OFOP0001292 - SOI NOFO Round 2.pdf

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Announcement Type: Request for Federal Assistance Award Applications

Funding Opportunity Title:

Drug Demand Reduction Services for Rural Communities

Funding Opportunity Number: OFOP0001292 Program: INL Lima Drug Demand Reduction

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:

19.704 - Counternarcotics

Total Funding Available: $300,000 U.S. Dollars

Funding Source: Post-Funds

Application Ceiling: Up to $300,000 U.S. Dollars

Application Floor: At least $280,000 U.S. Dollars

Anticipated Number of Awards: 1 award

Initial Project Implementation Length: 24-36 months

Estimated Project Start Date: April 3, 2024

NOFO Issuance Date: January 24, 2024

Deadline for Submission of Questions: February 7, 2024 by 11:59 PM EST via email

Deadline for Submission of Applications:

February 23, 2024 by 11:59 PM EST via www.grants.gov

Assistance Type: Cooperative Agreement

Applicant Types and Eligibility Categories:

Only organizations that INL deemed successful in the first phase of this SOI process, as notified by INL via email, are eligible to submit an application to this

NOFO.

http://www.grants.gov/

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This opportunity is NOT open to any new applicants or applicants that were deemed unsuccessful in the first phase of this SOI process, as notified by INL.

INL Points of Contact:

Danielle Parsons (ParsonsDM@state.gov) – GO Jessica Akpan (AkpanJ@state.gov ) – PO

Maria Eugenia Vizcarra (VizcarraME@state.gov – GOR)

BUREAU MISSION

The mission of the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is to keep Americans safe by countering crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad. INL is at the forefront of responding to these challenges and unites these overarching themes through our foreign assistance programs, diplomatic engagement, and policy coordination.

INL’s foreign assistance programs are essential to advancing U.S. policy objectives. INL programs advance the following strategic goals:

1. Disrupt and reduce illicit drug markets and transnational crime to protect Americans and U.S. national security.

2. Combat corruption and illicit financing to strengthen democratic institutions, advance rule of law, and reduce transnational crime and its enablers.

3. Strengthen criminal justice systems to support stable, rights respecting partners.

mailto:ParsonsDM@state.gov mailto:AkpanJ@state.gov mailto:VizcarraME@state.gov

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

F. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

APPENDIX A: PERFORMANCE MONITORING PLAN

APPENDIX B: PROJECT RISK ANALYSIS

APPENDIX C: BUDGET AND BUDGET NARRATIVE

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A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Overview: The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S.

Department of State announces an open competition for invited organizations to submit an application to carry out a project to expand access to substance abuse treatment and prevention for rural and indigenous communities in Peru, using the evidence-based Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC) specialized series for rural intervention from the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP).

Priority Region/Countries: Peru. Projects should focus on rural settings, prioritizing areas with indigenous populations and those vulnerable to criminal activities predominant in remote regions, such as narcotrafficking, illegal mining, illicit logging, and trafficking in persons. The proposal should include a general description of selected regions and communities for the intervention including the geographic setting and demographic characteristics of the target populations, audience, and localities.

Problem Statement: The National Commission for Development and Life without Drugs (known by its Spanish acronym DEVIDA) National Policy Against Drugs to 20301 Priority Objective 3 is “aimed at reducing drug use in vulnerable populations.” While national demand for illegal drugs in Peru remains low compared to other countries in the region2, DEVIDA cites a higher concentration of illicit drug use in certain regions, including the contiguous regions of San Martín, Ucayali, Cusco, and Madre de Dios and in the extreme north and south, Tumbes and Tacna3. Most of these regions are characterized by predominately rural, low-population areas and several are key regions in coca cultivation, cocaine production, and drug trafficking routes.

DEVIDA identifies early initiation of drug use (before the age of 18) and low coverage of therapeutic care for drug addiction treatment as key factors associated with drug use in populations in vulnerable situations. As such, DEVIDA’s priority guidelines are to (1) Prevent drug use, with particular attention to the school-aged population, and (2) Increase the supply of drug addiction treatment services for the entire population, with particular attention to populations in vulnerable situations.

With respect to the National Drug Policy’s goal of preventing drug use among the school-aged and vulnerable populations by 2030, DEVIDA’s 2017 national school drug survey serves as the baseline data. However, DEVIDA has not conducted a follow-up survey since 2017, so there is no available data to confirm if drug prevention interventions in Peru over the last six years have effectively made progress toward the 2030 goals. Likewise, the last national drug use survey covering all age groups in Peru was conducted in 2010. In both surveys, the researchers targeted sample units from urban

1 DEVIDA (2021). National Policy Against Drugs to 2030.

https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/2028724/National%20Policy%20Against%20Drugs%20to%202030.p df.pdf 2 Organization of American States Inter-American Durg Abuse Control Commission (OAS/CICAD). Report on Drug “Use in the Americas 2019.

https://www.oas.org/ext/en/main/documents/publications/moduleid/7650/id/650/lang/1/controller/item/action/do wnload 3 DEVIDA (2019). IV Estudio Nacional de Prevención y Consumo de Drogas en Estudiantes de Secundaria.

https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/2028724/National%20Policy%20Against%20Drugs%20to%202030.pdf.pdf https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/2028724/National%20Policy%20Against%20Drugs%20to%202030.pdf.pdf https://www.oas.org/ext/en/main/documents/publications/moduleid/7650/id/650/lang/1/controller/item/action/download https://www.oas.org/ext/en/main/documents/publications/moduleid/7650/id/650/lang/1/controller/item/action/download

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Over the last eight years, Peru’s Ministry of Health has made significant progress in expanding drug treatment services by establishing community mental health centers (CMHC)4. In Peru, the community health model began to take shape in 2015 with the approval of a new mental health law and the allocation of the first budget dedicated to this area. A fundamental piece of this reform was the creation of CMHCs to decongest the largest hospital centers, clinics, specialized medical centers, and polyclinics. As they provide free care to Peruvians with the Comprehensive Health Insurance and affordable rates for those with other types of insurance, CMHCs are accessible to Peruvians of all income levels and play a crucial role in the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders.

A standard service offering in CMHCs is outpatient rehabilitation programs for Peruvians of all ages to treat addiction to alcohol and illegal drugs. Since the 2015 establishment of the first CMHC, the number of CMHCs has grown to 276 at the end of 2023. However, a 2022 Pan American Health Organization report indicates that in 14 regions – several of which have largely rural and/or Indigenous populations - only 30 to 59 percent of the population has access to a CMHC (1 CMHC per 50,000 inhabitants) and recommends improving access to community mental health services among the most vulnerable populations, the most dispersed, and those with the highest poverty levels.5

Project Vision: This project aims to reduce substance abuse, increase access to treatment of substance use and mental health disorders, and mobilize community resources for effective substance use awareness and prevention programs in rural settings. The project will seek to strengthen capacities and competencies for health personnel, social workers, educators, and other practitioners and build partnerships with Peruvian government entities and policymakers, local and regional authorities, and civil society to develop sustainable community-based prevention, outreach, and treatment services in rural and isolated areas in Peru. Through INL’s partnership, Peru can improve the health and safety of its citizens and protect and provide inclusive opportunities for historically marginalized and vulnerable populations, contributing to a more secure and equitable country and region.

Project Goal(s) and Objectives:

Goal 1: Identify barriers and gaps to substance use prevention and treatment in rural healthcare access and delivery systems, including risks and protection considerations in those communities.

• Objective 1) Assess the prevalence of substance use disorders and drug offenses in targeted rural and indigenous areas.

• Objective 2) Complete a mapping exercise of substance abuse prevention, treatment, and outreach programs and resources available in the targeted area and/or available to the targeted populations.

4 Government of Peru Ministry of Public Health, “Conocer los Centros de Salud Mental Comunitaria en el Peru”, last modified March 2023, https://www.gob.pe/10942 5 Pan American Health Organization (2023). Avances y Desafíos de la Reforma de Salud Mental en el Perú en el Útimo Decenio.

https://www.gob.pe/10942

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• Objective 3) Explore opportunities for expanding access to prevention and substance use services in rural communities and identify barriers to developing relevant interventions.

• Objective 4) Analyze and report on the findings and provide recommendations for incorporating future drug demand reduction programming in the targeted communities, including how to integrate evidence-based approaches with a culturally sensitive approach. Create a strategic baseline assessment with indicators that can be used for future monitoring and evaluation. All of this will be integrated into a report.

Goal 2: Improve collaboration of technical assistance to support and create unique rural outreach initiatives and programs that allow greater access to prevention, treatment, and recovery interventions for isolated communities. Using the results of the needs analysis (under Goal 1):

• Objective 1) Develop professional capacity of health, social work, and other service providers on evidence-based substance use prevention and treatment curricula adapted to the specific needs of rural and Indigenous populations in Peru. The project will incorporate ISSUP UTC 51 Substance Use Awareness and Prevention in Rural Settings, UTC 52 Community Outreach, and UTC 53 Community-based Substance Use Disorders Treatment in Rural Settings.

• Objective 2) Enhance local collaboration for drug use reduction efforts between key national Peruvian government stakeholders, such as National Commission for Development and Life without Drugs (DEVIDA), the Ministry of Health (MINSA), the Ministry of Education (MINEDU), the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights (MINJUS), Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations (MIMP); families; local authorities; education and health sectors; community coalitions; civil society; and private sector, among others.

• Objective 3) Identify and partner with community organizations to promote evidence-based educational campaigns for drug use prevention using various media formats and translate, as needed, to the language and cultural context of the targeted communities.

• Objective 4) Support establishment of community mental health centers and itinerant mental health services and/or the expansion of their services for substance abuse and mental health disorders, while promoting effective clinical governance for the comprehensive provision of services.

Goal 3: Develop a monitoring, evaluation, and data system for the collection of relevant information on substance use and the effectiveness of drug use reduction interventions in rural and Indigenous communities.

• Objective 1) Define a process to work with rural leaders to monitor and assess the need for substance use prevention and treatment services in a strategic manner.

• Objective 2) Develop a data system to focus on local specialized services and needs of the community in geographic and location areas of intervention.

• Objective 3) Explain how to measure performance indicators, outcomes, drug-related cases, reference process, and indicators of drug abuse in rural communities.

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• Objective 4) Monitor local services that meet with the community needs that are sustainable over time.

• Objective 5) Promote a formal process or alternative data sources that can be used to support the monitoring of mental health and substance use needs in rural areas.

Project activities and deliverables:

Goal 1: To complete an analysis of substance use prevention and treatment in rural health-care access and delivery systems, the recipient will:

• Contract with local representatives in targeted region(s) and communities to carry out work, interviews, and build relationships with local authorities, civil society, and service providers.

Each targeted region will have a minimum of one contractor that will be engaged throughout the duration of the program.

• Hold round tables with key stakeholders, partners, and group of experts in public and mental health policies for rural communities.

• Create a communications plan and submit for INL review that defines how to engage key stakeholders, including members of target communities’ representatives, and other organizations for effective coordination, describing the process of achieving success.

• The analysis should include:

o Input from Peruvian government stakeholders, local authorities, civil society, and community groups to consider how substance use prevention and treatment programs operate in rural and isolated areas of Peru, from the perspective not only of the service providers but also from the users of their services.

o Selected interviews with service users who give permission for the interviews to be transcribed.

o Analysis of the framework of mental health and substance use disorders in rural settings.

o Analysis of training needs of health and community service providers.

o Analysis of infrastructure needs for community mental health centers and itinerant mental health services.

o Challenges, effects, and proposed solutions.

o Strategic indicators to measure progress in terms of impact and results towards analysis recommendations in the future.

Goal 2: To improve collaboration of technical assistance to support and create unique rural outreach initiatives and programs that allow greater access to prevention, treatment, and recovery interventions for isolated communities, the recipient will:

• Contract with local or regional representative(s) to carry out training activities in community outreach.

• Work closely with DEVIDA, MINSA, MINEDU, MINJUS, Ministry of Women to plan activities and improve local collaboration for drug use reduction.

• Based on the training needs obtained in the analysis, develop a detailed training plan utilizing UTC 51, UTC 52, and UTC 53, the ISSUP series of specialized rural-based prevention and treatment curriculum for substance use disorders.

• Provide reports of attendance and training materials to INL after each training.

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• Media and outreach materials should be translated and formatted to the language and cultural context of the targeted communities.

Goal 3: To develop a monitoring, evaluation, and data system for the collection of relevant information on substance use and the effectiveness of drug use reduction interventions in rural and Indigenous communities, the recipient will:

• Recipient will have a monitoring and evaluation staff dedicated to the project who, if not based in target communities, will be required to travel occasionally to the target communities.

• Develop a data system for service providers in rural communities to collect, track, and monitor data to assess the effectiveness of prevention and treatment implementations on substance abuse among the targeted audiences.

• Conduct trainings with service providers who will collect data and manage the monitoring and evaluation systems.

General Considerations:

• The recipient, either through contracted or permanent staff, should have a minimum of one native speaker of the language(s) spoken in the targeted communities working on the grant.

• When possible, at least 30% of activity participants should be women.

• Proposals include budgets for monitoring and follow-up activities with beneficiaries after completion of activities to determine the project’s impact.

• Proposals must include a concrete implementation plan with indicators that are measurable, achievable, relevant and reliable, time-bound and trackable, have established baselines, and include at least one impact indicator per objective.

• The grant recipient should take into account that INL will vet and review all proposed programs, instructors, consultants, etc., for conflicts of interest and ethical conduct. INL reserves the right to exclude any proposed instructor/consultant based on this review.

Participants and Audiences: The activity is targeted at Peruvians living in rural areas, mental health professionals, and the local governments who serve those areas. In addition, the program may partially target national authorities and other key decision makers based in Lima (i.e. DEVIDA, MINSA, MINEDU, MINJUS, MIMP). When possible, at least 30% of activity participants should be women.

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

Applicants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate how their project might leverage funding through other organizations.

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B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

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

1. Project Implementation Period

The initial project implementation length is the amount of time (e.g., months) applicants should plan to implement the project. If a range of months is listed, applicants should propose a realistic project length within that range.

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

2. Assistance Type

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

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

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

• Approval of specified key personnel;

• Approval of sub-award recipients (if any), and concurrence on the substantive provisions of the sub-awards; and coordination with other cooperating agencies; and

• Approval of Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

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

3. Funding Notices

This award will be supported with International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (INCLE) funds under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Length of performance period: 24 to 36 months

Anticipated program start date: April 3, 2024

Number of awards anticipated: 1 award (dependent on amounts)

Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $280,000 to a maximum of $300,000

Total available funding: $300,000

Type of Funding: FY 20/21 and FY 21/22 INCLE

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C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicant Types This NOFO is the second phase of an open competition. In stage one of this competition, applicants submitted a concise statement of interest (SOI) communicating their program idea and objectives. After a merit review of eligible SOIs, INL selected the highest-scoring applicants and invited those organizations to expand on their program idea(s) by submitting a full application to this NOFO.

Eligibility for this NOFO is limited to organizations that were directly invited by INL to submit an application.

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

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

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

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

• Foreign-based educational institutions

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

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

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

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

• In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (also known as UEI), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov.

Individuals are not required to have a unique entity identifier or be registered in SAM.gov. Refer to Section D for additional guidance.

• Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. Organizations may form a consortium and submit a combined proposal, however one organization should be designated as the lead applicant and other organization(s) listed as sub-recipient partner(s).

• To be eligible to receive a federal assistance award, organizations must have a commitment to non‐discrimination with respect to beneficiaries and adherence to equal opportunity employment practices. INL is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its programs and activities. INL welcomes applications irrespective of an applicant’s race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status.

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

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

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

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

1. How to Apply and Submit Questions

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

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

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

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

Standard Application Forms

SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – Organizations)

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

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

SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction Programs) – Optional The SF-424B is only required for applicants who are not registered in SAM.gov.

Project Proposal

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

Proposal Narrative – Maximum 20 pages Applicants may use their own proposal template, but it must include all the sections below. Refer to Appendix A for additional guidance on drafting a proposal narrative.

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

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

Executive Summary: Provide a synopsis of the project.

Project Context: Include an analysis of the issue to be addressed, including why it is important to address, what the main causes of the issue are, and who has power to effect change on the issue; suggested approaches and solutions (with evidence to support suggestions); and suggestions for revision to NOFO goals and objectives if needed.

Theory of Change & Implementation Plan: Describe the implementation plan (specific activities to implement suggested solutions); explain how or why they should result in accomplishment of the project goals and objectives (i.e., the theory of change). Projects should be designed such that activities, if implemented according to plan, should result in achievement of program objectives; and objectives, if achieved, should result in achievement of program goals. The Theory of Change should clearly demonstrate this causal logic. Finally, discuss likely challenges to implementation, including any risks of harm to project implementers or participants, along with mitigation strategies.

Gender, Equity, and Inclusion Analysis: Include in your proposal an analysis that addresses the ways in which women, gender diverse persons, and members of other marginalized and underrepresented groups (as specified in the “Participants and Audiences” section above) might affect and be affected differently by your work, including a consideration of their safe and meaningful participation. Strengthen your proposal by incorporating the results of this gender, equity and inclusion analysis into your project design. Include a description of how you will minimize any inequities and identified potential risks.

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

Future Funding Plan/Sustainability: Briefly discuss the plan for ensuring the sustainability of the project (i.e., that the project continues to have impact beyond the grant period) or note if sustainability is unlikely without continued support. Applicants may also include a brief section outlining how additional funds could potentially be used to expand work into additional activities or countries beyond the initial project period.

Performance Monitoring Plan

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

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• Change Map (see template) or equivalent

• Illustrative Performance Indicator Reference Sheet (see template)

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

Note 2: Reporting of performance narratives and indicator data in INL’s DevResults database is required once project implementation is underway.

Note 3: Reporting of financial and performance narratives in INL’s MyGrants System is required once project implementation is underway.

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

Timeline Outline key milestones in the project, project start-up, and closeout, programmatic activities, and monitoring and evaluation activities (e.g., monitoring trips or semi-annual reviews). May be a written schedule and/or a GANTT chart.

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

Biographical Information of Applicant Organization – Maximum 4 pages Introduce the applicant organization, including biographical information such as mission statement, organization size, relevant office location(s), etc.

Provide a summary description of past and present operations, demonstrating the applicant’s ability to carry out the project Describe any experience the organization has in the target country or region Confirm whether the organization is a registered business entity within the target country or region

List of Key Personnel – Maximum 3 pages Names, titles, responsibilities, and relevant experience or qualifications of key personnel involved in the management of the project

Partner Information (if subrecipient) is being proposed) – Maximum 3 pages Introduce and provide relevant information about key partner organizations and sub-recipientss

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

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

Letters of Support – Optional

If desired, applicants may submit letters of support from project partners, host government entities, or other relevant stakeholders

Project Budget and Cost Documents

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

One tab of the spreadsheet shall contain the Summary Budget, which lists the OMB-approved budget categories and total estimated cost per category

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

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

Budget Narrative

The Budget Narrative is a companion document to the summary and detailed budgets, and must be submitted in word document format. A template is included under the Related Documents section of this NOFO announcement on www.grants.gov. Refer to Appendix C for additional guidance on drafting a Budget Narrative.

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

If applicable, proposed recipient cost share must be included in the Budget Narrative, including reference to the source of the cost share

Indirect Costs

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA):

If the applicant has an approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

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

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

10% de minimis Rate:

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The applicant can elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs (MTDC), which is allowable if the organization does not have a current agreement. (Please see Appendix C: Budget and budget narrative for more information regarding the 10% de minimis rate.)

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

History of U.S. Government Federal Assistance Awards This document outlines the applicant organization’s experience with implementing U.S.

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

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

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

Organizational Audit

If the applicant organization is required to undergo an audit (per regulations outlined in 2 CFR 200.500 – Subpart F), a complete copy of the organization’s most-recent audit must be submitted. (The financial statement is not a substitute for a single audit report. The Single audit report is an additional requirement for domestic and foreign organizations that spend $750,000 or more in federal funds in the fiscal year.)

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

Responses to the Pre-Award Risk Survey in reference to the Organizational Audit does not satisfy this requirement. Please provide the required explanation in addition to the Pre-Award Risk Survey.

INL Applicant Pre-Award Risk Survey This risk survey reviews the applicant organization’s financial capacity, policies, and infrastructure. A template is included under the Related Documents section of this NOFO announcement on www.grants.gov.

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

3. Document Formatting

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

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

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All documents are in English

All budgets are in U.S. dollars

All pages are numbered

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

All Word documents are, at minimum, single-spaced with 12 point Calibri font and 1-inch margins

4. Required Entity and Account Registrations for Applicants

All prospective applicant organizations must register and/or maintain active registration in the systems outlined below in order to submit an application to this NOFO.

Organizations that are first-time applicants may need to register and/or create accounts in these systems. INL encourages prospective applicants to initiate these registrations as soon as possible. Applicants that have previously applied to other opportunities may already have registrations and/or accounts in the necessary systems, though applicants should ensure their registrations are active.

Registration in these systems is free of charge; Applicants will never be asked to pay a fee to register or submit an application in these systems.

Unique Entity Identifier Organizations must have a UEI which will be automatically assigned by SAM.gov.

• If your organization does not have a UEI already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866- 705-5711 or submitting a request at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

Effective April 4, 2022, the DUNS Number will be replaced by the Unique Entity Number (UEI) as the primary means of entity identification for all federal awards U.S. government wide. A DUNS number is no longer required for federal assistance applications. For more information, please go to the following link: https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp

NCAGE Code Organizations physically located outside the United States and its territories must also register for an NCAGE code. This request can be completed simultaneously with a UEI request. (Note:

CAGE codes for US-based entities will be automatically assigned in SAM.gov).

• NCAGE application: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx

• NCAGE application instructions:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%2 0NCAGE.pdf

Help with NCAGE Code registration issues:

• Call 1-888-227-2423 (callers within the U.S.)

• Call 1-269-961-7766 (callers outside the U.S.)

• Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf mailto:NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil

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System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Prior to submitting an application in grants.gov, organizations must register in SAM.gov and/or ensure that their SAM.gov registration is active. Organizations are required to renew their SAM.gov registration annually.

• Initiate the registration or renewal process at https://www.SAM.gov. Select “Entity Registration” to begin the registration or renewal request.

• First-time applicants should initiate the SAM.gov registration after receiving their UEI and, if applicable, NCAGE Code (for foreign organizations). CAGE codes will be automatically assigned to US-based organizations.

Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.

• Organizations based in the United States or that pay employees within the United States will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, and a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov.

• Organizations based outside of the United States and that do not pay employees within the United States do not need an EIN from the IRS, but do need a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov.

• Please note that as of December 2022, organizations based outside of the United States that do not intend to apply for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awards are no longer required to have a NATO CAGE (NCAGE) code to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities. If an applicant organization is mid-registration and wishes to remove a CAGE or NCAGE code from their SAM.gov registration, the applicant should submit a help desk ticket (“incident”) with the Federal Service Desk (FSD) online at www.fsd.gov using the following language: “I do not intend to seek financial assistance from the Department of Defense. I do not wish to obtain a CAGE or NCAGE code. I understand that I will need to submit my registration after this incident is resolved in order to have my registration activated.”

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

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

Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO plan to do business with the DoD in addition to Department of State should follow the below instructions:

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

NCAGE Homepage:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/sc/CageList.aspx NCAGE Code Request Tool (NCRT):

https://www.sam.gov/

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Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in SAM.gov is not eligible to apply for an assistance award. Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM.gov to ensure that no ineligible entity is included in their proposal.

D.3.1 Exemptions An exemption from these requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if:

• 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 makes a determination 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.

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

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

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

Help with grants.gov registrations and application submission:

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

• Call +1 800-518-4726

• Email support@grants.gov

It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that its application was submitted in www.grants.gov correctly. INL bears no responsibility for errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes associated with application submissions. If applicants are unable to resolve technical issues in the system, they should email the INL points of contact listed on the first page(s) of this NOFO with an explanation of the issue and proof of attempts to resolve it (e.g., emails with grants.gov support). INL Grants Office will then determine whether the applicant is allowed to submit application materials via email.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Technical Evaluation Criteria

A technical evaluation committee, using the criteria shown in this Section, will evaluate the applications. The various functional elements of the technical criteria are assigned weighted http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html mailto:support@grants.gov

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Where technical applications are considered essentially equal, cost may be the determining factor. Applicants should note that these criteria serve as the standard against which all applications will be evaluated and serve to identify the significant matters which applicants should address in their applications.

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

Project Analysis & Design – Total Possible Points: 50

• Analysis of the problem is insightful and accurate. Insightful analysis includes a thorough discussion of the main causes and scope of the issue the project seeks to address and discussion of who has power to effect change on the issue (10)

• Suggested approaches and solutions (i.e., the theory of change) are: (10) o Based on good evidence; and o Appropriate given the problem, its causes, and its scope

• Proposed implementation plan is: (12) o Aligned with suggested approaches and solutions o Feasible given timeline, resources, and context o Designed such that activities, if implemented according to plan, should result in achievement of program objectives; and objectives, if achieved, should result in achievement of program goals

• Proposal includes a gender, equity, and inclusion analysis addressing the ways in which women, gender diverse persons, and members of other marginalized and underrepresented groups, including those with intersecting aspects of identity, might affect and be affected by this project, (3)

• Description of likely challenges to implementation plan, including risks of harm to organization staff, project participants, and/or others, is thorough and mitigation strategies are appropriate (8)

• Applicant considers the gender, equity, and inclusion analysis as part of risk assessment by identifying possible risks to participants as a result of their participation in line with Do No Harm principles. (2)

• Analysis and planning for sustainability is realistic (5)

Program Monitoring and Risk – Total Possible Points: 25

• Change Map includes indicators for each goal and objective; and proposed indicators are useful for decision making, accurate in measuring the intended result, reliable, and timely (10)

• Illustrative Indicator Reference Sheet includes selected standard indicators; provides three valid indicators for goals, objectives, or sub-objectives in the change map; and demonstrates a thorough plan for data collection (10)

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• Risk assessment is thorough and realistic, addresses challenges in the operating environment, and proposes adequate strategies to mitigate risks to the project (5)

Institution’s Record and Capacity Rating – Total Possible Points: 10

• The applicant demonstrates an institutional record of successful programs in the proposed country/region and program area (2)

• Professional experience of staff and institutional resources are adequate and appropriate to achieve the project's objectives (2)

• The roles and responsibilities are clearly delineated among staff and partners (2)

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

• Applicant submits copies of organization-wide policies and procedures on Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse or explains how the applicant plans to develop such policies, which should also apply to sub-recipients. (2)

Cost Effectiveness – Total Possible Points: 15

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

• Personnel costs (e.g., staff salaries, contractor rates, and honoraria) are reasonable given the amount of work and oversight needed to manage the project (5)

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

2. Review and Selection Process

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

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

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

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3. Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)

For all awards with a federal total exceeding $250,000, INL is required to review and consider any information about the applicant in FAPIIS.

Organizations are able to review and comment on any information about itself that a federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system, accessible through…