Q&A for NOFO DFOP0018082.pdf

Questions and Answers for NOFO DFOP0018082

1. Will the inclusion of all five Central Asian countries increase the strength of a proposal package or will a focus on Tajikistan and Uzbekistan be sufficient?

a. No, the inclusion of all five Central Asian countries will neither increase nor decrease the strength of a proposal. CT is interested in this project focusing on Tajikistan and Uzbekistan but will consider proposals that engage all five Central Asian countries, if the applicant believes there is a strong methodological reason.

2. Are proposals that include activities across origin, transit, and destination countries—reflecting migration-cycle approaches—considered within scope, particularly where recruitment networks operate across borders?

a. These activities could be within scope.

3. How should “Central Asian foreign workers” be defined for eligibility purposes? For example, may this include prospective migrants, returnees, and diaspora communities, in addition to current migrant workers abroad?

a. “Central Asian foreign workers” is inclusive of these categories.

4. Does the Department have a preference for targeted interventions focused on individuals assessed as at risk versus broader community-level prevention and resilience approaches, or is an integrated model preferred?

a. The Department does not have a preference.

5. Could CT clarify expectations regarding engagement with civilian law enforcement partners, including the anticipated level of collaboration, beneficiary selection, and whether formal agreements or endorsements are required at the application stage?

a. NADR funding is specifically used for providing technical assistance to foreign law enforcement; thus, they must be the beneficiary of program support. This program will be a cooperative agreement, and

CT will collaborate with the selected implementer on beneficiary selection. Formal agreements or endorsements are not required, but applicants may submit them as part of their application package if they wish to do so.

6. Are there specific guidelines or limitations regarding online engagement activities (e.g., peer engagement, digital outreach, or interaction with at-risk individuals), particularly concerning safeguarding, privacy, and coordination with law enforcement?

a. Pursuant to Executive Order 14149 (Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship), this program will not “engage in or facilitate any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen.” Further, this program will not moderate, deplatform, or otherwise suppress protected speech.

Applicants should propose activities that counter recruitment efforts, further counterterrorism investigations, and adhere to any guidance on

E.O. 14149 and E.O. 14332 (Improving Oversight of Federal

Grantmaking).

7. Are activities targeting Central Asian migrants in key destination countries

(e.g., Russia, Türkiye, Gulf states, or Europe) considered within scope?

a. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications based on their recommended approach to the problem set. As noted in response to question #5 above, this program will be a cooperative agreement, and

CT will work with the selected implementer on final beneficiary selection.

8. To what extent are equipment purchases (e.g., digital forensics tools/software) and technical capacity-building for law enforcement eligible and encouraged under this NOFO?

a. Applicants should submit proposals showcasing their recommended approach and methodology. All applications will be reviewed by a panel and assessed based on the merits of their proposal.

9. Would proposals that include applied research or operational analysis directly linked to program design and outcomes be considered competitive?

a. Applicants should submit proposals showcasing their recommended approach and methodology. All applications will be reviewed by a panel and assessed based on the merits of their proposal.

10. Given that the total available funding and maximum award amount are both listed as $986,679, could the Department clarify whether it anticipates funding one or two awards and how applicants should calibrate proposed budgets?

a. Pending the availability of funding, CT anticipates making at least one award. CT will coordinate with the selected applicants to modify budgets if more than one award is issued.

11. Please confirm whether the anticipated number of awards is one, as stated in grants.gov, or two, as indicated in the NOFO.

a. Pending the availability of funding, CT anticipates making at least one award, but could fund up to two awards.

12. Please confirm if a font size smaller than 12 is permissible for tables, graphics, and footnotes.

a. Text in tables, graphics, and footnotes, can be 10-point Times New

Roman. All other text must adhere to the 12-point Times New Roman guidance in the NOFO.

13. Please confirm if the summary page and acronym page are excluded from the 12-page limit.

a. The summary page and acronym page are excluded from the 12-page limit.

14. Please confirm that (i) the Logic Model and Theory of Change, and (ii) the

Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP), are excluded from the 12-page limit.

a. These are excluded from the 12-page limit.

15. What specific documents are required under “Official Permission Letters needed for program activities, if applicable”?

a. Applicants can consider submitting Permission Letters or Letters of

Support from the governments of potential participant countries.

These are not required.

16. Please specify the activities that would necessitate official permission letters.

a. Applicants should engage their networks to determine if official permission letters are required in the countries being proposed for implementation.

17. The link to the "U.S. Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions" found in section H. Post-Award Requirements and Administration of the

NOFO appears to be broken; would you please share the correct link?

a. Applicants are encouraged to use this link:

https://www.state.gov/federal-assistance-policies-appeals.

https://www.state.gov/federal-assistance-policies-appeals

18. The budget guidelines require a line-item budget on 8x11 paper, whereas

Tab 3 specifies 8½ x 11. Could you clarify which page size should be used?

a. Applicants should use 8½ x 11 paper (standard U.S. sized paper).

19. Are there specific CT indicators from the PMP guidance that the Department considers particularly relevant for this NOFO, especially for measuring outcomes related to online radicalization and migrant resiliency?

a. CT does not have specific indicators for this NOFO’s PMP guidance at this time. However, as this program will be a cooperative agreement, CT intends to collaborate with the selected implementer on the development of the PMP/PITT.

20. Are submissions required to deliver directly against all 3 stated outcomes, or could a solution which addresses 1 or 2 outcomes directly be acceptable?

Does the Bureau have a priority within these outcomes for this project?

a. Applications should address all three state outcomes.

21. Is it expected that this project would deliver directly to Outcome 3, or is it expected this project would only provide support to Central Asia law enforcement partners to deliver against this Outcome?

a. The project should build a sustainable capability in Central Asian law enforcement to deliver against all outcomes.

22. Within this project, what appetite is there for up-stream disruption/supporting law enforcement to liaise with tech platforms to request the takedown of terrorist content/content designed to recruit?

a. Please refer to the answer in question #6.

23. Please can you confirm the basis on which this will be contracted - is this cost + NICRA only?

a. All proposal budgets, with all project needs included in the budget, should not exceed $986,679.

24. Are there any branches of Uzbek and Tajik Law enforcement that the

Bureau would consider unsuitable for support?

a. All proposed participants should have a law enforcement and counterterrorism mandate. All law enforcement personnel and units are subject to Leahy Vetting requirements.

25. The priority region is listed as Tajikistan and Uzbekistan (plus potentially

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Turkmenistan); however, with a focus on

Central Asian foreign workers, are there diaspora locations, labor migrant locations or transit hubs outside of these countries that are priority areas of focus for US DOS for the program?

a. Applicants are encouraged to propose locations they believe merit inclusion in this program. As noted above, given that this program will be a cooperative agreement, CT will collaborate with the selected implementer on final locations for implementation.

26. Are there preferred units or agencies within Central Asian law enforcement partners that should be the focus of technical assistance?

a. As this program is NADR-funded, all foreign recipients should be law enforcement entities with a counterterrorism mandate. As noted earlier, given that this program will be a cooperative agreement, CT will collaborate with the awarded implementer on the final selection of program beneficiaries.

27. Are the relevant governments (and related agencies / entities) aware of the program (including in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Turkmenistan, as well as any countries identified as transit hub locations or frequented by American travelers)?

a. CT has expressed its interest in counter-recruitment efforts, particularly as it pertains to countering ISIS-K. However, as the final beneficiary locations of this project are still to be determined, CT has not explicitly stated nor guaranteed this program will be implemented in any particular country.

28. Under Eligible Applicants, the NOFO notes that “For-profit organizations

(only if allowed by appropriation)” – please can you confirm that for-profit organizations are eligible to apply (i.e. this has been confirmed as allowable by appropriation)?

a. For-profit organizations are eligible to apply. However, commercial organizations cannot factor in profit in their budget.

29. Can program activities support targeting Central Asia workers within the

United States itself?

a. No.

30. Outcome 2 is focused on investigation but the Program Description notes supporting prosecutions – is the program also responsible for technical assistance on prosecutions themselves?

a. This project seeks to improve investigative skill-building which should inform prosecutions. Applicants could consider including technical assistance on prosecutions if they believe that strengthens the project.

31. Required attachments include “Official permission letters, if required for program activities” – is the implementer required to gain approval from relevant governments/authorities/entities as part of the NOFO submission?

Or are these reference letters for the organization / consortium?

a. See the responses to questions 15 and 16 above.

32. For this NOFO, requirements around audit documents are not mentioned:

please can you confirm whether a copy of the organization’s most recent audit (single or program audit) or the annual financial statement audit is required for submission?

a. No, a copy of the organization's most recent audit is not required for submission at this time. However, the successful applicant will likely be required to submit one for review prior to any award.

33. Is the Government of Tajikistan (and related agencies / entities) aware of the program?

a. Please see the response to question 27.

34. Could you kindly clarify the priority thematic areas and primary target audiences envisaged under this call?

a. Please refer to the executive summary and program description details in the NOFO.

35. Would it be acceptable for applicants such as the International Organization for Migration to engage additional stakeholders, including financial institutions, particularly in relation to identifying and preventing suspicious financial transactions linked to recruitment networks?

a. Applicants are encouraged to include activities they believe strengthen their proposal’s methodology, are within budget, and feasible for the organization to conduct.

36. Does CT prioritize proposals specifically targeting ISIS-K, or is the scope inclusive of other Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) or violent extremist groups?

a. ISIS-K is a priority in the context of this NOFO, but applicants can consider countering other designated FTOs in their proposals.

37. Can CT provide a definition of 'Civilian Law Enforcement' and/or 'Civilian

Law Enforcement Partners' for the purposes of this NOFO?

a. NADR-funded foreign assistance programs provide technical assistance to civilian security entities, like law enforcement and civilian justice sector officials.