REVISED_72067024RFA00001_EVER.pdf

Issue Date: ` April 29, 2024 Amendment 1 Issue Date: May 16, 2024 Deadline for Questions: May 7, 2024 Closing Date and Time: May 28, 2024 4:00 PM Frankfurt time Revised Clothing Date and Time June 3, 2024 4:00 PM Frankfurt time Subject: Notice of Funding Opportunity Number 72067024RFA00001 Program Title: Libya Engagement with Voters for Equitable Representation

(EVER)

Federal Assistance Listing Number: 98.001

Dear Prospective Applicants:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications from qualified U.S. and Non-U.S. organizations for a cooperative agreement to fund a program entitled Engagement with Voters for Equitable Representation (EVER). Eligibility for this award is not restricted. See Section C of this NOFO for eligibility requirements.

USAID intends to make an award to the applicant(s) who best meets the objectives of this funding opportunity based on the merit review criteria described in this NOFO subject to a risk assessment.

Eligible parties interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of program sought, application submission requirements and selection process.

For the purposes of this NOFO the term "Grant" is synonymous with "Cooperative Agreement";

"Grantee" is synonymous with "Recipient"; and "Grant Officer" is synonymous with "Agreement Officer".

To be eligible for award, the applicant must provide all information as required in this NOFO and meet eligibility standards in Section C of this NOFO. This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov, and may be amended. Potential applicants should regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this notice of funding opportunity. Applicants will need to have available or download Adobe to their computers in order to view and save the Adobe forms properly. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the entire NOFO has been received from the internet in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion process. If you have difficulty registering on www.grants.gov or accessing the NOFO, please contact the Grants.gov Helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance.

USAID may not award to an applicant unless the applicant has complied with all applicable Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) requirements detailed in Section D of this NOFO.

The registration process may take many weeks to complete. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to begin registration early in the process.

USAID is giving an opportunity to potential applicants to send any questions pertaining to this NOFO before the deadline as shown above. Please send any questions to the point(s) of contact identified in Section D. Responses to questions received prior to the deadline will be furnished to all potential applicants through an amendment to this notice posted to www.grants.gov. Questions submitted after the deadline will not receive responses.

Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. Government nor does it commit the U.S. Government to pay for any costs incurred in preparation or submission of comments/suggestions or an application. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant’s expense.

Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.

Sincerely, /s/

Robert Parnell Regional Agreement Officer USAID/Middle East Regional Platform

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section A – Program Description

Section B – Federal Award Information

Section C – Eligibility Information

Section D – Application and Submission Information

Section E – Application Review Information

Section F – Federal Award Administration Information

Section G – Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

This funding opportunity is authorized under the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961, as amended. The resulting award will be subject to 2 CFR 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, and USAID’s supplement, 2 CFR 700, as well as the additional requirements found in Section F.

A.1 SUMMARY

Goal:

The USAID funded Libya EVER Activity is a new five-year activity whose goal is to improve the effectiveness of key Libyan institutions and build the capacity of a diverse set of Libyan actors to advance the democratic political transition, including national and local elections, and support a stronger more inclusive democratic culture in Libya.

The Libya EVER Activity (“The Activity”) has two main objectives:

● Objective 1: Strengthen Libya’s election institutions and government stakeholders to carry out credible electoral and political processes at the local and national levels

● Objective 2: Empower the diversity of Libya’s citizens and civil society to advance the democratic process in Libya.

Background:

Libya has been facing protracted conflict and division since the overthrow of Mohmar Ghadafi and subsequent periods of civil war and conflict. The effects of the 2011 revolution still linger, while rival factions vie for power in a political landscape fractured by competing governments, armed militias, and persistent social and economic woes. Despite the end of Tripoli War 2020 and progress toward national elections, the path towards a stable, democratic Libya remains fraught.

Since 2012 USAID has supported the Libyan High National Elections Commission (HNEC) to build the capacity of the organization to conduct credible elections at the national and municipal levels. Democracy does not follow a linear trajectory and in Libya there have been numerous setbacks and national parliamentary elections were last held in 2014.

In 2019, Khalifa Haftar's offensive on Tripoli thrust the nation into a renewed spiral of conflict, underscoring the deep-seated challenges facing the democratic transition. The ensuing clashes plunged the nation into violence, leading to a protracted stalemate. In 2021, a ceasefire agreement went into effect which brought a ray of optimism around national elections and 2.8 million Libyans registered to vote under the interim Government of National Unity (GNU). However, the optimism of this moment was short-lived, when the 2021 December vote did not take place and political will for elections amongst the Libyan political elites fell apart. Responding to this, the House of Representatives and the High State Council initiated efforts to reform the legal framework for national elections through a collaborative 6+6 joint committee. This framework aims to mitigate potential disruptions, particularly concerning candidates facing judicial rulings.

As of 2023, Libya is navigating a challenging path towards political stability and democratic governance.

The country is in a crucial phase of post-conflict recovery, marked by efforts to establish democratic institutions and rebuild societal cohesion. The Joint Committee 6+6 of the Libyan House of Representatives and the High Council of State produced a shared draft law on the national election, which was approved and delivered to the High National Elections Commission in late 2023. At the same time, HNEC was empowered to conduct municipal elections as an opportunity to build a democratic culture from the bottom up, providing a bright spot in the democratic landscape, while the national level political process slowly grinds forward. Despite all parties discussing elections, recent events in Libya – including the ongoing political division between the governments of East and West Libya, as well as ongoing clashes

– reflect a weakness in the democratic principles held by political factions.

Activity Problem Statement:

Libya lacks credible institutions that represent citizens and are accountable. The High National Electoral Commission (HNEC) is an institution that is viewed by citizens as one of the more credible but it suffers from weak capacities as well as technical and political challenges. In addition, civil society lacks capacities, civic space, and does not represent Libya’s diverse society, particularly its marginalized groups.

Without strengthened capacities and role of these two main stakeholders, HNEC and Civil Society, any elections or political processes efforts will struggle to be seen as legitimate by Libya’s citizens.

Theory of Change and Activity Objectives:

IF the effectiveness of key Libyan government institutions are enhanced

AND a diverse set of Libyan actors are empowered to advance (however incrementally) elections, and political transition while creating a more inclusive democratic culture, THEN Libya’s democratic transition will be advanced, and its civic and political landscape will be more representative of the citizenry.

USAID Administrator Power has emphasized “localization” as a priority for USAID programming across sectors. USAID has defined “localization” along four principal lines of effort that include channeling a larger portion of funding directly to local civil society, business, and other institutions that are supported by and accountable to local communities. The Agency has a mandate to shift not only funding but also to put local partners in the lead to co-design projects, set priorities, drive implementation, and evaluate impact of aid programs. Grounded in these principles, the Libya EVER Activity has 2 defined objectives:

Objective 1: Strengthen Libya’s election institutions and government stakeholders to carry out credible electoral and political processes at the local and national levels

Under Objective 1, the Expected Results of the Activity are:

- Increased support for electoral reforms promoting public participation in national and local elections.

- Enhanced HNEC departments and field offices functionality and ability to plan strategically [through provision of training opportunities, capacity building, systems development, expanded outreach, and informational resources for independent election administration institutions national and sub-national levels.]

- Strengthened communications internally and externally for the High National Election Commission (HNEC Tripoli and Regional Offices).

- Improved capacity for electoral dispute resolution mechanisms and institutions.

Under this objective, the Activity will focus on specific institutions and stakeholders necessary to advance the Libyan democratic processes, particularly elections processes. HNEC departments, and its field offices, are key entities under this Objective. Other key stakeholders are those included in electoral dispute resolution and the necessary legal frameworks and reforms required to move Libya closer to credible national and local elections. One key focus under this objective is sustainable skills development and transfer to these institutions and stakeholders. USAID’s localization efforts must extend to government entities and any support under this objective must align with USAID’s Local Capacity Strengthening Policy.

Objective 2: Empower the diversity of Libya’s citizens and civil society to advance the democratic process in Libya.

Under Objective 2, the Expected Results of the Activity are:

- Increased participation of underrepresented groups, including women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and youth, as informed voters and candidates in local and national elections.

- Municipal and local leaders equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to serve constituents effectively.

- An enhanced democratic culture with increased civic participation and tolerance

- Citizens and civil society groups at the local, regional and national levels increasingly demand accountability from elected and appointed officials

- Support CSOs in promoting and institutionalizing civic participation.

- Increased participation of Libyan political parties and citizens, including women, youth, and ethnic minorities, in political processes.

- Support collaboration between civil society, local stakeholders, and independent institutions to enable advocacy for reforms and address constituents' rights and needs.

- Local organizations lead advocacy for an agreed upon legal framework for national and municipal elections.

Under this objective, the Activity will increase the skills of CSOs to mobilize citizens and build constituencies around issues of shared interest as well as more effectively lead advocacy campaigns for change, which will simultaneously enhance their ability to network with one another to amplify their voices and those of the citizens they represent. USAID seeks for this Activity to employ a new approach of building CSO networks that are: focused on specific activities/issues; build the capacity of their members in line with Capacity Building 2.0 ; and seek to build longer-term sustainability. This approach should1 support CSOs to better weather unexpected shocks to the external environment considering Libya’s closing space for CSOs and anticipating continued stresses to citizen run organizations.

Under this objective, the Activity will create and implement a demand-driven small, sub-grants component valued from $100,000 to 500,000 annually to enable local sustainability, and shift more leadership, ownership, decision-making, and implementation to local groups. A co-creation and co-design process that includes the implementing partner/s, USAID and other stakeholders as required and will include joint development of focus and themes regarding calls for proposals, consultation with local partners and review of proposals, is anticipated. In line with USAID’s emphasis on localization, the Activity will support the organic and locally-led priorities of Libya’s CSOs through these small sub-grants while also presenting opportunities to address specific issues and priorities important to USAID, including but not limited to climate change, transparency, accountability, and inclusion of underrepresented groups. The sub-grants component will not include funds for renovation, rehabilitation, or construction related activities.

Programming Approach - Refinement Phase and Implementation

As the situation on the ground in Libya continues to be dynamic, new challenges or new opportunities arise regularly, and may arise between the design and launch of this activity. The nature of the Libyan environment requires shorter planning cycles, active monitoring and robust feedback systems that allow managers to adapt implementation at every stage. To identify challenges and allow flexibility and adaptation at an early stage of implementation, the Activity must apply a Refine and Implement (R&I) approach for an initial six-month Refinement Phase. During this period the partner will initiate the co-creation process with USAID that will characterize implementation through the life of the activity.

Furthermore, although typically, an implementation strategy and anticipated results established at the

1 Capacity 2.0 strengthens organizations through improving their fit to local systems. See https://usaidlearninglab.org/resources/capacity-20 application stage will likely differ from the time of award, in the Libya context implementation plans may be constrained to carry out what was initially envisioned. In response to this tension, a Refine and Implement (R&I) approach will be applied to this activity. As such in the initial six month Refinement Phase period the implementing partner can carry out a refinement to its proposed technical, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation plan, that should include a landscape analysis, political economy analyses and/or other sectors or issue specific research and assessment components. The Refinement Phase period will also be extremely important to support the localization approach through deep dives into communities, to identify community leaders, women-led, youth-led or youth-focused, and marginalized/underrepresented community leaders, groups, and/or issue-focused organizations with whom to partner. As USAID requires more localization in all its awards, we recognize that, particularly in non-permissive environments, the necessary relationships to truly localize and co-design activities in partnership with local communities, groups, leaders, and CSOs, takes time. This Refinement Phase is that time.

Flexible Activity Modifier Component for Rapid Response

This component is focused on identifying and seizing opportunities in the sector as an adaptive, collaborative program management tool. Rapid response actions must be targeted to opportunities that emerge or may fill a gap in technical expertise or information required to achieve the objectives of the program. This requires co-creation and collaboration with USAID prior to invocation and will be initiated with agreement of USAID. The purpose of this component is to address the variabilities of the operational context in Libya which requires programmatic flexibility particularly given the volatility of the political environment. It is envisioned this rapid response mechanism will provide USAID/Libya the ability to support emerging opportunities and evolving needs within the objectives of the program. It could also be used to scale and expand efforts. As needed and as agreed by the Agreement Officer, in consultation with the USAID AOR, the awardee will present unique opportunities for assistance programming related to the program objectives. The cost line item will allow the release of rapid response funds to the Applicant and its partners for immediate activities to seize identified opportunities. Subject to the availability of additional funding, USAID may choose to invoke the activity modifier for rapid response to implement additional interventions at any point in the life of the activity. Any modification of the agreement is anticipated to include a process of co-creation and co-design, to include joint development of concepts for the modifier alongside USAID and partners. Full concepts for the modifier for rapid response activities will be developed prior to the modification of the anticipated award through a revised Activity Description and detailed budget submitted by the Applicant. The expenditure of funds for the activation of the modifier or rapid response component, will be dependent on review and approval by the AOR and AO in consultation with the MEO, of the revised Activity Description and detailed budget.

The topline figure to be set-aside for the program modifier is a minimum of $200,000 per year ($5 million total under the total estimated cost of the program’s $20 million); however, USAID recognizes the fluid operating environment and future modifications may be possible if they fit within the scope of the defined activity objectives, are sufficiently justified and according to the availability of funds. Any such modification would be at the discretion of the Agreement Officer and consider regulatory and policy requirements for competition.

Other Requirements

Collaborate, Coordinate, and Share Data with USAID’s third-party monitoring (TPM) contractor:

The Recipient must collaborate, coordinate and share monitoring, evaluation, research, analysis, and reporting data and products with USAID/Libya’s TPM contractor for verification, feedback, reporting and Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (CLA) purposes.

Guiding Operational Principles

Inclusive Development/ Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) principles:

The Recipient must incorporate the following principles into the design and measurement of activities:

Inclusive Development: Inclusion is one of USAID’s core values. USAID promotes a nondiscriminatory and inclusive approach to development that ensures that all people – including those who face discrimination and thus may have limited access to a country’s benefits, legal protections, or social participation (including, but not limited to persons with disabilities, religious/ethnic minorities, women and girls, and youth in underprivileged/underrepresented communities) – are fully included and can participate in and benefit from development processes and activities.

Youth Engagement Policy: USAID’s Youth Policy outlines a conceptual approach to youth in devel opment and provides guiding principles and operational practices in support of USAID’s efforts to mainstream youth in development, carry out more effective programs, and ele vate youth participation. If youth and women continue to feel disassociated from the democratic government, and are unable to secure gainful employment and/or receive a living wage, then they will continue to lose confidence in Libya’s democratic development.

Social Inclusion: The 2020 Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy affirms USAID's vision of a prosperous and peaceful world in which women, girls, men, and boys enjoy equal economic, social, cultural, civil, and political rights and are equally empowered to secure better lives for themselves, their families, their communities, and their countries. Advancing equality between men and women is at the core of USAID’s efforts to promote greater stability and prosperity, and support a more transparent and participatory democratic process in Libya. The Recipient must systematically consider social inclusion aspects and implications of specific interventions and seek opportunities to promote women participation in targeted interventions. To that end, data collected for monitoring and evaluation purposes must be disaggregated between men and women and other monitoring and evaluation tools, including surveys, must include questions to elicit information enabling differentiation of impact between men and women. In May 2022 USAID/Libya released a draft gender analysis focused on elections and political process which can be found at this link.

Sustainability, Legacy, and Localization

The Applicant’s approach to sustainability of the goals and objectives is a key consideration for USAID.

To the extent possible, reasonable, and within the bounds of Do No Harm and conflict sensitivity -recognizing the diversity and societal divisions in Libya - the Recipient must engage Libyan actors with existing capacity and competitive advantage to implement the activity and to maximize skills transfer and direct relationship building across CSOs and government entities alike. The Recipient must build the institutional capacity of CSOs that it works with while also increasing the resilience of Libya’s civil society. Likewise, government stakeholder entities also require capacity strengthening that is sustainably considered and implemented. The aim is to foster partnerships and to introduce tools and mechanisms in a manner that will continue to develop beyond the timeframe and life of the activity. The Activity’s interventions may build on existing opportunities and support target entities that are committed to investing in and receiving tailored assistance to improve their technical, organizational, as well as partnership and alliance-building skills to engage in inclusive development. To further sustain the outcomes of this Activity and foster local ownership, interventions should not only focus on building and strengthening the capacity of local partner CSOs, but also fostering the motivation to utilize the new knowledge, skills, and the benefits of broader collaboration and coordination. Additionally, the Recipient is required to work with local partners to understand their legal parameters and maximize the resources available to them through networking to continue and build on the interventions beyond the life of the Activity. Other donors and the private sector could play a role in this space. The Recipient should also prioritize local hiring, local staff development, and that levels of effort to be primarily in Libya to further build the capacity of their Libyan staff and Libyan talent pool.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=340604

Link to USAID’s Local Capacity Strengthening Policy:

https://www.usaid.gov/policy/local-capacity-strengthening

Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) USAID has put time and effort into building a culture of CLA into its operations. The Recipient must model a CLA culture and integrate that culture into internal processes and in the implementation of activities. A collaborative working relationship between the Recipient and relevant USAID staff is required and as described above will include aspects of co-creation. Where applicable and appropriate, the Recipient should collaborate with the Mission’s other implementing partners, interagency colleagues, and/or other donors. This is especially important in the context of Libya as a Global Fragility Act country.

In addition, all products, briefings, and facilitated events should focus on providing recommendations for how the Mission can use that data to make evidence-based decisions and adapt programming as necessary.

USAID defines CLA as a set of practices that help improve development effectiveness throughout activity implementation. Key aspects for ongoing investigation include:

● Collaborating: Are we collaborating with the right partners and promoting synergy across USAID activities and activities implemented by others?

● Learning: Are we asking questions relevant to improving activity implementation and/or sharing information regarding implementation across audiences who can increase understanding of the effectiveness of implementation?

● Adapting: Are we using information gathered through CLA activities to pause, reflect and inform decisions regarding adaptation of the program if necessary?

Flexibility and Adaptability of Activities and Managing Risk:

As Libya's operational environment shifts frequently, the Activity must be able to operate in a wide range of possible security, economic, and political environments. Applicants should address how they will approach programming under such variable conditions. USAID desires to fund an activity which is adaptive to contextual changes in order to achieve the stated objectives. During implementation of the Activity, plans and methods for assessing, mitigating, and adapting to risk factors should be vetted with USAID and regularly reviewed.

USAID recognizes that risks abound in the Libya context and as such we expect the grantee to have an approach to implementation that accounts for and mitigates risk to the greatest possible degree. This means risk that program description objectives are not met as well as risk to implementing partners operating in the field. USAID has made the following critical assumptions with respect to the activity’s theory of change and these may serve as a basis for considering risk mitigation efforts.

Activity Level Assumptions:

● Societal norms are sticky but flexible enough to allow for some shifts and changes

● Security situation remains permissive enough for USAID to operate.

● Citizens are willing to participate in this work, including civil society organizations and grassroots groups.

● Civic space stays open enough to operate within its boundaries and in line with the Do No Harm framework

● Entrenched political elites will find this activity confronting but will not completely block it.

● Political environment remains stable.

● Legal frameworks, and implementation of them, allow civil society, implementing partners, and citizens to engage with USAID programming.

● Private sector is willing to engage in and support democracy promotion.

https://www.usaid.gov/policy/local-capacity-strengthening

● Adjusting currency devaluation does not change the funding envelope of the activity so drastically that we cannot accomplish the goals and objectives.

{END OF SECTION A}

SECTION B: FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

B.1 ESTIMATE OF FUNDS AVAILABLE AND NUMBER OF AWARDS CONTEMPLATED

USAID intends to award one (1) Cooperative Agreement pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity.

USAID reserves the right to fund any one or none of the applications submitted. Subject to funding availability and at the discretion of the Agency, USAID intends to provide up to $20,000,000 in total USAID funding over a five (5) year period.

B.2 EXPECTED PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, TARGETS, BASELINE DATA, AND DATA

COLLECTION

The Recipient will employ a comprehensive and effective approach to monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), including evaluating the outcomes of program activities, documenting changes and achievements reasonably attributable to the program, learning and adapting from continual analysis and evaluation of data, and applying learning within the period of performance to increase the achievement of sustainable results. The Recipient will be required to work closely with USAID’S Monitoring and Evaluation Contractor and cooperate on data collection and verification.

The Recipient will be responsible for developing and implementing an Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan (AMELP) aligned with expected outcomes of this program. In designing the AMELP, the Recipient is expected to (1) allocate sufficient human and financial resources within the program budget necessary for its successful implementation, (2) provide a clear description of methods to monitor and measure results, collect data and apply analysis and learning, and (3) ensure direct attribution of changes measured, as feasible. The AMELP is expected to facilitate flexibility in activity implementation to allow for course corrections and duplication of successful approaches. It must also address how the Recipient will monitor, evaluate and learn despite access and security challenges posed by the context.

Examples of context indicators that the Recipient will be expected to monitor include number and nature of security incidents and freedom of movement in areas where the Recipient works. As part of its MEL efforts, the Recipient will be expected to contribute distinctive performance data, lessons learned, and respond to reporting requirements related to the Activity’s contribution to advance the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability in Libya. These requirements will be codified in EVER’s Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (AMELP) though requests for data to meet reporting requirements may also be ad hoc in nature.

B.3 START DATE AND PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE FOR FEDERAL AWARDS

The period of performance anticipated herein is five (5) years. The start date will be the signature date of the award, unless otherwise noted.

B.4 SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT

USAID will be substantially involved in this Cooperative Agreement to help the Recipient achieve the agreement objectives in the following manner:

A. Approval of the Recipient’s Implementation Plan: The Agreement Officer Representative (AOR) will review and approve the annual implementation plan, and subsequent updates thereto.

If changed contexts or new information require a pivot in the activity, USAID may consider changes to the implementation plan.

B. Approval of Key Personnel: USAID’s policy limits this to a reasonable number of positions, generally no more than five (5) positions or five (5) percent of recipient employees working under the award, whichever is greater. The majority of Key Personnel position candidates must be identified at the time of award with a strong preference for Libyan nationals. New Key Personnel and replacement of Key Personnel identified after the award must be submitted for approval to the AO. Any replacement Key Personnel will meet or exceed requirements as finalized at the time of award.

C. Agency and Recipient Collaboration or Joint Participation:

– Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan (AMELP): The AOR will review and approve the AMELP, and concur with all learning and analysis products to include questionnaires, scopes of work, and other tools.

– The Recipient will consult with USAID on individual information and/or learning products such as the format and type of content for products that are not included in the AMELP.

– Concurrence of the substantive provisions of sub-awards: The Agreement Officer will delegate authority to the AOR for review and approval of Subawards. Refer to 2 CFR 200.308(c)(6) for subaward (grants) approval requirements. Refer to 2 CFR 200.330 in determining whether a subaward or subcontract is appropriate. Any sub-awards proposed in the final application and budget are considered approved unless otherwise noted.

– The Recipient will communicate and collaborate with USAID on technical direction/redirection and efforts to develop synergies between USAID, USG and other donor programs within this same or similar field.

– Geographic selection: The AOR and Recipient will collaborate on the selection process to identify geographic coverage and targeted beneficiaries of the activity.

D. Unforeseen Circumstances: USAID has the ability to request, review and approve changes to the Agreement in unforeseen circumstances, such as but not limited to political context changes, in an event of a crisis or in an event of other emerging economic challenges during implementation of this program.

E. Reporting Requirements: Due to safety concerns, fluid operating environment, the political context, and the Global Fragility Act requirements, USAID has the ability to change and update the distinctive reporting and communication requirements throughout implementation of the resulting Cooperative Agreement. The Recipient will update and/or change its reporting and communications as requested by USAID in implementation of the award.

B.5 TITLE TO PROPERTY

Property title under the resultant agreement shall vest with the Recipient in accordance with the requirements of 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 700.

B.6 AUTHORIZED GEOGRAPHIC CODE

The geographic code for this program is 935. Code 935 is defined as a “Special Free World” which consists of all countries, including the recipient country, but excluding any country that is a prohibited source. Procurement of vehicles and other restricted commodities are subject to the limitations in 22 CFR 228, ADS 312, ADS 310, and may require a waiver or Agreement Officer’s approval.

B.7 NATURE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN USAID AND THE RECIPIENT

The principal purpose of the relationship with the Recipient and under the subject program is to transfer funds to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation of the Engagement with Voters for Equitable Representation in Libya which is authorized by Federal statute.

The Recipient will be responsible for ensuring the achievement of the program objectives and the efficient and effective administration of the award through the application of sound management practices and in line with USG foreign policy priorities. The Recipient will assume responsibility for administering Federal funds in a manner consistent with underlying agreements, program objectives, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. The Recipient using its own unique combination of staff, facilities, and experience, has the primary responsibility for employing whatever form of sound organization and management techniques may be necessary in order to assure proper and efficient administration of the resulting award.

B.8 TRAVEL POLICY

As of August 6, 2020, the Department of State has issued a Travel Warning for U.S. Citizens regarding travel to Libya due to terrorism, civil unrest, crime, and armed conflict (see https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/libya-travel-advisory.html.

The Recipient should continuously verify the Travel Warning as it may be updated). The USG is unable to provide emergency or routine assistance to U.S. citizens in Libya, as the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli suspended its operations in July 2014.

The parties understand and agree that the Recipient, not USAID, is solely responsible for and assumes all risks associated with the implementation of the activities under this award, including but not limited to for any injury, incarceration or other harm or inconvenience that may be caused by the Government of Libya or third parties to individuals regardless of nationality traveling to and performing work in Libya.

The Recipient is solely responsible for maintaining the security of its personnel regardless of nationality, materials, and equipment. Considering the security situation in Libya, the Recipient is expected to have the proper procedures, resources, and staffing to operate in this environment prior to commencing work. This shall include but is not limited to a detailed security and risk mitigation plan which details: adequate procedures to advise its personnel of situations or changed conditions that could adversely affect their security; adequate security staff at office locations as needed; established security protocols and procedures; staff training on safety procedures; evacuation contingency plans; and situational analysis and awareness of the security environment. The security and risk mitigation plan shall be submitted to the USAID AOR and AO prior to any staff travel to Libya.”

{END OF SECTION B}

SECTION C: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

C.1 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

U.S. and non-US organizations may participate under this NOFO. For the purposes of this NOFO, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) include any incorporated entity, either non-profit or for-profit, other than a governmental organization. All applicants must be physically able to operate in Libya including successfully obtaining needed registrations, permits and access to work in Libya.

To be eligible for award of a cooperative agreement, in addition to other conditions of this NOFO, organizations must be politically neutral and have a commitment to non-discrimination with respect to beneficiaries and adherence to equal opportunity employment practices. Non-discrimination includes equal treatment without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, and political affiliation. Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.400(g), USAID policy is not to award profit under assistance instruments. However, all reasonable, allocable, and allowable expenses, both direct and indirect, which are related to the grant program and are in accordance with applicable cost standards (2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 700), may be paid under the Agreement.

In order for an award to be made, the AO must make a positive “risk assessment,” as discussed in ADS

303.3.9. This means that the applicant must possess, or have the ability to obtain, the necessary management and technical competence to conduct the proposed program. The applicant must agree to practice mutually agreed-upon methods of accountability for funds and other assets provided or funded by USAID. If notified by USAID that a pre-award survey is necessary, the applicant must prepare in advance the required information and documents. Prospective NGO applicants should refer to ADS Chapter

303.3.9.1 for additional information about pre-award surveys. A pre-award survey does not commit USAID to make an award to any entity. In the absence of a positive risk assessment, an award can ordinarily not be made. However, in rare cases, an award can be made with “Specific Conditions” (e.g., additional non-standard award requirements designed to minimize the risk presented to USAID of making an award to an NGO for which a positive risk assessment cannot be made), but only where it appears likely that the applicant can correct the deficiency in a reasonable period.

C.2 COST SHARING ORMATCHING

Cost sharing is encouraged but is not required. Cost share is defined by USAID as “contributions, both cash and in-kind, which are necessary and reasonable to achieve program objectives and which are verifiable from the Recipient’s records.” Cost sharing also refers to that portion of a program cost not borne by the USG. Such funds may be mobilized from the recipient; other multilateral, bilateral, and foundation donors; host governments; and local organizations, communities and private businesses that contribute financially and in-kind to implementation of activities at the country level. Examples of cost share for this program may include the provision of technical assistance, commodities, distribution networks, staff salaries, and other sources of support. Cost share must be verifiable from the Recipient’s records, is subject to the requirements of 2 CFR 200.306 and 2 CFR 700.1, and is subject to audit. A Recipient’s failure to meet its cost share requirement can result in disallowed costs.

Recipients must be aware that all cash contributions and non-Federal third-party in-kind contributions must meet all the criteria set forth in 2 CFR 200.306 and 2 CFR 700.1. Recipient cost share may be in any combination of in-kind support, staff salaries, waiver of overhead, etc. Applicants will not be graded favorable or unfavorably as a result of the cost share or leverage provided for in the applicant’s program.

The Application will be graded purely on merit review in Section E of this NOFO.

{END OF SECTION C}

SECTION D: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

D.1 AGENCY POINT OF CONTACT

Mr. Robert Parnell Regional Agreement Officer U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt Giessener Str. 30, 60435 Frankfurt am Main Federal Republic of Germany Email: libyasolicitations@usaid.gov

D.2 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Any questions regarding this NOFO should be submitted in writing via email to libyasolicitations@usaid.gov no later than the date and time indicated on the cover letter of this NOFO, as amended. All amendments to this NOFO will be published on www.grants.gov.

Any information given to a prospective Applicant concerning this NOFO will be furnished promptly to all other prospective Applicants as an amendment to this NOFO if that information is necessary in submitting applications or if the lack of it would be prejudicial to any other prospective applicants.

D.3 GENERAL CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

It is recommended that Applicants review the full requirements in this Section before submitting a concept paper under this NOFO to ensure that you can meet all of the requirements listed therein. Reviewing these requirements will help you prepare for what must be done to increase the likelihood that your concept paper is successful. Applicants are expected to review, understand, and comply with all aspects of the

NOFO.

There are three (3) phases to the application under this NOFO:

● Phase 1 - Concept Paper,

● Phase 2 - Oral Presentations, and

● Phase 3 - Full Technical and Cost Application

Only eligible and successful applicants from Phase 1 will be invited to participate in Phase 2. Only one eligible and successful applicant from Phase 2 will be invited to participate in Phase 3.

PHASE ONE (1) - CONCEPT PAPER: A concept paper is a short document (maximum of 6 pages) where the Applicant provides an overview of how you would respond to the NOFO problem description.

During Phase One (1), the Selection Committee (SC) will review and evaluate the concept papers. The concept paper should be specific, complete and presented concisely. The concept paper should concisely demonstrate the applicant's capabilities and expertise with respect to achieving the objectives of this activity. The Applicant should take into account the concept paper’s submission requirements and evaluation criteria found in this NOFO. Applicants should only submit the information and materials specified in concept paper format.

The SC will review and evaluate the submitted concept papers based upon evaluation criteria provided in this NOFO. Not all Applicants will proceed to Phase Two (2). Do not submit a full application unless requested to do so by USAID.

Once the SC completes the review of concept papers, USAID may conduct co-creation discussions with entities who submitted concept papers are determined to be highest rated and responsive to the NOFO.

Entities submitting concept papers may be asked to engage in a co-creation discussion as needed in this phase of the process. The goals of the co-creation process will be to explore and validate key information, challenges and problems, and then as determined, develop promising solutions or adapt and expand upon existing solutions, which will in turn become the potential sub-intermediate results or activities that will ultimately lead to the accomplishment of the Results. Ideas described within the concept papers may be discussed and further developed during the co-creation process as needed, but discussions and possible eventual full applications will not be limited to these ideas. Co-creation may include technical experts, potential resource partners, and end users invited by USAID. Participants must be willing to share expertise and ideas, and must welcome a diversity of perspectives and expertise.

PHASE 2 - ORAL PRESENTATIONS

Applicants who submitted the highest rated concept papers from Phase 1 will be invited to present their applications orally, preferably in person, to USAID/Libya in Tunis, Tunisia or online or in a hybrid format of in person and online. This oral presentation is a requirement. Oral Presentations are expected to occur after the selected applicants have been notified and invited to participate in the oral presentations.

Participation of the proposed Chief of Party in the oral presentations is desired but not required.

One week prior to Oral Presentations, applicants must submit to USAID presentation slides for their Oral Presentations along with CVs and letters of commitment for the proposed key personnel. Applicants who are successful from Phase 1 will be informed about the exact submission deadline for Phase 2.

Timeline: Selected applicants from Phase 2 should be prepared to travel to Tunis, Tunisia for oral presentations three weeks after USAID successful Phase 1 notification.

PHASE 3- - FULL TECHNICAL AND COST APPLICATION: The apparently successful applicant from Phase Two (2) will be notified in writing and will be requested to submit a full technical and cost application.

USAID will review the full technical and cost application. After the reviews are concluded and discussions held, the Agreement Officer will notify the apparently successful applicant in writing. At this time the successful applicant will be asked to submit additional documents including Branding and Marking Plan, Program Description (PD) that is in line with its technical application, and other documents as identified by the AO. The final PD will be included in the award as SECTION B - PROGRAM DESCRIPTION.

At this time vetting is not required, however, policies may change and vetting may be required prior to award. Although submission of a security plan is not required at this stage, the Recipient must have a security plan in place upon award and the plan must address how the Recipient will monitor and evaluate the security situation despite challenges posed by the Libyan context.The security and risk mitigation plan will have to be submitted to the USAID AOR and AO prior to any staff travel to Libya (see B.8 TRAVEL

POLICY).

IMPLEMENTATION PRINCIPLES

Implementation principles must be clearly articulated and integrated throughout the designed approach.

USAID is seeking inclusion of the below key principles:

– Conflict Sensitive Programming: A conflict-sensitive or “do no harm” approach is critical in Libya.

All activities will have a conflict sensitive lens at the forefront integrating ongoing conflict analysis to ensure continued appropriateness and that activities do not exacerbate conflict or divisions. Central to the conflict-sensitive approach is the question of how program activities impact conflict dynamics and vice versa. Inclusivity is a fundamental principle of conflict sensitivity. To the maximum extent possible, marginalized groups are incorporated into designed programs but not exclusively or at the risk of exacerbating conflict by excluding other groups, such as men and boys. Ongoing conflict analyses will be needed to inform project activities and must be incorporated into the learning agenda throughout the project.

– Coordination and Collaboration: There are numerous efforts planned and ongoing, to support the electoral process and help the HNEC to reach election day. . While donors seek to ensure close coordination and division of labor, these efforts must continue as new programming comes on line. When identifying opportunities for synergies with other USAID and donor funded activities working in the same municipality/community, it is imperative that interventions do not duplicate but rather complement activities conducted under other initiatives.

– Social inclusion: Social inclusion is about achieving balance, fairness, representation, and diversity, especially for groups that are typically marginalized from opportunities such as women, ethnic/tribal/indigenous people, people with disabilities, internally displaced people, and youth.

Designed initiatives must meaningfully promote social inclusion and measure social inclusion changes (e.g., empower women, girls, youth and other traditionally marginalized groups; propose activities that do not exacerbate or perpetuate gender and social disparities; hire women and other marginalized groups as project staff and advisors, seek opportunities for youth to be actively engaged in their communities, etc.).

– Strengthen Self-Reliance: USAID/Libya is committed to strengthening and measuring self-reliance.

In Libya this means clearly incorporating sustainability into program activities and providing assistance that strengthens the ability of MSMEs to operate successfully beyond the life of this program. This includes ensuring beneficiaries are applying the skills and knowledge gained, and there is an effort to measure improvements in business performance.

– Geographic Focus: Nationally across all of Libya.

– Expanding USAID’s local partnership base: Use of local partnerships, including with new and emerging local organizations and the private sector to explicitly expand USAID/Libya’s partnership base in line with the Agency’s New Partnerships…