Protection NOFO_Concept Notes_FY 2025.pdf

U.S. Department of State

Bureau of Population, Refugees, and

Migration

(PRM)

FY 2025 Request for Concept Notes for Global Protection

Programs

Table of Contents

FY 2025 Request for Concept Notes for Global Protection Programs

Table of Contents

Basic Information

Executive Summary

Basic Information

Contact Information

Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

Cost Sharing or Matching

Number of Allowed Concept Note Applications

Program Description

Substantial Involvement

Populations

Program area (For PRM Use)

Program Sectors and Modalities

Theme-specific Guidelines

Application and Submission Instructions

SAM.gov and Grants.gov Registration

Submission Dates and Times

Other Requirements

Application Checklist

Application Review Information

Criteria

Federal Award Information

Post-Award Administration Information

Funding Restrictions

Disclaimer

Section 508

Basic Information

Executive Summary

This Notice of Funding Opportunity seeks global initiatives that advance humanitarian protection for refugees, asylum seekers, and/or stateless persons. Concept notes can include activities that advance protection through:

• Strengthening capacity

• Advocacy

• Creating and sharing best practice and tools

• Coordination

Other activities that promote humanitarian protection are also welcome. Proposed activities must have relatively broad impact on humanitarian responses and show clear, positive outcomes at the field level. PRM will not consider concept notes focused on a single country or those without global impact.

Concept notes can address general humanitarian protection or focus on the following specific protection themes:

• Persons with disabilities

• Stateless persons

• LGBTQI+ persons

• Older persons

• Child protection

• Mental health and psychosocial support

PRM defines protection as:

“Measures to safeguard the rights of PRM populations of concern by seeking to prevent or end patterns of violence or abuse; alleviate the trauma and related effects of violence or abuse; identify and promote durable solutions; foster respect for refugee, humanitarian, and human rights law; and ensure that humanitarian actions uphold human dignity, benefit the most vulnerable, and do not harm affected populations.”

Organizations can apply as consortia. For this notice, PRM defines consortia as a group of at least three organizations that form an agreement to undertake an assistance activity beyond the resources of any one member.

Basic Information

Funding Opportunity Number: DFOP0017104

Announcement Type: Initial Announcement

Assistance Listing number: 19.522 - Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for

Strategic Global Priorities

Announcement issuance date: Monday, December 30, 2024

Funding Instrument type: Cooperative Agreement

Concept note application submission deadline: Friday, February 28, 2025, at 11:59:59 p.m. (23:59:59) EST. Concept Notes submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

Concept Note Process Information: This solicitation is the first step in a two-part process. After reviewing submitted concept notes, PRM will invite selected organizations to expand their submissions into full proposals no later than three months after submission. Selected organizations will have 30 calendar days after they are notified of their selection to complete their full proposals.

Funding limits: Budgets must meet the funding requirements and must be within the funding floor and ceiling limits per year. Budgets outside these limits will be disqualified. However, the amount of funding available per award for this NOFO will ultimately be determined as part of the application review process based on applications received and funding made available through appropriations.

• Funding floor per year (lowest $ value): $200,000 per year

• Funding ceiling per year (highest $ value): $750,000 per year

Anticipated timeframe for notification of selection for full proposal development:

PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, that within three (3) months from the proposal submission deadline selected concept notes will be notified of selection for full proposal development.

Anticipated timeframe for award of selected full proposals: Pending the availability of funds, PRM anticipates, but cannot guarantee, that awards will be made less than five

(5) months from the proposal submission deadline.

Estimated Number of Awards: PRM could fund, but makes no guarantee, as many as nine (9) awards through this announcement.

Estimated Total Amount to be Awarded: The amount of funding available for this

NOFO will be determined once final FY 2025 appropriations have been made. This

NOFO will be cancelled if FY 2025 appropriations are insufficient to support new awards.

Expected Award Amount: The amount of funding available per award for this NOFO will be determined as part of the application review process based on applications received and funding made available through appropriations.

Advisory: All applicants must submit concept notes applications through the website

Grants.gov. PRM recommends submitting your concept note early to address any technical difficulties that may arise on the Grants.gov website.

If you are new to PRM funding, the Grants.gov registration process can be complicated.

Refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines “Application Process” section for information and resources to help ensure a smooth application process. PRM also encourages organizations that have received funding from PRM in the past to read this section as a refresher.

This announcement accompanies PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, which contain additional information on PRM’s priorities and NGO funding strategy. Use both the

General NGO Guidelines and this announcement to ensure your submission fully complies with PRM requirements and aligns with PRM’s priorities.

PRM recommends concept notes in Adobe PDF. Microsoft Word documents may produce different page lengths based on software versions and configurations when transmitted. Submit budget documents as Excel files. PRM strictly adheres to stated page limits and will not review pages of the narrative beyond the stated limit, which may negatively impact the concept note’s score. All documents must be in English, avoid jargon, and spell out all acronyms upon first use.

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.state.gov/j/prm/funding/c78352.htm https://www.state.gov/population-refugees-and-migration-funding-opportunities/

Retrieve PRM’s-recommended templates and NGO guidelines on PRM’s website and on this opportunity’s grants.gov page.

Contact Information

Applicants with technical questions related to this announcement should contact the

PRM staff listed below prior to submission. Please note that responses to technical questions from PRM do not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.

• PRM Program Officer: Anna Nicol, nicolae@state.gov, Washington, D.C.

Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

a. Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (U.S.-based NGOs must be able to demonstrate proof of non-profit tax status).

b. Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (overseas-based NGOs must be able to demonstrate proof of registration in country of domicile);

and

c. International Organizations. International multilateral organizations, such as United Nations agencies, should not submit concept notes through Grants.gov in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Multilateral organizations that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the PRM Program Officer (as listed below) on or before the closing date of this announcement.

d. Private, Public, and State controlled institutions of higher education.

mailto:nicolae@state.gov

Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not required for this funding announcement. However, concept notes and invited proposals should describe additional funding sources and amounts that may complement PRM funding. These additional funds must:

• Not be paid by the Federal Government under another Federal award.

• Be verifiable from the non-Federal entity's records.

• Not be included as contributions for any other Federal award; and

• Be necessary and reasonable for achieving project and program objectives.

Please include this information in the indicated column in the Budget Summary of the concept note submission.

Note: Including additional funding is viewed favorably but will not increase your competitive ranking during evaluation.

Number of Allowed Concept Note Applications

• Organizations can submit one (1) concept note per protection theme

(Humanitarian protection writ large, persons with disabilities, stateless persons, LGBTQI+ persons, older persons, child protection, and/or mental health and psychosocial support). Concept notes may address multiple themes, but the organization may not include those themes in any other concept notes submitted. Any additional submissions addressing the same theme will be disqualified. Applicants must specify the protection theme(s) in their concept note. PRM recommends inserting the protection theme(s) in the recommended concept note template’s “Proposed Activity

Sector/Modalities(s)” section.

Program Description

Funding comes from the Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) account to carry out section 2(b)(2) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act (MRAA) of 1962.

Substantial Involvement

The Department of State will be substantially involved in carrying out aspects of this cooperative agreement. Recipients should anticipate that PRM will undertake the following list of non-exhaustive activities:

• Provide overall policy guidance and program direction.

• Review and comment on proposed budgets, proposed changes or revisions to the project.

• Periodically monitor and evaluate the performance of the proposed project, including review of required program and financial reporting documents.

Populations

Concept note activities must support global level policy, advocacy, and best practice development and dissemination for protection of refugees, asylum seekers, and/or stateless persons. Due to PRM's mandate to provide protection, assistance, and sustainable solutions for refugees and conflict victims, PRM will only consider concept notes that focus on improving protection outcomes for refugees/asylum seekers/stateless persons.

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fuscode.house.gov%2Fview.xhtml%3Fpath%3D%2Fprelim%40title22%2Fchapter36%26edition%3Dprelim&data=05%7C02%7CStewartHA%40state.gov%7C01f2851f36e045c72a8f08dc1b61433e%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638415351752018851%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=dF6VaA7VgGyF%2BbnIPgm1HazTg1%2FH57ilP0mS958YiHY%3D&reserved=0

Program area (For PRM Use)

Proposed program concept notes must align with one or more of the following program areas.

• Humanitarian Protection and Assistance

• Interim and Durable Solutions

• Humanitarian Diplomacy

Program Sectors and Modalities

Concept notes must focus on one or more of the following programmatic sectors (see

PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for sector descriptions):

• Capacity Strengthening o Capacity Strengthening: NGO/CBO o Capacity Strengthening: Local Governments

• Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities

• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)

• Protection o Protection: Legal o Protection: Child Protection o Protection: Socio-cultural Inclusion and Social Cohesion

Note: If PRM selects your organization for full proposal development, you must include three indicators for all programs regardless of design or sector.

https://www.state.gov/j/prm/funding/c78352.htm

• PRM-1. Number of individuals directly reached through PRM funding.

• PRM-2. Amount of humanitarian funding distributed to local, national, or refugee-led organizations (in USD) – This amount should include any sub-awards or contracts with local, national, stateless-led, or refugee-led organizations. If the prime applicant is a local, national, stateless-led, or refugee-led organization, they should use the full proposal budget total as the target value. Refer to the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) working definition of “local” and “national” organizations. If this indicator does not apply to you, set the target to zero; it will not affect your eligibility.

• PRM-3. Percentage of participants who report that humanitarian assistance is delivered in a safe, accessible, accountable, and participatory manner – The

Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid

Operations (ECHO) developed this protection mainstreaming indicator, and the

Grand Bargain adopted it. Research or coordination awards that don’t involve community implementation are exempt from this indicator. Refer to the PRM

Performance Indicator Reference & Definition Sheets (PIRS) for a sample questionnaire and analysis guidance.

Note: If selected, full proposals for cash and voucher assistance programs must include the relevant indicator(s) from the selection contained in the NGO Guidelines Appendix

D.

• Recommended if applicable: Partners may consider using these indicators to monitor any related activities as they are aligned with humanitarian standards and best practices. However, inclusion of recommended indicators is not mandatory and will not affect the proposal scoring. When possible, PRM encourages partners to disaggregate participant data by disability. Please note https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/system/files/hftt_localisation_marker_definitions_paper_24_january_2018.pdf https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/system/files/hftt_localisation_marker_definitions_paper_24_january_2018.pdf https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PRM-Performance-Indicator-Reference-Definition-Sheets-PIRS-FY-23_Accessible-09052023.pdf https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PRM-Performance-Indicator-Reference-Definition-Sheets-PIRS-FY-23_Accessible-09052023.pdf that in rare cases PRM may request for a partner to use a particular recommended indicator if there is a strong technical/thematic need to track information on that indicator, or if a similar custom indicator was proposed by the partner.

Theme-specific Guidelines

Global Protection Programs-Specific Guidance

Concept notes must propose global-level initiatives that strengthen protection of refugees and/or stateless persons. Activities can include:

• Strengthening capacity

• Advocacy

• Creating and sharing best practices and tools

• Coordination

Other activities that promote humanitarian protection are also welcome. Proposed activities should have a broad impact on humanitarian responses and show clear, positive outcomes on protection at the field level. PRM will not consider concept notes focused on a single country or those without global impact.

Applicants must specify the protection theme(s) in their concept note. PRM recommends inserting in the recommended concept note template’s “Proposed

Activity Sector/Modalities(s)” section. Applicants can submit only one concept note per theme. Concept notes can address general humanitarian protection or focus on specific protection themes such as:

• Humanitarian protection writ-large

• Persons with disabilities

• LGBTQI+ persons

• Older persons

• Statelessness

• Child protection

• Mental health and psychosocial support

Duration of Activity

Program plans for one or two years will be considered.

Period of Performance

Programs period of performance of 12 or 24 months will be considered.

Application and Submission Instructions

A. Where to Request Application Package: Application packages may be downloaded from the website www.Grants.gov.

B. Content and Form of Application: Organizations can submit a maximum of one concept note per protection theme. Concept notes may address multiple themes, but the organization may not include those themes in any other concept notes submitted. Any additional submissions will be disqualified.

Applicants must clearly specify the protection theme(s) in their concept note.

PRM recommends inserting the protection theme(s) in the recommended concept note template’s “Proposed Activity Sector/Modalities(s)” section.

Submissions by organizations as part of a consortium do not count toward an individual organization’s submission limit.

http://www.grants.gov/

• Concept note narratives must not exceed 4 pages (or 5 pages for consortia submissions). Submit concept notes in Adobe PDF, using Times New Roman or

Calibri, 12-point font, letter sized paper with one-inch margins. Submit budget documents as Excel files. PRM will strictly enforce page limits and will not review pages beyond the stated limit, which may negatively impact the concept note’s score.

All documents must be in English and should avoid the use of jargon and spell out acronyms upon first use.

• Include the following categories in your concept note narratives, in any arrangement:

o Brief problem statement, description of target population with anticipated participant numbers, and vulnerability criteria used to identify participants or the target population.

o Program description, location, and duration.

o Proposed measurable outcomes and impact of the program.

o Summary of the organization(s) and experience doing similar work.

o Organizational point(s) of contact.

• A one-page Budget Summary in Excel format. Attach the Budget Summary under the “budget narrative” section in grants.gov.

o The Budget Summary does not count against the 4-page limit (or 5 pages for consortia submissions). The budget summary is separate from SF-424, SF-F24A, and SF-424B documents, which are also required and do not fall within the page limit. The SF-424 family of forms may be downloaded through grants.gov.

o The Budget summary must include the following categories, disaggregated by year:

▪ Personnel allowances

▪ Benefits

▪ Travel

▪ Program equipment

▪ Supplies

▪ Contractual

▪ Construction

▪ Other direct costs

▪ Indirect costs

▪ Total amount requested

There should be no attachments, other than the budget summary (Excel) and SF-424 documents, to the concept note submission.

C. Consortia:

Organizations can apply to this call as part of a consortium. For consortia, one organization must be the lead applicant.

PRM defines a consortium as a group of at least three NGOs that form an agreement to undertake an assistance activity beyond the resources of any one member. PRM may review and approve substantive provisions of proposed sub-awards.

Applicants can form consortia to combine varied expertise and propose a comprehensive program in one proposal. This arrangement can allow for greater geographic coverage, inclusion of technical and sectoral strengths from multiple organizations, increased inclusion of local and national organizations, and potentially greater impact through collaboration.

Submissions by organizations as part of a consortium do not count toward an organization’s individual submission limit. If applying as a consortium, include a description of how the consortium will be organized and how lines of authority and decision-making will be managed across all team members and between the lead applicant and associate awardees should be included in the concept note.

The prime applicant is responsible for overall implementation of the proposed program activities, preparation and presentation of annual work plans, M&E planning, and required reporting to PRM. The prime applicant should designate a single individual to be the liaison with PRM, although PRM would reserve the right to communicate with sub-grantees.

SAM.gov and Grants.gov Registration

Each applicant is required to:

• be registered in SAM before submitting its application.

• provide a valid UEI number in its application; and

• continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active PRM award or an application or plan under consideration by PRM.

No federal award will be made until the selected applicant complies with all applicable

UEI and SAM requirements. If an applicant has not complied by the time the PRM award is ready, PRM may determine that the applicant is not qualified and use that determination as a basis to awarding another applicant.

http://www.sam.gov/

Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov, which requires a UEI number and active SAM.gov registration. If new to PRM funding, refer to PRM’s General NGO

Guidelines “Application Process” section for information and resources. PRM also encourages past recipients to read this section as a refresher. Applicants may also refer to the “For Applicants” page on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements.

Do not wait until the deadline to attempt to submit your application on Grants.gov.

Register well in advance of the deadline as it can take several weeks to finalize registration, especially for non-U.S. based NGOs. First-time applicants should submit applications via Grants.gov no later than one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties. PRM has extremely limited ability to correct or facilitate rapid resolution to technical difficulties associated with Grants.gov, SAM.gov or UEI number issues.

PRM partners must maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current and correct information at all times during which they have an active federal award or an application under consideration by PRM or any federal agency.

When registering with Grants.gov, organizations must designate points of contact and

Authorized Organization Representatives (AORs). As of December 2022, organizations based outside of the United States not applying for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awards do not need 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 to seek guidance on how to do so. For technical difficulties with the SAM.gov registration process should contact the Federal Service Desk online or at 1-866-606-8220 (U.S.)

and 1-334-206-7828 (International).

https://www.state.gov/j/prm/funding/c78352.htm https://www.state.gov/j/prm/funding/c78352.htm https://www.grants.gov/applicants http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp/?id=gsa_landing https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp/?id=gsa_landing

Applications must be submitted under the authority of the Authorized Organization

Representative at the applicant organization. Submitting concept notes by agency headquarters helps to avoid possible technical problems.

If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov please contact the Grants.gov

Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-4726.

Applicants who are unable to submit applications via Grants.gov due to Grants.gov technical difficulties and:

• who have reported the problem to the Grants.gov help desk.

• received a case number.

• have completed UEI and SAM.gov registrations

• and had a documented service request opened to research the problem.

Can contact the PRM NGO Coordinator before the submission deadline to determine if an alternative submission method is possible. However, PRM does not guarantee acceptance of applications outside the grants.gov system.

Each applicant must ensure their registrations are in place and active. Issues with registrations or discrepancies across platforms are not considered technical difficulties and do not justify an alternate submission method.

In accordance with 2 CFR §200.113, Mandatory disclosures, the non-Federal entity or applicant for a federal award must disclose, in a timely manner, in writing to the

Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity whenever, in connection with the

Federal award (including any activities or subawards thereunder), it has credible evidence of the commission of a violation of Federal criminal law involving fraud, mailto:support@grants.gov bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the Federal award. Non-Federal entities that have received a federal award including the term and condition outlined in Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance

Matters are required to report certain civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings to

SAM. Failure to make required disclosures can result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR §200.338 Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment.

(See also 2 CFR part 180, 31 U.S.C. 3321, and 41 U.S.C. 2313.)

Submission Dates and Times

• Announcement issuance date: Monday, December 30, 2024

• Proposal submission deadline: Friday, February 28, 2025 at 11:59:59 p.m.

(23:59:59) EST. Concept Notes submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

• This solicitation is the first step in a two-part process. After reviewing concept notes, PRM will invite selected organizations to expand their submissions into full-length proposals with detailed budgets. Selected organizations will have

30 calendar days after they are notified of their selection to complete their full proposals.

Intergovernmental Review: Not Applicable

Other Requirements

• Branding and Marking Strategy

The following provisions will be included whenever assistance is awarded:

The Recipient shall recognize the United States Government’s funding for activities specified under this award at the project site with a graphic of the U.S.

flag accompanied by one of the following two phrases based on the level of funding for the award:

o Fully funded by the award: “Gift of the United States Government” o Partially funded by the award: “Funding provided by the United States

Government”

PRM highly encourages recognition of U.S. government funding on social media and website platforms to be included in proposals branding and marking strategy. Recipients should tag PRM’s Twitter account @StatePRM and/or

Facebook account @State.PRM (rather than using hashtags). Additionally, the applicable U.S. Embassy should be tagged as well.

Updates of actions taken to fulfill this requirement must be included in quarterly program reports to PRM.

All programs, projects, assistance, activities, and public communications to foreign audiences, partially or fully funded by the Department, must be marked appropriately overseas with the standard U.S. flag in a size and prominence equal to (or greater than) any other logo or identity. The requirement does not apply to the Recipient’s own corporate communications or in the United States.

The Recipient must appropriately ensure that all publicity and promotional materials underscore the sponsorship by or partnership with the U.S.

government or the U.S. embassy. The Recipient may continue to use existing logos or project materials; however, a standard rectangular U.S. flag must be used in conjunction with such logos.

Do not use the Department of State seal without the express written approval from PRM.

Sub non-Federal entities (sub-awardees) and subsequent tier sub-award agreements are subject to the marking requirements and the non-Federal entity shall include a provision in the sub non-Federal entity agreement indicating that the standard, rectangular U.S. flag is a requirement. Exemptions from this requirement may be allowable but must be agreed to in writing by the Grants

Officer. (Note: An exemption refers to the complete or partial cessation of branding, not use of alternative branding). Requests should be initiated with the

Grants Officer and Grants Officer Representative. Waivers issued are applied only to the exemptions requested through the Recipient’s proposal for funding and any subsequent negotiated revisions.

In the event the non-Federal entity does not comply with the marking requirements as established in the approved assistance agreement, the Grants

Officer Representative and the Grants Officer must initiate corrective action with the non-Federal entity.

Application Checklist

To be considered for PRM funding, organizations must submit a complete application package including:

• 4-page concept note (or 5-page concept note for consortia).

• One-page budget summary (Excel) clearly indicating costs disaggregated by year for the program period. The budget summary does not count against overall page limits.

• Signed and completed SF-424, SF-424 A, and SF-424 B. These documents do not count against the page limit.

o Note: If the applicant organization has an active registration in SAM.gov that was either created or updated on or after February 2, 2019, then the applicant does NOT need to submit the SF-424B as they will be prompted to complete the representations and certifications in SAM.gov.

Application Review Information

Criteria

PRM is committed to a competitive and standardized funding process. Applications will first go through a Technical Eligibility Review to check if they meet eligibility requirements and include all required documents. Applications that don't meet these requirements will be deemed ineligible and won't advance beyond this stage.

PRM may have all technically eligible applications undergo a Subject Matter Expert

(SME) review before the Merit Review Panel. This review checks if the application is responsive to the NOFO information. Applications that don't pass the SME review won't proceed to the Merit Review Panel.

Eligible submissions must comply with the criteria and requirements in this announcement. The review panel will evaluate concept notes based on the following criteria unless otherwise stated:

• Quality of program idea (20 points)

• Appropriate identification of beneficiary population, including vulnerable populations (10 points)

• Program feasibility/ability to achieve objectives (10 points)

• Organization’s experience and capacity (5 points)

• Budget (5 points)

PRM will conduct a formal competitive review of all concept notes submitted in response to this funding announcement. A review panel of at least three people will evaluate submissions based on the programmatic criteria and PRM priorities mentioned above, considering the available funding.

After reviewing the concept notes, PRM will invite selected organizations to submit full proposals. PRM will notify applicants of final decisions within 90 days after the announcement’s closing date. Selected organizations will have 30 calendar days from notification to submit full proposals, including detailed budgets and applicable attachments. Refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for proposal formatting and submission guidance for single-year/multi-year programs).

Before making a Federal award exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, PRM must review information about the applicant in the U.S. government designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.gov (see 41 U.S.C. 2313).

Applicants may review and comment on any information about themselves that a

Federal awarding agency previously entered. Federal agencies create integrity records in the Contractor Performance Assessment and Reporting System (CPARS), and these records are visible as responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov.

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

Federal Award Information

A. Proposed program start dates: September 1, 2025

B. Duration of Activity: See country-specific guidelines above. Applicants can submit multi-year concept notes with activities and budgets for up to two years from the proposed start date. If selected for an award, activities and budgets can be revised/updated each year. Continued funding after the initial 12 month period of performance requires a noncompeting single-year proposal. This funding depends on available funds, strong performance, and continuing need.

Funding a program one year does not guarantee funding in successive years.

PRM encourages applicants to seek various donors for long-term funding.

Livelihoods programs are encouraged to be multi-year.

C. Other Considerations

Concept notes and eventually full proposals must follow relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance, especially Sphere Standards. Refer to PRM’s

General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards, including new guidance on proposals for programs in urban areas.

PRM strongly encourages programs that target the needs of vulnerable and underserved groups among the program participants. These groups may include women, children, adolescents, LGBTQI+ individuals, older persons, the sick, persons with disabilities, and members of minority communities. Programs should http://www.spherehandbook.org/ demonstrate steps taken to meet the specific and unique protection and assistance needs of these vulnerable groups effectively.

PRM will accept concept notes from any NGO working in the-mentioned sectors.

However, due to budgetary constraints, priority will be given to concept notes from organizations that can demonstrate:

• A working relationship with UNHCR.

• A proven track record in providing leadership and/or coordination on the protection issue specified.

• Evidence that persons with direct experience of displacement and/or their representative organizations were consulted in the project design and will be meaningfully engaged in implementation and evaluation of the project.

• Evidence of coordination with international organizations (IOs) and other NGOs working in the same sector.

• An emphasis on the outcome or impact of program activities. (If PRM invites you to submit a full proposal, you must include a full indicator table.) The concept note must generally show your ability to deliver impact.

• If PRM invites you to submit a full proposal, you must include a strong sustainability plan. The plan should involve local capacity strengthening where feasible.

• An understanding of and sensitivity to conflict dynamics in the program location.

Post-Award Administration Information

Award Notices

Successful applicants will receive a separate notice from PRM stating that their application has been selected before PRM makes the federal award. This notice is not an authorization to begin performance. Only the notice of award signed by the Grants

Officer authorizes performance. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified after the selection and award process is complete.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

PRM awards are made consistent with the following provisions in the following order of precedence: (a) applicable laws and statutes of the United States, including any specific legislative provisions mandated in the statutory authority for the award; (b)

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR); (c) Department of State Standard Terms and

Conditions of the award; (d) the award’s specific requirements; and (e) other documents and attachments to the award.

Reporting Requirements

a. Program Reports: PRM requires program reports that describe and analyze the results of activities undertaken during the respective agreement period.

Submit a program report within 30 days after each three-month period of performance. The final program report is due 120 days after the agreement ends. Submission dates for program reports will be included in the cooperative agreement. For multi-year awards, follow the same reporting schedule and submit a final program report at the end of each year summarizing the NGO’s performance during the previous year. PRM suggests using the PRM recommended program reporting template to ease reporting requirements while ensuring all required elements are addressed.

b. Financial Reports: Submit financial reports within 30 days at the end of each calendar year quarter (January 30th, April 30th, July 30th, October 30th) during the agreement period. The final financial report, covering the entire agreement period, is due120 days after the agreement ends. For agreements with indirect costs, final financial reports are due within 60 days of finalizing the applicable negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA).

Complete reports reflecting expenditures for the recipient’s overseas and United

States offices should be completed in accordance with the Federal Financial

Report (FFR SF-425) and submitted electronically in the Department of Health and Human Services’ Payment Management System (HHS/PMS) and in accordance with other award specific requirements. Detailed information pertaining to the Federal Financial Report, including due dates, instruction manuals, and access forms, is available on the HHS/PMS website.

c. Audit Reports: If the Federal award amount is less than $750,000 and a recipient-contracted audit is not required, the Department may still require an audit. Submit the audit report to the responsible grants officer for review, dissemination, and resolution as appropriate. The cost of required audits may be charged as an allowable direct cost to the award or included in the organization’s established indirect costs in the award’s detailed budget.

Funding Restrictions

• Federal awards will not allow reimbursement of Federal Award costs without prior authorization by PRM.

• Funding Restrictions for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) https://pms.psc.gov/

None of the funds awarded resulting from this Notice of Funding Opportunity may be made available for subawards, direct financial support, or otherwise used to provide any payment or transfer to United Nations Relief and Works

Agency (UNRWA).

• Prohibition on Funding Activities that Encourage Mass-Migration Caravans towards the United States Southwest Border:

None of the funds awarded under this grant may be made available to encourage, mobilize, publicize, or manage mass-migration caravans towards the

United States southwest border. Funds may not be made available for legal counseling on the United States asylum process; and/or for referrals to legal or representation in the United States.

Funds may only be used for cash cards for use in the country in which they are provided or to facilitate assisted voluntary returns and other purposes that do not encourage, mobilize, publicize, or manage mass migration caravans towards the United States southwest border. The provision of humanitarian assistance is permitted.

Indicate any additional funding restrictions (for example, if award funds cannot be used in certain countries, or for certain activities.)

Disclaimer

External websites linked above may not be supported or accessible by all web browsers. If you are unable to link to a referenced website, please try using a different browser or update to a more recent one. If you continue to experience difficulties to reach external resources, please contact the PRM NGO Coordinator.

mailto:PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov

Section 508

• (a) Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, charges the Architectural and

Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (US Access Board) with developing and promulgating standards address that access to information and communication technology (ICT) Accessibility Standards (36 CFR part 1194).

Section 508 requires that when Federal agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use ICT. Federal employees with disabilities have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access and use by Federal employees who are not individuals with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. Section 508 also requires that individuals with disabilities, who are members of the public seeking information or services from a Federal agency, have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to that provided to the public who are not individuals with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. These standards are part of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. The complete text of the Section 508 Final Provisions can be accessed at https://www.access-board.gov/ict/.

• (b) The Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this contract or order are identified in the following paragraph. If it is determined by the

Government that ICT supplies and services provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the contract, remediation of the supplies or services to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.

• (c) The Section 508 standards applicable to this contract are: 1194.

https://www.access-board.gov/ict/ https://www.access-board.gov/ict/

• 205 WCAG 2.0 Level A & AA Success Criteria

• 302 Functional Performance Criteria

• 502 Inoperability with Assistive Technology

• 504 Authoring Tools

• 602 Support Documentation

• 603 Support Services

• (d) In the event of a modification(s) to this contract or order, which adds new

ICT supplies or services or revises the type of, or specifications for, supplies or services, the Contracting Officer may require that the contractor submit a completed Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) 2.4 or greater, 508 revision (Rev 508) or another format approved by the Department, and any other additional information necessary to assist the Government in determining that the ICT supplies or services conform to Section 508 accessibility standards. If it is determined by the Government that ICT supplies and services provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the contract, remediation of the supplies or services to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense. Information about VPAT can be accessed at https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat.

• (e) If this is an Indefinite Delivery contract, a Blanket Purchase Agreement or a

Basic Ordering Agreement, the task/delivery order requests that include ICT supplies or services will define the specifications and accessibility standards for the order. In those cases, the Contractor may be required to provide a https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.itic.org%2Fpolicy%2Faccessibility%2Fvpat&data=05%7C01%7CBejuneBJ%40state.gov%7C1b18701488904e913fc108dbf0284c66%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638367828087230150%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=RIAuzUrUPuequff4sYPt72BVX%2FmShODzQQw46CRNdi0%3D&reserved=0 completed VPAT and any other additional information necessary to assist the

Government in determining that the ICT supplies or services conform to

Section 508 accessibility standards.

Drafted: PRM/PRP: Anna Nicol

Cleared:

PRM/PRP: Kristen Engle (ok)

PRM/PRP: Haley Sands (ok)

PRM/PRP: Carmen Wilke (ok)

PRM/PRP: Jaime LeBlanc-Hadley (ok)

PRM/C: Joe Kouba (ok)

PRM/MEC: Lucas Keene (ok)