Questions and Answers-SFOP0009580 5-18-2023.pdf

Questions and Answers for Countering Wildlife Trafficking in Africa

SFOP0009580

Date: May 18, 2023

Question 1:

Please can you provide clarification on number of applications that one organization can submit as lead? In the section relating to Project Goals and Objectives the text states “Applicants may submit multiple applications” but under the Other Eligibility Requirements section, it says “Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization.

INL Response:

Applicants may submit one application per strategic objective; however, applicants should not submit multiple applications to the same strategic objective.

Question 2:

Please can you provide clarification on whether for-profit entities are eligible to apply to this opportunity?

INL Response:

Per the NOFO: Public International Organizations (PIOs) and For-Profit Organizations are excluded from applying to INL grant/cooperative agreement announcements.

For-profit entities are not eligible to apply directly to this opportunity. However, INL may receive proposals from eligible organizations which include partnerships (sub-contracts only) with for-profit entities.

Question 3:

For Strategic Objectives 1 and 2, can we assume that the term “wildlife” is inclusive of marine/ timber and this term is not restricted solely to fauna?

INL Response:

Strategic Objectives 1 and 2 must focus on reducing the ability of criminal groups to profit from the poaching and trafficking of protected animals and their body parts. In the case of Strategic Objective 3 for Southern Africa, this may include other natural resource crimes such as the illicit trade in timber, succulents, and cycads, or protected marine species only where there are demonstrated links to organized crime.

Question 4:

Regarding the following sections of the NOFO:

• Letters of support from host government and NGO status in the host-country is required, and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) between the applicant and the host government lead agency are preferred.”

• Applicants must also meet the following requirements to be eligible to apply to this NOFO:

Demonstrate host-government support and the ability to work in the target country(ies).

Could you please clarify whether an international NGO with a track record of working in the country where the work will take place is eligible or if the NGO is required to be registered in the country to be eligible?

If registration in the country is not required, how does an NGO demonstrate “the ability to work in the target country”?

Each organization and proposal is unique and will require different levels of support for the proposed activities. Organizations should be aware of whether having NGO registration in the target country(ies) is legally required to perform the activities laid out in the proposal. If not, applicants should be able to adequately detail the operating context, past performance, and level of government involvement and support to the proposal.

Question 5:

Should applicants provide a Glossary/Acronym list?

INL Response:

Applicants may provide a glossary/Acronym List to the application.

Question 6:

Is the Glossary/Acronym list excluded from page count?

INL Response:

The Glossary/Acronym list can be excluded from the maximum page count.

Question 7:

How does the government define "key personnel"?

Key personnel refers to those individuals directly involved in the program implementation.

Question 8:

How does the government define "partner organization" and "sub-recipient"? Please differentiate between the two.

INL Response:

Partner organizations can refer to any organization that will work with the primary applicant on the implementation of the agreement, and can refer to other NGO partners, contracting companies, or host country government agencies. Sub-recipient refers to specific entities that receive a subaward from the primary applicant.

Question 9:

Would INL allow the use of Arial Narrow 10 pt for tables, graphics or figures?

INL Response:

Applicants should use Calibri font but may use a size other than 12 for tables, graphics, or figures.

Question 10:

UN agencies eligible to apply?

INL Response:

UN Agencies are not eligible for this opportunity.

Question 11:

Do you have a rough estimate of how long it might take for rangers to undergo Leahy vetting?

INL Response:

We don’t have an estimate because it is dependent on multiple factors. What speeds up the process a bit is when the excel sheet is filled out correctly with all the information we need and a descriptive unit title (name of unit, location of unit, if the unit is a sub-unit, etc).

Question 12:

Do you anticipate problems with submitting members of the National Wildlife Crime Coordination Task Force for Leahy vetting?

No anticipation of issues with members of National Wildlife Crime Coordination Task Force that we can guess up front. If we do run into an issue, we will let you know as soon as possible so we can fix the problem before the training begins.

Question 13:

Can one organization lead/prime on one application and be a sub/partner on additional applications, all under the same INL Strategic Objective?

INL Response:

The primary applicant can only submit one application under each Strategic Objective but can be included in other applications as a sub-grantee.

Question 14:

Can we design our own project Goal and Objectives while generally matching them with the spirit of the Strategic Objectives and Sub-Objectives as stated in the NOFO?

INL Response:

All proposals should directly respond to the goals and objectives outlined in the NOFO

Question 15:

What are the “organization-wide policies and procedures on Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse” as mentioned under Section E, Subsection 1 “Technical Evaluation Criteria”? Are we required to submit such policies and procedures? Could you elaborate on the general requirements or components of such policies and procedures? It’s unclear whether our organization-wide Anti-Sexual Harassment Polices will meet the standard.

INL Response:

Applicant must have policies in place to ensure all employees are aware of their rights with regard to sexual exploitation and abuse, and that sexual exploitation is not tolerated within the organization. Applicants are not required to submit these policies with the application, but may be asked to share them at any time.

Question 16:

Under Strategic Objective 2, are activities in neighbouring countries eligible for Sub-Objective 2.1 and Sub-Objective 2.2? E.g. work in Gabon?

Activities may include neighboring countries as it relates to building capacity in Cameroon, however the applicant may need to include letters of support for any additional countries.

Question 17:

Given the important role played by the DR Congo as a source for wildlife trafficked through Uganda, what scope is there to include dedicated activities in the DR Congo that support a broader agenda of cross border collaboration.

INL Response:

Activities may include neighboring countries as it relates to building capacity in Uganda, however the applicant may need to include letters of support for any additional countries.

Question 18:

What are the page counts for Performance Monitoring Plan, Project Risk Analysis, and Timeline, and are they included in the 20 page limit for Project Narrative?

INL Response:

Proposal Narrative – Maximum 20 pages. The Project Risk Analysis and Timeline are separate from this.

Question 19:

The folder of documents includes "INL Grantee Risk Assessment Survey" but I cannot find any reference to this in the NOFO. Is it required at this time?

INL Response:

The INL Grantee Risk Assessment Survey and the INL Applicant Pre-Award Risk Survey is the same document. This document is required per the NOFO.

Question 20:

The application is being submitted by an organization which is hosted within a university. In the "INL Grantee Risk Assessment Survey" we presume that most references to "your organization" refer to the university. Are there any questions here which must instead be answered by the organization within the university, and if so which ones? We are particularly wondering about questions about the Board of Directors, travel authorization for the CEO, etc. as these seem more relevant at the sub-organizational level. However questions like tax exemption can only be answered at the university level.

The prime applicant is required to complete and submit the INL Applicant Pre-Award Risk Survey.

Question 21:

Our current plan is to clarify which level is being described in the "Comments" field--will this be satisfactory.

INL Response:

The applicant must be able to explain the operational, fiscal and managerial relationship between the University and internal organization so that this relationship is understandable to an outsider.

This should be done in the INL Applicant Pre-Award Risk Survey.

Question 22:

Do we need Grantee Risk Assessment Surveys for subcontracts, or only for the primary organization?

INL Response:

Only the prime applicant is required to complete and submit the INL Applicant Pre-Award Risk Survey.

Question 23:

Are there any restrictions on the kinds of activities on which funds from this funding opportunity can be spent? In particular, is it allowable to fund law enforcement activities directly? (We ask because in some previous funding proposals this has been disallowed.)

INL Response:

Activities must be capacity building in nature and cannot support direct law enforcement operations. For more information Please refer to Title 2 Subtitle A Chapter II Part 200 Subpart E “Cost Principles” which set out general provisions for the allowability of costs under U.S.

funded programs through a grant or cooperative agreement. All proposed activities will be considered by members of the Technical Evaluation Panel.

Question 24:

Can you clarify if the purchase of a movable, prefabricated laboratory/office is an allowed expense (transported and deposited at the site) or would this be considered under the construction cost category?

INL Response:

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecfr.gov%2Fcurrent%2Ftitle-2&data=05%7C01%7CStarrND%40state.gov%7C2a6c807002b745453e8f08db480a8382%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638182982208103770%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=j%2FqYzdu7UEsIDhNqxasElJhH9dg%2BMhKiDhyRB2VPlI8%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecfr.gov%2Fcurrent%2Ftitle-2%2Fsubtitle-A&data=05%7C01%7CStarrND%40state.gov%7C2a6c807002b745453e8f08db480a8382%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638182982208103770%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=V9XnADY9ZIj2q%2B4p6z7cHjeEqcFLyXvIf16wwMI1qjk%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecfr.gov%2Fcurrent%2Ftitle-2%2Fsubtitle-A%2Fchapter-II&data=05%7C01%7CStarrND%40state.gov%7C2a6c807002b745453e8f08db480a8382%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638182982208103770%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=GYC0ncbpr8AknrQtUVW41rDJYTUIu0VATjvCzsv9JME%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecfr.gov%2Fcurrent%2Ftitle-2%2Fsubtitle-A%2Fchapter-II%2Fpart-200%3Ftoc%3D1&data=05%7C01%7CStarrND%40state.gov%7C2a6c807002b745453e8f08db480a8382%7C66cf50745afe48d1a691a12b2121f44b%7C0%7C0%7C638182982208103770%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qJLgQkRsScAFPFY7Thk41S4J%2FxVKervBL3TF94iMsWw%3D&reserved=0

Any change to a permanent structure is considered construction. However, procurement of a mobile office site, or containerized storage solution used in a temporary location could also potentially be considered a construction cost if it requires concrete or permanent construction methods to ensure that it stays in place. All costs included in a proposal are unique and will be evaluated by members of the Technical Evaluation Panel. Applicants should take care to fully describe all proposed expenses carefully in the budget narrative so that panelists can evaluate them properly.