SFOP0009889 QA.docx

Department of State Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP)

SFOP0009889

June 30, 2023 Indo-Pacific Infrastructure Mapping Project Question and Answers #1 Q: Is it required to have a security clearance prior to applying for this opportunity? Would we be allowed to apply for a security clearance after applying for the award?

A: As stated in Section C.3. of the NOFO and given the sensitive nature of the project, the recipient must, at a minimum, have a personnel security clearance issued by the Defense Security Service (DSS) at the SECRET level or a Moderate Risk Public Trust (MRPT) determination conducted by the Personnel Security and Suitability Office, (PSS) Department of State for non-US citizens. Interested organizations must have an active security clearance at the time of application – the U.S. Department of State is unable to provide sponsorship.

Q: Can you provide more information on the geographic scope of the project and the tools required to complete the project?

A: As stated in Section A.4. of the NOFO, countries that may be included as necessary to fulfill the scope of this NOFO are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Fiji, Indonesia, India, Kiribati, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Micronesia, Nauru, Nepal, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Vietnam. Please consult Section A.4. for additional information on the types of activities and deliverables required by this NOFO. EAP defers to the applicant on the types of data collection tools they intend to use to fulfill the requirements of the project as outlined in the NOFO.

Q: Are there other organizations that have expressed interest in this NOFO? Can we partner with those organizations and jointly submit an application?

A: EAP cannot disclose any information regarding an organization’s interest in applying for this NOFO. Applicants are free to include sub-grantees that they intend to collaborate with to complete the activities and requirements as outlined in the NOFO. Costs related to sub-granting should clearly be accounted for in the overall budget for this NOFO.