WEE NOFO Final.pdf

U.S. Department of State

Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Office of Assistance Coordination

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 19.500

Strengthening Women’s Contribution to the Economy in the Middle East and North Africa

Opportunity Number: SFOP0005119

Key Information:

Announcement Type: New Date Opened: 5/21/2018 Deadline for Questions & Notification of Intent to Apply:

6/12/2018

Application Deadline: 7/10/2018 Expected Date of Notification: 9/28/2018 Federal Agency Contact: Shane Stryzinski

NEA-Grants@state.gov

Funding Opportunity Synopsis

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The Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for projects designed to support women’s economic empowerment initiatives in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The gender gap in the MENA region remains the highest in the world with only 16 percent of working-age women in the region employed compared to 46 percent globally. Isolated initiatives have emerged in the region among companies, governments, and civil society organizations to mainstream gender in policies and increase women’s participation and promotion in the economy. These initiatives fall short of being cross-cutting, and do not provide a comprehensive picture of women’s participation in the formal sector. Aside from the percentage of women participating in the workforce and limited data on their earnings in some countries, little is known about women’s contribution to the economy, and how they are recruited, retained and promoted in the formal sector workplace.

To address this gap in knowledge and assist economic stakeholders in identifying opportunities for increasing women’s contribution to the economy, a comprehensive index of the status of women in the MENA economies is critical. Funds will support quantitative and qualitative information collection and comparable analysis of regional information on women’s economic participation categorized by sector, profession, wage, education level, hours of work, employment tenure, employment level (early, mid, senior, management), age, marital status, union/association membership, and disability status. As part of the analysis, the applicant will use the information to develop recommendations for economic stakeholders on areas of improvement in policies, regulations, laws and/or practices that address barriers to the recruitment, retention, and promotion of women in the identified sectors. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to partner with governments, private business, international organizations, international financial institutions, national statistics offices, trade unions, professional women’s associations, regional think tanks, universities, and/or civil society organizations within targeted MENA countries to increase the pool of available information and leverage the best data collection expertise.

The comparative index and recommendations gained from this project will serve as a catalyst for economic stakeholders to join forces in opening up society for women to play an integral role in the regional economy by focusing on the recruitment, retention, and promotion of women in the formal sector. As women increase their roles in the workforce, their ability to engage as leaders in other parts of society will grow.

This project directly supports the Department of State’s Strategy for Women’s Economic Empowerment by addressing legal, regulatory, and policy barriers to women’s economic empowerment and promoting gender-inclusive economic development. The project also directly supports NEA/AC’s Strategic Framework to promote economic growth through increasing women’s participation in economic activities and reducing the gender income and employment gap.

Eligible Countries and Territories:

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In this announcement, we seek to support projects with activities in the broader MENA region.

Locations of activities and project beneficiaries will be determined through program design and implementation. No activities may take place inside Egypt, Oman, Qatar, Syria, the UAE, or West Bank/Gaza, but available data on these countries should be included in the comprehensive index. Proposals should detail research and analysis plans for both countries where in-country activities are allowed and for those where they are not permitted. As a project intended to benefit MENA actors, the majority of activities should take place in the MENA region.

All applications must be submitted in English. Applicants may submit only one (1) application. Complete information on how applicants can submit proposals for this opportunity can be found in Section VI below.

Background Information about NEA/AC:

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) offers Economic Support Fund (ESF) assistance to groups and individuals striving to bring about positive change in the Middle East-North Africa region. The Assistance Coordination Office works in 20 countries and territories, partnering with governments, civil society organizations (CSOs), community leaders, youth and women activists and private sector groups to advance their efforts. Competitively selected projects aim to foster participatory governance, economic reform, and educational advancement in response to local interest and needs.

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Table of Contents

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROBLEM STATEMENT

B. ACHIEVABLE OBJECTIVES

C. PROJECT DESIGN

D. DEFINITIONS

II. MEASUREMENT OF RESULTS

III. AWARD INFORMATION

IV. SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT ........................................................................................................... - 11 - V. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION............................................................................................................... - 11 -

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS ....................................................................................................................... - 11 - B. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................................................... - 13 - C. ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS .............................................................................. - 14 -

VI. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

B. APPLICATION FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS

C. SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

D. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES

VII. FUNDING LIMITATIONS, RESTRICTIONS, AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

VIII. APPLICATION REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

A. APPLICATION EVALUATION CRITERIA

B. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

IX. ADMINSTRATION INFORMATION

A. AWARD NOTICES

B. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

C. TRAVEL NOTIFICATIONS

D. APPLICANT VETTING AS A CONDITION OF AWARD

E. SPECIAL PROVISION FOR PERFORMANCE IN A DESIGNATED COMBAT AREA (SPOT)

REQUIREMENTS

F. BRANDING AND MARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANTEES

G. UEI NUMBER REQUIREMENT FOR SUB AWARDEES

H. SUB AWARDEE REPORTING REQUIREMENT

X. AGENCY CONTACTS

XI. DISCLAIMER

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APPENDICES (Posted with NOFO)

APPENDIX 1— Budget Sample Template and Budget Narrative Guidance APPENDIX 2— Logic Model Template APPENDIX 3— Application Guidance

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

The Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) invites applicants to submit proposals that will support women’s economic empowerment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The MENA region is ranked last globally on the overall gender gap index as having the highest gender gap in economic participation and opportunity, according to the Global Gender Gap Report – an annual World Economic Forum publication. MENA countries can close the identified gender gap if specific gender dynamics targeting women’s economic participation within each country are identified and addressed by increasing the understanding of how women contribute to the economy based on sector, profession, and education level. With comparable information across the region, economic stakeholders will be better able to develop initiatives that seek to recruit, retain, and promote qualified women in the formal sector.

This project seeks to contribute to the long-term objective to:

Increase women’s contribution to the economy in the MENA region;

Empower women to assume a more active role in the economy and society; and Increase economic stakeholders’ knowledge of gaps, possibilities, and opportunities for increasing women’s participation in the workforce and contribution to the economy.

This NOFO seeks proposals to fund a project that will result in the completion a comprehensive index of the status of women in the MENA economies through the strategic collection of information in partnership with specified governments, private business, international organizations, international financial institutions, national statistics offices, trade unions, professional women’s associations, regional think tanks, universities, and/or civil society organizations. Proposals should describe efforts that will lead to the comprehensive compilation of information that will serve as a regional comparison baseline to identify best practices as well as the development and sharing of recommendations to economic stakeholders on areas of improvement in internal corporate policies, regulations, laws, and practices that promote women as active participants in the economy.

In developing the comprehensive index, the project should use qualitative and quantitative data to answer questions about the conditions – related to perceptions of value, office atmosphere, interest in specific projects, opportunities for teamwork, and feelings of accomplishment – that prevent women from entering or advancing in the workforce or compels them to leave the workforce.

Proposals must clearly and succinctly outline a detailed plan for how each activity will be completed, how information will be collected and analyzed, and how information will be strategically shared with stakeholders. Applications must demonstrate a strong capacity to work with networks and partnerships in MENA in order to facilitate the most effective information collection methods and analysis.

A. PROBLEM STATEMENT

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The gender gap in the MENA region remains the highest in the world at about 40 percent, according to World Economic Forum estimates. This is irrespective of the fact that the region has a ‘bursting pipeline’ of highly educated women leaving the workforce, especially during their childbearing years. Despite upward trends of female representation in higher education, 75 percent of Arab women are still excluded from the labor market, according to the World Bank.

Many educated women either do not go on to work or cannot gain access to the opportunities to enter or remain in the workforce. When they do enter the workforce, comparable information that identifies where women are specializing and succeeding is lacking. In most MENA countries, women are more likely to be unemployed as their level of education increases, as opposed to men who benefit from advanced degrees.

By not providing sufficient opportunities for women to gain access to the formal sector workforce, MENA countries are missing the high economic benefit that having a higher number of women in the workforce could bring. A McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) study found that supporting women’s economic advancement could add 12 trillion dollars to the global GDP by 2025 and grow the region’s economy by as much as 85 percent. However, the International Labour Organization reports only 16 percent of working-age women in the region are employed compared to 46 percent in the world. Of that percentage, an average of 38 percent of working women in the MENA region are self-employed and typically earn much less than any other group. Several initiatives have tried to close the gender gap by focusing on leveling the playing field for women entrepreneurs and those working in the informal sector, though paying less attention to educated women’s employment and those in the formal sectors (private and public).

Other localized initiatives have started to emerge in the region among companies, governments, and civil society organizations to mainstream gender in policies and promote women’s participation. Yet, little remains known or done about the overwhelming majority of women working in private companies or the public sector, and how they are recruited, retained, and promoted.

There is an information deficit that prevents these initiatives from being as cross-cutting and impactful as they could be. While countless studies measure female workforce participation as a general employment figure, there is a knowledge gap about women’s contribution to the economy from a regional perspective. Most studies lack specific information (i.e. wage, childcare options, management positions, promotion rates, flexible hours, etc.) categorized by sector, profession, education level, geography, etc. that can be accurately compared and used to build relevant policy and programmatic approaches to improving women’s economic participation in the MENA region.

B. ACHIEVABLE OBJECTIVES

NEA/AC invites applications that focus on promoting women’s economic empowerment through data-driven initiatives that seek to recruit, retain, and promote women in the formal sector in MENA. Funding seeks to support proposals that collect, analyze, and synthesize quantitative and qualitative information on women’s workforce participation and provide analysis-informed recommendations that can be used to shape empowerment initiatives that promote women as active participants in the economy.

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At the conclusion, a successful project will result in:

1. Economic stakeholders in the MENA region increasing their knowledge of comparable information specific to women’s contribution to the economy and workforce participation in the formal sector.

2. Economic stakeholders increasing their knowledge of the barriers and better understand how to develop initiatives to recruit, retain, and promote women in the formal sector.

3. Women in the MENA region increasing their knowledge on issues/initiatives related to their participation in the economy and the formal workforce.

C. PROJECT DESIGN

NEA/AC seeks to support projects that will increase women’s contribution to the economy in the MENA region through a comprehensive index of the status of women in the MENA economies.

NEA/AC acknowledges reports and research have already been developed. However, applicants should develop a project that builds from the information collected below rather than recreates it.

World Economic Forum’s The Global Gender Gap Report (2017) The World Bank’s Annual Women, Business and the Law (2018) ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends for Women (2018) The World Bank’s DataBank (2018) Brookings Policy Briefing: Equality and the Economy: Why the Arab World Should

Employ More Women (2016) OECD’s Women’s Economic Empowerment in Selected MENA Countries (2017) Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (2018) World Economic Forum’s The Future of Jobs and Skills in the Middle East and North

Africa (2017)

All proposals are required to include a 2-page Comparative Economic Overview of Women in the Region (see section VI for details).

Proposals should include the following project deliverables:

1. A comprehensive index of the status of women in the MENA economies through a detailed and triangulated information collection plan, including desk review, public records, private and public sector human resource information, focus groups, surveys, and/or other methods as appropriate.

a. Information should be categorized by sector, profession, wage, education level, hours of work, employment tenure, employment level (early, mid, senior, management), age, marital status, union/association membership, and, disability status.

b. Data should be collected from women in the workforce (at all employment levels), women that are not employed but want to be, and women that have left the workforce.

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c. Quantitative and qualitative methods should be used to conduct a barrier analysis on challenges to recruitment, retention, and promotion of women in identified sectors.

d. Information should be presented as a regional comparison to identify best practices of gender empowerment.

2. The development of analysis-informed recommendations for economic stakeholders on areas of improvement in policies, regulations, and practices that address barriers and promote promising practices to improve the recruitment, retention, and promotion of women.

3. A politically sensitive and strategic plan for how information and recommendations will be shared with participating country economic stakeholders (only for those countries where in-country activities are permitted).

4. The development of a mechanism for the implementation of up to two micro-pilots in a specific sector, country, or company.

With reference to point four (#4) above, NEA/AC recognizes that as a recipient collects the information regionally, opportunities may arise in a particular country or company to implement a micro-pilot project to test an initiative within the recruit, retain, and promote framework. For example, as information is collected, a company may request assistance on a specific aspect of the framework. In order to capitalize on this momentum, a proposal should detail how the recipient will plan for and implement at least two micro-pilots.

Successful applications will provide a detailed plan for how activities will be completed and how data will be collected/analyzed from governments, private business, international organizations, international financial institutions, national statistics offices, trade unions, professional women’s associations, regional think tanks, universities, and/or civil society organizations within targeted MENA countries. Applications should demonstrate a strong capacity to work with networks and partnerships of local organizations and institutions of higher education in the MENA region in order to facilitate the most effective data collection methods and analysis.

Applicants may submit one (1) proposal to conduct activities in as many countries as feasible.

Please refer back to the Eligible Countries and Territories section for a list of countries where in-country activities are prohibited. Proposals should detail research and analysis plans for both countries where in-country activities are allowed and for those where they are not permitted. As needed, programmatic elements may be broadened or limited to address most precisely the needs of each country/territory context throughout the negotiation process.

Note: Applicants should read this NOFO in its entirety before writing their proposal, and should refer to the full Evaluation Criteria provided in Section VII while drafting all materials.

The following activities and costs are NOT ALLOWED under this announcement:

Exchange activities with other countries or territories;

Social welfare projects: Paying to complete activities begun with other funds;

Activities that appear partisan or that support individual or party electoral campaigns;

One-time events, such as stand-alone conferences and one-off round tables;

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Medical and psychological research and clinical studies;

Projects of a commercial or profit making nature;

Cultural presentations, cultural research, cultural clubs, or festivals, etc.’ and

Entertainment costs (e.g., receptions, social activities, ceremonies, alcoholic beverages, guided tours).

NOTE: Applications that include any of these activities or costs above may be eliminated at the Technical Eligibility Review stage and will not advance to the Merit Review Panel.

D. DEFINITIONS

The following are definitions of activities accepted under this announcement:

Economic Stakeholders

Stakeholders include governments, employers, workers, and their representative organizations, multilateral organizations, civil society organizations, universities, and other representatives that contribute to the development and growth of economies. Labor ministries, employer organizations, and trade unions are also considered key stakeholders.

Formal Sector

The formal sector encompasses all jobs with regular wages and are recognized as income sources on which income taxes must be paid. Jobs in the formal economy are included in the gross national product (GNP) and gross domestic project (GDP) of a country.

MEASUREMENT OF RESULTS

Applicants shall provide a logic model to demonstrate how the proposed project (including activities, the project design, and the surrounding context) will achieve the stated objectives. The logic model statements can be generated using the template in Appendix II.

Successful applicants will work with the NEA/AC program and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) team to create a plan based on the proposed logic model to measure qualitative and quantitative indicators as part of the award negotiations process. The successful applicants will be responsible for collecting data against these indicators, which will be monitored throughout the period of performance of the award to gauge necessary modifications to the project’s design, and assess the results of the project’s success in meeting expected outcomes.

AWARD INFORMATION

Funding Mechanism Type: Cooperative Agreement

Estimated Number of Awards: 1

Estimated Total Program Funding: $1,500,000

Estimated Award Ceiling: $1,500,000

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Estimated Award Floor: $1,000,000

Cost-Sharing or Matching: Required, 10%

Estimated Length of Project Period: 18 Months

Contingent on the availability of funds, approximately $1,500,000 in Economic Support Funds for approximately one (1) award will be awarded through this announcement. If selected to receive an award, an applicant will be awarded funds for up to 18 months, depending on the activities and countries proposed. The estimated start date for this project is October 1, 2018.

NEA/AC reserves the right to award more or less than the estimated program funding, and reserves the right to award funding under this announcement for a period of up to two years after the announcement’s close date.

This request for full applications does not constitute an award or commitment on the part of the U.S. government to make any awards, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application.

SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT

NEA/AC shall be involved in the program and management performance of these cooperative agreements through consultation and technical collaboration on specified program activities.

NEA/AC Responsibilities Examples of NEA/AC responsibilities for a cooperative agreement may include:

Collaboration in establishing annual program objectives and approval of an annual work plan;

Collaboration in development of materials such as surveys and questionnaires;

Collaboration in development of information sharing plans;

Participation in selection process of data inputs; and/or

Collaboration/approval of micro-pilot project designs.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

All applicants will be screened by NEA/AC to determine whether they meet all of the program eligibility requirements detailed below.

NOTE: Applications that do not demonstrate that they meet all of the eligibility requirements in Section A and Section B will not advance past the Technical Eligibility Review stage and may be deemed ineligible for funding under this announcement. Nothing can be added to an application once the competition deadline has passed.

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligible applicants include:

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- U.S. or foreign o Non-profit organizations;

o For-profit organizations;

o Private institutions of higher education;

o Public or state institutions of higher education; and/or o Public international or intergovernmental organizations.

NEA/AC strongly encourages applications from organizations headquartered in the Middle East and North Africa region. International non-governmental organizations with principal bases of operations outside the Middle East and North Africa are also encouraged to apply, but the percentage of total budget actually spent in the region through local partners will be among the elements of evaluation for this competition.

NEA/AC is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its programs and activities.

NEA/AC welcomes applications irrespective of an applicants’ race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. We encourage applications from organizations working with underserved communities, including women, people with disabilities, and youth.

A.1. Prime Applicant To be considered for funding under this opportunity, applicants SHALL:

Have demonstrable previous experience working in the MENA region. This should be addressed within the project narrative section of your application.

Have demonstrable expertise in labor market analysis and in women’s empowerment programming.

Have a demonstrable network including civil society and business organizations in the MENA region. This should be addressed within the project narrative section of your application.

Meet ALL of the registration requirements listed in Section B below.

Meet any requirements listed as MANDATORY in Section C, Additional Eligibility

Considerations, below.

A.2. Local Partners Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit projects that include partnerships with local organizations that would work together on specific programmatic objectives or priorities and that utilize local expertise. In particular, NEA/AC strongly encourages applicants not based in the MENA region to partner with local organizations.

A partnership is defined as a negotiated arrangement among organizations or individuals that defines substantive, collaborative roles for each of the partners in planning and implementing a project. If proposing partners, applicants should provide the following in their submission:

Describe how the partner(s) will contribute to the objectives of the project;

Detail how the partner(s) has been involved in the project design at the proposal stage;

Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the partner(s) in the implementation of the project, project evaluation, and project sustainability relative to the lead applicant’s;

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Explain how the applicant organization will provide programmatic oversight and support to the partner(s); and

Explain how the applicant organization will conduct quality assurance of data collected by the local partner(s).

In addition, applicants who propose working with sub-recipient(s) must describe in both the program and budget narratives how the sub-recipient(s) will be managed, monitored, and evaluated to ensure compliance with project objectives and Federal regulations.

B. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

To apply for NEA/AC (Federal) funding, organizations, whether based in or outside the U.S., must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, currently referred to as a DUNS number, and an active account with the System for Award Management (SAM). This applies to BOTH prime applicants and any local partners receiving federally funded sub-awards. Applicants who do not meet all registration requirements are NOT eligible for funding under the opportunity.

UEI Number The UEI number is a nine-digit number established and assigned by Dun and Bradstreet, Inc.

(D&B) to uniquely identify business entities.

All applicants must have a UEI number. To obtain a UEI number, please follow the steps below:

Go to http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/pages/CCRSearch.jsp.

Select the country or territory where your organization is physically located. Complete and submit the form. Organizations will need to provide basic information, including physical and mailing addresses, name and title of the chief executive, primary Standard Industrial Code (SIC), and annual revenue.

For technical difficulties in obtaining this number, please contact D&B at: govt@dnb.com.

System for Award Management (SAM) SAM is a U.S. government wide registry of vendors doing business with the Federal government and requires annual renewal. The system centralizes information about grant applicants/recipients, and provides a central location for grant applicants/recipients to change organizational information.

Further, applicants must maintain an active account, with current information, while its application is under consideration for funding. To keep an active SAM.gov account, applicants must renew it at least once each year. If an organizations account expires, the organization cannot submit a grant application until it is renewed.

To create a new account, please follow the steps below:

Go to http://www.sam.gov.

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/pages/CCRSearch.jsp http://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/sic_manual.html mailto:govt@dnb.com http://www.sam.gov/

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Select Create User Account, and then select Create an Account on the left-hand side of the screen under Individual Account Details. Organizations must have a UEI number and a CAGE number (US Domestic Organizations) or a NCAGE number (Foreign Organizations), to create an account.

Complete and submit the online form. If the applying organization already has the necessary information on hand (see the SAM User Guide), the online form takes approximately one hour to complete, depending upon the size and complexity of the applying entity. Because of the different steps in the process, it might take anywhere from three to fourteen business days to complete the process of creating an account with the system.

For help with SAM.gov, please visit their support page at https://www.fsd.gov or contact them at: 001-334-206-7828.

C. ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS

C.1. Cost-Sharing or Matching

Cost-sharing or matching IS an evaluation criteria of this NOFO. Applicants MUST propose cost-share that is – at a minimum – 10% of the total federal requested amount.

All cost share or matching must be included in detail in the line item budget and noted in the budget narrative. Proposals offering potential, yet to be determined cost-share sourcing will NOT be considered to have met this requirement, and will be deemed ineligible. When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and agreed that the applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal and later included in an approved agreement. Cost sharing may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability, recipients must maintain written records to support all costs that are claimed as their contribution, as well as costs to be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in accordance with OMB 2 CFR 200.306 – Cost Sharing and Matching.

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

All applications must include the application components detailed below. All application documents must be submitted in English. Applicants may submit only 1 (one) application.

Please refer to Section B below for additional submission guidance and requirements.

NOTE: Applications that do not include all the required documentation described in Section 1 below will not advance past the Technical Eligibility Review stage. Further, applications that exceed the allowable page limits will not be reviewed by the review panel.

Applicants may not add any materials to an application once it has been submitted and the competition deadline has passed.

A.1. Required Documents https://www.sam.gov/sam/transcript/SAM_User_Guide_v_1.8.pdf https://www.fsd.gov/

Federal Assistance Application Forms (SF-424, SF424a, and SF-424b):

Applicants must complete all three forms online to be considered for funding. Guidance on how to complete the SF-424 and SF424a is provided in Appendix 3. NOTE: In addition to following all guidance outlines below regarding application materials, applicants are strongly encourage to review the Application Evaluation Criteria section of this NOFO closely as they prepare their proposal. The Evaluation Criteria section is the rubric by which each application will be scored.

Project Narrative:

The Project Narrative describes the efforts the applicant will undertake to address the priorities and goals of this announcement. It may be no longer than 15 pages. More details on preparing the Project Narrative are provided in Appendix 3. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review Appendix 3 before preparing their Narrative.

Budget & Budget Narrative Submission:

Applicants must provide the following three elements as part of their budget submission:

Summary Budget Detailed Line Item Budget Budget Narrative

There is no page limit for this section of an application. A sample fillable template can be found in Appendix 1. This template includes three tabs: The first tab includes written guidance on preparing the Budget Narrative. Applicants are strongly encouraged to create their Budget Narrative in Word and submit as either a Word Doc or PDF file. Please note that the Budget Narrative should include designations of who is considered Key Personnel for this project. The second tab has the template for the Summary Budget. This tab will auto-fill as you complete the Detailed Line Item Budget, which can be found on the third tab. The third tab is where you can fill in the template for the Detailed Line Item Budget as stated above.

NOTE: Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the same format as provided in the template, and to submit summary and detailed line item budgets in Excel form, and the Budget Narrative as either a PDF or Word file. If the applicant does not use the template, the applicant must ensure that their submission includes all elements outlined in the sample. The template, which includes more detailed instructions, can be found in Appendix 1. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review Appendix 1 before preparing their Narrative.

Logic Model:

Applicants shall provide a logic model to demonstrate how the proposed project (including activities, the project design, and the surrounding context) will achieve the stated objectives. The logic model statements can be generated using the template in Appendix 2. NOTE: Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the same format as found in the sample. If the applicant does not use the template, the applicant must ensure that their submission includes all elements outlined in the sample. This section may be no longer than 3 pages.

Project Timeline:

Applicants must provide an overall breakdown of the order and timeframe in which all project activities will take place. This item should provide a macro snapshot of what will take place from beginning to end of the project. Applicants must ensure that the timeline of activities/events corresponds with details provided in the Project Narrative and Logic Model.

This section may not exceed 2 pages.

Job Descriptions / Biographical Info for Key Personnel Positions:

For each position designated as key personnel for this project, applicants must provide the following:

1. If the position is already filled: Provide brief biographical information summarizing the person’s qualifications, as well as a brief description of the roles or responsibilities pertaining to this project.

OR

2. If the person to fill a key position has not yet been hired: Provide a brief summary of the job description, which should include a description of the roles and responsibilities pertaining to this project, as well as a description of qualifications of eligible candidates.

NOTE: If an applicant is proposing sub-recipient partner(s) as part of their project design, Key Personnel/Positions of the sub-recipient must also be included. This section of the application may not exceed 5 pages.

Comparative Economic Overview of Women in the Region: Applicants must submit a concise comparative overview of women’s economic contribution in the MENA region.

Applicants should detail already identified trends on women’s economic participation by region and/or country/territory citing sources as reference points. Applicants should demonstrate a strong understanding of the regional context and what resources are already available. This section of the application may not exceed 2 pages.

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement: NOTE: This item is required only IF applicable.

Applicants proposing indirect costs in the Budget greater than the 10% de minimis must provide a copy of their Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA). This item will not be counted toward any page limits.

A.2. Optional Documents

Applicants may submit additional documents for consideration with their application.

These documents are not required and there is a 15 page limit for this section of the application. Below are examples of some additional documents an applicant may wish to submit.

1. Letters of Agreement or Letters of Intent: Applicants proposing partner organizations and/or government bodies should include Letters of Intent or Letters of Agreement from their proposed partners.

2. Organizational Chart: The organizational chart outlines the clear lines of responsibility and authority in the applicant organization to include budgeted level of effort listed by each person.

NOTE: Applicants must adhere to all maximum allowed page counts. Applications that exceed any of the allowable page limits will not advance past the Technical Eligibility Review stage.

B. APPLICATION FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS

The required font is 12-point, Times New Roman. All application documents must be single spaced, with all margins (left, right, top, and bottom) of at least one inch each. Also, applicants should ensure all pages in the application package are numbered consecutively and meet the page limit requirements outlined in Section A.1 and A.2 above. The Standard Forms 424 (SF-424, SF-424a, and SF-424b) are excluded from the page numbering.

It is strongly recommended that applicants submit grant applications using Microsoft Office. If applicants do not have access to Microsoft Office products, Adobe PDF files may be submitted.

C. SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

Applicants must submit their application electronically using either Grants.gov OR SAMS Domestic. Both systems require that the applying organization have an account with the system and both require a UEI number and SAM.gov account as detailed in B.3 above. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure they have an active account and will be able to submit its application. Applicants must select one of these systems to submit their application; do not submit an application through both systems. NEA/AC is not in a position to grant exceptions to these requirements.

The application process is not complete until the applicant receives notification that its application has been validated and forwarded to the granting agency (NEA/AC). Please allow sufficient time for entering the application into these systems. It is the responsibility of the applicant to monitor its application to ensure that it is successfully received and validated.

C.1. Grants.gov Grants.gov is a single portal for applicants to find and apply to U.S. government funding opportunities. Creating an account with this system is a five-step process: 1) obtain a UEI number; 2) create an account with the System for Award Management; 3) create a profile, including username and password; 4) obtain Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) authorization; and 5) track AOR status. This process can take 10 business days or longer, even if all the steps are completed in a timely manner. To create an account, go to www.grants.gov and click on the “Register” link, located at the top, right-hand side of the page.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=299178 http://mygrants.service-now.com/ http://www.grants.gov/

C.2. SAMS Domestic SAMS Domestic is a comprehensive grants management system that allows applicants to apply for, manage, and report on the use of U.S. government funds for multiple programs, accessed online at mygrants.service-now.com.

To create an account, go to http://mygrants.service-now.com, and click the “create an account” hyperlink, located above the user name prompt. Users will be directed to a page entitled “User Registration Request;” complete the online form and click the “Submit” button.

Users will receive an activation email entitled “Verify Your Grants Account Registration;” click the activation link within the email to receive a username and password.

SAMS Domestic has Quick Tours available to educate users about the system. These documents can be found on the Support tab upon logging into the system.

D. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES

Applications must be time stamped before 17:00:00 eastern time (ET) on 7/10/2018. There will be no grace period, and any application not received by the application deadline will be deemed ineligible and will not advance to be reviewed. Applicants are encouraged to submit an application far enough in advance of the deadline so it can alert NEA/AC (nea-grants@state.gov) of any technical difficulties and allow sufficient time to resolve difficulties before the deadline. Although NEA/AC will work with applicants to resolve technical issues, it is not in a position to grant exceptions to the submission requirements outlined in this announcement.

FUNDING LIMITATIONS, RESTRICTIONS, AND OTHER

CONSIDERATIONS

1. Awards to Commercial Firms or For-Profit Organizations The Department of State prohibits profit under its assistance awards to commercial organizations. No funds will be paid as profit to any recipient that is a commercial organization.

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 Part 31. Program income earned by the recipient may be:

added to the total of the amount of this award, including the required cost sharing or matching, and use it to further eligible project objectives;

used to meet the Recipient’s cost sharing or matching requirement;

OR deducted from the total project or program allowable cost in determining the net allowable costs on which the federal share of costs is based.

2. Audit Requirements Domestic and foreign organizations that expend $750,000 or more in a fiscal year in federal assistance must perform an independent, recipient-contracted Single Audit or Program Specific Audit. (Program-specific Audit means an audit of one Federal award program. Single Audit means an audit which includes both the entity’s financial statements and the Federal Awards to be conducted in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS). The audits must be independently and professionally executed in accordance with http://mygrants.service-now.com/ http://mygrants.service-now.com/ mailto:nea-grants@state.gov

GAGAS either prescribed by a government’s Supreme Audit Institution with auditing standards approved by the Comptroller General of the United States, or the host country’s laws or adopted by the host country’s public accountants or associations of public accountants, together with generally accepted international auditing standards. However, foreign entity audits consistent with International Standards for Auditing or other auditing standards are acceptable with the Grants Officer’s approval. More information can be found at http://gao.gov/assets/590/587281.pdf

For sub-non-Federal entities expending $750,000 or more in Department of State award funding during their fiscal year, Department of State standard audit provisions require that Prime non- Federal entities certify that audits of sub-non-Federal entities are performed annually and according to the standards described above. The cost of audits required under this policy may be charged either as an allowable direct cost to the award, OR included in the organizations established indirect costs in the award’s detailed budget.

3. Compliance with Applicable Federal Funding Regulations and DOS Terms and Conditions Payment of funds awarded under this Notice of Funding Opportunity will not be disbursed until the DOS has been assured that the Recipient’s financial management system will provide effective control over and accountability for all Federal funds in accordance with 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 600 as applicable. Awards issued under this NOFO are subject to the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions and 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 600 as applicable.

APPLICATION REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

A. APPLICATION EVALUATION CRITERIA

Achievable Objectives (10 points) Each of the project objectives listed above (in Section I) are clearly addressed.

Impact and Effectiveness: The applicant describes the project’s potential contribution to solving the problem addressed in the problem statement and achieving results.

Timeframe: The applicant describes realistic results to be accomplished within the timeframe of the proposed award.

Beneficiaries: The applicant clearly identifies the anticipated beneficiaries and explains how the project’s objectives will positively affect them.

Milestones: The applicant provides realistic milestones to indicate progress toward goals and objectives as described in the program announcement.

M&E: The applicant explains how monitoring and evaluation activities will be carried out throughout the award’s period of performance and who will be responsible for them.

Comparative Economic Overview (5 points)

The applicant demonstrates a strong understanding of the regional context of women’s participation with sources cited.

Project Design (35 points) The applicant clearly describes how each proposed project activity will address each of the objectives outlined in the requested priority area above (Section I).

http://gao.gov/assets/590/587281.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=69f0738c44f722bba1c963a29d0087ba&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2tab_02.tpl https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=69f0738c44f722bba1c963a29d0087ba&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfrv1_02.tpl#600 http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/271865.pdf http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/271865.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=69f0738c44f722bba1c963a29d0087ba&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2tab_02.tpl https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=69f0738c44f722bba1c963a29d0087ba&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfrv1_02.tpl#600

Responsiveness to NOFO: Explain how the proposed activities respond to the objectives listed in the NOFO.

Rationale: Justify how the proposed activities will achieve the above objectives in this context.

Project Management: Clear description of how the project will be managed in terms of initiation, planning, implementation, and closing.

Feasibility: The applicant proposes activities that are feasible and are also practical and/or experiential in nature to encourage innovation.

Duplication: The applicant acknowledges if activities similar to those proposed are already taking or have taken place previously, and provides an explanation as to how proposed new activities will not duplicate or merely add to existing/recent activities.

Organizational Capacity (25 points) The applicant demonstrates experience (e.g., has previously worked and/or has established contacts/partners) in the proposed country/territory/region.

The applicant demonstrates an institutional record of successful programs in the content area proposed (e.g., labor market analysis, women’s economic empowerment).

The applicant demonstrates capacity for responsible fiscal management of donor funding

(e.g., successful management of a previous sub-award or grant).

The applicant demonstrates the ability to meet monitoring and evaluation requirements.

The applicant has adequate staffing and demonstrates the capacity to manage the proposed project.

Partnerships and Buy-ins: The applicant addresses how the project will engage or obtain support from relevant stakeholders and identifies local partners.

Division of Labor: The application describes the division of labor among the applicant and any partners.

Staff and Position Specifications (15 points)

Pre-identified key staff members, including volunteers, demonstrate experience working in the country/territory/region proposed and with participants from that area (e.g., language skills, cultural understanding).

A description of the roles of each person or position on the project, whether staff, partner, consultant, or volunteer demonstrates that the project will be adequately but efficiently staffed, avoiding redundancy or duplication of effort.

A job description, including hiring criteria, is provided for each open key position.

Applicant and/or partner staff have relevant language and educational competencies.

Budget & Budget Narrative (10 points)

The costs proposed are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results, which are clearly explained in the budget narrative.

The budget provides details of calculations, including estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to be duplicated.

The preponderance of the budget is spent on supporting the project participants/activities in country.

The budget includes costs dedicated to management, monitoring, and evaluation.

Adequate travel costs are proposed.

Additional sources (cost-share or matching) for project funding are proposed, as well as an explanation of how those additional sources will be used.

B. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

NEA/AC is committed to ensuring a competitive and standardized process for awarding funding.

Applications will be screened initially in a Technical Eligibility Review stage to determine whether applicants meet the eligibility requirements outlined in Part V and have submitted all required documents outlined in Part VI. Applications that do not meet these requirements will not advance beyond the Technical Eligibility Review stage and will be deemed ineligible for funding under this NOFO.

NEA/AC reserves the right to have all…