Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL)
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): DRL Labor Programs to Combat
Slavery in West Africa
October 31, 2017
This is the announcement of funding opportunity number DRLA-DRLAQM-18-015
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.345
Application Deadline: January 12, 2018
For new application submission instructions, see Section D below.
A. Project Description
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and
Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested
in submitting applications for projects that support to combat slavery
and assist the reintegration of former slaves into society in West
Africa.
Program activities should focus in at least one of these countries
and may include, but are not limited to, increasing collaboration among
civil society organizations working to promote the rights of current and
former slaves; engaging with former slaves, advocates, and civil
society organizations to assist former slaves in claiming their rights
under existing laws; conducting public awareness campaigns focused on
combatting slavery; improving the capacity of legal and judicial
professionals to hold slaveholders to account; engaging with key
stakeholders to increase non-discriminatory access to services and to
vocational training critical to the reintegration of current and former
slaves; strengthening advocacy efforts to increase respect for human
rights and to expand former slaves’ public and political participation
and access to formal identification cards; and supporting civil society
organizations working to combat the practice of forced begging,
particularly among the talibé population.
DRL intends to support at least two programs with this funding;
therefore, proposed budgets should not exceed $1m. Countries may
include, but are not limited to, Mauritania, Niger, Mali, and/or
Senegal. Applicants must demonstrate knowledge of relevant ongoing
USG-funded programs in the countries they are proposing to work, and
explain how a new program will build on existing efforts.
Projects should aim to have impact that leads to democratic reforms,
and should have the potential for sustainability beyond DRL resources.
DRL’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.
Where appropriate, competitive proposals may include:
- Systematic follow up with trainees at specific intervals (3 months, 6
months, etc.) after the completion of trainings to track how
beneficiaries are retaining new knowledge as well as applying their new
skills.
- Opportunities for trainees to apply their new knowledge and skills in practical efforts.
- Solicitation of feedback and suggestions from beneficiaries when
developing trainings and activities in order to strengthen the
sustainability of labor programs and participant ownership of project
outcomes.
- Input from participants on sustainability plans and systematic
review of the plans throughout the life of the project with adjustments
made as necessary.
- Inclusion of vulnerable populations in needs and/or rapid
assessments in order to identify challenges, gaps, and opportunities
among these groups.
- Joint identification and definition of key concepts with relevant stakeholders and stakeholder input into project activities.
To maximize the impact and sustainability of the award(s) that
result(s) from this NOFO, DRL reserves the right to execute a
non-competitive continuation amendment(s). The total duration of any
award, including a potential non-competitive continuation amendment(s),
shall not exceed 60 months or five years. Any non-competitive
continuation is contingent on performance and availability of funds. A
non-competitive continuation is not guaranteed; the Department of State
reserves the right to exercise or not exercise the option to issue
non-competitive continuation amendment(s).
Activities that are
not typically considered competitive include, but are not limited to:
- The provision of large amounts of humanitarian assistance;
- English language instruction;
- Development of high-tech computer or communications software and/or hardware;
- Purely academic exchanges or fellowships;
- External exchanges or fellowships lasting longer than six months;
- Off-shore activities that are not clearly linked to in-country
initiatives and impact or are not necessary for security concerns;
- Theoretical explorations of human rights or democracy issues,
including projects aimed primarily at research and evaluation that do
not incorporate training or capacity-building for local civil society;
- Micro-loans or similar small business development initiatives;
- Initiatives directed towards a diaspora community rather than current residents of targeted countries.
DRL may ask successful applicant(s) to incorporate coordination of an
implementer and stakeholder meeting into the Scope of Work of the final
project. DRL will discuss this possibility with particular applicant(s)
during the proposal negotiation phase.
B. Federal Award Information
DRL anticipates having approximately 2,000,000 of HRDF available to
support approximately two successful applications submitted in response
to this NOFO, subject to the availability of funding. Applicants can
submit one application in response to the NOFO.
Applicants should not request less than $500,000 and no more than
$1,000.000. Applicants should include an anticipated start date between
June 2018 – September 2018 and the period of performance should be
between 24 months to 36 months.
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 informalities and minor irregularities in
applications received.
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. The U.S. government reserves the right
(though it is not under obligation to do so), however, to enter into
discussions with one or more applicants in order to obtain
clarifications, additional detail, or to suggest refinements in the
project description, budget, or other aspects of an application.
DRL anticipates awarding either a grant or cooperative agreement
depending on the needs and risk factors of the program. The final
determination on mechanism will be made by the Grants Officer. 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, DRL 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 subawards or contracts.
- Approval of the recipient’s budget or plan of work prior to the award.
For projects of $150,000 or less, DRL expects to provide a fixed
amount (fixed price) award. Fixed amount awards are generally used when
the work to be performed can be priced with a reasonable degree of
certainty, the grantee can reliably predict costs based on similar types
of work, or the grantee can easily obtain bids or quotes. Appropriate
activities for fixed amount awards generally include, but are not
limited to: conferences, workshops, surveys, studies, and technical
assistance when costs can be separated by milestone. Fixed amount awards
should be based upon milestones, which outline a verifiable product,
task, deliverable, or goal. Milestones generally include three
components: (1) a description of the product, task, deliverable, or goal
to be accomplished; (2) a description of how the recipient will
document the completion of the product, task, deliverable, or goal (e.g.
survey submission, submitting training materials, toolkits or reports);
and (3) the amount that DRL will pay the recipient for the deliverable.
Accountability is based primarily on performance and meeting
milestones. While it is possible to provide flexibility within the
milestone timing, the period of performance for fixed amount awards
cannot be modified.
The authority for this funding opportunity is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA).
C. Eligibility Information
For application information, please see the proposal submission instructions on our website.
C.1 Eligible Applicants
DRL welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based
non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO) and public
international organizations; private, public, or state institutions of
higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses. DRL’s
preference is to work with non-profit entities; however, there may be
some occasions when a for-profit entity is best suited.
Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to
additional review following the panel selection process. Additionally,
the Department of State generally 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.
Please see 2 CFR 200.307 for regulations regarding program income.
C.2 Cost Sharing or Matching
Providing cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not an
eligibility factor or requirement for this NOFO, and providing cost
share will not result in a more favorable competitive ranking.
C.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. DRL encourages applications from foreign-based NGOs
headquartered in the geographic regions/countries relevant to this NOFO.
Applicants may form consortia and submit a combined application.
However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant
with the other members as sub-award partners. DRL 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.
DRL is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its
projects and activities. DRL welcomes applications irrespective of race,
ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation,
gender identity, disability, or other status.
Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System in the
System for Award Management (SAM)(www.sam.gov) is not eligible to apply
for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR
180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR,1986 Comp., p. 189) and
12689 (3 CFR,1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.”
Additionally no entity listed on the Excluded Parties List System in
SAM.gov can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants
are strongly encouraged to review the Excluded Parties List System in
SAM.gov to ensure that no ineligible entity is included in their
application.
D. Application and Submission Information
D.1 Address to Request Application Package
Applicants can find application forms, kits, or other materials needed to apply on
www.grants.gov and
SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.service-now.com)
under the announcement title “DRL Labor Program to Combat Slavery in
West Africa” funding opportunity number “DRLA-DRLAQM-18-015” Please
contact the DRL point of contact listed in section G if requesting
reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or for security
reasons. Please note: reasonable accommodations do not include deadline
extensions.
** Applications will be accepted in either grants.gov or SAMS
Domestic. However, please note that applicants seeking to submit through
SAMS Domestic can only do so after December 8, 2017 on (
https://mygrants.service-now.com). Applicants seeking to submit their application on or prior to December 8, 2017 must do so through grants.gov. **
D.2 Content and Form of Application Submission
For all application documents, please ensure:
- All documents are in English and all costs are in U.S. dollars. If
an original document within the application is in another language, an
English translation must be provided (please note: the Department of
State, as indicated in 2 CFR 200.111, requires that English is the
official language of all award documents. If any document is provided in
both English and a foreign language, the English language version is
the controlling version);
- All pages are numbered, including budgets and attachments;
- All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper; and,
- All documents are single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with
1-inch margins. Captions and footnotes may be 10 point Times New Roman
font. Font sizes in charts and tables, including the budget, can be
reformatted to fit within 1 page width.
D.2.1 Application Requirements
Complete applications
must include the following:
- Completed and signed SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B forms
- If your organization engages in lobbying the U.S. government
including Congress, or pays for another entity to lobby on your behalf,
the SF-LLL “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” form is also required.
- Cover Page (not to exceed one [1] page, preferably
in Microsoft Word) that includes a table with the name of the
organization, project title, target country/countries, thematic area,
project synopsis, and name and contact information for the application’s
main point of contact.
- Executive Summary (not to exceed one [1] page, preferably in Microsoft Word) that outlines project goals, objectives, and activities.
- Table of Contents (not to exceed one [1] page, preferably in Microsoft Word) listing all documents and attachments, with page numbers.
- Proposal Narrative (not to exceed ten [10] pages,
preferably in Microsoft Word). Please note the ten page limit does not
include the Table of Contents, Cover Page, Attachments, Detailed Budget,
Budget Narrative, or Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).
Applicants are encouraged to combine multiple documents in a single Word
Document or PDF (i.e., Cover Page, Table of Contents, Executive
Summary, and Proposal Narrative in one file).
- Budget (preferably as an Excel workbook) that
includes three [3] columns containing the request to DRL, any cost
sharing contribution, and the total budget. A summary budget should also
be included using the OMB-approved budget categories (see SF-424A as a
sample) in a separate tab. Costs must be in U.S. dollars. Detailed
line-item budgets for subgrantees should be included as additional tabs
within the Excel workbook (if available at the time of submission).
- Budget Narrative (preferably as a Word Document)
that includes substantive explanations and justifications for each
line-item in the detailed budget spreadsheet, as well as the source and a
description of all cost-share offered.
- Your organization’s most recent A-133 audit (if applicable), F Audit, or standard audit. Please see Audit section 2F below for more information.
- Logic Model (not to exceed two [2] pages, preferably in Microsoft Word).
- Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative (not to exceed two [2] pages).
- Monitoring and Evaluation Performance Indicator Table (not to exceed four [4] pages in Microsoft Word).
- Risk Analysis (not to exceed one [1] page, preferably in Microsoft Word).
- Key Personnel (not to exceed one [1] page total,
preferably as a Word Document): Please include short bios that
demonstrate relevant professional experience. Given the limited space,
CVs are not recommended for submission.
- Timeline (not to exceed one [1] page): The timeline
of the overall proposal should include activities, evaluation efforts,
and program closeout.
- Security Plan: if applicable; please refer to the NOFO to see if this is required.
Applications that do not include the elements listed above will be deemed technically ineligible.
D.2.2 Additional Application Documents
Strong applications will also contain the following:
- Individual Letters of Support and/or Memorandum of Understanding.
Letters of support and MOUs must be specific to the project
implementation (e.g. from proposed partners or sub-award recipients) and
will not count towards the page limit.
Please refer to the Proposal Submission Instructions on DRL’s website for detailed guidance on the documents above: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/275216.pdf. For an application checklist and sample templates please see the Resources page on DRL’s website:http://www.state.gov/j/drl/p/c72333.htm. The sample templates provided on the DRL website are suggested, but not mandatory.
DRL reserves the right to request additional documents not included
in this NOFO. Additionally, to ensure that all applications receive a
balanced evaluation, the DRL Review Panel will review from the first
page of each section up to the page limit and no further.
Note: If ultimately provided with a notification of non-binding
intent to make a Federal award, applicants typically have two to three
weeks to provide additional information and documents requested in the
notification of intent. The deadlines may vary in each notification of
intent and applicants must adhere to the stated deadline in the
notification of intent.
D.2.3 Additional Information Requested For Those Receiving Notification of Intent
Successful applicants must submit after notification of intent to
make a Federal award, but prior to issuance of a Federal award:
- Written responses and revised application documents addressing conditions and recommendations from the DRL Review Panel;
- If your organization has a NICRA and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA as a PDF file.
- Completion of the Department’s Financial Management Survey, if receiving DRL funding for the first time;
- Submission of required documents to register in the Payment
Management System managed by the Department of Health and Human
Services, if receiving DRL funding for the first time (unless an
exemption is provided);
- Other requested information or documents included in the
notification of intent to make a Federal award or subsequent
communications prior to issuance of a Federal award.
D.3 Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another
country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), formerly referred
to as DUNS, and an active registration with the SAM.gov
before submitting an application. DRL may
not
review applications from or make awards to applicants that have not
completed all applicable UEI and SAM.gov requirements. A UEI is one of
the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding
Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards.
Note: The process of obtaining a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.
- If you are based in the United States or pay
employees within the United States, prior to registering in SAM.gov you
will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) and a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE)
code.
- If you are based outside of the United States and
do not pay employees within the United States, you do not need an EIN
from the IRS. However, you will need a NATO CAGE (NCAGE) code before you
can have an active registration in SAM.gov.
All organizations must also continue to maintain active SAM.gov
registration with current information at all times during which they
have an active Federal award or application under consideration by a
Federal award agency. SAM.gov requires all entities to renew their
registration once a year in order to maintain an active registration
status in SAM. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure it
has an active registration in SAM.gov and to maintain that active
registration. If an applicant has not fully complied with the
requirements at the time of application, the applicant may be deemed
unqualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis
for making an award to another applicant.
For further guidance on the registration process, please see the SAM.gov Registration Guide on DRL’s website:
http://www.state.gov/j/drl/p/c72333.htm. Please refer to 2 CFR 25.200 for additional information.
Please note the registration process for SAM.gov is free.
In October 2017, new information was added to the www.SAM.gov
website to help international registrations, including “Quick Start
Guide for International Registrations” and “Helpful Hints”. Navigate to
SAM.gov, click HELP in the top navigation bar, then click International
Registrants in the left navigation panel.
D.3.1 Exemptions
An exemption from these requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if:
- An applicant’s identity must be protected due to potential
endangerment of their mission, their organization’s status, their
employees, or individuals being served by the applicant.
* Organizations requesting exemption from SAM.gov, NCAGE, and UEI should email the point of contact in the NOFO. If establishing your SAM.gov account as private rather than public view, please notify DRL at the time of submission.
Note: Foreign organizations will be required to register with the
NATO Support Agency (NSPA) to receive a NCAGE code in order to register
in SAM.gov. NSPA will forward your registration request to the
applicable National Codification Bureau (NCB) if your organization is
located in a NATO or Tier 2 Sponsored Non-NATO Nation. As of March 2016,
NATO nations included Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United
Kingdom, and the United States of America; and Tier 2 nations included
Australia, Austria, Brazil, Finland, Israel, Republic of Korea,
Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Serbia, and Singapore.
NSPA and/or the appropriate NCB forwards all NCAGE code
information to all Allied Committee 135 (AC/135) nations, which as of
March 2016 also included Afghanistan, Argentina, Belarus, Bosnia &
Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Georgia, India,
Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Montenegro, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Peru,
Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, Republic of Macedonia,
Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates. All organizations are
strongly advised to take this into consideration when assessing whether
registration may result in possible endangerment.
D.4 Submission Dates and Times
Applications are due no later than 11:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), on January 12, 2018 on www.grants.gov or SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.service-now.com)
under the announcement title “DRL Labor Programs to Combat Slavery in
West Africa” funding opportunity number “DRLA-DRLAQM-18-015.”
** Applications will be accepted in either grants.gov or SAMS
Domestic. However, please note that applicants seeking to submit through
SAMS Domestic can only do so after December 8, 2017 on (
https://mygrants.service-now.com). Applicants seeking to submit their application on or prior to December 8, 2017 must do so through grants.gov. **
Grants.gov and SAMS Domestic automatically log the date and time an
application submission is made, and the Department of State will use
this information to determine whether an application has been submitted
on time. Late applications are neither reviewed nor considered unless
the DRL point of contact listed in section G is contacted prior to the
deadline and is provided with evidence of system errors caused by
www.grants.gov or
SAMS Domestic
that is outside of the applicant’s control and is the sole reason for a
late submission. Applicants should not expect a notification upon DRL
receiving their application.
D.5 Funding Restrictions
DRL will not consider applications that reflect any type of support
for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated terrorist
organization.
Project activities whose direct beneficiaries are foreign militaries
or paramilitary groups or individuals will not be considered for DRL
funding given purpose limitations on funding.
The Leahy Law prohibits Department foreign assistance funds from
supporting foreign security force units if the Secretary of State has
credible information that the unit has committed a gross violation of
human rights. Per
22 USC §2378d(a) (2015),
“No assistance shall be furnished under this chapter [FOREIGN
ASSISTANCE] or the Arms Export Control Act [22 USC 2751 et seq.] to any
unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of
State has credible information that such unit has committed a gross
violation of human rights.” Restrictions may apply to any proposed
assistance to police or other law enforcement. Among these, pursuant to
section 620M of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA), no
assistance provided through this funding opportunity may be furnished
to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country when there is
credible information that such unit has committed a gross violation of
human rights. In accordance with the requirements of section 620M of the
FAA, also known as the Leahy law, project beneficiaries or participants
from a foreign government’s security forces may need to be vetted by
the Department before the provision of any assistance.
If a proposed grant or cooperative agreement will provide assistance
to foreign security forces or personnel, compliance with the Leahy Law
is required. Federal awards generally will not allow reimbursement of
pre-award costs; however, the Grants Officer may approve pre-award costs
on a case-by-case basis. Generally, construction costs are not allowed
under DRL awards. For additional information, please see the DRL
Proposal Submission Instructions for Applications using SAMS Domestic
Updated October 2017:
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/275216.pdf
D.6 Application Submission
All application submissions must be made electronically via
www.grants.gov or
SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.service-now.com).
Both systems require registration by the applying organization. Please
note: the Grants.gov registration process can take 10 business days or
longer, even if all registration steps are completed in a timely manner.
** Applications will be accepted in either grants.gov or SAMS
Domestic. However, please note that applicants seeking to submit through
SAMS Domestic can only do so after December 8, 2017 on (
https://mygrants.service-now.com). Applicants seeking to submit their application on or prior to December 8, 2017 must do so through grants.gov. **
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that it has an
active registration in SAMS Domestic or Grants.gov. Applicants are
required to document that the application has been received by SAMS
Domestic or Grants.gov in its entirety. DRL bears no responsibility for
disqualification that result from applicants not being registered before
the due date, for system errors in either SAMS Domestic or Grants.gov,
or other errors in the application process. Additionally you
must save a screen shot of the checklist showing all documents submitted in case any document fails to upload successfully.
Faxed, couriered, or emailed documents will
not
be accepted. Reasonable accommodations may, in appropriate
circumstances, be provided to applicants with disabilities or for
security reasons. Applicants must follow all formatting instructions in
the applicable NOFO and these instructions.
DRL encourages organizations to
submit applications during normal business hours
(Monday – Friday, 9:00AM – 5:00PM Eastern Time). If an applicant
experiences technical difficulties and has contacted the appropriate
helpdesk but is not receiving timely assistance (e.g. if you have not
received a response within 48 hours of contacting the helpdesk), you may
contact the DRL point of contact listed in the NOFO in section G. The
point of contact may assist in contacting the appropriate helpdesk, but
an applicant should also document their efforts in contacting the
helpdesk. Applicants may also contact the DRL point of contact listed in
the NOFO if experiencing technical issues with grants.gov or SAMS
Domestic that may result in a late submission.
Applicants experiencing technical difficulties should follow these three steps:
- Contact the helpdesk for either Grants.gov or SAMS Domestic immediately.
- Document (including screenshots) technical issues AND efforts to contact the helpdesk.
- Submit all of the required documents to the DRL point of contact listed in the NOFO before the deadline.
Note: The Procurement Office/Grant Office will determine technical eligibility of all applications.
SAMS Domestic Applications:
All applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications via
SAMS Domestic
(https://mygrants.service-now.com) after December 8, 2017.
Applicants using SAMS Domestic for the first time should complete
their “New Organization Registration.” To register with SAMS Domestic,
click “Login to
https://mygrants.service-now.com” and follow the “create an account” link.
Organizations
must remember to save a screen
shot of the checklist showing all documents submitted in case any
document fails to upload successfully.
SAMS Domestic Help Desk:
For assistance with SAMS Domestic accounts and technical issues related
to the system, please contact the ILMS help desk by phone at
1-888-313-4567 (toll charges for international callers) or through the
Self Service online portal that can be accessed from
https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms. Customer Support is available 24/7/365.
Grants.gov Applications
Applicants who do not submit applications via SAMS Domestic may submit via
www.grants.gov.
Please be advised that completing all the necessary registration steps for obtaining a username and password from Grants.gov
can take more than two weeks.
Please refer to the Grants.gov website for definitions of various
“application statuses” and the difference between a submission receipt
and a submission validation. Applicants will receive a validation e-mail
from Grants.gov upon the successful submission of an application.
Validation of an electronic submission via Grants.gov can take up to two
business days. Additionally you
must remember
to save a screenshot of the checklist showing all documents submitted in
case any document fails to upload successfully.
Grants.gov Helpdesk:
For assistance with Grants.gov, please call the Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or email
support@grants.gov. The Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except federal holidays.
See
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ for a list of federal holidays.
E. Application Review Information
E.1 Proposal Review Criteria
The DRL Review Panel will evaluate each application individually
against the following criteria, listed below in order of importance, and
not against competing applications. Please use the below criteria as a
reference but
do not structure your application according to the sub-sections.
Quality of Project Idea
Applications should be responsive to the program framework and policy
objectives identified in the NOFO, appropriate in the country/regional
context, and should exhibit originality, substance, precision, and
relevance to DRL’s mission of promoting human rights and democracy.
Projects should have the potential to have an immediate impact leading
to long-term sustainable reforms. DRL prefers new approaches that do not
duplicate efforts by other entities. This does not exclude from
consideration projects that improve upon or expand existing successful
projects in a new and complementary way. In countries where similar
activities are already taking place, an explanation should be provided
as to how new activities will not duplicate or merely add to existing
activities and how these efforts will be coordinated. Proposals that
promote creative approaches to recognized ongoing challenges are highly
encouraged. DRL prioritizes project proposals with inclusive approaches
for advancing these rights.
Project Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives
A strong application will include a clear articulation of how the
proposed project activities contribute to the overall project
objectives, and each activity will be clearly developed and detailed. A
comprehensive monthly work plan should demonstrate substantive
undertakings and the logistical capacity of the organization. Objectives
should be ambitious yet measurable, results-focused and achievable in a
reasonable time frame. A complete application must include a logic
model to demonstrate how the project activities will have an impact on
its proposed objectives. The logic model should match the objectives,
outcomes, key activities and outputs described in the narrative.
Applications should address how the project will engage relevant
stakeholders and should identify local partners as appropriate.
If local partners have been identified, DRL strongly encourages
applicants to submit letters of support from proposed in-country
partners. Additionally, applicants should describe the division of labor
among the direct applicant and any local partners. If applicable,
applications should identify target geographic areas for activities,
target participant groups or selection criteria for participants, and
the specific roles of sub-awardees, among other pertinent details.
DRL recognizes that all programs have some level of risk due to
internal/external variables that have the potential to adversely affect a
program. Risk management should address how the program design
incorporates the identification, assessment, and management of key risk
factors. DRL will review the risk analysis based on the organization’s
ability to identify risks that could have an impact on the overall
program as well as how the organization will manage these risks.
Institution’s Record and Capacity
DRL will consider the past performance of prior recipients and the
demonstrated potential of new applicants. Applications should
demonstrate an institutional record of successful democracy and human
rights programs, including responsible fiscal management and full
compliance with all reporting requirements for past grants. Proposed
personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate
to achieve the project’s objectives. Projects should have potential for
continued funding beyond DRL resources.
Inclusivity of Marginalized Populations
DRL strives to ensure its projects advance the rights and uphold the
dignity of all persons. The Bureau requests an inclusive programming
approach, which should encompass marginalized populations, especially
those facing discrimination and violence that undermines society’s
collective security. To the extent possible, applicants should identify
and support marginalized populations in all proposed project activities
and objectives, and should provide specific analysis, measures, and
corresponding targets to include them as appropriate. It assumes that
interventions will not affect all segments of society in the same way.
It requires stakeholders to identify and address the difference between
the opportunities and barriers to equality and to design programs in a
way that does not perpetuate inequality.
Cost Effectiveness
DRL strongly encourages applicants to clearly demonstrate project
cost-effectiveness in their application, including examples of
leveraging institutional and other resources. However, cost-sharing or
other examples of leveraging other resources are not required. Inclusion
of cost-sharing in the budget does not result in additional points
awarded during the review process. Budgets should have low and/or
reasonable overhead and administration costs, and applicants should
provide clear explanations and justifications for these costs in
relation to the work involved. All budget items should be clearly
explained and justified to demonstrate necessity, appropriateness, and
connection to the project objectives.
Please note: If cost-share is included in the budget, the
recipient must maintain written records to support all allowable costs
that are claimed as its contribution to cost-share, as well as costs to
be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. In
the event the recipient does not meet the minimum amount of
cost-sharing as stipulated in the recipient’s budget, DRL’s contribution
may be reduced in proportion to the recipient’s contribution.
Multiplier Effect/Sustainability
Applications should clearly delineate how elements of the project
will have a multiplier effect and be sustainable beyond the life of the
grant. A good multiplier effect will have an impact beyond the direct
beneficiaries of the grant (e.g. participants trained under a grant go
on to train other people; workshop participants use skills from a
workshop to enhance a national level election that affects the entire
populace). A strong sustainability plan may include demonstrating
continuing impact beyond the life of a project or garnering other donor
support after DRL funding ceases.
Project Monitoring and Evaluation
Complete applications will include a detailed M&E Narrative and
M&E Plan, which detail how the project’s progress will be monitored
and evaluated. Incorporating well-designed monitoring and evaluation
processes into a project is an efficient method for documenting the
change (intended and unintended) that a project seeks. Applications
should demonstrate the capacity to provide objectives with measurable
outputs and outcomes.
The quality of the M&E sections will be judged on the narrative
explaining how both monitoring and evaluation will be carried out and
who will be responsible for those related activities. The M&E
Narrative should explain how an external evaluation will be incorporated
into the project implementation plan or how the project will be
systematically assessed in the absence of one. Please see the section on
Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for more information on what is required in the narrative.
The output and outcome-based performance indicators should not only
be separated by project objectives but also should match the objectives,
outcomes, and outputs detailed in the logic model and proposal
narrative. Performance indicators should be clearly defined (i.e.,
explained how the indicators will be measured and reported) either
within the table or with a separate Performance Indicator Reference
Sheet (PIRS). For each performance indicator, the table should also
include baselines and quarterly and cumulative targets, data collection
tools, data sources, types of data disaggregation, and frequency of
monitoring and evaluation. There should also be metrics to capture how
project activities target those discriminated against or marginalized
populations or addresses their concerns, where applicable. Please see
the section on
Monitoring and Evaluation Plan in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for more information on what is required in the plan.
E.2 Review and Selection Process
DRL strives to ensure that each application receives a balanced
evaluation by a DRL Review Panel. The Department’s Office of
Acquisitions Management (AQM) will determine technical eligibility for
all applications. All technically eligible applications for a given NOFO
are reviewed against the same seven criteria, which include quality of
project idea, project planning/ability to achieve objectives,
institutional record and capacity, inclusive programming, cost
effectiveness, multiplier effect/sustainability, and project monitoring
and evaluation.
Additionally, the DRL Review Panel will evaluate how the application
addresses the NOFO request, U.S. foreign policy goals, and the priority
needs of DRL overall. DRL may also take into consideration the balance
of the current portfolio of active projects, including geographic or
thematic diversity, if needed.
In most cases, the DRL Review Panel includes representatives from
DRL, the appropriate Department of State regional bureau (to include
feedback from U.S. embassies), and U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) (to include feedback from USAID missions). In some
cases, additional panelists may participate, including from other
Department of State bureaus or offices, U.S. government departments,
agencies, or boards, representatives from partner governments, or
representatives from entities that are in a public-private partnership
with DRL. At the end of the panel’s discussion about an application, the
Panel votes on recommending the application for approval by the DRL
Assistant Secretary. If more applications are ultimately recommended for
approval than DRL can fund, the Panel will rank the recommended
applications in priority order for consideration by the DRL Assistant
Secretary. The Grants Officer Representative (GOR) for the eventual
award does not vote on the panel. All Panelists must sign non-disclosure
agreements and conflicts of interest agreements.
DRL Review Panels may provide conditions and recommendations on
applications to enhance the proposed project, which must be addressed by
the applicant before further consideration of the award. To ensure
effective use of DRL funds, conditions or recommendations may include
requests to increase, decrease, clarify, and/or justify costs and
project activities.
F. Federal Award Administration Information
F.1 Federal Award Notices
DRL will provide a separate notification to applicants on the result
of their applications. Successful applicants will receive a letter
electronically via email requesting that the applicant respond to Panel
conditions and recommendations. This notification is not an
authorization to begin activities and does not constitute formal
approval or a funding commitment.
Final approval is contingent on the applicant successfully responding
to the Panel’s conditions and recommendations, being registered in
required systems, including the U.S. government’s Payment Management
System (PMS), unless an exemption is provided, and completing and
providing any additional documentation requested by DRL or AQM. Final
approval is also contingent on Congressional notification requirements
being met and final review and approval by the Department’s warranted
Grants Officer.
The notice of Federal award signed by the Department’s warranted
Grants Officers is the sole authorizing document. If awarded, the notice
of Federal award will be provided to the applicant’s designated
Authorizing Official via SAMS Domestic to be electronically
counter-signed in the system.
F.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements
The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit
Requirements for Federal Awards set forth in 2 CFR Chapter 200
(Sub-Chapters A through F) shall apply to all non-Federal entities,
except for assistance awards to Individuals and Foreign Public Entities.
Sub-Chapters A through E shall apply to all foreign organizations, and
Sub-Chapters A through D shall apply to all U.S. and foreign for-profit
entities.
The applicant/recipient of the award and any sub-recipient under the
award must comply with all applicable terms and conditions, in addition
to the assurance and certifications made part of the Notice of Award.
The Department’s Standard Terms and Conditions can be viewed at
https://www.state.gov/m/a/ope/index.htm.
F.3 Reporting
Applicants should be aware that DRL awards will require that all
reports (financial and progress) are uploaded to the grant file in SAMS
Domestic on a quarterly basis. The Federal Financial Report (FFR or
SF-425) is the required form for the financial reports and must be
submitted in PMS as well as a copy from PMS then uploaded to the grant
file in SAMS Domestic. The progress reports uploaded to the grant file
in SAMS Domestic must a narrative as described below; and Project
Indicators (or other mutually agreed upon format approved by the Grants
Officer) for the F Framework indicators.
Narrative progress reports should reflect the focus on measuring the
project’s impact on the overarching objectives and should be compiled
according to the objectives, outcomes, and outputs as outlined in the
award’s Scope of Work (SOW) and in the Monitoring and Evaluation
Narrative. An assessment of the overall project’s impact should be
included in each progress report. Where relevant, progress reports
should include the following sections:
- Relevant contextual information (limited);
- Explanation and evaluation of significant activities of the
reporting period and how the activities reflect progress toward
achieving objectives, including meeting benchmarks/targets as set in the
M&E plan. In addition, attach the M&E plan, comparing the
target and actual numbers for the indicators;
- Any tangible impact or success stories from the project, when possible;
- Copy of mid-term and/or final evaluation report(s) conducted by an external evaluator; if applicable;
- Relevant supporting documentation or products related to the project
activities (such as articles, meeting lists and agendas, participant
surveys, photos, manuals, etc.) as separate attachments;
- Description of how the Recipient is pursuing sustainability, including looking for sources of follow-on funding;
- Any problems/challenges in implementing the project and a corrective action plan with an updated timeline of activities;
- Reasons why established goals were not met;
- Data for the required F Framework indicator(s) for the quarter as
well as aggregate data by fiscal year: Program Indicators or other
mutually agreed upon format approved by the Grants Officer.
- Proposed activities for the next quarter;
- Additional pertinent information, including analysis and explanation of cost overruns or high unit costs, if applicable.
A final narrative and financial report must also be submitted within 90 days after the expiration of the award.
Please note: Delays in reporting may result in delays of payment
approvals and failure to provide required reports may jeopardize the
recipient’s’ ability to receive future U.S. government funds.
DRL reserves the right to request any additional programmatic and/or financial project information during the award period.
G. Contact Information
For technical submission questions related to this NOFO, please contact the
DRLLaborGrants@state.gov inbox.
For assistance with SAMS Domestic accounts and technical issues
related to the system, please contact the ILMS help desk by phone at
1-888-313-4567 (toll charges for international callers) or through the
Self Service online portal that can be accessed from
https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms. Customer Support is available 24/7/365.
Please note, establishing an account in SAMS Domestic may require the
use of smartphone for multi-factor authentication (MFA). If an
applicant does not have accessibility to a smartphone during the time of
creating an account, please contact the helpdesk and request and
instructions on MFA for Windows PC.
For assistance with Grants.gov accounts and technical issues related
to using the system, please call the Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or
email support@grants.gov. The Contact Center is available 24 hours a
day, seven days a week, except federal holidays.
For a list of federal holidays visit:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/
With the exception of technical submission questions, during the NOFO
period U.S. Department of State staff in Washington and overseas shall
not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire proposal
review process has been completed and rejection and approval letters
have been transmitted.
H. Other Information
Applicants should be aware that DRL understands that some information
contained in applications may be considered sensitive or proprietary
and will make appropriate efforts to protect such information. However,
applicants are advised that DRL cannot guarantee that such information
will not be disclosed, including pursuant to the Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) or other similar statutes.
The information in this NOFO and “DRL’s Proposal Submission
Instructions for Applications using SAMS Domestic Updated October 2017”
is binding and may not be modified by any DRL representative.
Explanatory information provided by DRL that contradicts this language
will not be binding. Issuance of the NOFO and negotiation of
applications does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the
U.S. government. DRL reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase
proposal budgets.
This NOFO will appear on
www.grants.gov, SAM
S Domestic (after December 8, 2017), and DRL’s website
http://www.state.gov/j/drl/p/c12302.htm.
Background Information on DRL and general DRL funding
DRL has the mission of promoting democracy and protecting human
rights globally. DRL supports projects that uphold democratic
principles, support and strengthen democratic institutions, promote
human rights, prevent atrocities, combat and prevent violent extremism,
and build civil society around the world. DRL typically focuses its work
in countries with egregious human rights violations, where democracy
and human rights advocates are under pressure and where governments are
undemocratic or in transition.
Additional background information on DRL and its efforts can be found on
www.state.gov/j/drl.
