TIP Office CPC Full Proposal NOFO.pdf

U.S. Department of State Notice of Funding Opportunity

Federal Awarding Agency: U.S. Department of State

Program Office: Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, International Programs Section

Funding Opportunity Title: 2021 TIP Office International Programs to Combat

Child Trafficking in Benin

Announcement Type: 2021 Benin Notification of Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity: SFOP0008170

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 19.019

Deadline for Applications: August 2, 2021 5:00 p.m. EDT

Funding Floor (lowest $$ value): $1,000,000

Funding Ceiling (highest $$ value): $10,000,000

FULL TEXT OF NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) announces an open competition for projects to combat child trafficking in Benin under a forthcoming Child Protection Compact (CPC) Partnership (hereinafter the CPC Partnership). The CPC Partnership between the United States and Benin is a jointly developed and implemented five-year plan aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Beninese government, as well as civil society organizations and public international organizations, to address child sex trafficking and forced child labor. The CPC will strengthen existing efforts by the Government of Benin to meet the needs of child victims and at-risk children and eradicate these crimes. The total funding available under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (funding opportunity) is up to $10,000,000 (USD), with an initial award this fiscal year (FY21) of up to $1,000,000. The initial funding of up to $1,000,000 (fiscal year ending September 30, 2021), to be awarded no later than September 30, 2021, should support project start up activities, including but not limited to a national prevalence study on child trafficking under Objective 1.1, and identifying and selecting one or more subject matter experts under Objective 2.2.

The remaining up to $9,000,000 will be awarded the following fiscal year to cover the remaining four years of the CPC Partnership. Continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period may be awarded on a non-competitive basis and are subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.

Applicants should develop proposals that cover the entire funding amount they propose for a multi-year program, up to $10,000,000 (USD) over five (5) years, understanding that the budget and work plan can be adjusted in the future according to the findings in the prevalence study and other factors. The anticipated start date for the award(s) is October 1, 2021. Applicants may form consortia to bring together organizations with varied expertise to propose a comprehensive program in one proposal. However, one organization must be designated in the proposal as the lead applicant, with the other members designated as sub-award partners. All selected proposals are subject to availability of appropriated funds.

Programming should focus on one or more of the following areas of implementation under the CPC Partnership:

PREVENTION:

Goal 1: Child trafficking prevention efforts and networks are coordinated and targeted at specific sectors throughout the country with the greatest prevalence of child trafficking (revealed by the prevalence study), potentially to include markets and domestic service.

Objective 1.1: With the support of civil society, the Government of Benin coordinates and implements a harmonized nationwide child trafficking prevention strategy.

Notional Activities:

1. Conduct a qualitative and quantitative national prevalence baseline study to identify the sectors and locations where the problem of child trafficking is the most pervasive. Results from the prevalence baseline study are expected to inform the development of strategic programming in targeted sectors and locations, what the child trafficking issues are, and in which sectors.

2. In partnership with the Interministerial Committee and civil society stakeholders, develop a child trafficking communication policy that clearly articulates definitions and how messaging/communication on child trafficking is expected to be implemented.

3. Establish a prevention subcommittee or similar mechanism within the existing NGO trafficking network.

Objective 1.2: With support from civil society, the Government of Benin leads targeted child trafficking prevention campaigns that reduce the prevalence of forced child labor and child sex trafficking.

Notional Activities:

1. Develop, disseminate, and train relevant officials as well as civil society on standard operating procedures (SOPs) or guides on child trafficking awareness and prevention that are based off the communication policy and share with community leaders, first responders, such as medical professionals, and teachers, and other relevant stakeholders.

2. Conduct awareness and trafficking identification trainings among at-risk communities determined by the study.

3. Engage schools, communities, as well as traditional leaders and arrondissement representatives to establish and execute action plans for preventing child trafficking.

4. Implement monitoring and evaluation systems to track any reduction in prevalence by the end of the project.

Objective 1.3: With support from civil society, the Government of Benin provides at-risk families support to reduce the prevalence of child trafficking.

Notional Activities:

1. Based on findings from the prevalence study, provide targeted livelihood opportunities, such as age-appropriate vocational training or apprenticeships, and village savings and loan associations for at-risk families.

2. Provide follow-up mentorship to at-risk families receiving support.

PROSECUTION:

Goal 2: Justice sector actors, including but not limited to law enforcement (vice squad, the Central Office for the Protection of Children and Families and the

Punishment of Trafficking in Persons (OCPM), border patrol, and other relevant entities), prosecutors, and the judiciary, understand and utilize existing legal and procedural frameworks – including cross border – to identify child trafficking victims, investigate cases and networks, prosecute and convict perpetrators of child trafficking, and sentence traffickers to sufficiently stringent sentences while respecting due process and applying a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach.

Objective 2.1: Justice sector actors (named above) understand and use the laws that govern child trafficking, including, but not limited to, the 2018 Penal Code, the Child Trafficking Act, and other relevant laws, as well as international legal instruments to which Benin is a party.

Notional Activities:

1. Conduct a diagnostic/baseline on the current knowledge of the target justice sector actors to determine the level of understanding of laws and the gaps that need to be addressed.

2. Create training curriculums for the professional schools of the justice sector actors that are targeted to their areas of responsibility and gaps in knowledge.

3. Train all justice sector actors to increase their current knowledge against the baseline.

4. Institutionalize the training into Benin’s magistrates school and/or the

National School of Magistrates and Administration and continue to train relevant justice sector actors on child trafficking and laws that regulate the crime.

5. Train prosecutors and lawyers on child trafficking and relevant laws for prosecuting the crime.

Objective 2.2: Benin’s justice sector actors understand and employ promising practices when investigating and prosecuting child trafficking cases and enforcing their laws applying a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach.

1. Working with civil society implementing partners, select and employ a subject matter expert (investigator and / or prosecutor) to be embedded within the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Interior, and/or the Ministry of

Planning and Development to provide technical assistance, including mentoring, research, and guidance to investigators and/or prosecutors.

2. Create a working group to review and strengthen (if necessary) existing toolkits, guidelines, and literature on best practices in investigating and prosecuting child trafficking cases, with particular attention towards a victim-centered and trauma-informed approach.

3. Create or implement (if already existing) SOPs for Benin’s justice sector actors to identify, investigate, and prosecute child trafficking cases.

Objective 2.3: Benin has implementing mechanisms and decrees for anti-trafficking laws.

Notional Activities:

1. Support the subject matter expert from Objective 2.2 to work with relevant agencies to consult, gain agreement, and draft needed decrees.

2. Hold workshops with both government and civil society stakeholders to peer review and edit decrees.

3. Seek approval of legal authorities and implementing decrees.

4. Support the drafting of implementing decrees and monitor their implementation.

Objective 2.4: Benin’s justice sector actors understand and follow the implementing mechanisms and decrees for the anti-trafficking law.

Notional Activities:

1. Hold trainings for (or integrate the decrees into the above trainings from

Objective 2.1) justice sector actors on the newly developed implementing mechanisms.

2. Mentor justice sector actors to promote understanding of implementation of anti-trafficking laws and decrees.

Objective 2.5: Benin’s justice sector actors integrate victim identification SOPs into their daily operations.

1. Hold trainings for (or integrate into the above trainings from Objective 2.1) justice sector actors on victim identification SOPs.

2. Provide mentorship and follow-up to justice sector actors on victim identification.

3. Provide government approval/validation of victim identification SOPs.

Objective 2.6: Benin reinforces the legal framework for anti-trafficking coordination with other countries involved in child trafficking cases to investigate, prosecute, and convict perpetrators of transnational child trafficking cases, while respecting due process.

1. Promote monitoring and evaluation of bilateral instruments addressing child trafficking, within the framework of existing mechanisms set up to monitor such instruments.

2. Reinforce capacity of actors responsible for drafting and implementing international legal instruments to combat child trafficking.

3. Negotiate new bilateral instruments with countries where Beninese child trafficking victims have been found.

4. Organize international exchange trips with model countries to learn about best practices in counter-child trafficking.

5. Work with the six border communities (Malanville, Djougou, Parakou, Pobe, Sakete, Bassila) to raise awareness of human trafficking and transnational trafficking methodologies and train mayors and other community leaders on referral mechanisms.

6. Train the ABeGIEF (border police) on conducting trafficking investigations including international mechanisms for exchanging information and gaining legal documentation.

Objective 2.7: Benin is able to protect its child trafficking victims during judicial proceedings to prevent re-traumatization.

Notional Activities:

1. With the MOJ or MOI subject matter expert, explore the types of witness evidence allowed in courts, including child-sensitive, court-admissible video interviews, or live streamed testimony.

2. Working within the allowed framework for evidence, explore the most sustainable option for keeping child trafficking victim witnesses separated from their trafficker.

3. Establish child-friendly spaces in courthouses, police stations, or other relevant locations (with prior approval of the costs from the TIP Office).

Objective 2.8: Benin’s criminal justice sector actors have secure access to trafficking in persons data, including victims identified (disaggregated by type of trafficking, children vs adults, sexual orientation, and region where identified), criminal cases under investigation (including region, POC), trafficking cases currently in process in court (including which courts), the outcome of the cases (including the type of trafficking case, region, and some non-sensitive information on the case).

1. Conduct a diagnostic that identifies and evaluates the types of available data across justice sector agencies, as well as the existing systems and methods of data collection and reporting.

2. Survey criminal justice sector actors to determine what types of information would be useful in their trafficking work and determine if this information could be integrated into existing systems.

3. If deemed necessary and feasible after the diagnostic and survey, purchase and integrate an IT data solution to improve organization and reporting of data related to trafficking (and potentially other) cases.

4. Train and mentor all relevant actors on the revised data collection system for an extended time period, making improvements and fixes where needed so it is useful and operational over the longer term.

PROTECTION:

Goal 3: The Government of Benin oversees a functioning system of victim identification and referral to and provision of proactive trauma-informed, victim-centered protection services for child trafficking victims, including girls, boys, homeless and other vulnerable youth (including LGBTQI+ youth), in coordination with civil society.

Objective 3.1: The government and civil society improves their ability to identify and refer child trafficking victims to shelter and services.

1. Conduct a diagnostic of existing child protection databases.

2. Propose and consult on sustainable solutions that are integrated within existing government systems that relevant agencies would use and find useful.

3. Explore an IT database solution that would meet the needs of the actors involved in protection activities and which would provide the data necessary for their work. This could include combining existing victim databases into one repository accessible by all key agencies and relevant partners.

4. If an IT solution is feasible and sustainable, establish a government-owned database of service providers and shelters across all 12 departments in close coordination with Social Promotion Center’s (CPS’s) and civil society organizations.

5. Review existing referral mechanisms to confirm they are comprehensive and can be implemented

6. Once a review of the referral mechanism has been conducted and consulted among all agencies, support its implementation and provide regular follow-up.

7. Train labor inspectors, law enforcement officers, CPS staff, shelter staff, first responders, and community leaders on referral mechanisms.

8. Establish child trafficking victim identification focal points in each of

Benin’s 77 communes. Focal points may be expanded to the 545 arrondissements, with the mutual consent of Participants that such an expansion is suitable and/or opportune for this specific activity.

Objective 3.2: Child trafficking victims have access to regulated shelters that provide minimum standards of care.

Notional Activities:

1. Conduct a diagnostic of all regulated and unregulated shelters and orphanages to verify they are implementing minimum standards of care or are closed.

2. Review existing minimum standards of care for service providers and provide consistent application and institutionalization across the country.

3. Identify existing children's shelters that can receive training and begin to accept child trafficking victims.

4. In partnership with the private sector and international organizations, develop a list of potential in-kind contributions – to include government land

– to increase shelter options for identified child trafficking victims.

5. Develop guidelines or SOPs for implementing minimum standards of care.

Objective 3.3: Child trafficking victims receive comprehensive, trauma-informed and victim-centered care, from identification to reintegration.

Notional Activities:

1. Conduct a diagnostic assessing the training needs of relevant service providers, including psychosocial counselors, medical professionals, hotline operators, shelter staff, and social assistants.

2. Create training curriculums for the institutional academies of relevant service providers that are targeted to their areas of responsibility and gaps in knowledge.

3. Develop, implement, and institutionalize trainings on victim-centered and trauma-informed approaches for relevant service providers (accompanied by follow-up mentorship and coaching).

4. Partner with and build the capacity of local civil society, social promotion centers, and local healthcare centers to facilitate improved and standardized victim identification efforts, provision of services, and reintegration of child victims of trafficking in their communities.

5. Develop and implement a strategy that ends the current practice of child victims having to repeat details of their exploitation to multiple entities.

6. Facilitate the development of a comprehensive case management system to support provision of services, including medical care, mental health care, shelter, legal assistance, education and/or vocational training, family/community reintegration, and other services.

Objective 3.4: The government manages and guides child trafficking victim protection efforts.

1. Support the government in convening regular working group meetings of relevant service providers in the country.

2. Support the Interministerial Committee through organization of regular meetings.

3. Facilitate a public awareness campaign around the existing child protection hotline.

PARTNERSHIP:

Goal 4: The Government of Benin prioritizes anti-trafficking efforts and commits to sustaining the CPC Partnership impacts beyond the life of the Partnership itself.

Objective 4.1: Relevant ministries, in particular the Ministries of Planning and Development, Justice, Social Affairs, Foreign Affairs, and Interior, demonstrate their commitment levels towards anti-trafficking efforts.

1. Hold regularly scheduled advocacy/coordination meetings with relevant government ministries (as noted above), improving interagency coordination of investigations, prosecutions, and protection services.

2. Sustain and systematize the sharing of information and database systems across government ministries.

3. Facilitate a sustainability action plan for maintaining CPC efforts and capacity levels beyond the end of the Partnership.

4. Work with the Interministerial Committee to explore how existing resources could be utilized to protect child trafficking victims and prosecute traffickers.

5. Organize trainings or workshops on topics to build the capacity of the Interministerial Committee to sustain CPC Partnership results.

Objective 4.2: Civil society and the Government of Benin systematically and regularly collaborate on anti-child trafficking efforts.

Notional Activities:

1. Support the Government of Benin to host an annual regional meeting on child trafficking.

2. Facilitate the regular participation of civil society at all levels (local organizations and international organizations) in the Interministerial Committee.

Other CPC specific considerations:

• Applicants should demonstrate the potential for sustainability beyond the CPC Partnership. Applicants shall develop a clear strategy for sustainability that may include, but is not limited to, attracting other donor resources to reduce the prevalence of child trafficking. Such a strategy should complement and build upon existing anti-trafficking efforts, develop sustainable local capacity of governments and civil society, and incorporate survivor perspectives. Applicants should outline their plan under the sustainability section of the project narrative.

• The TIP Office’s preference is to avoid duplicating past efforts by supporting new and creative approaches. This does not exclude from consideration projects that improve upon or expand existing successful projects in a new and complementary way.

• Programs should seek to include groups, especially underserved communities, that can bring perspectives based on their lived experiences, religion, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, and/or sexual orientation and gender identity. Programs should be demand-driven, locally led, and designed with a participatory approach to the extent possible.

• The TIP Office also requires all its programming be non-discriminatory and expects implementers to include strategies for integration of individuals/organizations regardless of religion, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, and/or sexual orientation and gender identity.

• Applicants should develop a clear strategy for how they will select and implement a scientifically sound, representative survey methodology for measuring national prevalence. The selection of the methodology should be grounded in existing research and experience and be applied consistently to determine a baseline prevalence estimate against which changes will be measured against. Baseline prevalence data collected from the research should underpin the selected locations and sectors, and the nature and design of programmatic interventions, such that interventions are data-driven, evidence-based, and changes in prevalence are measurable post-intervention.

• Applicants must include in their proposals a pre-identified external research partner/s responsible for producing a baseline and endline prevalence estimate, as well as justification of why this research partner was chosen.

The TIP Office strongly encourages the applicant to select a research partner with expertise in quantitative research and experimental methodologies, expertise in researching vulnerable and/or hidden populations, and experience or partnerships operating in Benin. Plans for how the applicant and research partner will coordinate and communicate should also be presented, in addition to a timeline for prevalence research including the integration of this research with programming. Applicants must specify from whom Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval will be sought by the research partner.

• Applicants may serve as prime implementers of programmatic interventions, initiate and manage sub-grants to conduct interventions, or undertake a combined approach. Applicants should explain their approach under the project description in the narrative. Such interventions should not duplicate existing, promising anti-trafficking efforts and should aim to advance government and local civil society partnerships. Applicants are expected to submit proposals that reflect an understanding of and utilize victim-centered, trauma- and survivor-informed approaches to anti-trafficking. Applicants must also integrate an experimental research methodology with programming in such a way that provides specific insight on which activities contribute to a decrease in prevalence. Any CPC grantee under this funding opportunity must obtain TIP Office approval in advance of executing any sub-grant or contract intended to administer programmatic interventions.

The TIP Office encourages open, fair, and competitive processes for choosing sub-grants and contracts whenever possible.

• Applicants must present a strategy outlining a rigorous monitoring and evaluation (M&E) process of activities, ensuring progress toward the grant’s stated goals are measured against available baseline data. Evaluation activities throughout the project should inform whether selected interventions are effective in reaching their specific goals and objectives or creating change. Applicants should demonstrate detailed M&E efforts in Annex D and should provide a brief description of M&E efforts in the proposal narrative.

Measuring prevalence and establishing baselines.

Applicants shall address how they will:

• Select a scientifically sound, representative survey methodology for measuring prevalence grounded in existing research and experience;

• Apply the methodology consistently to determine a baseline prevalence in target populations to measure the reduction of prevalence; and

• Apply the methodology to determine an endline prevalence.

Note: Applicants must indicate precisely how programmatic interventions will be driven by prevalence research data. More information is requested in Annex L.

Prevalence Research (Annex L):

Applicants should provide an overview of planned prevalence quantitative and qualitative research methodologies to be applied and rationale for selection of research methods. A methodology must establish a prevalence estimate baseline and endline. Applicants should:

• Describe an example of a prevalence estimate methodology to be applied

• Describe how a sample will be selected

• Describe sample survey instruments and tools

• Describe sample data collection and analysis processes

• Describe how the methods selected are appropriate in the context of Benin

• Describe the project’s strategy to demonstrate a reduction in the prevalence of child-trafficking through prevalence research-integrated programmatic interventions

• Describe how the project will use baseline prevalence estimates to inform program design

• Describe how the project will use the gap analysis, results performance monitoring plan indicators, mid-term assessments, and other planned assessments/learning activities to inform program design and on-going adaptations

• Describe the project’s strategy to share learning through partnership.

• Describe any other relevant activities related to prevalence research

Please pay particular attention to the Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office Full Project Proposals – CPC and the TIP Office Common Questions and Answers

(CPC) (both documents will be uploaded to the funding opportunity on SAMS Domestic under "Information for the Applicants"), which include NEW guidance on preparing proposed project documents, as well as program design standards that must be incorporated into any program and or project design. Applicants must review and incorporate the Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office Full Project Proposals - CPC, including the project design standards. The guidelines are available on the System for Awards Management (SAMS) Domestic website.

Applicants that do not adhere to these guidelines will not be rated as highly as those who do.

Applications for this funding opportunity must be submitted via SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants) by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on August 2, 2021 to be eligible for consideration. If an organization experiences difficulty submitting an application near the deadline, their application will only be considered if the applicant opened a ticket with the SAMS Domestic help desk to resolve the problem prior to the deadline. A ticket with the help desk can only be opened by calling 1-(888)-313-4567 or submitting a ticket through the ILMS Self Service Portal (https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home). To be competitive under this funding opportunity, applicants must be fully responsive to all instructions in this document. Please pay special attention to all font, document types, and formatting requirements.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 USC §7101 et seq.), as amended (TVPA), established the TIP Office in the U.S. Department of State. The

TIP Office leads the United States’ global engagement on the fight against human trafficking and seeks partnerships with foreign governments, civil society organizations, and multilateral organizations to combat modern slavery through the “3P” paradigm: prosecuting traffickers through victim-centered and trauma-informed law enforcement, protecting trafficking victims through proactive identification and the provision of comprehensive, trauma-informed care, and preventing trafficking in persons by making it more difficult or risky for traffickers to commit the crime. TIP Office programs and projects combat human trafficking – a crime involving compelling a person to work or engage in a commercial sex act through the traffickers use of force, fraud, or coercion. It should be noted that when a person younger than 18 is used to perform a commercial sex act, it is a crime regardless of whether there is any force, fraud, or coercion. The two primary forms of human trafficking are sex trafficking and forced labor.

The U.S. government defines “trafficking in persons” as:

• Sex Trafficking – encompasses the range of activities involved when a trafficker uses force, fraud, or coercion to compel another person to engage in a commercial sex act or causes a child to engage in a commercial sex act.

• Forced Labor – also referred to as “labor trafficking,” encompasses the range of activities involved when a person uses force, fraud, or coercion to obtain the labor or services of another person.

Trafficking in persons does not require the movement of a person. Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) and generally consistent with the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons (Palermo Protocol), individuals may be trafficking victims regardless of whether they once consented, they participated in unlawful acts their traffickers compelled them to commit, someone transported them into the exploitative situation, or they were simply born into a state of servitude. The TIP Office will not support projects that use alternate definitions of trafficking.

The TVPA requires that the Department of State submit to Congress an annual report assessing the efforts of governments to address trafficking in persons. The annual TIP Report is the primary tool for the Department’s engagement with other governments on human trafficking and informs U.S. policy and assistance priorities to combat this crime. The 2020 TIP Report is available at:

https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report-2020/.

Since 2000, when the United Nations adopted the Palermo Protocol and the United

States enacted the TVPA, more than 170 countries have become party to the Protocol. In addition, more than 154 countries have passed anti-trafficking laws, and many countries have established specialized law enforcement units, set up trafficking victim assistance mechanisms, and launched public awareness campaigns. Nonetheless, the number of victims identified and assisted, and the number of traffickers investigated, prosecuted, and convicted remain extremely low relative to the size of the problem; and governments face continued challenges in effectively implementing anti-trafficking legal and policy frameworks.

The TIP Office works to address these challenges through its foreign assistance programs. Information on U.S. government anti-trafficking efforts is available at https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-to-monitor-and-combat-trafficking-in-persons-2/ and a summary of anti-trafficking projects currently funded by the TIP Office is available at https://www.state.gov/tip-office-project-descriptions/.

The U.S. signed CPC Partnerships with the Government of Ghana in June 2015, the Government of the Philippines in April 2017, the Government of Peru in June 2017, the Government of Jamaica in May 2018, and the Government of Mongolia in 2020. Information on these CPC Partnerships is available at https://www.state.gov/child-protection-compact-partnerships/.

Applicants may only submit one proposal in response to this funding opportunity.

The U.S. government may: (a) reject any or all applications, (b) accept other than the lowest cost application, (c) accept more than one application, and (d) waive irregularities in applications received.

about:blank about:blank https://www.state.gov/child-protection-compact-partnerships/

The U.S. government may make award(s) on the basis of initial applications received, without discussions or negotiations. Therefore, each initial application should contain the applicant’s best terms from a cost and technical standpoint.

Applicants are expected to submit proposals that reflect an understanding of victim-centered survivor-informed approaches to anti-trafficking activities, and identify and provide victims with trauma-informed and comprehensive services.

Victim-Centered Approach Placing the crime victim’s priorities, needs, and interests at the center of the work with the victim; providing nonjudgmental assistance, with an emphasis on client self-determination, where appropriate, and assisting victims in making informed choices; ensuring that restoring victims’ feelings of safety and security is a priority and safeguarding against policies and practices that may inadvertently re-traumatize victims; ensuring that victims’ rights, voices, and perspectives are incorporated when developing and implementing system- and community-based efforts that impact crime victims.

Trauma-Informed Approach A trauma-informed approach includes an understanding of the vulnerabilities and experiences of trauma survivors, including the prevalence and the physical, social, and emotional impact of trauma. This approach recognizes signs of trauma in individuals and the professionals who help them and responds by integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, practices, and settings.

Trauma-informed approaches place a priority on restoring the survivor’s feelings of safety, choice, and control. Programs, services, agencies, and communities can be trauma-informed.

Comprehensive Services

An array of services that should be made available to a trafficking victim. At a minimum, these services include shelter; intensive case management; safety planning; crisis intervention; victim advocacy; legal assistance; mental health treatment, including individual and group counseling; support in family reunification and community reintegration; medical care; dental care; substance abuse treatment; assistance with educational and/or vocational needs; life skills training; transportation; and other necessary services. These services should be made available for victims identified under this initiative in coordination with other existing governmental resources.

Survivor-Informed Approach

A program, policy, intervention, or product that is designed, implemented, and evaluated with intentional leadership, expertise and input from a diverse community of survivors to ensure that the program, policy, intervention, or product accurately represents their needs, interests, and perceptions.

Any funds awarded under this funding opportunity will be provided through a grant or cooperative agreement. The distinction between grants and cooperative agreements revolves around the existence of “substantial involvement.” Cooperative agreements require greater Federal government participation in the project. If a cooperative agreement is awarded, the TIP Office will undertake reasonable and programmatically necessary substantial involvement. Examples of substantial involvement can include, but are not limited to:

• Active participation or collaboration with the recipient in the implementation of the award;

• Review and approval of one stage of work before another can begin;

• Review and approval of substantive provisions of proposed sub-awards or contracts beyond existing Federal policy;

• Approval of the recipient’s budget or plan of work prior to the award.

To maximize the impact and sustainability of the award(s) that result from this funding opportunity, the TIP Office retains the right to execute non-competitive continuation amendment(s). The total duration of any award, including potential non-competitive continuation amendments, shall not exceed 60 months, or five years. Any non-competitive continuation is contingent on performance and pending availability of funds. A non-competitive continuation is not guaranteed and the Department of State reserves the right to exercise or not to exercise this option.

The TIP Office may fund activities in high-income countries, but the use of foreign assistance funding to benefit a high-income country requires additional review.

Applicants should ensure that inclusion of developed countries is responsive to the TIP Office's programming objectives. The TIP Office considers developed countries to be those designed as high income by the World Bank using the gross national income (GNI) per capita (Atlas method). The current threshold for high-income countries (based on 2019 data) is a GNI per capita of $12,536 or more.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

The TIP Office encourages applications from the following entities:

• U.S.-based and Foreign-based Non-Profit

• For-Profit Organization

• Institution of Higher Education

• Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)

• Public International Organization (PIO)

Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process. Additionally, the Department of State prohibits profit to for-profit or commercial organizations under its assistance awards. Profit is defined as any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs. The allowability of costs incurred by commercial organizations is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR 30, Cost Accounting Standards Administration, and 48 CFR 31 Contract Cost Principles and Procedures.

While foreign governments are not eligible to apply, governments may be beneficiaries of programs provided that funding does not pay salaries of government agency personnel and that such assistance is not restricted by U.S. law or policy.

Organizations that are currently receiving funds from the TIP Office are eligible to apply for funding under this funding opportunity. The eligibility requirements for applying to this funding opportunity do not restrict applicants from receiving other sources of funding from the United States government, including funding from other bureaus within the Department of State. However, the applicant must identify related U.S. government programming in their proposal.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing, cost matching, and cost participation are not required to carry out a project under this funding opportunity. While not required, applicants may propose to include voluntary cost share. Applications that include voluntary cost share will NOT be evaluated differently than other applications. Applicants voluntarily proposing cost share must read the instructions below regarding budget documents that are required to be submitted under this announcement. Applicants should list the cost share amount in the SF-424.

3. Other

Applicants should have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with thematic or in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders, including private sector partners and NGOs, and have demonstrable experience in administering successful and preferably similar projects, preferably in human trafficking or related areas in Benin. The TIP Office encourages applications from foreign-based NGOs headquartered in the geographic regions/countries relevant to this funding opportunity. For the purposes of this funding opportunity, a partner organization is any organization that would receive sub-award funding from a successful applicant to help the applicant organization implement aspects of anti-trafficking projects. All mandatory terms and conditions for a successful applicant also apply to any sub-awards awarded. The TIP Office reserves the right to request additional background information on applicants that do not have previous experience administering federal grant awards, and these applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis.

The TIP Office recognizes the importance and added value of partnerships and collaborative efforts in anti-trafficking work. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that reflect partnerships among organizations and are expected to work collaboratively with relevant Beninese government ministries and local authorities to coordinate with related activities supported by other donors.

The TIP Office is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its projects and activities. The TIP Office welcomes applications irrespective of race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package

All proposals must be fully submitted via SAMS Domestic by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on August 2, 2021. TIP Office will NOT accept proposals or updated documents submitted by any other method, including email, fax, the postal system, delivery companies, couriers, or U.S. embassies. Applicants may submit only one application.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to initiate electronic applications early in the application development process and to submit the application package before the due date or early on the due date. This will aid in addressing any problems with submission prior to the application deadline. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps to submit applications on

SAMS Domestic.

Applications Submitted Through SAMS Domestic

Organizations using SAMS Domestic for the first time must register on the SAMS Domestic site to create a New Applicant account as soon as possible. This application step must be completed before an application can be submitted.

To register with SAMS Domestic, follow the “create an account” link and complete the “SAMS Domestic User Registration Request” application form.

Users will receive an email requesting account verification. This verification step must be completed before an application can be submitted. If the applicant has previously received funding from the Department of State please contact JTIPGrants@state.gov after the user account has been created to ensure the account is associated with the correct organization. If an applicant has not previously received funding from the Department of State, the TIP Office cannot associate a new account in SAMS Domestic to an organization. Please note a new user account does not need to be associated with an organization in order to submit an application. Electronic applications submitted via SAMS Domestic must contain completed SF-424 online forms and documents specified in this funding opportunity.

To upload the application, go to SAMS Domestic, select “Apply,” then “Funding Opportunities,” and select the “Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in

Persons Programs” funding opportunity. Select the “Apply Here” button, enter the applicant organization’s information, and click Save. Complete each section of the application in the corresponding section of the Additional Documents to Be Submitted Tab: SF 424 Information (SF-424, SF-424 A, SF-42B if applicable);

Project Narrative; Annex A: Theory of Change; Annex B: Results Performance Monitoring Plan; Annex C: Performance Monitoring Work Plan; Annex D:

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan Narrative; Annex E: Summary Budget; Annex F:

Line-Item Budget; Annex G: Budget Narrative; Annex H: NICRA Agreement (if applicable); Annex I: Resumes and CVs for Key Personnel; Annex J: Certification of Training; and Annex K: Optional Letters of Intent to Cooperate; Annex L:

Prevalence Research Methodology.

Please ensure that you select the box, “allow anyone in my organization to edit this proposal,” to ensure members of your organization have access to edit this proposal.

For assistance with SAMS Domestic please contact the ILMS Support Desk at 1- 888-313-4567 (toll free for international callers) or submit a ticket using the ILMS Self Service Portal. Customer Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Please note support hours may change on Federal holidays. Please direct questions regarding the process of uploading applications to Customer Support. Technical difficulties not resolved by the Support Desk by the time of submission must be fully documented and reported to the TIP Office at JTIPGrants@state.gov only.

Please do not contact any other Department of State personnel.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

To be considered for funding, all applications must address the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity. All required documents submitted must be written in the English language using documents with one-inch margins formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper only, unless otherwise stated. All documents should use text that is black-colored in Times New Roman font. The required project narrative template is set to a 30,000 character limit with Times New Roman font. Spaces, footnotes, and charts are included within the character limit. Any application that does not submit the required project narrative template with these font restrictions will fail the technical review. Please note that applicants must type within the grey boxes on the templates. All budget figures must be in U.S. dollars.

Submission of PDF files will not be accepted and will result in automatic failure of the technical review.

Please note there have been significant changes in this funding opportunity, including sections on risk, monitoring and evaluation, and the inclusion of a pre-gap analysis narrative. Applicants must reference the Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office Full Project Proposals – CPC and the TIP Office Common Questions and Answers (CPC) (both documents will be uploaded to the funding opportunity on SAMS Domestic under "Information for the Applicants"). The Guidelines for Submitting TIP Office Full Project Proposals - CPC includes guidelines for proposed project documents, as well as program design standards that must be incorporated into any application submitted under this funding opportunity. Applicants must review and incorporate the Guidelines for https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home mailto:JTIPGrants@state.gov

Submitting TIP Office Full Project Proposals - CPC. The guidelines are available on SAMS Domestic.

Complete applications must also include the following documents in the required templates (found on SAMS Domestic) to be considered for funding:

• Online Forms/Standard Forms – SF 424, SF 424A and SF 424B

• Proposal Narrative – Required template available on SAMS Domestic (applicants must type within the template’s ‘grey box’), Microsoft Word Document (No PDF files) o Background o Pre-Gap Analysis o Problem Statement o Project Description and Theory of Change o Gender Integration (optional) o Sustainability o Local Partnerships o Coordination with Other Anti-Trafficking Stakeholders o Security, Risk Mitigation, and Contingency Plan o Monitoring and Evaluation

• Proposal Annexes: See the ‘Guidance for Submitting TIP Office Full

Proposals’ o Annex A – Theory of Change o Annex B – Results Performance Monitoring (RPM) Plan o Annex C – Performance Monitoring Work Plan o Annex D – Monitoring and Evaluation Plan Narrative o Annex E – Budget Summary o Annex F – Line-Item Budget o Annex G – Budget Narrative o Annex H – NICRA Agreement* o Annex I – Resumes and Qualifications of Key Personnel –

Resumes may be no longer than 5 pages, including charts, graphs, logos, and images o Annex J – Certification of Training Requirement o Annex K – Letters of Agreement or Letters of Intent to Cooperate in Partnership* o Annex L – Prevalence Research Methodology

* Required only if Applicable

Note: Applicants must use the TIP Office templates for the project narrative (typing only within the template’s grey box), results performance monitoring plan, performance monitoring work plan, monitoring and evaluation plan narrative, research prevalence methodology, summary budget, and line-item budget, which are part of the Additional Information to Be Submitted by the

Applicant Tab.

3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)—

Required

A valid Unique Entity Identifier (formerly the Data Universal Numbering System or DUNS) is not required for submission of an application on SAMS Domestic;

however, a valid UEI number is required for organizations selected for an award.

Organizations should verify their UEI number or take the steps needed to obtain one as soon as possible. Instructions for obtaining a UEI number can be found at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

All selected applicants will be required to register with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov/SAM/) and/or maintain an active registration prior to award issuance. Organizations that have SAM.gov accounts must log in at least once every 13 months (395 days) to maintain an active registration. Please reactivate any accounts that have become inactive when submitting proposals.

Please note that selected grantees may not make a sub-award to a sub-recipient unless that sub-recipient has obtained and provided to the recipient a UEI. A sub-recipient is not required to be registered in SAM.gov.

4. Submission Dates and Times

All applications must be submitted via SAMS Domestic and no applications will be considered for funding after 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on

August 2, 2021. The TIP Office will not accept application materials by any method other than through SAMS Domestic. To be competitive under this funding opportunity, applicants must be fully responsive to all directions in this document.

The application process is not complete until the applicant receives notification from SAMS Domestic that its application has been validated and forwarded to the granting agency (the TIP Office). Please allow sufficient time before the deadline for entering the application into these systems and to troubleshoot any issues. It is the responsibility of the applicant to monitor its application to ensure that it is successfully received and validated.

5. Funding Restrictions

Construction The TIP Office restricts the use of Federal assistance for construction purposes.

Construction costs are defined as non-major costs for rearrangement and alteration or reconversion or renovation of facilities.