TASHKENT-PAS-FY21-02 - English Language Small Grants NOFO.pdf

Department of State Embassy of the United States in Tashkent

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Program Office: Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy, Tashkent

Funding Opportunity Title: English Language Small Grants Program

Announcement Type: Grant

Funding Opportunity Number: TASHKENT-PAS-FY21-02

Deadline for Applications May 27, 2021 Uzbekistan, 18:00 GMT+5, Tashkent

CFDA Number: 19.900 – Assistance to Eastern Europe and Central Asia

CONTACT INFORMATION

For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, contact

TashkentEnglish@state.gov.

For questions relating to Grants.gov, please call the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-

518-4726.

Due to the volume of applicants and inquiries, Public Affairs Section (PAS) does not accept letters of intent, concept papers, or requests for meetings or phone calls prior to application.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application package has been received in its entirety. Incomplete applications will be considered ineligible. Applicants are urged to begin the application process well before the submission deadline. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps.

A. Funding Opportunity Description Summary

Executive Summary:

The U.S. Embassy Tashkent Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations, individuals, and alumni of U.S. exchange programs to submit applications to carry out a program to promote English language education.

Grants must support initiatives such as: improving the quality of English language teaching and learning in the country; identifying key factors that promote innovative and interactive English teaching methods; training new generations of English language teachers; motivating students to excel at English learning; and establishing English programs that support economic growth and development.

Background:

Current Situation & Problem Statement: Rapid economic development and the expansion of international relations between Uzbekistan and the world has created a tremendous need for citizens who speak the English language. The Government of Uzbekistan has shown substantial support for language learning through presidential decrees and initiatives such as the Ministry of

Public Education’s “English Speaking Nation” platform. The United States is committed to:

helping reach the goals of all graduates to be proficient in English language; increasing the pedagogical skills of English teachers; and increasing the professional use of English language for practical use in education, government, and business relations.

Proposed Project Introduction: This funding opportunity seeks to improve the quality of

English language teaching and learning in the country by: identifying key factors that promote innovative and interactive English teaching methods; training new generations of English language teachers; motivating students to excel at English learning; and establishing English programs that support economic growth and development. More specifically, this opportunity seeks English language educators to be creative and establish centers/clubs/programs that can boost not only English language ability of university students, but also develop their critical thinking and decision making skills, as well as show their potential. There are many talented students at universities and schools, and participation in extracurricular clubs or programs such as English language learning can be useful. This funding opportunity also seeks to find talented students who can develop and implement ideas to motivate their peers.

Project Goal: Improve the quality of English language teaching and learning in Uzbekistan to support the Government of Uzbekistan’s English education reform goals

Project Audience(s): The primary beneficiaries of any proposal are English language learners and educators in a secondary school or university level setting. The Embassy encourages applications from institutions and individuals from all the regions of Uzbekistan as well as from female and male applicants.

Project Objectives:

Successful proposals would achieve one or more of the following objectives:

Objective 1: University English teachers will learn how to use and incorporate modern interactive teaching methods into their English classes;

Objective 2: Secondary and university students will improve their speaking, writing, reading, and/or listening skills in English;

Objective 3: Secondary and university students, especially female students, will improve their innovative thinking, public speaking, and critical thinking skills by participating in activities with English as the language of instruction.

Examples of activities include but are not limited to:

Development of clubs such as conversation groups, English for drama, debate club, American Literature, or an American film club.

English camps for students.

English trainings or workshops for teachers.

Programming to promote English and STEM.

Programming to enhance English for Hospitality Management/Tourism.

Programming that combines English with girls’ empowerment.

Purchase of textbooks, library books, DVDs and teaching materials only if the proposal includes a concrete plan or program for utilizing these materials.

B. Federal Award Information

Funding Mechanism Type: Grant

Estimated Total Project Funding: $250,000

Estimated Award Ceiling: $50,000

Estimated Award Floor: $5,000

Length of Project Period: 6 to 12 months

Anticipated programs start date: June 30, 2021

Funding Range: Approximately 15 awards will be provided from the total funding. The majority of grants will be funded in the $5,000 to $10,000 range. Only well-established institutions with wide-reaching proposals will be considered for the higher end of the award ceiling.

C. Eligibility Information

1. The following organizations are eligible to apply:

Must be an accredited, school, institute, teacher training center, university, or non-profit organization completely based in Uzbekistan.

Applications from individuals will be accepted from English language professionals if employed full-time at an accredited school or university.

English, journalism, and international relations departments may apply.

2. Activities must contribute toward English teaching or learning, and all projects must be conducted mainly or entirely in English.

3. Organizations may sub-contract with other entities, but only one, non-profit, non-governmental entity can be the prime recipient of the award. When sub-contracting with other entities, the responsibilities of each entity must be clearly defined in the proposal.

4. Cost sharing or matching is not required for this funding opportunity.

5. Pre-award costs (money that has been spent before the official start date of the grant award) are not allowable under this funding opportunity.

6. In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (Data Universal Numbering System/DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Individuals are not required to have a unique entity identifier or be registered in SAM.gov. Further instructions for completing these required registrations will be provided to selected proposals after the application deadline; it is not necessary to complete this process in advance of applying to this solicitation.

7. This award does not allow:

Projects relating to partisan political activity.

Charitable or development activities.

Building or construction projects.

Projects that support specific religious activities.

Fund-raising campaigns.

Lobbying for specific legislation or programs.

Scientific research, PhD implementation, individual research projects, or surveys.

Commercial projects.

Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization.

Projects that duplicate existing projects.

Illegal activities.

The payment of tuition for students at private language schools.

The purchase of computers or equipment unless it is required for the implementation of the proposed project or program.

Payment of salaries or administrative overhead to an institution.

Support a for-profit business or

Financial support for international travel or conferences outside of Uzbekistan.

D. Application and Submission Information:

Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.

Content and Form of Application Submission

Please ensure:

1. Proposal clearly addresses the goals, audiences, and objectives of this notice.

2. All documents are in English.

3. All budgets are in U.S. dollars.

4. All pages are numbered.

5. All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper.

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

7. All applicant authorized signatures are provided where indicated on the various, required forms.

Application Deadline: All applications must be received by May 27, 2021 at 18:00 Tashkent time (GMT+5). This deadline is firm and is not a rolling deadline. If organizations fail to meet the deadline noted above their application will be considered ineligible and will not be considered for funding.

Application Submission Process: There are two application submissions methods available to applicants. Applicants may submit their application using Submission Method A or Submission

Method B outlined below.

Submission Method A: Submitting all application materials directly to the following email address: TashkentEnglish@state.gov. Applicants opting to submit applications via email to TashkentEnglish@state.gov must include the Funding Opportunity Title and

Funding Opportunity Number in the subject line of the email.

Submission Method B: Submitting all application materials through Grants.gov. For those opting to apply through Grants.gov, thorough instructions on the application process are available at http://www.grants.gov. For questions relating to Grants.gov, please call the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or go to https://www.grants.gov/support.html. Please note that TashkentEnglish@state.gov is unable to assist with technical questions or problems applicants experience with

Grants.gov.

Required Registrations

Applicants utilizing Grants.gov must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application.

Registering with Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, it could take as long as two weeks to have the registration validated and confirmed. Please begin the registration process immediately to ensure that the process is completed well in advance of the deadline for applications. Until that process is complete, you will not be issued a user password for

Grants.gov, which is required for application submission.

There are four steps that you must complete before you are able to register:

1. Step 1: Apply for a DUNS number and an NCAGE number (these can be completed simultaneously)

a. DUNS application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering

System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet, if your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866-705-5711 or visiting http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform

b. NCAGE application: Application page here (but need to click magnifying glass and then scroll down to click new registration) https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx

i. Instructions for the NCAGE application process:https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instruction s%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf

1. For help from within the U.S., call 1-888-227-2423

2. For help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766 mailto:TashkentEnglish@state.gov mailto:TashkentEnglish@state.gov http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/support.html mailto:TashkentEnglish@state.gov http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf

ii. Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code.

After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM by logging onto: https://www.sam.gov/

2. Step 2: Once DUNS and NCAGE are obtained, continue to SAM registration on www.SAM.gov

3. Step 3: Once SAM registration is confirmed, continue to Grants.gov organization registration http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html.Organizations must maintain an active SAM registration

(www.SAM.gov) with current information at all times during which they have an active

Federal award or an application under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. SAM registration must be renewed annually. Given the volume of applications, review may take up to 90 days, and we are unable to individually confirm receipt of proposals.

4. Step 4: Register yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and be authorized as an AOR by your organization on www.grants.gov

Applicants must acquire all required registrations and rights in the United States and Uzbekistan.

All intellectual property considerations and rights must be fully met in the United States and

Uzbekistan.

Any sub-recipient organization must also meet all the U.S. and Uzbekistan requirements described above.

E. Technical Requirements for Application:

When submitting a proposal, applicants are required to include the following documents and information from Sections 1–5 below, as applicable:

Section 1—Standard Form 424 Family

For Organization Applicants:

All submissions must include the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance (Attachment 1) and the SF-424A Budget Information—Non-Construction (Attachment 2). These forms and the instructions for completing them are available at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html under the heading “SF-424 Family.” NOTE: The SF-424B is required only for those applicants who have not registered in SAM.gov or recertified their registration in SAM.gov since February

2, 2019 and completed the online representations and certifications. An authorized signature by the applicant must be provided on this form.

Please note:

1. Other items NOT required/requested for submission, but which may be requested if your application is approved for funding include:

a. Copies of an organization or program audit within the last two (2) years

b. Copies of relevant human resources, financial, or procurement policies mailto:NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil https://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html

c. Copies of other relevant organizational policies or documentation that would help the Department determine your organization’s capacity to manage a federal grant award overseas.

2. The Embassy reserves the right to request any additional programmatic and/or financial information regarding the proposal.

For Individual Applicants:

Standard 424 forms are available, along with guidance for completing these forms, at:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html under the heading, “SF-424 Family.”

a. SF-424I -Application for Federal Assistance – Individuals only (Attachment 3)

b. SF424A -Budget Information for Non-Construction programs – organizations and individuals (Attachment 2)

c. SF-424B – Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (Attachment 4)

Section 2—Organization Information

A. Applicant Organizational Information Sheet: Applicants must complete and submit the form provided (Attachment 5). An authorized signature by the applicant must be provided on this form.

B. Proof of Registration: A copy of the organization’s registration should be provided with the proposal application. U.S.-based organizations should submit a copy of their IRS determination letter. Uzbekistan-based organizations should submit a copy of their certificate of registration from the appropriate government organization.

Section 3—Technical Proposal

Applicants must submit a complete narrative proposal in a format of their choice, or they may use the attached proposal template (Attachment 6). The proposal shall not exceed twelve (12) pages. Refer to the evaluation criteria in Part G below for further detail about what makes a strong proposal. All proposals must address the following areas:

Organizational Description and Capacity

Project Justification, Sustainability, and Impact

Project Goals, Audiences, Objectives, Activities, and Deliverables

Implementation Timeline

Monitoring and Evaluation (see note below. Organization and Individual applicants have different requirements for Monitoring and Evaluation)

Monitoring & Evaluation

For Organizations:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html

M&E Performance Monitoring Plan: Proposals must include a draft Monitoring and

Evaluation (M&E) Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP). The M&E PMP should show how applicants intend to measure and demonstrate progress towards the project’s objectives and goals. Using the provided PMP template (Attachment 7), applicants should describe how they intend to monitor and evaluate the activities of their award and collect data that tracks award performance. The PMP should also contain If-Then statements to illustrate how project activities will lead to intended outcomes. In addition, the applicant must complete a short table outlining their proposed activities and chosen indicators. Please select indicators under your topic of choice from the list of suggested indicators on the Standard Indicator Sheet (Attachment 8).

The selected applicant(s) will be required to submit an approved M&E PMP before an award is signed. In certain cases, the applicant will be asked to work with the PAS

Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist to ensure the M&E PMP achieves the expected level of expertise and meets PAS objectives.

For Individuals:

M&E Performance Monitoring Plan: Proposals must include a draft Monitoring and

Evaluation (M&E) Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP). The M&E PMP should show how applicants intend to measure and demonstrate progress towards the project’s objectives and goals. Using the provided PMP template (Attachment 9), applicants should describe how they intend to monitor and evaluate the activities of their award and collect data that tracks award performance.

Section 4—Budget

A. Budget and Budget Detail: Applicants must submit a detailed budget and budget narrative justification. Applicants are encouraged to utilize the template provided with the funding opportunity but are not required to do so (Attachment 10). Line-item expenditures should be listed in the greatest possible detail. Personnel salaries should include the level of effort and the rate of pay, which should cover the percentage of time each staff member will dedicate to grant-based activities. If your organization is charging an indirect cost rate, you must apply it to the modified total budget costs (MTDC), refer to 2CFR§200.68. Budgets that are not in the provided format will not be considered.

Budgets shall be submitted in U.S. dollars and final grant agreements will be conducted in U.S. dollars.

B. Audit Requirements: Please note the audit requirements for Department of State awards in the Standard Terms and Conditions https://www.state.gov/m/a/ope/index.htm and 2CFR200, Subpart F – Audit Requirements. The cost of the required audits may be charged either as an allowable direct cost to the award OR included in the organization’s established indirect costs in the award’s detailed budget.

C. Visa Fees: Include all visa application and related fees in your budget as applicable.

Please note DS-2019s for post-funded programs must be submitted directly by the award recipient. If you anticipate your program will include the DS-2019 visa processing, your https://www.state.gov/m/a/ope/index.htm%20and%202CFR200 https://www.state.gov/m/a/ope/index.htm%20and%202CFR200 organization must be a registered Designated Sponsoring Organization. For more information go to: https://j1visa.state.gov/sponsors/become-a-sponsor/

Section 5—Key Personnel and Project Partners

A. Key Personnel: A résumé, not to exceed one page in length, must be included for the proposed key staff persons, such as the Project Director and Finance Officer, as well as any speakers or trainers (if applicable). If an individual for this type of position has not been identified, the applicant may submit a 1-page position description, identifying the qualifications and skills required for that position, in lieu of a résumé.

B. Project Partners: Letters of support should be included for sub-recipients or other partners. The letters must identify the type of relationship to be entered into (formal or informal), the roles and responsibilities of each partner in relation to the proposed project activities, and the expected result of the partnership. The individual letters cannot exceed

1 page in length.

Special Characters in Submissions

Grants.gov does not accept all UTF-8 special characters in file attachment names. Applicants are able to enter all special characters from the UTF-8-character set when submitting applications and information to Grants.gov. However, if the grantor's system is not yet compatible with these special characters, the grantor system may produce garbled or missing text in the application. As a result, the application may be rejected.

F. Review and Selection Process

1. Acknowledgement of receipt. Applicants will receive acknowledgment of receipt of their proposal.

2. Review. All submissions are screened for technical eligibility. If a submission is missing any required forms/documents listed, it will be considered ineligible and will not be reviewed by the grants review committee. A technical review panel will review the proposal and based upon the criteria noted in this NOFO.

3. Follow up notification. Applicants will generally be notified within 30 days after the NOFO deadline regarding the results of the review panel.

G. Application Evaluation Criteria

Criteria: Each application submitted under this announcement will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the criteria enumerated below. The criteria are designed to assess the quality of the proposed project, and to determine the likelihood of its success.

Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea – 25 points: The program idea should be innovative and well developed, with sufficient detail about how project activities will be carried out. The proposals should demonstrate originality and outline clear, achievable https://j1visa.state.gov/sponsors/become-a-sponsor/ objectives. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline. The project scope is appropriate and clearly defined.

Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants – 25 points:

o The project proposal demonstrates that the organization has sufficient expertise, skills, and human resources to implement the project.

o The organization demonstrates that it has a clear understanding of the underlying issue that the project will address.

o The organization demonstrates capacity for successful planning and responsible fiscal management. This includes a financial management system and a bank account.

o Applicants who have received grant funds previously have been compliant with applicable rules and regulations.

o Where partners are described, the applicant details each partner’s respective role and provides curriculum vitae (CVs) for persons responsible for the project and financial administration. Proposed personnel, institutional resources, and partners are adequate and appropriate

Project Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives – 15 points: The project plan is well developed, with sufficient detail about how activities will be carried out. The proposal specifies target audiences, participant recruitment, and geographic areas of implementation. The proposal outlines clear, achievable objectives. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline. The project scope is appropriate and clearly defined.

o A media or amplification plan (if appropriate) that shows how the organization will use social or traditional media or otherwise increase the number of people who gain exposure to the issue and knowledge of the activities beyond the core participants.

Budget – 15 points: The budget and narrative justification are sufficiently detailed. The budget demonstrates that the organization has devoted time to accurately determine expenses associated with the project instead of providing rough estimates. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The results and proposed outcomes justify the total cost of the project. Budget items are reasonable, allowable, and allocable.

Monitoring and Evaluation - 10 points: Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provides milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The organization has clearly articulated how it will assess and measure its own performance throughout the project implementation phase using concrete quantitative and qualitative assessment tools.

o Expenses directly associated with monitoring and evaluation are considered allowable. The suggested template includes a space to list the portion of the total budget amount directly associated with monitoring and evaluation activities.

Sustainability – 10 points: The project proposal describes clearly the approach that will be used to ensure maximum sustainability or advancement of project goals after the end of project activity.

H. Federal Award Notices

The grant award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The assistance award agreement is the authorizing document, and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring project expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer.

If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the discretion of the Department of State.

The Federal government is not obligated to make any Federal award as a result of the announcement. 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 costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received. The U.S. government also reserves the right to make an award in excess of the award ceiling.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements Terms and Conditions: Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications which will apply to this award, to ensure that they will be able to comply. These include: 2 CFR 25, 2 CFR 170, 2 CFR 175, 2 CFR 182, 2 CFR 183, 2

CFR 200, 2 CFR 600, Certifications and Assurances, and the Department of State Standard

Terms and Conditions, all of which are available at: https://www.state.gov/m/a/ope/index.htm

In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department of State will review and consider applications for funding, as applicable to specific programs, pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity in accordance with the following: NOTE:

President’s September 2, 2020 memorandum, entitled Memorandum on Reviewing Funding to State and Local Government Recipients of Federal Funds that Are Permitting Anarchy, Violence, and Destruction in American Cities;

Executive Order on Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and

Combating Recent Criminal Violence (E.O. 13933); and

Guidance for Grants and Agreements in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR), as updated in the Federal Register’s 85 FR 49506 on August 13, 2020, particularly on:

o Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based on the program objectives through an objective process of evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR part

200.205), o Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019

(Pub. L. No. 115—232) (2 CFR part 200.216), o Promoting the freedom of speech and religious liberty in alignment with Promoting Free

Speech and Religious Liberty (E.O. 13798) and Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and

Accountability at Colleges and Universities (E.O. 13864) (§§ 200.300, 200.303, 200.339, and

200.341), https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.25&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.170&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.175&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.182&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.183&rgn=div5 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2chapterVI.tpl https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/ https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/ https://www.state.gov/m/a/ope/index.htm https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=81a5f41de81c46a9844617d93a9db081&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 o Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States (2 CFR part 200.322), and o Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest extent authorized by law, if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities (2 CFR part 200.340).

Reporting Recipients are required to quarterly program progress and financial reports throughout the project period. Progress and financial reports are due 30 days after the reporting period. Final certified programmatic and financial reports are due 120 days after the close of the project period.

All reports are to be submitted electronically.

Awardees that are deemed to be high risk may be required to submit more extensive and frequent reports until their high risk designation has been removed.

The Awardee must also provide the Embassy on an annual basis an inventory of all the U.S.

government provided equipment using the SF428 form.

I. Other Information

Guidelines for Budget Justification

Personnel and Fringe Benefits: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the project, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the project.

Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this project, for both program staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. If the project involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.

Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the project, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the project), and costs at least $5,000 per unit.

Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices, that are needed for the project. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under

Equipment.

Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor. Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the project activities.

Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the project, which do not fit in the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials and equipment or applicable taxes. All “Other” or “Miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained.

Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the project activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating. If your organization has a

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.

“Cost Sharing” refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S.

Embassy. It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues.

Branding Requirements

As a condition of receipt of a grant award, all materials produced pursuant to the award, including training materials, materials for recipients or materials to communicate or promote with foreign audiences a program, event, project, or some other activity under an agreement, including but not limited to invitations to events, press materials, and backdrops, podium signs, etc. must be marked appropriately with the standard, rectangular U.S. flag in a size and prominence equal to (or greater than) any other logo or identity. Note: Exceptions to the branding requirement are allowable under certain conditions. If an applicant is notified that their award has been chosen for funding, the Grants Officer will determine, in consultation with the applicant, if an exception is applicable.

Copyrights and Proprietary Information

If any of the information contained in your application is proprietary, please note in the footer of the appropriate pages that the information is Confidential – Proprietary. Applicants should also note what parts of the application, program, concept, etc. are covered by copyright(s), trademark(s), or any other intellectual property rights and provide copies of the relevant documentation to support these copyrights.