PKG00245918-instructions.pdf

United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) – SAMS Overseas

Announcement Type: Request for Federal Assistance Awards Applications

Public Opportunity Title: Dominican Republic Travel and Logistics Program for Training

Support

NOFO Opportunity Number: INL18CA0061-WHPDominicanRepublic-TravLog-10262018

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 19.704 – Counternarcotics

Funding Amount: $1,200,000.00 U.S. Dollars

NOFO Issuance Date: October 26, 2018

Deadline for Receipt of Questions: November 26, 2018 5:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Closing Date and Time for Submission of Applications: December 28, 2018 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Program Type: U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Capacity-Building Assistance Program

Assistance Type: Cooperative Agreement

Eligibility Category: U.S. not-for-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or U.S. based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code; foreign not-for-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or foreign based educational institutions; (See full eligibility criteria below in Section III)

Applicant Type: Organizations

Award Ceiling: $1,200,000

Award Floor: $250,000

Cost Sharing Requirement: Recommended, but not required

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The mission of the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is to minimize the impact of international crime and illegal drugs on the United States, its citizens, and partner nations by providing effective foreign assistance and fostering global cooperation. This mission, which centers on helping our partner nations establish a capable and accountable criminal justice sector, was expanded during the past decade to include stabilizing post-conflict societies through criminal justice sector development and reform. This mission supports peace and security by stabilizing and strengthening security institutions and by combating narco-trafficking and other transnational crimes such as money laundering and criminal gangs. It promotes just and democratic governments by strengthening justice sector institutions, good governance and respect for human rights.

INL combines forces with other USG and international agencies and takes a regional approach to widespread problems. INL also encourages more developed governments to take responsibility as equal partners in global efforts to combat transnational crime, include drug trafficking. The Bureau’s priority programs support three inter-related objectives:

• BUILDING CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS: Institutionalize rule of law by developing and expanding criminal justice systems to strengthen partner country law enforcement and judicial effectiveness, foster cooperation in legal affairs, and advance respect for human rights;

• COUNTER-NARCOTICS: Disrupt the overseas production and trafficking of illicit drugs through targeted counter-narcotics and institution-building assistance and coordination with foreign nations and international organizations, and;

• TRANSNATIONAL CRIME: Minimize the impact of transnational crime and criminal networks on the U.S. and its allies through enhanced international cooperation and foreign assistance.

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

The United States Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, is seeking applications from qualified U.S. and non-U.S. based Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Educational Institutions and other non-profit qualified organizations for a Cooperative Agreement to implement a program entitled “Dominican Republic Travel and Logistics Program for Training Support”. The authority for this Request for Application (NOFO) is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.400g, it is U.S. Department of State policy not to award profit under assistance instruments. All reasonable, allocable, and allowable expenses, however, both direct and indirect, which are related to the agreement program and are in accordance with applicable cost standards (2 CFR 200 for US and overseas-based non-profit organizations and educational institutions) may be paid under the cooperative agreement. NOTE: overseas-based nonprofit organizations are legally required to comply with the 2 CFR 200.

Subject to the availability of funds and pending Department of State management approvals, INL intends to issue an award in an amount not to exceed $1,200.000.00 in total funding. The U.S. Dollar amount will be funded from INL allocated funds, for an initial project period of two years contingent on INL priorities, good performance of the recipient, Department of State management approvals, and funding availability. 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).

Eligible organizations interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of project sought and the application submission requirements and evaluation process.

To be eligible for an award, the applicant must submit ALL required information and documents in its application through www.grants.gov, including the requirements found in any attachments to this www.grants.gov opportunity. This NOFO consists of the following Sections:

Contents

SECTION I – PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

SECTION II – FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

SECTION III – ELIGIBLITY INFORMATION

SECTION IV – APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

TAB A: PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

TAB B: PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION PLAN

TAB C: BUDGET GUIDELINES

TAB D: GUIDELINES FOR STANDARD FORMS

SECTION V – APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

SECTION VI – FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

SECTION VII – AGENCY CONTACTS

This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov and may be amended. See Section IV for further details. Potential applicants should regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this NOFO. Applicants will need to have available or download the most updated version of the Adobe program to their computers in order to view and save the Adobe forms properly. If you have difficulty registering on www.grants.gov or accessing the NOFO, please contact the www.grants.gov helpdesk at: 1-800-518-4726, International callers: 1-606-545-5035, or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance. The Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except federal holidays).

See https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ for a list of federal holidays.

You may also obtain online assistance at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html or https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/GetStarted/Get_Started.htm.

Any questions concerning this NOFO should be submitted in writing to Cheryl Price at Pricech@state.gov. The deadline for submission of questions for this NOFO is November 26, 2018, 5:00pm Eastern Daylight Time. Responses to questions will be made available to all potential applicants through an amendment to this NOFO and posted via www.grants.gov.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/GetStarted/Get_Started.htm mailto:Pricech@state.gov

INL encourages applicants to submit their applications during normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 9:00AM- 5:00PM Eastern Standard Time). If an applicant experiences technical difficulties and has contacted the appropriate help desk, but is not receiving timely assistance, (e.g. if you have not received a response within 48 hours of contacting the help desk), you may contact the INL point of contact listed in the NOFO. The point of contact may assist in contacting the appropriate help desk, but an applicant should also document their efforts in contacting the help desk. Applicants may also contact the INL point of contact listed in the NOFO if experiencing technical issues with grants.gov that may result in a late submission.

Applicants experiencing technical difficulties should follow these three steps:

1) Contact the help desk for Grants.gov immediately.

2) Document (including screenshots) technical issues AND efforts to contact the help desk.

Provide ticket number(s) and/or reference number(s) provided by the helpdesk in order to assist with the technical issue(s).

Note: The INL Grants Officer will determine technical eligibility of all applications and allowability of acceptable proposal submissions if applicants experience technical difficulties without a resolution.

It is the responsibility of the recipient of this NOFO document to ensure that it has been received from www.grants.gov in its entirety. INL bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes associated with electronic or late submissions.

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 an application. In addition, final award of any resultant grant agreement cannot be made until funds have been fully appropriated, allocated, and committed through internal INL procedures. While it is anticipated that these procedures will be successfully completed, potential applicants are hereby notified of these requirements and conditions for award. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant's expense.

SECTION I – PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

The Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) announces an open competition for assistance awards in the Dominican Republic. Organizations may submit grant proposals for a program to facilitate the implementation of law enforcement and rule of law assistance programs. The activities under this award shall take place within the Dominican Republic, the United States, Colombia, and other counties as training opportunities arise, INL is seeking proposals with an implementation period of two (2) years, renewable contingent upon availability of funds, recipient’s performance, and INL’s priorities. If funding is available for additional years and INL wishes to continue funding the recipient and/or the program, INL will work with the recipient organization to implement a cost amendment to the award for additional funding.

PROJECT PURPOSE/DESCRIPTION

The applicant shall be responsible for working with the INL office in the Dominican Republic in planning and scheduling all events, including but not limited to travel and logistic services for trainings, meetings, conferences, site visits and workshops in support of INL programs carried out by the INL Office in the Dominican Republic. The travel services that the applicant shall provide include but are not limited to:

• Assisting sponsored travelers with reservations, issuance and delivery of tickets for air, rail, bus and other modes of travel as may be required; and where possible, advance seat assignments, advance boarding passes, and special permits needed to enter or travel within and outside of target countries, as identified.

• Effecting reservations for lodging accommodations.

• Arranging commercial automobile rental services;

• Assistance in obtaining passports, visas, and advice regarding health requirements;

• Provide detailed travelers' itineraries;

• Designing and planning of activities such as seminars, conference, meetings and workshops at sites selected by the INL Office (including conference rooms, lodging, meals, ground transportation, audio-visual equipment, and related contractual services as may be required);

• Provide information pamphlets for travelers. Information must include all related information of the ongoing event, including weather forecast and any other information of importance for the traveler;

• Coordinating escorts and translators/interpreters;

• Providing participants with a monetary travel advance to cover meals, incidentals, travel insurance taxis, etc. and a detailed breakdown of the cash advance received in order to manage and properly liquidate funds received, no additional expenses will be reimbursable to the traveler except if this is authorized in advance by the authorized person under this agreement;

• Provide travel insurance for all participants;

• Maintaining records of participants travel, attendance, statistics etc;

• Providing weekly accountability status of remaining funds balance. This is a non-negotiable requirement. Recipient’s failure to maintain and provide reasonable accountability management of USG funds will serve as grounds for immediate grant termination;

• Collection and preparation of information necessary for the vetting process (for law enforcement participants);

• Conduct post training evaluations of personnel attending training events sponsored under this grant initiative.

PROJECT GOALS

INL is building the capacity of law enforcement personnel through training, technical assistance, and mentoring, among other activities. INL supports the travel of host-nation personnel to attend trainings in other countries, principally Colombia, and in other parts of the Dominican Republic, furthering sharing of best practices. INL also supports the travel of Colombian National Police and other subject matter experts to the Dominican Republic to provide training and technical assistance under the U.S. Colombia Action Plan (USCAP). In support of this capacity-building work, and to accelerate implementation of training through travel, INL seeks to award a cooperative agreement for capacity-building training that includes a travel element.

Throughout the award period, the INL Office at the U.S. Embassy Dominican Republic will work with the recipient on the selection of trainings, participants, authorized costs, and other program requirements.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

INL is currently seeking a recipient to provide support to meet the following:

• Build the capacity of personnel from all sectors of the Dominican justice sector under the terms of the exiting letter of agreement (LOA) between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic.

• Advance the capacity of specialized units of Dominican law enforcement.

The U.S. government estimates that a minimum of 800 and up to 3,000 personnel will attend INL capacity-building events in a 36-month period in the Dominican Republic and abroad through this solicitation. The number of participants per event can range from just a few to dozens. The events usually last anywhere from one (1) week to six (6) months, but the average event is approximately two weeks. Proposals should include a cost estimate based on the administrative costs of organizational processing of plane tickets, lodging reservations, facilities rental, translation, electronic funds transfer, managing conferences and meetings, participant travel insurance, and other associated costs.

INL understands that costs are estimates and the applicant will not know what fluctuations may exist in pricing over the course of the project period. Therefore, estimates should not be based on individual plane tickets and meeting locations, for example, but rather on the administrative costs of processing participation in capacity-building events for approximately 800 – 3,000 participants.

The U.S. government, INL, and the organization will work together to determine the appropriate assistance needed for each capacity-building event. Furthermore, INL and the recipient organization will meet after the award is made to develop a mutually-agreeable work plan for conducting the assistance program. Applicants should provide a suggested work plan in the grant proposal.

Additionally, applicant organizations should identify their own specific objectives and measurable outcomes based on these program goals and the specifications provided in this solicitation. Indicators could include timeliness of services, quality of interaction between the award recipient and program participants, etc.

Applicants may design and propose their own capacity-building assistance program, which should be well-defined in the application. Proposals should include, but are not limited to the following activities:

Activity 1 - Travel Documents: When required, the award recipient is responsible for assisting participants with obtaining appropriate travel documents such as visas, work permits (if required), immunization, costs for birth, health, and identity certificates, and other documents needed to attend the capacity-building event. Only costs authorized by the Cost Principles for Non-Profit

Organizations (2 CFR 230) will be allowed. Recipient should maintain express mail delivery services for delivery of materials or travel documents.

Activity 2 - Travel Advances and Reimbursements: When required, the award recipient shall provide the participants, instructors, SMEs, and speakers with a travel advance up to the maximum per diem amount authorized by the U.S. Department of State or lesser amount as determined by the award recipient and INL. The applicant shall ensure the participant receives the travel advance with sufficient time, no later than two days prior to departure, to reduce the financial burden associated with the event. Recipient should provide options for transferring per diem before travel for travelers without a bank account. The recipient will provide participants with a monetary travel advance before travel to cover meals, baggage fees, incidentals, taxis, etc. whenever possible. The advance can be in form of cash, debit card, wire transfer, direct deposit or any other means not prohibited by U.S. or local laws.

Activity 3 - Airline Tickets/Air Transportation: When required, the organization shall provide the participant with an airline ticket. All flights must comply with the Fly America Act, the award recipient shall verify participant information such as names, birthdates, etc., for passports, vetting and visas before purchasing e-tickets. Recipient will be responsible for oversight of all arrivals and departures.

Activity 4 - Health, Travel, and Personal Property Insurance: When required, the award recipient shall provide each participant, when traveling, with up to the maximum amount of insurance authorized by the FTR or 2 CFR 200. The applicant must ensure that all participants have the appropriate level of insurance before the travel begins. International travel insurance coverage should include pre-existent conditions reimbursement for over $5,000.00.

Activity 5 - Ground Transportation: When required, the award recipient shall arrange the use of rented vehicles for individuals or groups to support INL capacity-building events. Ground transportation includes taxis, rented vehicles (sedans), pickup trucks, vans, or buses. If required by the U.S. Embassy Regional Security Office in the target country, the recipient organization shall take appropriate security measures to protect the safety of participants during the ground transportation process. The protection could include the use of armored vehicles. Ground transportation could include transportation to and from hotels to meeting facilities, to and from the airport and hotel, between sites of interest, etc. The award recipient shall ensure participants arrive at the sponsored event location at least 15 minutes before the event begins and shall take the necessary measures to ensure the vehicles meet host-country and U.S. Government safety standards. When necessary, drivers hired by the recipient may need to obtain clearances for accessing government facilities.

Activity 6 - Lodging: When required, the award recipient is responsible for providing participants with adequate lodging such as hotels or apartments using the U.S. Department of State approved per diem rates. In some cases, the U.S. government may be able to obtain lodging at academy dormitories or other facilities. In these cases, the award recipient shall coordinate lodging arrangements directly with the U.S. government representative responsible for the capacity-building event. The award recipient could be required to provide bedding supplies such as pillows, blankets, and other associated supplies. The award recipient shall ensure the rented lodging facilities meet U.S.

or host-country sanitary and safety standards. The recipient shall contract with lodging companies with flexible cancellation policies, to include agreement avoiding cancellation fees and those offering courtesy rooms and/or meeting rooms or parking. Recipient should negotiate prepaid lodging when possible to avoid participant payment and reimbursement.

Activity 7 – Events, Conferences, and Training Facilities: When required, the award recipient shall rent conference facilities appropriate for the capacity-building events. The facilities could include small conference rooms with space for five to ten people or large conference centers with capacity for hundreds of people. In some cases, the U.S. government will coordinate with the host-country to obtain conference or training facilities such as training academies. The award recipient could be required to provide audio-visual, computer equipment, communications (such as Internet, radios, cell phones, or other communications services), reception, cleaning, interpreter/translation services, and supplies to support capacity-building events. The award recipient shall take the necessary measures to ensure the rented conference/training facilities meet U.S. or host-country sanitary and safety standards.

Activity 8 - Refreshments and Meals: When required, the award recipient is responsible for providing participants with government approved per diem or meals such as hot breakfast, lunch, and dinner at locations where the participant cannot obtain meals at public facilities. When needed, the award recipient shall also provide snacks, coffee, tea, and non-alcoholic refreshments during capacity-building events. Snacks and beverages shall be provided in the early morning, a couple of hours before lunch, and a few hours after lunch. The award recipient shall ensure that coffee, tea, and drinking water are available throughout the duration of the event. The award recipient shall take the necessary measures to ensure food and beverages meet U.S. or host-country sanitary standards.

Activity 9 - Unused Funds Settlement: When required, the award recipient shall take required actions to recover unused funds resulting from cancellations by participants, vendors, facilities, etc.

Voucher settlement includes obtaining receipts from hotels, boarding passes, and other documentation. In the event the award recipient owes money to a participant, settlement shall be made no later than 15 calendar days after the last day of the capacity-building event.

Activity 10 –Database Management: The award recipient shall maintain accurate digital records of each participant, including name, parent organization, country of origin, event attended, dates, costs per participant, INL project(s) that funded the event, and other information such as evaluations of the training provided, in a format mutually agreed to by the U.S. government and the recipient organization. The recipient organization shall provide this information to the Grants Officer Representative (GOR) no later than 30 days after the completion of each capacity-building event.

The U.S. government and the organization will work together to determine the appropriate assistance needed for each capacity-building event. Furthermore, INL and the recipient organization will meet after the award is made to develop a mutually-agreeable work plan for conducting the assistance program. Applicants should provide a suggested work plan in the grant proposal. Additionally, applicant organizations should identify their own specific objectives and measurable outcomes based on these program goals and the specifications provided in this solicitation. Indicators could include timeliness of services, quality of interaction between the award recipient and program participants, etc.

Activity 11 – Event Close Out: The award recipient is responsible for gathering proof of participant attendance, closeout memos, and receipts to be reimbursed no later than 20 working days after the last day of the capacity-building event.

Activity 12 – Prepare Event Materials and Presentations: The award recipient is responsible for preparing and printing event materials, including travel and event agenda per participant, course packets, event guidebooks, attendance lists, event evaluation forms, name tags, and other materials, as required by INL. (Please see page 34 for Branding and Marking requirements for printed materials.) The recipient may be responsible for the design of certain training manuals, banners, or other materials related to the event. Materials should be purchased by recipient through vendors. The recipients may be required to aid in the recruitment of appropriate speakers, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) or trainers with or without honoraria. The recipient should maintain express mail delivery services for delivery of materials or travel documents.

Activity 13 – Interpretation and Translation Service: The recipient may be responsible for providing translation of academic materials and interpretation services for events.

Activity 14 – Leahy and Local Vetting: The services include the awardee assisting INL with the tracking status of personnel nominated to attend INL sponsored events. The tracking includes the awardee coordinating with U.S. government agencies responsible for the vetting process and includes the awardee of maintaining a list of vetted persons. Recipient must receive vetting clearances for each participant before travel. A copy of the INL Leahy and Local Vetting policy is included in this NOFO for reference (see pages 12-13).

Activity 15 – Exceptional Circumstances: The award recipient may be responsible for providing ad-hoc administrative and logistical support for travel with 24 or 48 hours in advance on rare occasions. The recipient will accommodate late travel and/or training requests whenever possible.

Substantial Involvement:

INL/Washington and/or INL Section at U.S. Embassy Dominican Republic may be substantially involved during the implementation of this Cooperative Agreement in the following ways:

1) 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;

2) Approval of key personnel prior to contracting with any personnel that contemplates use of project funds;

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

4) Approval of Monitoring and Evaluation Plan;

5) Participation in the design and direction of program activities;

6) Guidance in the execution of all program components;

7) Approval and input on program timelines and agendas;

8) Review and approval of all program publicity and recruitment materials;

9) Approval of decisions related to special circumstances or problems throughout the duration of the program;

10) Assistance with participant emergencies;

11) Liaison with relevant U.S. and host-country personnel, and personnel from other governments.

12) Assist recipient with the vetting process of participants

DESIRED RESULTS AND ILLUSTRATIVE INDICATORS

Complete proposals will include a detailed plan on how the project’s impact and effectiveness will be monitored and evaluated throughout the project.

Successful monitoring and evaluation depend on the following:

1. Setting objectives that are clear, specific, attainable, measurable, results-focused, and placed in a reasonable time frame;

2. Linking program activities to stated objectives;

3. Developing key performance indicators that measure realistic progress towards the objectives.

A performance indicator is an observable measurement related to the achievement of a stated objective. Two types of performance indicators are outputs and outcomes. Findings on outputs and outcomes should both be reported.

Outputs are products and services delivered from the program activities, often stated as an amount. Output data show the scope or size of project activities, such as the number of participants trained.

Outcomes represent the specific, realistic results of a project and are usually measured as an extent of change.

Outcomes may include progress toward expected program objectives or other results of the program. For example, a program’s objective could be to increase convictions in cases that have DNA evidence presented.

One outcome of the program would be that after receiving training on DNA analysis and presentation in a courtroom, prosecutors successfully use that evidence to prosecute five cases to conviction.

Applicants should include a clear description of the methodology and data collection strategies/tools to be employed (e.g. pre- and post-surveys, interviews, focus groups). Organizations should be able to track participant training responses, including changes in attitudes, information learned, and effects of the program on participant institutions.

Recipients will be required to provide reports with an analysis and summary of their findings, both quantitative and qualitative, in their regular program reports to the Bureau.

The recipient may propose additional outputs, indicators, and/or targets as appropriate. The recipient will be required to collect baseline data for all the PMP indicators during the first year of the project.

In addition, certain terms included in the outcomes and indicators will need to be defined at the very beginning of the project so that it is possible to measure the change during and at the end of the project. Examples of such are “capacity”, “spread effect”, etc. Baseline information will be critical for both monitoring and evaluation of project progress and results.

The recipient will develop a project-level Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) with annual and end-of- project targets and results anticipated for key performance indicators. The following table shows indicators that will be measured, as well as illustrative targets, upon which the recipient will be responsible for monitoring and reporting during and after the project. In addition, INL/Mexico will regularly monitor the project’s performance to assess whether project activities are on track and targets are being achieved.

Outcome indicators for the project are provided below. The recipient is expected to identify targets for these indicators based on what it can reasonably achieve within the performance period of the project, and based on the expected overall project results described above.

Example Outcome Indicators Illustrative targets:

Percentage of female participants TBD Percentage of travelers receiving advances within two days of travel TBD

Output indicators and illustrative targets for the project are provided below. The recipient should review these and either confirm the illustrative targets or propose alternative targets, as appropriate.

Example Output Indicators Illustrative targets:

Number of after-school programs targeting at-risk youth implemented. TBD Number of at risk-youth that received X weeks of tutoring in after-school programs.

TBD

Number of at-risk youth placed in apprenticeship positions. TBD

[END OF SECTION I]

SECTION II – FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

INL expects to award one [1] cooperative agreement(s) based on this NOFO. The anticipated total federal funding amount is not to exceed $1,200,000.00. The period of performance is two years with an anticipated start date to be determined by INL. INL may award up to 3 (three) additional years pending INL priorities, good performance of the recipient, and funding availability.

The U.S. government may issue one award resulting from this NOFO to the responsible applicant(s) whose application(s) conforming to this NOFO are the most responsive to the objectives set forth in this NOFO. The U.S. government may (a) reject any or all applications, (b) accept other than the lowest cost application, (c) accept more than one application, (d) accept alternate applications, and

(e) waive informalities and minor irregularities in applications received.

The U.S. government may make award on the basis of initial applications received, without discussions or negotiations. Therefore, each initial application should contain the applicant's best terms from a cost and technical standpoint. The U.S. government reserves the right (but is not under obligation to do so), however, to enter into discussions with one or more applicants in order to obtain clarifications, additional detail, or to suggest refinements in the program description, budget, or other aspects of an application.

Applicants please be advised that the following will be required if your organization is selected for this announcement.

State Department Leahy Amendment Vetting Requirements:

Funds provided under this award are subject to Section 620M of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, a provision titled “Limitation on Assistance to Security Forces” (the “Leahy Amendment”). Subsection (a) of that provision states: “(a) In General.—No assistance shall be furnished under this Act [the Foreign Assistance Act] or the Arms Export Control Act to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of State has credible information that such unit has committed a gross violations of human rights.” Accordingly, none of the funds under this award may be used to provide training or other assistance to any unit or member of the security forces of a foreign country if the Department of State has credible information that such unit or individual has committed a gross violation of human rights.

In signing this agreement, the Recipient agrees to exercise due diligence to ensure compliance with the Leahy provision and State Department policy, and to cooperate with the State Department in implementation of the Leahy requirement for funds under this award. The Department implements the Leahy requirement by vetting units or individuals proposed for training or other assistance to check for credible information of a gross violation of human rights by such units or individuals. To facilitate State Department vetting, the Recipient must provide the following information for proposed participants at least sixty (60) calendar days prior to commencing award activities. This information should be submitted to the U.S. Embassy in the country where the award will be implemented in order to initiate Leahy vetting procedures:

Information needed: Full name, date of birth, country of birth, country of citizenship, gender, rank, title, and organizational affiliation. Please also include the activity and date that the activity will take place—if the person will participate throughout an extended program, please note the timeframe.

Participant information should be submitted in the format attached.

Information required for “security forces” personnel: The above information is needed for each member of a foreign police or military unit (security forces, broadly defined) who will participate in any activity under this award. This includes both civilian and military employees of security forces participating in any activities funded under this award, including training, workshops or meetings, conferences, or other activities.

The Recipient must collaborate with the relevant U.S. Embassy on a case-by-case basis to determine if the Leahy requirement applies to specific activities or proposed participants. Individuals who are not members of the security forces but who participate in activities under the award (e.g., politicians, academics, etc.) generally do not need to be vetted.

Submission Deadline: Each candidate must be cleared under Leahy vetting in advance of participation in activities funded under this award. The vetting process typically takes approximately one month, but may take longer if there are a large number of candidates or if issues arise. Thus, all information on proposed candidates must be received by the Embassy at least sixty (60) days in advance of the training event or other activity.

The Recipient agrees that it will not include any security forces candidate in training or other activities funded under this award until the State Department advises that the candidate has cleared Leahy vetting and is approved for participation.

[END OF SECTION II]

SECTION III – ELIGIBLITY INFORMATION

(1) Eligibility for this NOFO is limited to:

Applicants that qualify to receive U.S. grants (such as U.S. not-for-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or U.S. based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code; foreign not-for-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or foreign based educational institutions, with the ability to develop and successfully implement a project in the Dominican Republic and meet INL’s reporting requirements. Organizations must also be able to demonstrate current (or pending) country registration in the Dominican Republic, if required by the country of project implementation.

AND

Have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with the necessary partner organization(s) such as travel agencies, vendors such as airlines, rental car companies, hotels, translation services network with specialized topics, travel insurance enterprises in order to successfully fulfill the proposed program. Applicants must have demonstrated experience implementing similar education or capacity building programs. INL reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering similar programs and/or federal grant awards.

Applicants must have the ability to produce course materials, deliver training, and conduct evaluations in Spanish and English. The applicant’s staff should be proficient in English in order to fulfill reporting requirements.

Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with stakeholders in order to successfully carry out the proposed program.

Organizations may form a consortium and submit a combined proposal. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant.

Applicants must be able to respond to the NOFO and be able to mobilize in a short period of time.

PLEASE NOTE: Public International Organizations (PIOs) and For-Profit Organziations are excluded from applying to this grant announcement.

To be eligible for a grant award, in addition to other conditions of this NOFO, 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.

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.

(2) INL encourages applications from potential new partners.

[END OF SECTION III]

SECTION IV – APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

INL urges prospective applicants to immediately confirm their organization has a current Unique Entity Identifier (Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) number) as well as a current Central Contractor Registration via www.sam.gov.

All organizations must also continue to maintain 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 in order to maintain an active registration status in SAM.gov. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements at the time of application, INL may determine that the applicant is unqualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

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

Important Note:

Organizations physically located OUTSIDE of the U.S. and territories and wishing to conduct business (contracts/grants) with the U.S. Government, must FIRST request a NCAGE Code, followed by a DUNS Number and then complete registration process in SAM.gov.

U.S. based Organizations, wishing to conduct business (contracts/grants) with the U.S. Government to include Foreign Government, please proceed directly to SAM.gov. A U.S. CAGE Code will be assigned at the end of the SAM.gov Registration process.

CAGE/NCAGE Registration

For US-based organizations, a CAGE code will automatically be assigned to your entity once you submit your entity’s registration in SAM.gov and the TIN validation has been returned.

NCAGE Codes are required for all foreign entities prior to starting a SAM registration. PLEASE NOTE: The organization’s name, address, and email information must match what you used to request your Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS Number) Please ensure that alphabets, numerical characters, symbols, etc. and spacing is the same in both systems during the registration process..

Otherwise, you will receive error messages when applying for the NCAGE code. Organizations can submit a request for an NCAGE Code using the NCAGE Request Tool at https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pd

f. Detailed instructions are posted at that site. For additional information, please call 1-269-961-4623 or send an email message to NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil.

NCAGE registrations for overseas organizations can take up to 10 days (or more) to finalize once a request has been received. Please plan accordingly.

http://www.sam.gov/ 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

Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS Number)

All applicant organizations (foreign and domestic) must obtain a DUNS number. US-based organizations may request a DUNS number by calling 1-866-705-5711 or email: SAMHelp@dnb.com;

the DUNS number is usually provided immediately.

Foreign organizations that do not have a Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS number) will need to go to the Dun & Bradstreet website at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/CCRSearch.do?val=1 to start the process for obtaining a DUNS number. If further assistance is required, please email:

SAMHelp@dnb.com. NOTE: The organization’s name, address, and email information used to request the NCAGE Code must match what is used to request your Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS Number). Please ensure that alphabets, numerical characters, symbols, etc. and spacing is the same in both systems during the registration process.

SAM.gov Registration

SAM.gov registration is required of all INL applicants prior to registering with www.grants.gov. If your organization was previously registered in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), you must still create a new Individual User Account in SAM.gov prior to receiving a future federal grant. Applicant organizations can obtain assistance for SAM.gov registration by using the following link:

https://www.fsd.gov or by calling 1-866-606-8220 (U.S. calls)/or 1-324-206-7828 (international calls).

PLEASE NOTE: The organization’s name, address, and email information used to request your organization’s Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS number) and the NCAGE Code must match what is used to request the SAM.gov validation Please ensure that alphabets, numerical characters, symbols, and spacing is the same in both systems during the registration process. Otherwise, you will receive error messages when registering in SAM.gov.

US-based organizations that already have a TIN (taxpayer identification number), your SAM registration will take 3-5 business days to process. US-based organizations applying for an EIN (employer identification number), please allow up to 2 weeks.

Foreign organizations must have a DUNS number and an NCAGE code prior to completing the SAM.gov registration process. Please follow the above listed instructions to obtain each.

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” 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 ineligible entities are excluded from their applications.

All organizations must also continue to maintain 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 in order to maintain an active registration status in SAM.gov. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements at the time of application, INL may determine that the applicant is unqualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html mailto:SAMHelp@dnb.com http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/CCRSearch.do?val=1 mailto:SAMHelp@dnb.com http://www.fsd.gov/

Please note: If your organization is registered with SAM.gov and your status is NOT listed as ACTIVE, you will need to update your registration prior to submitting an application through www.grants.gov. SAM.gov requires ALL organizations (foreign and domestic) to register on an ANNUAL basis.

In October 2017, new information was added to the www.SAM.gov website to help international registrations, including “Quick Start Guide for International Registrations” and “Helpful Hints”.

Navigate to SAM.gov, click HELP in the top navigation bar, then click International Registrants in the left navigation panel.

Grants.gov Registration

To apply for a grant, your organization must complete the Grants.gov registration process. The registration process can take 10 business days or longer, even if all registration steps are completed in a timely manner.

Please log into http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html to obtain complete instructions on the registration process.

Foreign Registrants: Anyone residing and doing business outside of the United States is still required to complete the five steps of the Grants.gov registration process, in addition to fulfilling supplementary requirements for doing business with the United States government. Please ensure that you have obtained an NCAGE code, a UEI number (also referred to as DUNS number), and an “ACTIVE” status in SAM.gov prior to registering in Grants.gov.

Grants.gov Applications

Please refer to the Grants.gov website for definitions of various "application statuses" and the difference between a submission receipt and a submission validation. Applicants will receive a validation e-mail from Grants.gov upon the successful submission of an application. Validation of an electronic submission via Grants.gov can take up to two business days.

Late applications are neither reviewed nor considered unless the INL point of contact listed in the NOFO is contacted prior to the deadline and is provided with evidence of a system error caused by Grants.gov that is outside of the applicant’s control and is the sole reason for a late submission.

Applicants should not expect a separate notification from INL upon receiving their application.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that it has an active registration in Grants.gov.

Applicants are required to document that the application has been received by Grants.gov in its entirety.

INL bears no responsibility for disqualification that result from applicants not being registered before the due date, for system errors in Grants.gov, or other errors in the application process.

TECHNICAL FORMAT REQUIREMENTS

For all application documents, please ensure:

A. All pages are numbered, including budgets and attachments, B. All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and C. All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

D. All documents must be submitted in English. (Please note: Per Department policy, English is the official and controlling language for all submitted application/award documents.)

TECHNICAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Technically eligible applications are those that:

• Arrive electronically via Grants.gov by the designated due date and time noted in the NOFO. If reasonable accommodations are granted for persons with disabilities or for security reasons, applications must still be received by INL by the designated due date and time noted in the

NOFO;

• Are in English and all costs are in…