Questions and Answers on OFOP0002742 FINAL.pdf

Questions and Answers for

INL – Increasing Police Recruitment to Counter

FTOs and TCOs in Colombia

OFOP0002742

Date: July 7, 2026

Question 1:

Can a Colombian-based non-profit organization apply as the prime applicant without a U.S.-based partner, given that all program activities will be implemented entirely within Colombia?

INL Response:

FYA: NOFO

Eligibility: Additional Information on Eligibility:

U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs); U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code or section 26 US 115 of the U.S. tax code; Foreign-based non-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs); Foreign-based educational institutions

Question 2:

Our organization initiated the SAM.gov registration process on June 10, 2026. Given that registration may take 4–8 weeks, will our application be considered eligible if the SAM.gov registration becomes active before the July 13, 2026, submission deadline? Is there any provisional mechanism or case-by-case exemption available under 2 CFR 25.110 while the registration is being processed?

INL Response:

Yes. The applicant will be eligible if they have an active SAM.gov registration before the application due date.

The NOFO states: An exemption from the UEI and SAM.gov registration requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis. See 2 CFR 25.110 for a full list of exemptions.

Organizations requesting exemption from UEI or SAM.gov requirements must email the point of contact listed in the NOFO at least two weeks prior to the deadline in the NOFO providing justification of their request. Approval for a SAM.gov exemption must come from the warranted

Grants Officer before the application can be deemed eligible for review.

Question 3:

As a Colombian organization with no employees or operations in the United States, we confirm we do not require an EIN from the IRS. Could you confirm that a UEI obtained directly through

SAM.gov — without an EIN or NCAGE code — is sufficient for this application?

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-A/section-25.110

FTOs and TCOs in Colombia

• NOFO: Organizations based outside of the United States and that do not pay employees within the United States do not need an EIN from the IRS but do need a UEI prior to registering in SAM.gov.

• Also, foreign organizations must first obtain an NCAGE code to register in SAM.gov only if they want to bid and receive funding from DOD. SAM.gov stopped asking in

November 2022 for organizations who responded they were not applying for DOD awards. Here are frequently asked questions about SAM.gov registration:

SAM.gov Frequently Asked Questions

Question 4:

Physical Address vs. Mailing Address Discrepancy: Our organization has a nationwide operational scope, but our official legal mailing address is registered in a different department from where the CEO resides. For this project, the primary operations center and record-keeping hub will be located at the CEO’s physical residence in Barranquilla’s. In alignment with

SAM.gov's physical address validation guidelines which reject virtual offices/PO boxes and require an officer's home address for physical entity verification), will this discrepancy between our registered legal mailing address and our active project operations address impact on our eligibility, or cause compliance concerns due during the application review?

Thank you for providing the highlighted attachment regarding SAM.gov guidelines on mailing and physical addresses.

As stated above if the applicant’s mailing address differs from the physical/operational address, the applicant should provide the physical/operational address when registering in SAM.gov https://www.bing.com/search?q=is%20this%20true%20-%20SAM.gov%20stopped%20asking%20in%20November%202022%20for%20organizations%20who%20responded%20they%20were%20not%20applying%20for%20DOD%20awards.%20&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&ghc=1&lq=0&pq=is%20this%20true%20-%20sam.gov%20stopped%20asking%20in%20november%202022%20for%20organizations%20who%20responded%20they%20were%20not%20applying%20for%20dod%20awards.%20&sc=0-126&sk=&cvid=68A5F4271AD14F48A8366F57F99622B3

FTOs and TCOs in Colombia

SAM.gov will verify the physical/operational address. If the applicant receives a rejection notification, the applicant will need to provide proof of address. The physical address will be the qualifying address. The applicant may utilize the mailing for correspondence.

Question 5:

Should scholarship payments to cadets (tuition and CNP enrollment fees) be classified as

"participant support costs" or "scholarships" under 2 CFR 200, and therefore excluded from the

Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) base for indirect cost calculation purposes?

INL Response:

Other Direct Costs: Police Scholarships costs: these scholarship costs are considered participant support costs which are not subject to overhead, so they will be omitted from the NICRA calculation.

Question 6:

Regarding the monthly disbursement mechanism: will the implementer receive funds in a

Colombian bank account via SF-270 advances to then transfer to scholarship recipients, or does

INL disburse directly to beneficiaries? This directly affects the design of our internal controls and cash flow management.

INL Response:

Recipients will request funds from INL using the SF-270 form (for advances or reimbursements) and will receive the funds in the bank account registered in the MyGrant system when their profile is created. The implementer will then ensure timely monthly electronic funds transfers to the bank accounts of scholarship recipients or service providers for required items. Scholarship recipients will receive electronic funds transfers only for approved support expenses. To strengthen internal controls, the implementer will minimize direct cash handling and ensure that all disbursements are properly documented and subject to audit.

Question 7:

Given that the NOFO indicates the breakdown of tuition costs and entrance fees to the PNC will be provided before or after the award, could the INL share historical ranges of unit costs of similar scholarship programs, so that applicants can prepare a budget with the precision required by the cost-effectiveness criterion?

This amount is subject to fluctuations in the USD exchange rate in Colombia, as well as INL

Bogota’s negotiations and decisions:

Projected Cost for 2026–2027:

FTOs and TCOs in Colombia

A total of 1,000 CNP scholarships will be awarded over twelve (12) months of program activities. The estimated monthly stipend per student is $60 or $80, with 600 scholarships allocated to lower ranks and 400 scholarships to higher-ranking positions, resulting in a total of

$720,000 or $820,000. (This amount is subject to fluctuations in the USD exchange rate in

Colombia.)

Additionally, a lump sum for supplies will be provided upon admission, valued at $1,675,000 or

$2,000,000 for lower and higher rank scholarship recipients. (This amount is also subject to fluctuations in the USD exchange rate in Colombia.)

The total budgeted amount for student costs, including tuition, is $3,600,000 or $3,700,000.

Historical costs:

Year 2021 - 2022:

Stipend for students Students Payments Unit cost Total cost

Stipend for CNP Non-commissioned

Officers (Patrolmen)

900 12 $68.73 $742,284.00

Stipend for CNP Commissioned

Officers

100 12 $109.98 $131,976.00

Uniforms and Mandatory Course Fees/Materials

Contribution to provision of uniforms, mandatory course fees, and materials for CNP Non-

Commissioned Officers

900 1 $1,924.57 $1,732,113.00

Contribution to provision of uniforms, mandatory course fees, and materials for CNP

Commissioned Officers

100 1 $3,299.26 $329,926.00

Tuition

75% of Tuition for CNP Non-commissioned Officers

900 1 $395.91 $356,319.00

75% of Tuition for CNP

Commissioned Officers

100 1 $2,672.40 $267,240.00

TOTAL $3,559,858.00

Year 2022 - 2023: Year 2 cost breakdown:

FTOs and TCOs in Colombia

Stipend for CNP Non-commissioned

Officers (Patrolmen) 898 6 $66.79 $359,872.00

Stipend for CNP Commissioned

Officers 200 12 $66.79 $160,299.00

Uniforms and Mandatory Course Fees/Materials

Computers 200 1 $534.33 $106,866.00

Contribution to provision of uniforms, mandatory course fees, and materials for CNP Commissioned Officers

200 1 $1,068.66 $213,732.00

Tuition

75% of Tuition for CNP Non-commissioned Officers 200 1 $182.05 $36,409.00

75% of Tuition for CNP

Commissioned Officers 0 1 $0.00 $0.00

TOTAL $877,148.00

Year 2023 - 2024: Year 3 Cost Breakdown:

Stipend for CNP Non-commissioned Officers

(Patrolmen)

900 12 $54 $582,592

Stipend for CNP

Commissioned Officers 100 12 $88 $105,600

Uniforms and Mandatory Course Fees/Materials

Computers 900 1 $470 $423,000

Contribution to provision of uniforms, mandatory course fees, and materials for Non-

Commissioned Officers

900 1 $1,200 $1,080,000

FTOs and TCOs in Colombia

Contribution to provision of uniforms, mandatory course fees, and materials for CNP

Commissioned Officers

100 1 $2,600 $260,000

Tuition

75% of Tuition for CNP

Non-commissioned Officers 900 1 $340 $306,000

75% of Tuition for CNP

Commissioned Officers 100 1 $1,500 $150,000

TOTAL $3,490,656

Question 8:

Does INL have an estimated cost breakdown for CNP tuition and enrollment fees that will be shared with the awardee, or is the applicant expected to provide its own estimate in the budget at the time of application?

INL Response:

INL Bogota will provide this information as soon as possible. INL is currently working with the

Colombian National Police to sign a Project Implementation Letter (PIL) to apply the Tuition

Waiver; INL and CNP have previously signed similar agreements.

Question 9:

Will audit documentation issued under Colombian law — specifically a statutory "Revisoría

Fiscal" report — be accepted as equivalent to the audit requirement under 2 CFR 200.501, or is a

U.S. GAAP / Single Audit standard strictly required? We want to set the correct expectations for this requirement to allocate the appropriate budget for professional compliance support.

In the NOFO under the Organizational Audit section:

o If the applicant organization is required to undergo an audit per 2 CFR 200.501

(Subpart F – Audit Requirements), a complete copy of the organization's most recent audit must be submitted. Organizations (domestic and foreign) that expend

$1,000,000 or more in federal awards during their fiscal year must submit a single

FTOs and TCOs in Colombia audit report conducted in accordance with 2 CFR 200.514. The submission of financial statements alone does not satisfy the single audit requirement.

o If the applicant organization is not required to undergo an audit (per the regulation cited above), a brief explanation must be submitted with the application. This explanation shall include confirmation that the organization is under the threshold for which an audit is required and/or plans for the organization to undergo an audit in the future. The brief explanation can be included in the FY2026 INL Applicant

Pre-Award Risk Survey.

All INL requirements will be in the Terms and Conditions of the Cooperative Agreement – and the selected applicant will receive.

Question 10:

If a cadet decides to withdraw from the scholarship voluntarily, what are INL's specific guidelines regarding the unspent funds? Is the implementer allowed to reallocate those funds to a qualified candidate from the recruitment waiting list, or do those unused funds revert to the program?

FYA: According to INL Bogota guidelines, if a cadet voluntarily withdraws from the scholarship, the unspent funds may be reallocated to a qualified candidate from the recruitment waiting list, provided the implementer receives prior approval from INL. If reallocation is not possible or approved, the unused funds must revert to the program.

Question 11:

Regarding Activity 5 (Objective 2), does INL expect the implementer to pay for commercial radio broadcasting slots for the required interviews, or should we leverage CNP’s institutional radio network at zero cost?

INL expects the implementer to use the CNP’s institutional radio network and its partner networks, which will be provided at no cost. Commercial radio broadcasting slots are not required.

Question 12:

Beyond the DevResults system, are financial reports required in SF-425 format (Federal

Financial Report), or will INL specify the exact reporting format after the award is issued?

FTOs and TCOs in Colombia

Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The award document will specify what reports are required and how often these reports must be submitted. Applicants should be aware of the post award reporting requirements reflected in 2 CFR 200 Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters

Once the award is issued – All this will be explained in the Terms and the Conditions of the cooperative agreement. The recipient will submit quarterly reporting which includes;

Progress Program Reporting, Financial Reporting (SF-425), and other documents as well.

Question 13:

Could you clarify the correlation and access dynamics between the CNP, INL, and the NGO regarding the technology-based information system required in Activity 3? Will access to the

App be exclusively for Cadets and INL, or will CNP as an institution also play an active monitoring role within the platform? Is this dynamic something that needs to be calibrated during implementation in our end or yours?

The platform will be managed directly by the implementer of this grant, under the ongoing guidance and approval of INL Bogota. The platform is intended for regular consultation by both cadets selected for scholarships and applicants seeking scholarship opportunities.

The Colombian National Police (CNP), through the Strategic Communications Office of the

Directorate of Recruitment (DINCO), will review and approve content prior to publication when necessary to ensure compliance with institutional standards. When appropriate, the CNP may publish relevant information on its official website or share it through its information dissemination channels.

INL Bogota maintains ongoing coordination with DINCO for planning recruitment activities, as established in the Project Implementation Letter (PIL). The access dynamics and content approval processes will be calibrated collaboratively during implementation, with the implementer responsible for platform management and INL Bogota and CNP providing oversight and guidance.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=027fb85899500d580fc71df69d11573a&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML%20-%20ap2.1.200_1521.i#ap2.1.200_1521.xii https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=027fb85899500d580fc71df69d11573a&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML%20-%20ap2.1.200_1521.i#ap2.1.200_1521.xii

FTOs and TCOs in Colombia

Question 14:

Regarding the Leahy Vetting requirements stated on Page 23, since the estimated project start date is August 2026 and applications close on July 13, 2026, could you clarify the expected timeline for submitting the pre-selected candidate’s information for vetting?

The information for pre-selected candidates will be collected and submitted for Leahy Vetting in

August or September 2026. INL Bogota, the CNP, and the implementer will work together to ensure all required information is gathered promptly.

Question 15:

Analyzing the history of the program, we show that there are websites and digital tools that allow the registration of scholarship applicants. Does the INL consider it possible to continue with these existing tools, or is it necessary to implement a new platform?

INL would prefer to continue using the existing tool, with some modifications to ensure compliance with current U.S. government policies. If the existing platform can be updated to meet these requirements, there is no need to implement a new platform.

Question 16:

Does the Times New Roman, 12-point font requirement extend to text boxes, tables, and graphic elements?

Yes. Under Section 3: Document Formatting states the following:

Applicants must ensure that their application documents comply with the following requirements:

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

• All documents are in English

• All budgets are in U.S. dollars

• All pages are numbered

• All documents are formatted to fit 8 ½ x 11 paper, and

• All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.