FY 2023 Request for Concept Notes for Operational Partners on the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Pilot Program

The Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) is launching a private sponsorship of refugees (PSR) pilot program in calendar year 2022 as part of PRM's efforts to expand domestic community sponsorship in refugee resettlement.

PRM seeks to partner with one or more non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to develop and manage the new operational infrastructure that will be required to organize Private Sponsor Groups and Organizations (defined further below) in order to launch the PSR pilot program and scale it over time. Specifically, PRM requests concept notes from operational partners proposing activities that will cover at least one or more of the seven components of core operational infrastructure for the PSR pilot program outlined further below (see "Specific Guidance for Concept Notes").

PRM is in the process of finalizing the comprehensive policy framework for the PSR pilot program that Private Sponsor Groups and Organizations will be required to operate within, including eligibility criteria and the scope of responsibilities for Private Sponsor Groups and Organizations. PRM will release further details on the framework for the PSR pilot program, which may evolve from what is outlined in this announcement, later this year.

Community sponsorship is an umbrella term that describes different models of resettlement where refugees are paired with community groups who commit to provide clearly defined financial and/or in-kind contributions as well as volunteer services to support their welcome and integration in a local community. Private sponsorship is a specific form of community sponsorship whereby private sponsors work independently to welcome refugee newcomers, accepting primary responsibility to provide core services and other core supports to newly arrived refugees to support their resettlement.

The purpose of the PSR pilot program is to increase and deepen the involvement of local communities across the country in effective refugee resettlement, recognizing the significant and impactful role that local community actors have long played in supporting the welcome and integration of refugees admitted to the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). The PSR pilot program is intended to complement PRM's Reception and Placement Program (R & P) by creating new, additional opportunities for individuals and organizations nationwide to be directly engaged in supporting refugee resettlement.

The PSR pilot program will be additive and support an overall increase in the number of refugees referred to the United States through the USRAP. Resettlement through private sponsorship will be designed to supplement, not replace or reduce, resettlement through the R & P Program and other U.S. government funded programs. Eventually over time, the PSR pilot program could contribute to increased refugee admissions to meet the targets set through the annual Presidential Determination.

PRM is also interested in the potential of private sponsorship to generate several positive outcomes for refugees, the local communities where they are resettled, and the reception capacity of the USRAP. These include enhanced initial resettlement and long-term integration outcomes for sponsored refugees through the support offered by private sponsors, increased public awareness of refugee-related/wider global affairs among local communities that participate in private sponsorship, and growth in the reception capacity of the United States to resettle refugees through the involvement of private sponsors.

INFORMATION SESSION



Please note that PRM will hold an information session from 2:00 to 3:00 pm Eastern Time on Wednesday, May 11 to answer questions about this request for Concept Notes. To register for the information session, please open the link below.

https://teams.microsoft.com/registration/dFDPZv5a0UimkaErISH0Sw,gDoGr5cKzUSfk0VSPtW_5Q,mS6gK0CdLkuMn5HXm8wtVg,Bm_AUAEovEigRCQ9zXOg2A,p_jSfJwBn0-F8d1C3GFvtQ,nYwsLop0e0m1jxn4rMlzvg?mode=read&tenantId=66cf5074-5afe-48d1-a691-a12b2121f44b&webinarRing=gcc

The Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) is launching a private sponsorship of refugees (PSR) pilot program in calendar year 2022 as part of PRM's efforts to expand domestic community sponsorship in refugee resettlement.

PRM seeks to partner with one or more non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to develop and manage the new operational infrastructure that will be required to organize Private Sponsor Groups and Organizations (defined further below) in order to launch the PSR pilot program and scale it over time. Specifically, PRM requests concept notes from operational partners proposing activities that will cover at least one or more of the seven components of core operational infrastructure for the PSR pilot program outlined further below (see "Specific Guidance for Concept Notes").

PRM is in the process of finalizing the comprehensive policy framework for the PSR pilot program that Private Sponsor Groups and Organizations will be required to operate within, including eligibility criteria and the scope of responsibilities for Private Sponsor Groups and Organizations. PRM will release further details on the framework for the PSR pilot program, which may evolve from what is outlined in this announcement, later this year.

Community sponsorship is an umbrella term that describes different models of resettlement where refugees are paired with community groups who commit to provide clearly defined financial and/or in-kind contributions as well as volunteer services to support their welcome and integration in a local community. Private sponsorship is a specific form of community sponsorship whereby private sponsors work independently to welcome refugee newcomers, accepting primary responsibility to provide core services and other core supports to newly arrived refugees to support their resettlement.

The purpose of the PSR pilot program is to increase and deepen the involvement of local communities across the country in effective refugee resettlement, recognizing the significant and impactful role that local community actors have long played in supporting the welcome and integration of refugees admitted to the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). The PSR pilot program is intended to complement PRM's Reception and Placement Program (R & P) by creating new, additional opportunities for individuals and organizations nationwide to be directly engaged in supporting refugee resettlement.

The PSR pilot program will be additive and support an overall increase in the number of refugees referred to the United States through the USRAP. Resettlement through private sponsorship will be designed to supplement, not replace or reduce, resettlement through the R & P Program and other U.S. government funded programs. Eventually over time, the PSR pilot program could contribute to increased refugee admissions to meet the targets set through the annual Presidential Determination.

PRM is also interested in the potential of private sponsorship to generate several positive outcomes for refugees, the local communities where they are resettled, and the reception capacity of the USRAP. These include enhanced initial resettlement and long-term integration outcomes for sponsored refugees through the support offered by private sponsors, increased public awareness of refugee-related/wider global affairs among local communities that participate in private sponsorship, and growth in the reception capacity of the United States to resettle refugees through the involvement of private sponsors.

The Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) is launching a private sponsorship of refugees (PSR) pilot program in calendar year 2022 as part of PRM's efforts to expand domestic community sponsorship in refugee resettlement. PRM seeks to partner with one or more non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to develop and manage the new operational infrastructure that will be required to organize Private Sponsor Groups and Organizations (defined further below) in order to launch the PSR pilot program and scale it over time. Specifically, PRM requests concept notes from operational partners proposing activities that will cover at least one or more of the seven components of core operational infrastructure for the PSR pilot program outlined further below (see "Specific Guidance for Concept Notes").