent to cooperate from a relevant Government of Romania entity. Applicants must also submit a budget summary and resumes/CVs for key personnel (see Section D: Application and Submission Information).

Applicants should develop proposals that demonstrate their organization’s knowledge of the child trafficking situation in Romania, key gaps and intervention points; as well as their capacity to work with the U.S. government, Government of Romania, and other stakeholders to implement a successful CPC Partnership.

Upon technical and proposal review and successful negotiation, the TIP Office will select applicant(s) and sign award(s) requiring that awardee(s) convene with the U.S. Government and the Government of Romania within 90 days of signing the award to develop an implementation plan to achieve the goal and objectives of the CPC Partnership. Once the implementation plan is finalized, awardee(s) will be required to submit a revision to their proposal within 30 days that includes updated project narrative and budget summaries to reflect the planned activities in the implementation plan, which will be formalized as an award update through an amendment. Additional documents in the award revision include: monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) plans; timelines; risk mitigation and contingency plans; a line-item budget; and a budget narrative. Continuation of the award will be contingent upon successful negotiation of these additional elements, including the implementation plan.

Applicants should develop proposals that cover the entire funding amount they propose for a multi-year program, with the maximum award amount set at $10,000,000 (USD) for up to five (5) years, understanding that the final budget and proposal narrative will be revised post-award via amendment to reflect activities from the implementation plan agreed by both partner governments.

Applicants may submit proposals that align with all four objectives or focus on a specific objective or a subset of the objectives, depending on the expertise of the organization. If submitting a proposal that focuses on specific objectives, budgets must reflect an appropriate distribution of funds across the smaller number of objectives (i.e., the TIP Office will not award the total award ceiling of funds to a project that only addresses two of the four objectives). The TIP Office reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal activities in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds.

The TIP Office recognizes the value and importance of partnerships and collaborative efforts in anti-trafficking work. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that reflect partnerships among organizations and are expected to work collaboratively with relevant government ministries and authorities to coordinate with related activities supported by other donors. Applicants are strongly encouraged to form consortia to bring together organizations with varied expertise to propose a comprehensive project in one proposal.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 USC 7101 et seq.), as amended (TVPA), established the TIP Office in the U.S. Department of State. The TIP Office leads the United States’ global engagement on the fight against human trafficking and seeks partnerships with foreign governments, civil society organizations, and multilateral organizations to combat human trafficking through the “3P” paradigm: prosecuting traffickers through victim-centered law enforcement, protecting trafficking victims through proactive identification and comprehensive, trauma-informed care, and preventing trafficking in persons. The TIP Office also recognizes the importance of partnerships and collaborative efforts with relevant governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders in anti-trafficking work. TIP Office programs and projects combat human trafficking—a crime involving the exploitation of someone for the purposes of forced labor or services or a commercial sex act through the use of force, fraud, or coercion—in all its forms.

Forms of human trafficking include sex trafficking, child sex trafficking, commercial online child sexual exploitation, forced labor, forced child labor, domestic servitude, forced criminality, and the unlawful recruitment or use of child soldiers through force, fraud, or coercion. It should be noted that under U.S.

law when a person younger than 18 is used to perform a commercial sex act, it is a crime regardless of whether there is any force, fraud, or coercion.

The U.S. government defines “severe forms of trafficking in persons” as:

• Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or

• The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

Trafficking in persons does not require the movement of a person. Individuals may be trafficking victims regardless of whether they once consented, they participated in unlawful acts their traffickers compelled them to commit, someone transported them into the exploitative situation, or they were simply born into a state of servitude. The TIP Office will not support projects that use alternate definitions of trafficking in persons.

The TVPA requires that the Department of State submit to Congress an annual report assessing the efforts of governments to address trafficking in persons. The annual Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report) is the primary tool for the Department’s engagement with other governments on human trafficking and informs U.S. policy and assistance priorities to combat this crime. The 2023 TIP Report is available at: https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.

Since 2000, when the United Nations adopted the Palermo Protocol and the United States enacted the TVPA, the number of parties to the Protocol has reached 178. Only 14 of the 188 countries and territories assessed in the Department of State’s 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report have yet to become parties. In addition, 154 countries have criminalized all forms of trafficking, and many countries have established specialized law enforcement units, set up trafficking victim assistance mechanisms, and launched public awareness campaigns. Nonetheless, the number of victims identified and assisted, and the number of traffickers investigated, prosecuted, and convicted remain low relative to the size of the problem. Governments also face continued challenges in effectively implementing new anti-trafficking legal and policy frameworks.

The TIP Office works to address these challenges in a number of ways, including through its foreign assistance programs. Information on U.S. government anti-https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/ trafficking efforts is available at https://www.state.gov/humantrafficking/ and a summary of all CPC Partnerships is available at https://www.state.gov/child-protection-compact-partnerships/.

The TIP Office’s preference is to avoid duplicating past efforts by supporting new and creative approaches. This does not exclude from consideration projects that improve upon or expand existing successful projects in a new and complementary way.

Applicants are expected to submit proposals that reflect an understanding of victim-centered, trauma-informed, and survivor-informed approaches to anti-trafficking programming. Applicants should also include these approaches in any plans for direct engagement with individuals with lived experience of human trafficking. If possible, applicants are encouraged to work with and/or consult individuals with lived experience of human trafficking in the development of their applications or express how this would be incorporated into the co-creation in the technical approach of projects. When relevant for the proposal, applicants are expected to reflect the provision of comprehensive services to victims of trafficking. The TIP Office defines these concepts as follows:

“Victim-centered approach” is placing the crime victim’s priorities, needs, and interests at the center of the work with the victim; providing nonjudgmental assistance, with an emphasis on self-determination, and assisting victims in making informed choices; ensuring that restoring victims’ feelings of safety and security is a priority and safeguarding against policies and practices that may inadvertently re-traumatize victims. A victim-centered approach should also incorporate a trauma-informed, survivor-informed, and culturally competent approach.

“Trauma-informed approach” recognizes signs of trauma in individuals and the professionals who help them and responds by integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, practices, and settings. This approach includes an understanding of the vulnerabilities and experiences of trauma survivors, including the prevalence and the physical, social, and emotional impact of trauma. A trauma-informed approach places priority on restoring the survivor’s feelings of safety, choice, and control. Programs, services, agencies, and communities can be trauma-informed.

https://www.state.gov/humantrafficking/ https://www.state.gov/child-protection-compact-partnerships/ https://www.state.gov/child-protection-compact-partnerships/

“Survivor-informed approach” is a program, policy, intervention, or product that is designed, implemented, and evaluated with intentional leadership, expertise, and input from a diverse community of survivors to ensure that the program, policy, intervention, or product accurately represents their needs, interests, and perceptions.

“Comprehensive services” are an array of services that should be made available to a trafficking victim, including emergency and medium-term assistance. At a minimum, these services include: shelter; case management and follow-up; safety planning; crisis intervention; victim advocacy; legal assistance; physical and mental health treatment, including individual and group counseling; support in family reunification and community reintegration; medical care; dental care;

substance abuse treatment; assistance with educational and/or vocational needs;

life skills training; transportation; and other necessary services.

Applicants may only submit one proposal as the prime applicant in response to this funding opportunity. The U.S. government may: (a) reject any or all applications, (b) accept other than the lowest cost application, (c) accept more than one application, and (d) waive irregularities in applications received.

The U.S. government may engage in discussions and/or negotiations with applicants before making final award(s). Therefore, each initial application should contain the applicant’s best terms from a cost and technical standpoint.

Any funds awarded under this funding opportunity will be provided through a grant or cooperative agreement. The distinction between grants and cooperative agreements revolves around the provision of “substantial involvement” or greater participation between the federal government – in this case the TIP Office – and the recipient during the award’s period of performance. Examples of substantial involvement can include, but are not limited to, reviewing and approving some or all project materials, training curricula, and evaluation plans. Projects funded by resources leveraged from other donors are not subject to TIP Office approval.

To maximize the impact and sustainability of the award(s) that result from this funding opportunity, the TIP Office retains the right to execute non-competitive continuation amendment(s). The total duration of any award, including potential non-competitive continuation amendments, shall not exceed 60 months, or five years. Any non-competitive continuation is contingent on performance and pending availability of funds. A non-competitive continuation is not guaranteed, and the Department of State reserves the right to exercise or not to exercise this option.

CPC PARTNERSHIP IMPLEMENTING PARTNER(S) SELECTION OVERVIEW

The required templates and guidelines for submitting applications are available on MyGrants and Grants.gov. More information and answers to commonly asked questions can also be found on the TIP Office website. Following a technical review, each proposal will undergo a thorough, substantive review (see Section E - ‘Application Review Information’ below). The TIP Office makes the final selection of the applicant(s) to award. Funding for the selected applicant(s) is contingent upon the availability of funds and the applicant(s)’s willingness and ability to collaborate with the U.S. government and the Government of Romania within 90 days of signing the award to develop a CPC Partnership implementation plan. The selected applicant(s) will then submit additional documents that reflect the decisions made during this period.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

Organizations eligible to apply include U.S.-based and foreign non-profits, non-governmental organizations (including faith-based organizations), public international organizations (PIOs), institutions of higher education, and for-profit entities. Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process. Additionally, the Department of State prohibits profit to for-profit or commercial organizations under its assistance awards. Profit is defined as any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs. The allowability of costs incurred by commercial organizations is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR 30, Cost Accounting Standards Administration, and 48 CFR 31 Contract Cost Principles and Procedures.

While foreign governments are not eligible to apply, governments may be beneficiaries of programs provided that funding does not pay salaries of government agency personnel and that such assistance is not restricted by U.S.

law or policy.

The eligibility requirements for applying to this funding opportunity do not restrict applicants from receiving other sources of funding from the United States government, including funding from other bureaus within the Department of State. However, the applicant must provide information on any work conducted with U.S. government funding related to human-trafficking issues or relevant cross-cutting issues (e.g., child protection, health, education, labor, gender, etc.)

within the project narrative.

Applicants should have existing active partnerships with thematic or in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders, including government interlocutors, private sector actors, and local civil society organizations and/or non-governmental organizations. Applicants should have demonstrable experience in administering successful projects, preferably in child trafficking or related areas, in Romania. The TIP Office reserves the right to request additional background information on applicants that do not have previous experience administering federal grant awards, and these applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis.

Under this funding opportunity, applicants may form a consortia and partner with other organizations to implement and carry out project activities. Applicants proposing to partner with other organizations must clearly identify the lead applicant, and the applicant may designate one or more partner organizations as sub-recipients. Applicants are required to partner with at least one local Romanian organization. For the purposes of this funding opportunity, a partner organization is any organization that would receive sub-award funding from a successful applicant to help the applicant organization implement anti-trafficking projects. All mandatory terms and conditions for a successful applicant also apply to any sub-awards awarded.

The TIP Office is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all its projects and activities. The TIP Office welcomes applications irrespective of race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status.

The TIP Office encourages proposals that advance racial equity and support and promote equitable representation of underserved communities.

“Race Equity” is defined as the condition where one’s race identity has no influence on how one fares in society. Race equity is one dimension of racial justice and includes the elimination of policies, practices, attitudes, and cultural messages that reinforce unjustified differential outcomes by race.

“Underserved Communities” is defined as populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life. In the international context, the terms “marginalized populations” and “vulnerable populations” are often used and may include, but are not limited to, women and girls, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, people of African descent, racial and ethnic minorities, refugees and internally displaced people, religious minorities, LGBTQI+ persons, rural residents, migrants, as well as those who are otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package

All applications must be fully submitted via MyGrants (formerly SAMS-Domestic) (https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants) by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 18 July 2024. All application documents must be submitted in English. The TIP Office will NOT accept proposals or updated documents submitted by any other method, including email, fax, the postal system, delivery companies, couriers, or U.S. embassies. Each organization should submit their application once.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to initiate electronic applications early in the application development process and to submit the application in advance of the deadline. This will aid in addressing any problems with submission prior to the application deadline. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps to submit applications on MyGrants.

Applications Submitted Through MyGrants (formerly SAMS Domestic) https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants

Organizations using MyGrants for the first time must register on the MyGrants site to create a New Applicant account as soon as possible. This application step must be completed before an application can be submitted.

To register with MyGrants, follow the “create an account” link and complete the “MyGrants User Registration Request” application form. Users will receive an email requesting account verification. This verification step must be completed before an application can be submitted. If the applicant has previously received funding from the Department of State, please contact JTIPGrants@state.gov after the user account has been created to ensure the account is associated with the correct organization. If an applicant has not previously received funding from the Department of State, the TIP Office cannot associate a new account in MyGrants to an organization. Please note a new user account does not need to be associated with an organization in order to submit an application. Electronic applications submitted via MyGrants must contain completed SF-424 online forms and documents specified in this funding opportunity.

To upload the application, go to MyGrants (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com/mygrants), select “Apply,” then “Funding Opportunities,” and select the “Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Programs” funding opportunity. Select the “Apply Here” button, enter the applicant organization’s information, and click Save. Complete each section of the application in the corresponding section of the Additional Documents to Be Submitted Tab: SF 424 Information (SF-424, SF-424 A, SF-42B if applicable); Project Narrative (applicants MUST type within the grey box);

Summary Budget; Resumes and CVs for Key Personnel; Letters of Intent to Cooperate; and a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) (if applicable).

Please ensure that you select the box, “allow anyone in my organization to edit this application,” to ensure members of your organization have access to edit this application.

Please review the MyGrants recipient training at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pUKQ6gRmi0 to answer any questions about the platform.

mailto:JTIPGrants@state.gov https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants)%22%20/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pUKQ6gRmi0

For assistance with MyGrants, please contact the ILMS Support Desk at 1-(888)- 313-4567 (toll free for international callers) or submit a ticket using the ILMS Self Service Portal (https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home). Customer Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please note support hours may change on Federal holidays. Direct questions regarding the process of uploading applications to Customer Support. Technical difficulties not resolved by the Support Desk by the time of submission must be fully documented, including a ticket number documenting communication with Customer Support, and reported to the TIP Office at JTIPGrants@state.gov only. Please do not contact any other Department of State personnel.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

All required documents submitted must be written in the English language using documents preferably with one-inch margins formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper only, unless otherwise stated. All documents should use text that is black-colored and size 14 point in Calibri font.

The required project narrative must not exceed the 5-page limit with 14-point Calibri font. Spaces, footnotes, and charts are included within the page limit. Any application that does not submit the required project narrative template with these font restrictions will fail the technical review and will not be considered for funding. All budget figures must be in U.S. dollars.

Applicants are responsible for reviewing and incorporating the Guidelines for Submitting CPC Romania Implementing Partner Selection Proposals when preparing an application. The document includes guidelines for preparing the application. This guidance is available on the TIP Office website, MyGrants, and grants.gov. A video containing information on applying to TIP Office Funding Opportunities can also be found on the TIP Office website:

https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-funding-opportunities/.

Complete applications must also include the following documents to be considered for funding; * indicates a template is required (found on MyGrants):

• Online Forms/Standard Forms – SF 424, SF 424A and SF 424B** https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-funding-opportunities/

• Project Narrative (must type within grey box) – Required template available on MyGrants, 5-page limit with font no less than 14-point in Calibri, Microsoft Word Document.* o Required components of the project narrative include:

Child Trafficking in Romania Situational Assessment

• Provide a brief assessment of the child trafficking problem(s) in Romania.

• Explain existing key gaps and potential intervention points that could be addressed under a CPC partnership.

Applicants are not expected to propose specific activities.

Organizational Capacity

• Provide a description of your organization’s experience, capacities, and qualifications that would enable you (or your partner organization(s), if applicable) to address the partnership objectives stated above in Section A.

• Describe previous work conducted on child trafficking and child protection and how your organization will bring necessary expertise to the project.

• Describe experience administering projects of similar size and scope in Romania, preferably on child-trafficking, and experience administering projects on similar or related subject matter areas in the country (i.e.

education, health, gender, among others.)

Partnerships

• Briefly describe existing relationships your organization

(and when applicable, sub-applicants) holds with relevant entities within the Government of Romania and other Romanian and international stakeholders, including academia, civil society, the private sector, other donors, and international organizations that would advance the goal of the proposed partnership and improve collaboration on the reduction of the prevalence of child trafficking.

• Applicants are required to submit a letter of support from at least one relevant entity of the Government of Romania.

• Proposal Annexes:

o Annex A: Budget Summary* Outline estimated costs for personnel, fringe benefits, travel, and other direct costs your organization would anticipate for a five-year program, recognizing that final budget details will be determined after the CPC Partnership implementation plan is finalized.

o Annex B: Budget Narrative Include a narrative description of each budget category in

Annex A, including discussion some of the items that would be purchased under the category.

o Annex C: Resumes/CVs for Key Personnel Resumes should be no longer than five pages each, including charts, graphs, logos, and images.

o Annex D: NICRA Agreement** o Annex E: Letters of Agreement or Letters of Intent to Cooperate in

Partnership Letters of Intent to Cooperate or Letters of Agreement from civil society partner(s) will be accepted. At least one letter of support from a relevant entity of the Government of Romania is required.

o Annex F: Certification of Training Requirement Applicants must submit a document that contains the following statement undersigned by an official authorized to submit the proposal:

• The applicant hereby certifies that, to the extent practicable, persons or entities providing legal services, social services, health services, or other assistance have completed, or will complete, training in connection with trafficking in persons.

An authorizing official is a supervisor that oversees and manages the staff working with victim assistance in Romania.

In addition, please note that the selected recipient of a TIP Office award is responsible for ensuring the Certification of Training Requirement for all sub-awards, if applicable.

* Applicants must use the required template available on MyGrants ** Required only if applicable

2. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)—

Required

A valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) (formerly the Data Universal Numbering System or DUNS) is required for submission of an application on MyGrants.

Organizations should verify their UEI number or take the steps needed to obtain one as soon as possible. The DUNS number was formally replaced by a UEI (SAM) as of April 3, 2022. MyGrants will be asking for the UEI number in the SF-424 submission and organizations who have existing DUNS numbers need to instead input the UEI number they have been assigned in SAM.GOV in lieu of their pre-existing DUNS number.

All applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov/SAM/) and/or maintain an active registration prior to award issuance.

Selected applicants will be required to have an active registration in SAM.gov.

Organizations must take the necessary steps to renew annually prior to their date of expiration. Before submitting applications, please reactivate any accounts that have become inactive. SAM.gov is a free government-managed website;

applicants are not required to pay to have their organization registered or renewed annually and should be aware there are a number of SPAM emails associated with payment for renewal, along with legitimate payment renewal businesses.

Please note that selected grantees may not make a sub-award to a sub-recipient unless that sub-recipient has obtained and provided to the recipient a UEI. A sub-recipient is not required to be fully registered in SAM.gov but must complete a UEI-only request within SAM.gov.

3. Submission Dates and Times

All applications must be submitted via MyGrants (https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants) by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 18 July 2024. The TIP Office will not accept application materials submitted by any means other than uploading to MyGrants. If an organization experiences difficulty submitting an application near the deadline, their application will only be considered for late acceptance if they open a ticket with the ILMS Support Desk to resolve the problem prior to the deadline. To be competitive under this funding opportunity, applicants must be fully responsive to all directions in this document.

The application process is not complete until the applicant receives notification from MyGrants that its application has been validated and forwarded to the granting agency (TIP Office). Please allow sufficient time for entering the application into these systems and to troubleshoot any issues. It is the responsibility of the applicant to monitor its application to ensure that it is successfully received and validated.

4. Funding Restrictions

The TIP Office will not consider applications that reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated terrorist organization.

Please refer the link for Foreign Terrorist Organizations:

https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/. Project activities whose direct beneficiaries are foreign militaries or paramilitary groups or individuals will not be considered for TIP Office funding given purpose limitations on funding.

The selected applicant will work with the TIP Office to develop an anti-terrorist financing risk assessment.

Construction The TIP Office generally restricts the use of Federal assistance for construction purposes. Construction costs are defined as non-major costs for rearrangement and alteration or reconversion or renovation of facilities. Construction would include ordinary or normal alterations, restoration, or rehabilitation such as any work that modifies buildings and/or grounds. This includes but is not limited to adding, replacing, modifying, relocating, removing, or painting doors, walls, windows, flooring, or the alterations of ceilings, adding on to or dividing existing space or work on any building utility system, electrical, plumbing, ventilation, air conditioning, controls systems, fire alarms, fire sprinklers, security systems and telecommunication equipment. Federal assistance funds cannot be used for capital improvements unless specifically approved in advance by the TIP Office.

Equipment and Supplies https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/

Equipment is herein defined as an article of non-expendable, tangible, personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost in excess of $5,000. Please note, if equipment costs are included in an application, the organization must retain ownership of all equipment obtained throughout the lifetime of the federal award. This includes any equipment funded with cost sharing or matching funds. At the end of the award, the awardee must complete federal SF-428 forms in order for the TIP Office Grants Officer to evaluate whether the item(s) in question be retained, sold, or disposed of without any further obligation to the Department of State.

Supplies are herein defined as all tangible personal property other than those described in Equipment. Note that if there is a residual inventory of unused supplies exceeding $5,000 in total aggregate value upon completion of the project and the supplies are not needed for any other Federal award, your entity must retain the supplies for use on other activities or sell them, but must, in either case, compensate the Department of State for its share. The amount of compensation will be computed in the same manner as for Equipment.

Foreign assistance funds may not benefit countries or entities that are not eligible recipients of United States foreign assistance or for which there are applicable assistance restrictions. Applicants shall work with the Department of State to ensure that any applicable restrictions and requirements are addressed prior to awarding any sub-awards.

In addition, applicants should refer to the U.S. Department of State Policy on the Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment, which is described under the “Administrative and National Policy Requirements” section of this NOFO.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria

Reviewers will evaluate applications based on the merits of each application.

Reviewers will use the below evaluation criteria. Applicants are responsible for reviewing the criteria below to fully understand how applications will be reviewed and evaluated for potential funding:

• Romanian Human Trafficking Situational Assessment: Provide a brief assessment of the child trafficking problem(s) in Romania. Explain existing key gaps and potential intervention points that could be addressed under a CPC partnership. (Applicants are not expected to propose specific activities as an implementation plan will be developed within 90 days of signing the award in collaboration with partner governments and the selected implementing partner(s).)

• Organizational Capacity: Describe the experience, capacities, and qualifications that enable your organization (or your partner organization(s), if applicable) to address defined partnership objectives.

Describe subject matter expertise and how the organization will bring necessary expertise to the project. Please also describe experience administering projects of similar size and scope in Romania, preferably on child-trafficking, and experience administering projects in related areas in the country (i.e. education, health, gender, among others.)

• Partnerships: Briefly describe your organization’s relationships with key Romanian and international stakeholders, including the Government of Romania and other state entities, academia, civil society, the private sector, other funders, and international organizations to advance the goal of the proposed partnership and improve collaboration on the reduction of the prevalence of child trafficking. Applicants are required to submit at least one letter of support from a relevant entity of the Government of Romania.

2. Review and Selection Process

Following the submission deadline, all proposals will be screened to determine whether they meet the technical requirements stated in this announcement. As a reminder, the TIP Office will only consider proposals that meet the specific considerations outlined in Section A of this funding opportunity, and that also meet all the technical requirements.

Applications will be deemed ineligible during the technical review process and will not be considered for funding if they do not use the templates or do not meet the technical review requirements listed in Section D: Application and Submission Information.

Following the technical review, a formal content review of each proposal that passes the technical review will commence. Proposals will be reviewed by members of the TIP Office and by an intra- and interagency review panel. Panel recommendations will be presented to the TIP Office’s Ambassador-at-Large for consideration and final approval. Funding will be notified to Congress before the award is officially signed.

Final award decisions will be influenced by whether the applicant is prepared to convene with the U.S. Government and the Government of Romania within 90 days of signing the award to develop an implementation plan for the CPC Partnership. This implementation plan will be reflected in revisions to the selected applicant(s)’s project narrative and budget summary, and the addition of proposal documents including: monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) plans; timelines; risk mitigation and contingency plans; anti-terrorist financing risk assessment; line-item budget; and budget narrative that will be amended to the award(s).

Please note, except for technical submission questions during the funding process, U.S. Department of State staff in Washington and overseas shall not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire review process has been completed and rejection and approval letters have been transmitted. All questions related to the funding process and content of this funding opportunity must be submitted via email to JTIPGrants@state.gov including the opportunity number in the subject line.

3. Pre-Award Risk Assessment

Applicants will be subject to a TIP Office risk assessment process that may include a pre-award site visit. The assessment may consider a variety of risk factors, including: (1) financial stability of the applicant; (2) quality of management systems and ability to meet prescribed management standards; (3) past performance in managing previous federal awards, if applicable, including compliance with reporting requirements, conformance to the award’s terms and conditions, and the extent to which previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to future awards; (4) reports and findings from available audits;

and (5) applicant ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements applicable to non-federal entities.

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

For any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity, if the Federal awarding agency anticipates that the total Federal share will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold over the period of performance (see §200.01 Simplified Acquisition Threshold), this section must also inform applicants that:

i. The Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the U.S. government designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.gov (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);

ii. An applicant, at its option, may review and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered. Currently, federal agencies create integrity records in the integrity module of the Contractor Performance Assessment and Reporting System (CPARS) and these records are visible as responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov;

iii. The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.206 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

5. Anticipated Federal Award Dates

The TIP Office anticipates making decisions on the applications by 1 September 2024 and will notify all applicants of their proposal status at that time through JTIPGrants@state.gov. All funding decisions are conditional until a final award is signed by both the TIP Office and the applicant selected to receive the award.

Within 90 days of award, the CPC Program Officers will begin coordinating with selected organization(s) and the Government of Romania to begin developing an implementation plan.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

Following the internal review process, applicants can expect to hear from the TIP Office via email regarding the status of their application by 1 September 2024.

However, a letter stating an applicant is chosen for further consideration does not constitute authorization to begin performance on the proposed project. All selected applications are conditional until the funds have officially been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed through internal bureau procedures, and are authorized and awarded by the Grants Officer.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

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

2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 600, Certifications and Assurances, and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, all of which are available at:

https://www.statebuy.state.gov/fa/pages/home.aspx

Note the U.S. Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.

Anti-Prostitution Policy and Requirements: Grantees are required to agree to the following conditions prior to a grant being awarded:

1. None of the funds made available herein may be used to promote, support, or advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be construed to preclude assistance designed to combat trafficking in persons, including programs for prevention, protection of victims, and prosecution of traffickers and others who profit from trafficking in persons, by ameliorating the suffering of, or health risks to, victims while they are being trafficked or after they are out of the situation that resulted from such victims being trafficked.

https://www.statebuy.state.gov/fa/pages/home.aspx

2. The recipient shall insert this provision in all sub-agreements under this award.

Training Certification: All organizations receiving funds must agree to the following:

• “This organization hereby certifies that, to the extent practicable, persons or entities providing legal services, social services, health services, or other assistance have completed, or will complete, training in connection with trafficking in persons.” The recipient shall insert this provision in all sub-agreements under this award. TVPA §107A(b)(1) (22 U.S.C. §7105A(b)(1)).

Leahy Vetting Requirement: This requirement applies to training or other assistance to be furnished to any unit or individual member of the security forces of a foreign country. Leahy vetting is required when training or assistance is provided to foreign security forces, including when such assistance is provided under a grant or cooperative agreement. Department guidance provides the following information on the type of personnel who are considered security forces and thus must be vetted under Leahy:

• “The Leahy amendment refers to the ‘security forces of a foreign country.’

It makes no distinction between military and civilian. The key is whether the individual is a member of a security force unit. In broad terms, any division or entity (to include an individual) authorized by a State or political subdivision (city, county, etc.) to use force (including but not limited to the power to search, detain, and arrest) to accomplish its mission would be considered a security force. ‘Security forces’ thus could be units of law enforcement or the military. Prison guards, customs police, border police, tax police, and the coast guard would be examples of the types of units included in the category of ‘security forces.’ Members of these types of units should be considered as subject to the Leahy Amendment and be vetted either as individuals or as part of the unit being trained. Examples of persons who are not considered ‘security forces’ include: government bureaucrats, prosecutors, judges, civilian members of NGOs, international organizations or task forces and forensic lab workers.”

Leahy Vetting requirements will be fully outlined in the award agreements for recipients. The vetting process may take considerable time, and applicants should plan training activities with sufficient time for vetting to be completed. All successful applicants, including prior grantees, will be required to complete a Leahy Vetting training module (https://www.state.gov/key-topics-office-to-monitor-and-combat-trafficking-in-persons/#leahy) prior to the award of new projects.

Never Contract with the Enemy: This requirement refers to a law that was codified in 2 CFR Part 183, which prohibits funding persons or entities that are actively opposing United States or coalition forces involved in a contingency operation in which members of the Armed Forces are actively engaged in hostilities. If applicant is on the current list of prohibited or restricted persons or entities in SAM Exclusions, then this would prohibit that applicant from receiving an award. Furthermore, an award recipient may be terminated if they are found to have used award funds, either directly or indirectly, to the enemy.

Executive Order Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking in Persons in Federal Contracts: Any applicant’s hiring process must be consistent with the U.S.

government’s regulations on preventing human trafficking among federal contractors and grantees, specifically:

• U.S. law and regulations expressly prohibit federal contractors, sub-contractors, grantees, sub-grantees, and their agents/employees from engaging in certain trafficking-related practices, such as misleading or fraudulent recruitment practices; charging employee recruitment fees; and destroying or confiscating employees' identity documents, such as a passport or a driver’s license.

See 22 U.S.C. §1704(g); Federal Acquisition Regulation, 48 C.F.R. §52.222-50 (Combating Trafficking in Persons); see also Federal Acquisition Regulation, 83 FR 65466 (Dec. 20, 2018) (Combating Trafficking in Persons—Definition of “Recruitment Fees”).

U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security: Applicants are encouraged to review the goals of the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security for their relevance to applications. In particular, Outcome 3.3 of the Plan provides guidance on efforts to combat trafficking:

• “Engage with international and/or civil society…