03/04/2013 11:01 AM EST
FY
2013 Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs Benefiting Refugees in
South Sudan
Funding Opportunity Announcement
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
March
1, 2013
Funding Opportunity Number:
PRM-PRMOAPAF-13-004-016650
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number: 19.517
- Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Africa
Announcement issuance date: Friday
, March
1, 2013
Proposal submission deadline: Monday, April 1, 2013 at
12:00 p.m. noon
EDT. Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be
considered.
**ADVISORY: PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal several
days early to allow time to address any difficulties that may arise.**
Proposed Program Start Dates: June 1 – September 30, 2013
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 Organizations (IOs) should
not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this Funding Opportunity
Announcement. Rather IOs such as UN agencies and other Public International
Organizations (PIOs) that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this
announcement should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer (as listed below)
on or before the closing date of the funding announcement.
Duration of Activity: Program plans from
12 to 36
months will be considered. Applicants may submit multi-year proposals
with activities and budgets that do not exceed 36 months from the proposed
start date. Actual awards will not exceed 12 months in duration. Continued
funding after the initial 12- month award requires the submission of a
noncompeting continuation application and will be contingent upon available
funding, strong performance, and continuing need. In funding a project 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. Submission of a continuation
application means that the organization does not have to respond to the annual
call for proposals for the duration of the multi-year project. Please see the
Multi-Year Funding section below for additional information.
Current Funding Priorities : PRM will prioritize funding for
proposed NGO activities that best meet the Bureau’s priorities as identified
below for filling programming gaps for refugees currently in South Sudan from
the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Sudan, or other countries as identified below.
(a) 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% refugees. Please note that projects that do not meet one of the
protection/assistance gaps below will not be considered.
(b) Health Sector Standard Indicators Pilot: Proposals focusing on health in
camp based/returnee settings must include a minimum of one of the four
following indicators, and should try to include as many of the other indicators
as are relevant:
- Number of consultations/clinician/day – Target: Fewer
than 50 patients per clinician per day
- Measles vaccination rate for children under five –
Target: 95% coverage
- Percentage of deliveries attended by a skilled birth
attendant in a health care facility – Target: 100%
- Percentage of reporting rape survivors given
post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with 72 hours – Target: 100%
Congolese, CAR, and Ethiopian Refugees in South Sudan:
(c) Activities should support refugees in Pochalla, Makpandu, Lasu, and
Napere (Ezo) settlements, South Sudan.
(d) Target beneficiaries, sectors, and proposed programs should be developed
in full coordination with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR). Proposals should focus on one or more of the following sectors:
i. Protection (prevention/response to gender-based violence or assistance
for unaccompanied minors.)
ii. Health (reproductive health, maternal and child health, mental health
and psychosocial support, or assistance for disabled persons)
iii. Livelihoods (primary education or vocational education/training)
Sudanese Refugees in South Sudan:
(e) Activities should support Sudanese refugees in current or planned
settlements located in South Sudan and in coordination with UNHCR. Proposals
should specify refugee population numbers and projects in proposed locations.
(f) Target beneficiaries, sectors, and proposed programs should be developed
in full coordination with UNHCR. Proposals should focus on one or more of the
following sectors:
i. Protection (prevention/response to gender-based violence or assistance
for unaccompanied minors, prevention of military recruitment)
ii. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)
iii. Health (reproductive health, maternal and child health, mental health
and psychosocial support, or assistance for disabled persons)
iv. Nutrition (support and accessibility to adequate nutrition for
pregnant/lactating women, and/or persons living with disabilities, and/or
elderly person)
v. Innovative projects that mitigate the impact of deforestation and water
usage by refugees and livestock (including, but not limited to energy efficient
stoves, multi-family cooking shelters, energy efficient cooking techniques,
rainwater harvesting).
(g) 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.
(h) Proposals must adhere to relevant international standards for
humanitarian assistance. See PRM’s
General NGO
Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards.
(i) 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, current UNHCR
funding, and/or a letter of support from UNHCR for the proposed activities
and/or overall country program (this letter should highlight the gap in
services the proposed program is designed to address);
- 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 transition plan, where feasible, involving
local capacity-building;
- a budget that demonstrates co-funding by non-US
government sources.
(j) Country Specific Instructions
South Sudan: Proposals for activities in South Sudan must be accompanied by
a letter from UNHCR showing approval for the proposed activities.
Funding Limits: FY 2013, PRM anticipates providing
approximately $4,000,000 million to fund NGO programs in South Sudan. Project
proposals must not be less than $175,000 and not more than $1,500,000 per year
or they will be disqualified. As stated in PRM’s
General NGO
Guidelines, PRM looks favorably on cost-sharing efforts and seeks to
support projects with a diverse donor base and/or resources from the submitting
organization.
Proposal Submission Requirements: Proposals must be
submitted via Grants.gov. See “Applicant Resources” page on Grants.gov for
complete details on requirements (
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp).
Please also note the following highlights:
- Do not wait until the
last minute 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). To
register with Grants.gov, organizations must first receive a DUNS number
and register with the System for Award Management (SAM) which can take
weeks and sometimes months. We 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.
- Applications must be
submitted under the authority of the Authorized Organization
Representative (AOR) at the applicant organization. Having proposals
submitted by agency headquarters helps to avoid possible technical
problems.
- 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. Applicants who are unable to submit
applications via Grants.gov due to Grants.gov technical difficulties and
who have reported the problem to the Grants.gov help desk, received a case
number, and had a service request opened to research the problem, should
contact the relevant PRM Program Officer to determine whether an alternative
method of submission is appropriate.
- International
Organizations (IOs) should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in
response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement. Rather IOs such as UN
agencies and other Public International Organizations (PIOs) that are
seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact
the relevant PRM Program Officer (as stated below) on or before the
closing date of the funding announcement.
- 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 can be found at: http://fa.statebuy.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=161&menu_id=68
)
Proposal Content, Formatting and Template: This
announcement is designed to accompany PRM’s
General NGO
Guidelines, which contain additional administrative information on proposal
content and formatting, and explain in detail PRM’s NGO funding strategy and
priorities. Please use both the
General NGO
Guidelines and this announcement to ensure that your proposal submission is
in full compliance with PRM requirements and that the proposed activities are
in line with PRM’s priorities. Proposal submissions that do not meet all of the
requirements outlined in these guidelines will not be considered.
PRM strongly recommends using the proposal and budget templates that are
available upon email request from
PRM's
NGO Coordinator. Please send an email, with the phrase
“PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line, to PRM's NGO Coordinator
. Single-year
proposals using PRM’s templates 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.
To be considered for PRM funding, organizations must submit a complete
application package including:
- Proposal reflecting objectives and indicators for each
year of the program period.
- Budget and budget narrative for each year of the
program period.
- Signed completed SF-424.
In addition, proposal submissions to PRM 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.
- To increase PRM’s ability to track the impact of PRM
funding, include specific information on locations of projects and
beneficiaries (GPS coordinates if possible).
- Proposals should outline how the NGO will acknowledge
PRM funding. If an organization believes that publicly acknowledging the
receipt of USG 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.
- The budget should include a specific breakdown of funds
being provided by UNHCR, other USG agencies, other donors, and your own
organization. PRM strongly encourages multilateral support for
humanitarian programs.
- Proposals and budgets should include details of any
sub-agreements associated with the program.
- Copy of the organization’s Code of Conduct (required
before an award can be made).
- Copy of the organization’s Security Plan (required
before an award can be made).
- Most recent Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement
(NICRA), if applicable.
- NGOs that have not received PRM funding since the U.S.
Government fiscal year ending September 30, 2004 must be prepared to
demonstrate that they meet the financial and accounting requirements of
the U.S. Government by submitting copies of 1) the most recent external
financial audit, 2) proof of non-profit tax status including under IRS 501
(c)(3), as applicable, 3) a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number,
and 4) an Employer ID (EIN)/Federal Tax Identification number.
- Organizations that received PRM funding in FY 2012 for
activities that are being proposed for funding under this announcement
must include the most recent quarterly progress report against indicators
outlined in the cooperative agreement. If an organization’s last quarterly
report was submitted more than six weeks prior to the submission of a
proposal in response to this funding announcement, the organization must
include, with its most recent quarterly report, updates that show any
significant progress made on objectives since the last report.
Multi-Year Funding: Applicants proposing multi-year
programs should adhere to the following guidance:
Applicants may submit proposals that include multi-year strategies presented
in 12-month cycles for a period not to exceed 36 months from the proposed start
date. Fully developed programs with detailed budgets, objectives and indicators
are required for each year of activities. These can be updated yearly upon
submission of continuation applications, as PRM expects that conditions on the
ground may change. Applicants should note that they may use PRM’s recommended
multi-year proposal template for this application, which is different from the
single year template. Multi-year funding applicants may also use PRM’s standard
budget template and should submit a separate budget sheet for each project
year. Multi-year proposals using PRM’s templates must be no more than 30 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 25 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.
Multi-year applications selected for funding by PRM will be funded in 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 continuation application and will be
contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. Continuation
applications must be submitted by the organization no later than 90 days before
the proposed start date of the new award (e.g., if the next project period is
to begin on September 1, submit your application by June 1). Late applications
will jeopardize continued funding.
Organizations can request multi-year funding and continuation application
templates by emailing
PRM's NGO
Coordinator with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the
subject line
.
Reports and Reporting Requirements:
Program reporting: PRM requires quarterly and final program
reports describing and analyzing the results of activities undertaken during
the validity period of the agreement. It is highly suggested that NGOs
receiving PRM funding use the PRM recommended program report template. To
request this template, send an email with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the
subject line to
PRM's NGO
Coordinator.
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; a final financial report covering the entire
period of the agreement is required within ninety (90) days after the expiration
date of the agreement.
For more details regarding reporting requirements please see PRM’s
General NGO
Guidelines.
Proposal Review Process: PRM will conduct a formal competitive
review of all proposals submitted in response to this funding announcement. A
review panel will evaluate submissions based on the above-referenced proposal
evaluation criteria and PRM priorities in the context of available funding.
PRM may request revised proposals and/or budgets based on feedback from the
panel. PRM will provide formal notifications to NGOs of final decisions taken
by Bureau management.
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:
As a condition of receipt of this assistance award, all materials produced
pursuant to the award, including training materials, materials for recipients
or materials to communicate or promote with foreign audiences a program, event,
project, or some other activity under this agreement, including but not limited
to invitations to events, press materials, event backdrops, podium signs, etc.
must be marked appropriately with the standard U.S. flag in a size and
prominence equal to (or greater than) any other logo or identity. Subrecipients
and subsequent tier sub-award agreements are subject to the marking
requirements and the recipient shall include a provision in the subrecipient
agreement indicating that the standard, rectangular U.S. flag is a requirement.
In the event the recipient 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.
PRM Points of Contact: Should NGOs have technical questions
related to this announcement, they 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 program discussed.
PRM Program Officer: Andres Valdes,
ValdesAX@State.gov, 202-453-9306, or Chris
Upchurch,
UpchurchCM@State.gov,
202-453-9384, Washington, D.C.
Regional Refugee Coordinator: Lubna Khan,
KhanL@State.gov, U.S. Embassy, Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia.