Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number: 19.517

Announcement Issuance Date: Thursday, November 7, 2013

Proposal submission deadline: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. EST (noon Washington, DC time). Proposals submitted after this deadline or incomplete proposal packages will not be considered.

ADVISORY: PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal several days early to allow time to address any technical difficulties that may arise.

Proposed Program Start Dates: January 1 – April 1, 2014

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 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 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. Please see the Multi-Year Funding section below for additional information.

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.

Current Funding Priorities for refugees in Ethiopia and Kenya:

(a) PRM will prioritize funding for proposed NGO activities that best meet the Bureau’s priorities for filling programming gaps in the Horn of Africa region as identified below.

While PRM encourages activities that include host communities, because of PRM's mandate to provide protection, assistance, and durable 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 the protection/assistance gap(s) below will not be considered.

ETHIOPIA

Proposals must focus on one or more of the following:

Benishangul-Gumuz Refugee Camps

• Livelihoods[1] (vocational education/training that benefits both refugees and host nationals)

Tigray Refugee Camps

• Livelihoods1 and/or vocational education/training that will help minimize onward migration

KENYA

Proposals must focus on one or more of the following:

Kakuma Refugee Camp

• Protection (e.g., protection assistance for children and new arrivals, including those living with a disability, gender based violence prevention and response)

Dadaab Refugee Camps

• Livelihoods1 (secondary and/or vocational education/training that ideally benefits both refugees and host nationals, and that for Somali refugees has a clear link to eventual voluntary return)

(b) For both countries, proposals should be shared with UNHCR in advance of submission and must be developed in full consultation with UNHCR to ensure coherence with its overall comprehensive planning for refugee operations.

(c) 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 aforementioned sectors.

(d) Proposals must adhere to relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance. See PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards.

(e) PRM will accept proposals from any NGO (refer to Eligible Applicants section above) working in the above mentioned areas 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. Proposals must include a letter of support from UNHCR for the proposed activities (this letter should highlight the gap in services the proposed program is designed to address and should include any UNHCR co-funding for the proposed activities and/or similar refugee activities);
• 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;
• Projects in protracted refugee situations and multi-year funding applications must include (1) concrete steps that will be taken during the program period to support the eventual transition of activities to government ministries, local NGOs, or development actors, (2) the estimated timeframe for the transition, and (3) what obstacles might inhibit the transition;
• A budget that is appropriate for meeting the objectives and demonstrates co-funding by non-U.S. government sources;
• Appropriate targeting of beneficiaries in coordination with UNHCR and other relevant organizations; and
• Inclusion of persons living with disabilities within the targeted population.

(f) Country Specific Instructions

• Ethiopia: Proposals for activities must be accompanied by a letter from the UNHCR Addis Ababa Office showing endorsement of the proposed activities and inclusion on the Government of Ethiopia’s Agency for Refugee and Returnee Affairs’ (ARRA) accountability matrix (3W matrix).
• Kenya: Proposals for activities must be accompanied by a letter from the UNHCR Nairobi Office showing endorsement of the proposed activities and inclusion on the respective camp’s accountability matrix (3W matrix). The UNHCR Nairobi letter should also acknowledge coordination with the relevant UNHCR camp sub-office.

Funding Limits: Project proposals cannot exceed $1,000,000 per year or they will not be accepted.

As stated in the PRM 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/web/grants/applicants/applicant-resources.html). 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) at www.sam.gov 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=161menu_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 2013 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. 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). Continuation applications are submitted in lieu of responding to PRM’s published call for proposals for those activities. Late continuation 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.

Applicant Vetting as a Condition of Award: Applicants are advised that successful passing of vetting to evaluate the risk that funds may benefit terrorists or their supporters is a condition of an award for Kenya. Applicants may be asked to submit information required by DS Form 4184, Risk Analysis Information (attached to this solicitation) about their organization and its principal personnel. Vetting information is also required for all sub-award performance on assistance awards identified by the U.S. Department of State as presenting a risk of terrorist financing. When vetting information is requested by the Grants Officer, information may be submitted on the secure web portal at https://ramportal.state.gov, via Email to RAM@state.gov, or by hardcopy to the Grants Officer. Questions about the form may be emailed to RAM@state.gov. Failure to submit information when requested, or failure to pass vetting, may be grounds for rejecting your proposal. The following clause shall be included in Section 9, Special Award Conditions, or as an addendum to the solicitation, whenever assistance is awarded after vetting:

Recipient Vetting after Award: Recipients shall advise the Grants Officer of any changes in personnel listed in the DS Form 4184, Risk Analysis Information, and shall provide vetting information on new individuals. The government reserves the right to vet these personnel changes and to terminate assistance awards for convenience based on vetting results.

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, and podium signs 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. Sub-recipients and subsequent tier sub-award agreements are subject to the marking requirements and the recipient shall include a provision in the sub-recipient agreement indicating that using 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. (Note: Responses to technical questions from PRM do not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.)

PRM Program Officer Madelina Young-Smith (YoungMM@state.gov; 202-453-9382), Washington, DC; please include PRM Program Assistant Lin’an Bartlett on email correspondence (BartlettL@state.gov)

Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Horn of Africa Bindi Patel (PatelBK@state.gov), U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Regional Refugee Assistant for the Horn of Africa Lin’an Bartlett (until Dec. 9) (BartlettLD@state.gov), U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Deputy Refugee Coordinator for Kenya and Somalia Kristin Alderman (AldermanKL@state.gov), U.S. Embassy, Refugee and Migration Affairs, Nairobi, Kenya