Notice of Funding Opportunity for NGO Projects Benefiting Refugees in Ethiopia and Kenya

FY 2019 Notice of Funding Opportunity for NGO Projects Benefiting Refugees in Ethiopia and Kenya
01/29/2019 07:47 AM EST

Funding Opportunity Announcement
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
January 28, 2019

Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0005549

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number: 19.517 – Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Africa

Announcement issuance date: Monday, January 28, 2019

Announcement type: Cooperative Agreement

Proposal submission deadline: Wednesday, February 27, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. noon EST. We are unable to consider proposals submitted after this deadline.

**ADVISORY: All applicants must submit proposals through the website Grants.gov NOT through SAMS Domestic. Applications submitted to the SAMS Domestic site will not be considered. PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to allow time to address any difficulties that may arise. **

If you are new to PRM funding, the Grants.gov registration process can be complicated. We urge you to refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines “New to PRM Funding” section for information and resources to help ensure that the application process runs smoothly. PRM also strongly encourages organizations that have received funding from PRM in the past to read this section as a refresher.

Full Text of Notice of Funding Opportunity

A.  Project Description
This announcement is designed to accompany PRM’s General NGO Guidelines which contain additional information on PRM’s priorities and NGO funding strategy with which selected organizations must comply. Please use both the General NGO Guidelines and this announcement to ensure that your submission is in full compliance with PRM requirements and that the proposed activities are in line with PRM’s priorities. Submissions that do not reflect the requirements outlined in these guidelines will not be considered.
Current Funding Priorities:

(a) Proposed activities should primarily support refugees in Ethiopia and Kenya. Because of PRM’s mandate to provide protection, assistance, and sustainable solutions for refugees and victims of conflict, PRM will consider funding only those projects that include a target beneficiary base of at least 50 percent refugees.

Country-specific Provisions (see PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for sector descriptions):
Ethiopia
a.  For activities in Benishangul-Gumuz, proposals may focus on one or more of the following areas of intervention:

1. Protection (child protection and/or gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response; assistance to elderly persons with specific needs; and/or to persons living with disabilities)
2. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

b.  For activities in Dollo Ado, proposals may focus on one or more of the following areas of intervention:

1. Protection (child protection and/or gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response)
2. Education
3. Health
4. Nutrition and food security (activities to support diet diversification or food-related livelihoods)
5. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

c.  For activities in Gambella, proposals may focus on one or more of the following areas of intervention:

1. Protection (child protection and/or GBV prevention and response; assistance to elderly persons with specific needs; and/or to persons living with disabilities; community social cohesion)
2. Education
3. Health
4. Nutrition and/or food security (activities to support diet diversification or food-related livelihoods)
5. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

d.  For activities in Jijiga, proposals may focus on one or more of the following areas of intervention:

1. Protection (child protection and/or GBV prevention and response)
2. Education
3. Health

e.  For activities in Tigray, proposals may focus on one or more of the following areas of intervention:

1. Protection (child protection and/or GBV prevention and response; assistance to elderly persons with specific needs; and/or to persons living with disabilities)
2. Education
3. Health
4. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

Kenya

f.  For activities in refugee hosting areas in Nairobi, Dadaab, Kakuma, and Kalobeyei, proposals may focus on one or more of the following areas of intervention:

1. Protection (GBV prevention and response; support to LGBTI refugees; child protection, and/or assistance to separated and unaccompanied minors)
2. Education
3. Health
4. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

B.  Federal Award Information

Proposed project start dates: May 1 – September 1, 2019

Duration of Activity: Project plans for two years will be considered. Applicants should submit multi-year proposals with activities and budgets that do not exceed two years (24 months) from the proposed start date. Actual awards will not exceed one year (12 months) in duration and activities and budgets submitted in year one can be revised/updated each year. Continued funding after the initial 12-month award requires the submission of a noncompeting single year proposal and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. In funding a project for one year, PRM makes no representations that it will continue to fund the project in successive years and encourages applicants to seek a wide array of donors to ensure long-term funding possibilities. Please see Multi-Year Funding section below for additional information.

Funding Limits: Project proposals must not be less than $800,000 per year and not more than $2,000,000 per year or they will be disqualified.

C.  Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: (1) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; (2) Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; and (3) International Organizations. International multilateral organizations, such as United Nations agencies, should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity announcement. Multilateral organizations that are seeking funding for projects should contact the PRM Program Officer (as listed below).
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not a requirement of an application in response to this funding announcement.
3. Other:

(a) Proposals must have a concrete implementation plan with well-conceived objectives and indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and reliable, time-bound, and trackable (SMART), have established baselines, and include at least one outcome or impact indicator per objective; objectives should be clearly linked to the sectors.

(b) Proposals must adhere to relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance. See PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards including guidance on proposals for projects in urban areas.

(c) PRM strongly encourages projects that target the needs of vulnerable and underserved groups among the beneficiary population (women; children; adolescents; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex (LGBTI) individuals; older persons; the sick; persons with disabilities; and members of minority communities) and can demonstrate what steps have been taken to meet the specific and unique protection and assistance needs of these vulnerable groups effectively. See gender analysis requirements below in D.2.(d).

(d) PRM will accept proposals from any NGO working in the above mentioned sectors although, given budgetary constraints, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate:

• a working relationship with UNHCR and/or current UNHCR funding;

• a proven track record in providing proposed assistance both in the sector and specified location;

• evidence of coordination with international organizations (IOs) and other NGOs working in the same area or sector as well as, where possible, local authorities;

• a strong sustainability plan, involving local capacity building, where feasible;

• where applicable, adherence to PRM’s Principles for Refugee Protection in Urban Areas; and

• an understanding of and sensitivity to conflict dynamics in the project location.

D.  Application and Submission Instructions

1.  Address to Request Application Package:

(a) Application packages may be downloaded from the website www.Grants.gov.

2. Content and Form of Application:

(a) PRM strongly recommends using the proposal and budget templates that are available upon email request from PRM’s NGO Coordinator (PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov). Please send an email, with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line, to PRM’s NGO Coordinator to receive an automated reply with the templates.

Page limits: For multi-year funding application instructions, see section (e) below. Proposals exceeding the page limit will not be considered.

(b) To be considered for PRM funding, organizations must submit a complete application package, including:

• Proposal narrative including objectives and indicators for each year of the project period, not exceeding the page limits above.

• Budget summary and budget detail for each year of the project period.

• Budget narrative for each year of the project period.

• Completed SF-424, SF-424A (budget summary), and SF-424B forms. PRM requires that Box 21 of the SF-424 be checked. Please note that pursuant to U.S. Code, Title 218, Section 1001, stated on OMB Standard Form 424 (SF-424), the Department of State is authorized to consolidate the certifications and assurances required by Federal law or regulations for its federal assistance programs. The list of certifications and assurances is available upon request by emailing PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov with the subject line, “PRM NGO Templates.”

• Information in support of any cost-sharing/cost-matching arrangements, if applicable.

• Information detailing the source of any in-kind contributions, if applicable.

• Details on any sub-agreements associated with the project (must be part of the budget submission as noted above),

• Risk Analysis (separate from proposal narrative and from the security plan).

• Organizational Chart for award applicant and sub-recipient(s).

(c) Additionally, organizations must submit the following documents as part of their proposal package, if applicable:

• A market analysis and a beneficiary competency/capacity assessment for all proposals that include at least one livelihoods sector objective. Please see the General NGO Guidelines for more details.

• Most recent Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable or a de minimis rate calculation if the applicant elects to use the de minimis rate, if applicable.

• Most recent external audit report, if not submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse.

(d) In order to be considered a competitive proposal, the proposal narrative and budget should include the following information:

• Focus on outcome or impact indicators as much as possible. At a minimum, each objective should have one outcome or impact indicator. Wherever possible, baselines should be established before the start of the project.

• Include specific information on locations of projects and beneficiaries (GPS coordinates if possible) to increase PRM’s ability to track the impact of PRM funding.

• Outline how the NGO will acknowledge PRM funding. If an organization believes that publicly acknowledging the receipt of U.S. government funding for a particular PRM-funded project could potentially endanger the lives of the beneficiaries and/or the organization staff, invite suspicion about the organization’s motives, or alienate the organization from the population it is trying to help, it must provide a brief explanation in its proposal as to why it should be exempted from this requirement.

• PRM partners must complete a gender analysis in the proposal narrative that briefly explains (1) experiences of men, women, boys, and girls with a focus on the different familial roles, community privileges, and gender dynamics within the target population; (2) associated risks and threats experienced by women, girls, and other vulnerable populations based on their gender; (3) power imbalances and needs that arise based on gender inequalities that exist within the family or community; and (4) proposed responses that will address the above and mitigate any gender differences in access, participation, or decision-making that may be experienced by at-risk groups, particularly women and girls. The gender analysis should aim to specify and target specific at-risk sub-populations of women and girls, in particular women and girl heads of households, out-of-school girls, women and girls with disabilities, women and girl survivors of violence, married girls, adolescent mothers, as well as people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex (LGBTI), and those who are often unaware of and excluded from projects and services and who may be the hardest to reach based on their gender.

• Summarize the risk analysis in the risk management section of the proposal narrative.

• The budget should include a specific breakdown of funds being provided by UNHCR, other U.S. government agencies, other donors, and your own organization.

• Applicants whose proposals address gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response through their projects must estimate the total cost of these activities as a separate line item in their proposed budgets (see PRM’s budget template). Proposals and budgets must include details of any sub-agreements associated with the project.

(e) Applicants must submit the following documents with proposals:

• Copy of the organization’s PSEA Code of Conduct.

• Copy of the organization’s Security Plan.

• Copy of the organization’s Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) framework.

(f) Multi-Year Funding: Applicants should adhere to the following guidance:
Applicants may submit proposals that include multi-year strategies presented in one-year (12-month) cycles for a period not to exceed two years (24 months) from the proposed start date. Fully developed projects with detailed budgets, objectives and indicators are required for each year of activities.

Applicants should use PRM’s recommended multi-year proposal template for the first year of a multi-year application. Multi-year funding applicants may use PRM’s standard budget template and should submit a separate budget sheet for each project year. Multi-year proposal narratives and budgets can be updated yearly upon submission of new noncompeting single year proposal narrative template with an updated budget, each year.

Page limits: Multi-year proposals using PRM’s multi-year template must be no more than 20 pages in length (Times New Roman 12 point font, one-inch margins on all sides). If the applicant does not use PRM’s recommended templates, proposals must not exceed 15 pages in length. Organizations may choose to attach work plans, activity calendars, and/or logical frameworks as addendums/appendices to the proposal. These attachments do not count toward the page limit total; however, annexes cannot be relied upon as a key source of project information. The proposal narrative must be able to stand on its own in the application process. Proposals exceeding the page limit will be disqualified.

Multi-year applications selected for funding by PRM will be funded in one-year (12- month) increments based on the proposal submitted in the initial application as approved by PRM. Continued funding after the initial 12-month award requires the submission of a noncompeting single-year proposal narrative and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. Year two proposals must be submitted by the organization no later than 90 days before the proposed start date of the new cooperative agreement (e.g., if the next project period is to begin on September 1, submit your application by June 1). Follow-on year applications are submitted in lieu of responding to PRM’s published call for proposals for those activities. It is strongly recommended that NGOs submit as early as possible after the directed announcement for continuation funding to be issued. Late applications will jeopardize continued funding.

Organizations can request multi-year funding proposal narrative templates by emailing PRM’s NGO Coordinator with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line.

3.  Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number and System for Award Management (SAM)

(a) Each applicant is required to: (i) be registered in SAM at (www.sam.gov) before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid DUNS number in its application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active PRM award or an application or plan under consideration by PRM. No federal award may be made to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the PRM award is ready to be made, PRM may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a PRM award and use that determination as a basis for making a PRM award to another applicant.

(b) Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov (not via SAMS Domestic). Grants.gov registration requires a DUNS number and active SAM.gov registration. If you are new to PRM funding, the Grants.gov registration process can be complicated. We urge you to refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines “New to PRM Funding” section for information and resources to help ensure that the application process runs smoothly. PRM also strongly encourages organizations that have received funding from PRM in the past to read this section as a refresher. Applicants may also refer to the “Applicant Resources” tools and tips page on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements.

(c) Do not wait until the deadline to submit your application on Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should register well in advance of the deadline as it can take up to two weeks to finalize registration (sometimes longer for non-U.S. based NGOs to get the required registration numbers). We also recommend that organizations, particularly first-time applicants, submit applications via Grants.gov no later than one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in an application not being considered. PRM partners must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which they have an active federal award or an application under consideration by PRM or any federal agency.

(d) When registering with Grants.gov, organizations must designate points of contact and Authorized Organization Representatives (AORs). Organizations based outside the United States must also request and receive an NCAGE code prior to registering with SAM.gov. Applicants experiencing technical difficulties with the SAM registration process should contact the Federal Service Desk (FSD) online or at 1-866-606-8220 (U.S.) and 1-334-206-7828 (International).

(e) Applications must be submitted under the authority of the Authorized Organization Representative at the applicant organization. Having proposals submitted by agency headquarters helps to avoid possible technical problems.

(f) If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-4726.

(g) It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure the appropriate registrations are in place and active. Failure to have the appropriate organizational registrations in place is not considered a technical difficulty and is not justification for an alternate means of submission.

(h) Pursuant to U.S. Code, Title 218, Section 1001, stated on OMB Standard Form 424 (SF-424), the Department of State is authorized to consolidate the certifications and assurances required by Federal law or regulations for its federal assistance programs. The list of certifications and assurances is available upon request by emailing PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov with the subject line, “PRM NGO Templates”. (Do not put the quotation marks in the subject line.)

(i) In accordance with 2 CFR 200.113, Mandatory disclosures, the non-Federal entity or applicant for a Federal award must disclose, in a timely manner, in writing to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity all violations of Federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the Federal award. Non-Federal entities that have received a Federal award including the term and condition outlined in Appendix XII Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters are required to report certain civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings to SAM. Failure to make required disclosures can result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338 Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment. (See also 2 CFR part 180, 31 U.S.C. 3321, and 41 U.S.C. 2313.)

4.  Submission Dates and Times

Announcement issuance date: Monday, January 28, 2019

Proposal submission deadline: Wednesday, February 27, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. noon EST.

5.  Intergovernmental Review : Not Applicable.

6.  Funding Restrictions. Federal awards will not allow reimbursement of Federal Award costs without prior authorization by PRM.

7.  Other Submission Requirements

(a) PRM Standardized Indicators: In an effort to streamline the proposal writing/reviewing process and better measure the impact of the Bureau’s work, PRM strongly recommends the use of standardized indicators for projects in the protection, child protection, health, mental health and psychosocial support, WASH, nutrition and food security, education, livelihoods, and shelter sectors, as well as projects that include local government capacity-building and core relief items (non-food items). Applicants must fill in numerical and/or percentage targets for each indicator. Sphere standards should be used as targets, unless otherwise noted. Proposals must include at least one standardized indicator per objective, as applicable. Please refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of all standardized indicators that may be included.

(b) Branding and Marking Strategy: Unless exceptions have been approved by the designated bureau Authorizing Official as described in the proposal templates that are available upon email request from PRM’s NGO Coordinator, at a minimum, the following provision will be included whenever assistance is awarded:

• The Recipient shall recognize the United States Government’s funding for activities specified under this award at the project site with a graphic of the U.S. flag accompanied by one of the following two phrases based on the level of funding for the award:

1. Fully funded by the award: “Gift of the United States Government”
2. Partially funded by the award: “Funding provided by the United States Government”

Exemptions from this requirement must be agreed to in writing by the Grants Officer.
All programs, projects, assistance, activities, and public communications to foreign audiences, partially or fully funded by the Department, should be marked appropriately overseas with the standard U.S. flag in a size and prominence equal to (or greater than) any other logo or identity. The requirement does not apply to the Recipient’s own corporate communications or in the United States.

The Recipient should ensure that all publicity and promotional materials underscore the sponsorship by or partnership with the U.S. Government or the U.S. Embassy. The Recipient may continue to use existing logos or project materials; however, a standard rectangular U.S. flag must be used in conjunction with such logos.

The U.S. flag may replace or be used in conjunction with the Department of State seal, the U.S. embassy seal, or other DOS program logos.

Sub non-Federal entities (sub-awardees) and subsequent tier sub-award agreements are subject to the marking requirements and the non-Federal entity shall include a provision in the sub non-Federal entity agreement indicating that the standard, rectangular U.S. flag is a requirement.

In the event the non-Federal entity does not comply with the marking requirements as established in the approved assistance agreement, the Grants Officer Representative and the Grants Officer must initiate corrective action with the non-Federal entity.

E.  Application Review Information

1.  Criteria: Eligible submissions will be those that comply with the criteria and requirements included in this announcement. In addition, the review panel will evaluate the proposals based on the following criteria:

i.  Gap Analysis
ii.  Profile of the Target Population
iii.  Project Description
iv.  Gender Analysis
v.  Objectives and Indicators
vi.  Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
vii.  Risk Management
viii.  Accountability to Affected Populations
ix.  Coordination
x.  Sustainability and Capacity-Building
xi.  Management and Past Performance
xii.  Budget

2.  PRM will conduct a formal competitive review of all proposals submitted in response to this funding announcement. A review panel of at least three people will evaluate submissions based on the above-referenced programmatic criteria and PRM priorities in the context of available funding.

3.  Department of State 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 limited PRM funds, conditions or recommendations may include requests to increase, decrease, clarify, and/or justify costs and project activities.

F.  Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Administration. A successful applicant can expect to receive a separate notice from PRM stating that an application has been selected before PRM actually makes the federal award. That notice is not an authorization to begin performance. Only the notice of award signed by the grants officer is the authorizing document. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified following completion of the selection and award process.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements. PRM awards are made consistent with the following provisions in the following order of precedence: (a) applicable laws and statutes of the United States, including any specific legislative provisions mandated in the statutory authority for the award; (b) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR); (c) Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions of the award; (d) the award’s specific requirements; and (e) other documents and attachments to the award.
3. Reporting

Successful applicants will be required to submit:

(a) Project Reports: PRM requires project reports describing and analyzing the results of activities undertaken during the validity period of the agreement. A project report is required within thirty (30) days following the end of each three-month period of performance during the validity period of the agreement. The final project report is due ninety (90) days following the end of the agreement. The submission dates for project reports will be written into the cooperative agreement. Partners receiving multi-year awards should follow this same reporting schedule and should still submit a final project report at the end of each year that summarizes the NGO’s performance during the previous year.

The Performance Progress Report (SF-PPR) is a standard, government-wide performance reporting format. Recipients of PRM funding may submit the signed SF-PPR cover page with each project report, although it is not required. In addition, the Bureau suggests that NGOs receiving PRM funding use the PRM-recommended project report template and reference this template as being attached in block 10 of the SF-PPR. This template is designed to ease the reporting requirements while ensuring that all required elements are addressed. The Project Report Template can be requested by sending an email with only the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” (without the quotation marks) in the subject line to PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov.

(b) Financial Reports: Financial reports are required within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar year quarter during the validity period of the agreement (January 30th, April 30th, July 30th, October 30th). The final financial report covering the entire period of the agreement is required within ninety (90) days after the expiration date of the agreement. For agreements containing indirect costs, final financial reports are due within sixty (60) days of the finalization of the applicable negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA).

Reports reflecting expenditures for the recipient’s overseas and United States offices should be completed in accordance with the Federal Financial Report (FFR SF-425) and submitted electronically in the Department of Health and Human Services’ Payment Management System (HHS/PMS) and in accordance with other award-specific requirements. Detailed information pertaining to the Federal Financial Report including due dates, instruction manuals, and access forms, is provided on the HHS/PMS website.

For more details regarding reporting requirements please see PRM’s General NGO Guidelines.

(c) Audit Reports: When a recipient-contracted audit is not required because the annual Federal Assistance amount is less than the $750,000 threshold, the Department may determine that an audit must be performed and the audit report must be submitted to the responsible grants office(r) for review, dissemination, and resolution as appropriate. 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.

G.  PRM Contacts

Applicants with technical questions related to this announcement should contact the PRM staff listed below prior to proposal submission. Please note that responses to technical questions from PRM do not indicate a commitment to fund the project discussed.

PRM Team Lead for the Horn of Africa Wossie Mazengia: MazengiaW@state.gov, 202-453-9380, Washington, D.C.

PRM Program Officer Martha Marrazza: MarrazzaM@state.gov, 202-453-9306, Washington, D.C.

PRM Program Analyst Passy Pomeroy: PomeroyP@state.gov, 202-453-9305, Washington, D.C.

PRM Regional Refugee Coordinator Diane Whitten: WhittenDL@state.gov, U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

PRM Deputy Regional Refugee Coordinator Ketura Brown: BrownKD2@state.gov, U.S. Embassy Nairobi, Kenya.