PDS Beirut - Annual Program Statement.docx

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. EMBASSY BEIRUT, LEBANON, PUBLIC DIPLOMACY SECTION

Annual Program Statement

Funding Opportunity Title: U.S. Embassy Beirut, Lebanon PDS Annual Program Statement

individuals Minimum for Each Award: $25,000

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

The U.S. Embassy Beirut, Lebanon’s Public Diplomacy Section (PDS Beirut) is pleased to invite proposals for its Public Diplomacy Grants Program. This Annual Program Statement outlines thematic priorities and the procedure to submit funding requests. Please carefully follow all instructions below.

Purpose of Grants: PDS Beirut invites proposals for projects that address one or more of the thematic priorities listed below. All projects must include an American cultural element or a connection with American expert(s), organization(s), or institution(s) in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. values, policies, and/or perspectives. Proposals with diversity, equity, inclusion, and/or accessibility components are highly encouraged.

Priority Program Themes:

PDS Beirut seeks proposals that address the following priority program themes:

· Inclusive/creative approaches to civic engagement, good governance, free speech/expression, and/or advancing human rights.

· English Language learning and programming.

· Educational partnerships between Lebanese and American academic institutions.

Participants and Audiences:

PDS Beirut puts special emphasis on projects that engage:

· Girls/women.

· Individuals/communities outside of the capital.

· Marginalized or disenfranchised individuals/communities.

· Youth (ages 16-30 years old).

The following types of projects are not eligible for funding:

· Projects relating to partisan political activity.

· Charitable or development activities.

· Construction projects.

· Projects that support specific religious activities.

· Fund-raising campaigns.

· Lobbying for specific legislation or projects.

· Scientific research.

· Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization.

· Projects that duplicate existing projects.

Authorizing legislation, type, and year of funding:

This Annual Program Statement is funded by FY24 Public Diplomacy Funding.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

· Length of performance period: Up to 24 months.

· Number of awards anticipated: Eight, dependent on amounts and availability of funds.

· Award amounts: The minimum award is $25,000 and the maximum award is $250,000 for organizations and $150,000 for individuals.

· Total available funding: $500,000.

· Anticipated project start date: No later than September 30, 2024.

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Funding Instrument Type: Grant, Fixed Amount Award, or Cooperative Agreement. Each award type has specific reporting requirements from the recipient during the award period and at the conclusion of the award. Cooperative agreements additionally include active involvement by Embassy staff in the grant implementation with substantial involvement, such as:

· Active participation or collaboration with the recipient in the implementation of the award.

· Review and approval of one stage of work before another can begin.

· Joint preparation and/or presentation of results with the recipient.

· Review and approval of substantive provisions of proposed subawards or contracts beyond existing Federal policy.

· Involvement where the Department’s project office requires specific programmatic oversight over the award beyond normal monitoring.

Project Performance Period: The proposed project should be completed in 24 months or less. PDS Beirut will consider applications for continued funding under the award beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the project, and a determination that continued funding is in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants PDS Beirut encourages applications from Lebanon and the United States, including:

· Registered U.S. and Lebanese not-for-profit organizations, think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience in Lebanon.

· Individual U.S. or Lebanese citizens.

· U.S. and Lebanese non-profit or governmental educational institutions.

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

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost sharing is encouraged, but not required.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization or individual. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization or individual, all their proposals will be disqualified from consideration.

To be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), as well as a valid registration on the System for Award Management (www.SAM.gov), unless a valid waiver is approved by the grants officer in advance of the application submission deadline. Please see Section H for information on how to obtain these registrations.

Individuals are not required to have a UEI number or be registered in SAM.gov.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package Application forms required below are available at grants.gov.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be considered ineligible.

Content of Application Please ensure:

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

· 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 paper, and

· All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 14-point Calibri font, with a minimum of one-inch margins.

The following documents are required:

1. Mandatory application forms

· SF424 Application for Federal Assistance for organizations or SF-424I Application for Federal Assistance for Individuals.

· SF424A Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs.

· SF424B Assurances for Non-Construction Programs, for overseas applicants.

· SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, if applicable.

2. Summary Coversheet:

The cover sheet should state the applicant’s name and organization, proposal date, project title, requested budget, proposed project start and end dates, and a brief overview of the project.

3. Proposal (FIVE pages maximum):

The proposal. Of no more than five pages, should include all the items below:

· Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed project, including project objectives and anticipated impact.

· Introduction to the Organization or Individual: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the project, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies.

· Problem Statement: Clear, concise, and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed project is needed

· Project Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the project is intended to achieve. What aspect of the relationship between the U.S. and Lebanon will be improved? The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable.

· Project Activities: Describe the project activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.

· Project Methods and Design: A description of how the project is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal.

· Proposed Project Schedule: The proposed timeline for the project activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events.

· Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles, and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the project. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this project?

· Project Partners: List the name, and type and level of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees.

· Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: A well-developed monitoring and evaluation plan specifies time-bound data collection and evaluation methods, as well as clearly defined key performance indicators, outputs, outcomes, and impact.

· Budget Justification: Describes budget expenses in detail. (See guidelines below)

· Project Media Plan: Provides information on how the applicant will promote the project and PDS Beirut’s funding support, through traditional and social media platforms.

· Future Funding or Sustainability: Applicant’s plan for continuing the project beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable.

Attachments:

· One-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the project.

· Letters of support from project partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner.

· Official permission letters, if required, for project activities.

· Screenshots of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and registration with SAM.gov.

· Applicants proposing in the budget indirect costs greater than the 10% de minimis must provide a copy of their Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA). Your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file.

· Applicants may elect to provide a detailed budget and a detailed monitoring and evaluation plan as Annexes.

Proposal Deadlines:

PDS Beirut will accept proposals until June 21, 2024:

· Proposals received between January 2 and March 12, 2024, will be reviewed by April 5, with responses going out by April 12.

· Proposals received between March 13 and June 21, 2024, will be reviewed by July 9, with responses going out by July 19.

Other Submission Requirements:

All application materials must be submitted exclusively through the grants.gov portal.

Funding Restrictions:

This Annual Program Statement does not support the following activities or costs, and applications including these costs will be found ineligible for funding:

· Historical research, except in cases where the research is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project.

· Acquisition or creation of new exhibits, objects, or collections for new or existing museums.

· Construction of new buildings, building additions, or permanent coverings (over archaeological sites, for example).

· Commissions of new works of art or architecture for commemorative or economic development purposes.

· Removal of cultural objects or elements of cultural sites from the country for any reason.

· Digitization of cultural objects or collections, unless part of a larger, clearly defined conservation or documentation effort.

· Cash reserves, endowments, or revolving funds (funds must be expended within the award period [up to five years] and may not be used to create an endowment or revolving fund).

· Costs of fund-raising campaigns.

· Contingency, unforeseen, or miscellaneous costs or fees.

· Costs of work performed prior to announcement of the award unless allowable per 2 CFR 200.458 and approved by the Grants Officer.

· International travel, except in cases where travel is justifiable and integral to the success of the proposed project.

· Travel or study outside the host country for professional development.

· Alcohol.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria Each application will be evaluated and rated based on the criteria outlined below:

Strategic Value (24 points): The project should address the priority themes and the Embassy’s goals outlined in this Annual Program Statement. It should also include a clear American component, as described in Section A.

Project Idea (10 points): The project should include a strong problem statement and be innovative, well-developed, and have a reasonable implementation timeline.

Project Goals and Objectives (15 points): Goals and objectives are clearly stated and are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

Grant Management Capacity (10 points): Applicant has organizational and personnel expertise in its stated field. It has accounted for adequate staffing to manage the project.

Evaluation and Project Impact (14 points): The monitoring and evaluation plan clearly identifies outputs, outcomes, and impact. It evaluates project success during and at the end of the project. The plan identifies potential risks and offers mitigation strategies.

Sustainability (7 points): Activities could continue to have positive impact after the end of the project. Impact could include changes in individual or community perceptions or potential.

Budget and Budget Narrative (20 points): The budget is well developed, with itemized budget lines, and aligns with OMB guidelines (Please refer to the “Guidelines for Budget Justification” under section H). The budget justification is detailed with itemized costs. Budget items are reasonable, allocable, and allowable. The budget accounts for all forecasted expenses in line with proposed activities.

2. Review and Selection Process PDS Beirut will conduct a technical review on all applications. Submissions that meet the technical criteria will be then evaluated by an Interagency Merit Review Committee. PDS Beirut will make final decisions and will notify selected and non-selected applicants via email by April 12, 2024, for the first cycle of applications and by July 19, 2024, for the second cycle of applications.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

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

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

Issuance of this Annual Program Statement does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.

Payment Method: Payments will be made in, at least, two installments as needed to carry out the project activities.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 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.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/. Note the U.S Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.

3. Reporting Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and project reports. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact PDS Beirut at: PDBeirutgrants@state.gov.

Note: We do not provide any pre-consultation for application-specific questions that are addressed in the Annual Program Statement. Once an application has been submitted, State Department officials and staff — both in the Department and at embassies overseas — may not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire proposal review process is completed.

H. OTHER INFORMATION

Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) All prime organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration with the SAM.gov before applying. PDS Beirut may not review applications from or make awards to applicants that have not completed all applicable UEI and SAM.gov requirements. A UEI is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards.

The 2 CFR 200 requires that sub-grantees obtain a UEI number. Please note the UEI for sub-grantees is not required at the time of application but will be required before the award is processed and/or directed to a sub-grantee.

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 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 an 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 to seek guidance on how to do so.

All prime organizations must also continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information at all times during which they have an active Federal award or application under consideration by a Federal award agency. SAM.gov requires all entities to renew their registration once a year to maintain an active registration status in SAM. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure it has an active registration in SAM.gov and to maintain that active registration. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements at the time of application, the applicant may be deemed technically ineligible to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Please refer to 2 CFR 25.200 for additional information.

Note: SAM.gov is not the same as SAMS Domestic. It is free of charge to register in both systems, but the registration processes are different.

Information is included on the SAM.gov website to help international registrations, including “Quick Start Guide for International Registrations” and “Helpful Hints.” Navigate to www.SAM.gov, click “HELP” in the top navigation bar, then click, “Explore” and “New to SAM.gov?” for general information. Please note, guidance on SAM.gov and the guidance on GSA’s website about requirement for registering in SAM.gov is subject to change. Applicants should review the website for the most up-to-date guidance.

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.

Guidelines for Budget Justification Personnel: Describes the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the project, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the project.

Travel: Estimates the costs of travel and per diem for this project. If the project involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.

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

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

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

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

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

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