Q A Responses_6.5-6.11.pdf

McGovern-Dole FY2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity

Questions and Answers

6/5/25-6/11/25

1. If an organization is proposing to import U.S. grain and then mill and fortify it locally, can USDA confirm that the locally procured fortification should be included under supplies within the Activities budget?

A: Without specific information, Applicants are encouraged to use their best judgement on whether the proposed fortificant meets the definition of LRP eligible agricultural commodity or should be listed as supply. If awarded, USDA/FAS will work with the Applicant on a case-by-case basis to make sure that it is correctly listed in the final agreement.

2. The NOFO does not include a request to include a section describing proposed monitoring systems and protocols as a part of regular project monitoring, however the M&E guidance (page 17-18) says that this should be included in the evaluation plan.

Can USDA please clarify if this should be included and if so, under which section(s)?

Are there any deviations from this guidance and what is mentioned in the M&E guidance in terms of what it should include, or the level of detail required?

A: Applicants should align their proposed evaluation plans with what is required in the NOFO.

As stated on page 5 of the NOFO, USDA/FAS may still require this [additional] information from awardees during negotiations or within the post-award deliverables.

3. Can Applicants submit applicable CPARS in lieu of completing the Past Performance

Review?

A: No, Applicants must submit Past Performance Reviews as outlined in the NOFO on page 26.

Past Performance Reviews are used to evaluate if Applicants have the organizational capabilities and experience to develop, manage, implement, monitor, report, and provide for accountability and sustainability for the proposed project in the target country.

4. Is the applicant responsible for purchasing the deworming pharmaceuticals, or will these be provided by the government?

A: As stated in page 19 of the NOFO, in areas with both high helminth infection rates, and where other actors are not implementing deworming activities, Applicants must describe a strategy to implement school-based deworming in target schools. USDA/FAS expects Applicants to coordinate their deworming activities with the Ministry of Health or the competent technical host-country government entity. Applicants must clarify whether they would directly implement deworming activities or coordinate with another stakeholder’s intervention. If other actors are implementing deworming activities that include the project’s target population, Applicants are not required to propose deworming activities but are expected to briefly describe existing deworming interventions.

5. According to the NOFO, LNS-SF (Lipid-based Nutrient Supplement for School

Feeding) is included on the commodity list. However, we noticed that it was not included on the list of foods available for Q2 of FY25. Can you confirm that LNS-SF is available and that we can include it in our application?

A: LNS-SF is available and listed in Appendix I - Available Food Aid Commodities (page 92) of the NOFO. LNS-SF, alongside other ready-to-use nutritional foods can be included in applications. At this time, USDA purchases LNS-SF once a year which is why it was not included on the list of available foods for Q2 2025.

6. Can USDA clarify if Applicants should propose a third-party evaluator at the application stage?

A: Applicants are not required to propose a third-party evaluator at the application stage.

7. If a prospective sub-recipient is in the process of applying for a UEI, can they be included in the application with a note that the UEI is pending?

A: Yes, the requirement from 2 CFR 25.300 is that a subrecipient must have a UEI before an award is made. There is no prohibition on discussing, negotiating, or undertaking other preparatory steps in advance of a UEI being in place. Since entity verification can be a complicated process for non-US organizations - we always recommend that applying for a UEI not be postponed.

8. Does USDA have a preference for the number or limitation on the number of evaluation questions to include within evaluation TORs?

A: Evaluation TORs are not required at the application stage. There is no requirement for the number of preliminary key evaluation questions an applicant may identify in their evaluation plan.

9. As stated in the NOFO, each individual award is expected to be in the range: $10 million – $29 million. Would a submission with a budget below the award floor be considered?

A: USDA/FAS expects awards to be within the range listed in the NOFO. The budget submitted as part of the proposal may change during the award negotiations with the selected entity. Please ensure that your budget is adequate to meet the McGovern-Dole objectives as outlined in the NOFO on page 10.

10. To ensure offerors have adequate time to incorporate responses into their proposals, would USDA consider granting an extension of ten business days following the release of the final Q&A?

A: Applications submitted after 5:00:00 P.M. ET on June 23, 2025 will not be accepted and USDA/FAS will not grant an extension.

11. Could USDA confirm that the Project Framework option in the Attachment dropdown menu in FAIS is the correct location to upload the Project-Level Results Framework (p.26 of NOFO - narrative and graphic).

A: Yes, Applicants may upload the Project-Level Results Framework as the Project Framework option in the Attachment dropdown menu in FAIS. While the Project-Level Results Framework graphic and narrative is a required part of applications, this field in FAIS is not designated as mandatory, so it is also possible for this part of the application to be uploaded as “General”.

12. Under the Proposal Result and Activity Mapping Other Details section of FAIS, there are three required input windows that are not specified in the NOFO. These are 1) Cash or Non-Cash Contributions, 2) Sub-Recipients, and 3) Government and Non- Government Agencies. Could USDA provide guidance on the scope of information, and level of detail, that is required for these mandatory inputs?

A: Due to the technical limitations of FAIS, Applicants must input data into the identified input windows to successfully submit their application. As indicated on page 36 of the NOFO, Applicants may enter language referencing the location of the information in the application in these fields to reduce the administrative burden of applying and minimize duplicative information in the application. For example: Enter “See Attachment X: Project Level Results Framework” in the field for Results. It is the Applicant’s responsibility to ensure that their application is complete in FAIS.

13. Under the Special Needs and Distribution Methods Commodities section, the Method of

Procurement is a required input window that is not specific in the NOFO. Could USDA provide guidance on the scope of information, and level of detail, that is required for this mandatory input?

A: Due to the technical limitations of FAIS, Applicants must input data into this field in FAIS.

As indicated on page 36 of the NOFO, Applicants may enter language referencing the location of the information in the application in these fields to reduce the administrative burden of applying and minimize duplicative information in the application. For example: Enter “See Attachment X:

Commodity Management” in the field for Special Needs and Distribution Methods for Commodities section.

14. The NOFO requests detailed information in the budget narrative, including the rate and total amount for a multi-year period. Since the budget narrative will be incorporated into the cooperative agreement, is there flexibility on price and schedule variations as outlined in 2 CFR 200 and 7 CFR 1599.12 during implementation? Can USDA confirm that the budget narrative and total amounts are intended to be illustrative of planned activities and associated costs, and if there will be budget and schedule flexibility during implementation?

A: Yes, the budget narrative and total amounts are intended to be illustrative of planned activities and associated costs. In accordance with 2 CFR 200 and 7 CFR 1599.12 (McGovern-Dole regulations) there will be a reasonable amount of budget and schedule flexibility. In the final agreements, there will be limits placed on the total project operating budget, and a limit on the amount of McGovern-Dole funding that can go towards local and regional procurement of agricultural commodities.

15. Can USDA please provide an unexpired SF-424A Form? The forms available on grants.gov are expired. Please note that page 13 of the NOFO states: Applicants should ensure they are using active, i.e. non-expired, versions of standard forms. The use of an expired standard form will not itself be grounds for a determination of ineligibility but may delay processing of an Applicant selected for award.

A: In the absence of an unexpired SF-424A on Grants.gov, Applicants should use the best-available option (OMB expired 02/28/2025). USDA/FAS recognizes this circumstance with the SF-424A and the use of this particular expired standard form will not itself be grounds for a determination of eligibility.