oppDOS-MEX-PD-CJ-2018-cfda19.040-instructions.docx

Department of State – Consulate General of the United States, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico Notice of Funding Opportunity

Program Office: Public Affairs Section, United States Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Funding Opportunity Title: Young women empowerment and teamwork through law reform - A program for the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.

Announcement Type: Grant Funding Opportunity Number: DOS-MEX-PD-CJ-2018-01 Deadline for Applications: August 20, 2018 (11:59 p.m. U.S. Mountain time) CFDA: 19.040 Public Diplomacy Programs

CONTACT INFORMATION

For questions on this solicitation please contact Grants Applications Manager, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico at: CDJ_Grants@state.gov

IMPORTANT NOTE

Organizations must obtain a DUNS number, an NCAGE number and a SAM registration.

Authorization to submit proposals is a multi-step process that requires prior successful registration with DUNS, NCAGE and www.sam.gov. Please begin the registration process immediately to ensure that the process is completed well in advance of the deadline for applications. The entire registration process can require up to four weeks for the registration to be validated and confirmed.

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the United States Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, invites all eligible organizations (see Section C for Eligibility Requirements) to submit a proposal for a grant to design and implement a program to foster young women empowerment, and teamwork while learning about the recent law reforms regarding oral trials and the use of alternative tools for conflict resolution in young women in the state of Chihuahua for a period of up to twelve months in calendar years 2018-2019

The applicant will be expected to design a program for 50 young women ages 14-18 taking high school studies in multiple locations in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, that must include—but not limited to—the cities of Chihuahua and Ciudad Juarez and preferably also includes the communities of Parral, Delicias, Cuauhtemoc, Nuevo Casas Grandes, and Camargo. Proposals that include oral trials coaching clinics and mock trials tournaments are highly encouraged. All proposal narratives must be submitted in English.

As a result of the program, participants should demonstrate positive changes in their desire, confidence, and ability to complete their education in law programs and improve their communities while increasing their confidence in women’s political participation under a culture of lawfulness. They should also demonstrate an increased appreciation for gender equality and inclusion and intention to promote the same with their peers.

Program Goals:

The goals of this funding opportunity are to:

1. Support oral trials and judicial reform in Chihuahua while promoting young women desire to study a law degree;

2. Strengthen communities by promoting a culture of lawfulness in at-risk youth;

3. Foster gender inclusion through co-ed and academic activities; and

4. Promote mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of Mexico.

Proposals must demonstrate how applicant will:

•Recruit and retain non-elite Mexican young women studying high school ages 14 to 18 who demonstrate the interest in studying a law degree and ability to participate for the duration of the program. The proposal should state how the selection process will be designed to recruit at least a 25% youth who are growing up in communities affected by gangs, violence, and crime;

•Identify specific outcomes to be achieved over the duration of the award’s performance period; how progress towards outcomes identified will be measured; and what controls are in place to ensure the proposed activities will be implemented according to schedule and within budget.

•Incorporate U.S. and Mexican lawyers, attorneys, human rights advocates and coaches, and/or other mentors into the proposed activities, particularly State Alumni who have participated in similar law- oriented programs.

Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the Act is "to enable the Government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries...; to strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United States and other nations...and thus to assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States and the other countries of the world." The funding authority for the program above is provided through U.S. legislation.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Anticipated period: 12 months Number of awards anticipated: 1 Award amount: The award ceiling is set at $10,000 Anticipated start date: September 29, 2018

C. ELIGIBILITY

Applications may be submitted by any not for profit or educational entity that: (a) is organized under the laws of Mexico or the United States of America, (b) has its principal place of business or operations in Mexico or the U.S., with the ability to produce programs in Mexico, (c) is majority beneficially owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent and residents of Mexico or the U.S., and (d) is managed by a governing body the majority of which are citizens or lawful permanent residents of Mexico or the U.S.

Organizations may submit applications individually or in partnership with other international or local organizations. Partnerships with governmental organizations may also be considered where a sub-national or national governmental organization may contribute expertise, staff or resources to achieving a program objective; however, the prime applicant must meet the eligibility criteria outlined above. Partnerships do not require cost sharing or leverage, but cost sharing is strongly encouraged and will be considered as a factor in cost effectiveness.

Individuals or for- profit organizations are ineligible to submit proposals.

Organizational Capacity. Applicant organizations should demonstrate their capacity for organizing sporting and educational events, focusing on two areas of competency: (1) provisions of projects that address the goals, objectives, and themes outlined in this document; and (2) previous experience working on similar programs in Mexico. Applicants need to have organizational capacity in Mexico and be funded as a non-profit organization.

The proposal narrative must also indicate the applicant’s ability and experience managing a large, multi-city program and clearly explain and demonstrate the capacity for doing so.

Other Eligibility Requirements Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding. Previous federal award recipients who are not in compliance with the terms of their financial and program reporting requirements are ineligible to apply.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure they are in compliance with all applicable terms, conditions, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance and requirements at the time of application and during the program period, if awarded funding. Those organizations found to be in non-compliance with grant terms and conditions or OMB guidance may be found ineligible for funding or designated high risk by the grants officer if selected for funding. For a copy of the Uniform Guidance, please download from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-12-26/pdf/2013-30465.pdf

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION

Address to Request Application Package This NOFO document, attachment, forms and any amendments can be found at www.grants.gov (search by Opportunity Number DOS-MEX-PD-CJ-2018-01). If you require special accommodation to access any information contained in this announcement, please contact CDJ_Grants@state.gov

Applicants should submit a complete and thorough proposal describing the program in a convincing and comprehensive manner. Since there is no opportunity for applicants to meet with reviewing officials, the proposal should respond to the criteria set forth in the solicitation and other guidelines as clearly as possible. Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or failure to furnish or comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.

Content and Form of Application Submission Please ensure:

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

2. All documents are in English.

3. All budgets are in U.S. dollars.

4. All pages are numbered.

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

6. All documents are written in Microsoft Word single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins. (For budgets may use Microsoft Excel).

When submitting a proposal, applicants are required to include the following documents and information, as applicable:

Section 1– Organization Information A copy of the organization’s registration should be provided with the proposal application. U.S.-based organizations should submit a copy of their IRS determination letter. Mexico-based organizations should submit a scan of their Taxpayers’ Identification Number / Registro Federal de Causantes – RFC.

Section 2 – Technical Proposal Applicants must submit a complete proposal no longer than 10 pages to include the items listed below. Please refer to Tab A Proposal Guidelines on how to design your proposal statement. All proposals should address the following areas:

a. Executive Summary.

b. Organizational Description, Capacity and Past Performance.

c. Indicate past Grants (U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez and other sources, if applicable, for the past 4 years).

d. Project Strategy, Goals, Objectives and Activities.

e. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan.

Proposals must include a plan to monitor and evaluate the project’s success, both as the activities unfold and at the end of the program. Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting clear goals and outcomes at the outset of a program. Please refer to Tab B Monitoring and Evaluation Plan.

f. Report plan, (see Section G for Reporting Requirements).

Section 3 – Budget A. Budget and Budget Narrative: Applicants must submit a detailed budget and budget narrative justification utilizing the template provided (Tab C Budget Narrative). Line item expenditures should be detailed in the lowest possible terms. Personnel salaries should define the percentage of time each position will allocate to the project and the rate of pay.

Section 4 – Key Personnel and Project Partners A. Key Personnel – A resume, not to exceed 1 page in length, must be included for the proposed key staff persons, such as the Project Director. If an individual for this type of position has not been identified, the applicant may submit a 1-page position description, identifying the qualifications and skills required for that position, in lieu of a resume.

B. Project Partners – Letters of support should be included for this project, local partnerships, or for sub-awardees or other partners. The letters must identify the type of relationship to be entered into (formal or informal), the roles and responsibilities of each partner in relation to the proposed project activities, and the expected result of the partnership. The individual letters cannot exceed 1 page in length.

Section 5 – SF-424 A. Standard Forms SF 424-Application for Federal Assistance and 424B- Assurances for Non-construction Programs (2 separate forms), which are available, along with guidance for completing these forms, at: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html. Under the heading, “SF-424 Family.”

Submission Date and Time Applications may be submitted for consideration before the closing date of this opportunity, however, all submissions must be received by August 20, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. U.S. Mountain Time.

This deadline is firm and is not a rolling deadline. If organizations fail to meet the deadline noted above their application will not be considered for funding and will be considered ineligible.

All application materials must be submitted electronically to CDJ_Grants@state.gov Applications materials submitted via other means will not be accepted.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Review and Selection Process It may take up to 30 days for applications to be reviewed before an award or decline notice is received from the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Due to the volume of proposals received, individual responses to requests for updates prior to the anticipated award date of August 20, 2018 may not be returned until final review and approval of proposals is completed.

Anticipated Time to Award Applicants should expect to be notified if their proposal has been selected for award within 30 days after the submission deadline. The U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez will provide information to the point of notification about any modification to the proposal or plan of work that will be required to finalize the grant.

Criteria Each application submitted under this opportunity will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the criteria detailed below. The criteria are designed to assess the quality of the proposed project, and to determine the likelihood of its success. The criteria are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application. Applications will be reviewed on the basis of their fullness, coherence, clarity, and attention to detail.

Past performance on grants awarded by the U.S. Department of State, other United States government, or international donor agencies may also be considered.

The U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, reviews all proposals for eligibility. Eligible proposals will be subject to compliance of federal and Public Diplomacy regulations and guidelines and may also be reviewed by the Office of the Legal Adviser or by other Department elements. Final technical authority for assistance awards resides with the Department’s Grants Division.

Proposals will be funded based on an evaluation of how the proposal meets the solicitation review criteria, U.S. foreign policy objectives, and the priority needs of the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed according to the criteria below. These criteria are not rank ordered and all carry equal weight in the proposal evaluation:

1. Quality of the program idea and program planning: The proposed program should be well developed, respond to the goals and objectives outlined in the solicitation. The program should have clear goals, objectives, and metrics for determining whether the project goals were met. The proposal must provide substantive detail about project activities. The program plan should adhere to the program overview and guidelines described above, and should reference the applicant’s capacity to meet all needs specified in the NOFO.

2. Ability to achieve program objectives: Objectives should be reasonable and feasible. Applications should demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and plan. Proposed personnel, institutional resources, and partner organizations should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the program goals.

3. Institutional and organizational capacity. The organization and any partners demonstrate subject matter expertise in the form and content of the proposal, and in organizing and managing the project.

4. Sustainability: The proposed project should address the applicant’s suggestion for ensuring that the project benefits will continue to be realized on a long-term basis after the conclusion of the period of performance of the grant.

5. Cost-effectiveness: All items must be allocable, allowable, and reasonable. The overhead and administrative components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be consistent with prevailing market rates in Mexico. The U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico generally does not pay indirect costs against participant expenses, but each case may vary. Cost sharing is not required. There are no restrictions on the type of costs (monetary vs. in-kind) that may be included in an organization’s cost share. More details on cost sharing / cost effectiveness in Tab C of this proposal under the LINE-ITEM BUDGET section.

6. Budget and narrative justification. The budget and narrative justification are complete and reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The cost estimates are realistic.

7. Monitoring and evaluation. The proposal outlines in detail how program success and impact will be determined, and may include pre and post program analysis.

F: AGENCY CONTACT

Any prospective applicant who has questions concerning the contents of this NOFO should email them to CDJ_Grants@state.gov Note that once the NOFO deadline has passed Department of State staff in Washington, D.C. and overseas at U.S. Embassies/Missions may not discuss this competition with applicants until the review process has been completed.

G . OTHER INFORMATION

Promotion, use of image and media.

All materials, publicity, and correspondence related to this program will acknowledge this as a sports diplomacy initiative of the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez. The U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez will retain copyright use of and be allowed to distribute materials related to this program as it sees fit.

The organization must inform the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez of any plans for media engagement, including use of social media, interviews, testimonials, Press, TV and Radio appearances and invitations.

All participants, parents and/or legal guardians, must sign a standard release agreement form granting permission to the U.S. Department of State to release, publish, broadcast or quote program content and materials in public information programs and activities.

Reporting Requirements Progress reporting While the grantee will be in frequent contact with the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, concerning the project details, the grantee is required to submit quarterly program progress reports using page 1 of Form SF-PPR Performance Progress Report, which can be found on OMB’s website here: http://a.m.state.sbu/sites/OPE/FA/FADL/Standard_Forms/SF-PPR%20-%20Performance%20Progress%20Report.aspx

Financial Reports The grantee is required to submit one mid-term and a final financial report throughout the project period, using Form FFR SF-425 which can be found on OMB’s website here: http://a.m.state.sbu/sites/OPE/FA/FADL/Standard_Forms/SF-425%20-%20Federal%20Financial%20Report%20(with%20Instructions).aspx

Final Report The final report will be due no later than ninety days after completion or termination of all project activities. The final report shall include the following elements: executive summary, successes, outcomes, how the project has addressed the goals of the project, and a final financial report. The financial Report must include copies of receipts for major expenses.

Disclaimers The U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad is not obligated to make any Federal award as a result of the announcement. Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals.