Department of State – U.S. Embassy Malabo PAS MALABO SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM FOR ALL AUDIENCES NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO) The Public Affairs Sections at the U.S. Embassy, Malabo and the Public Affairs Office are pleased to announce a Funding Opportunity. The Annual Program Statement invites applications for innovative programs. The deadline for applications is March 22, 2020. Funding Instrument Type: Grant Anticipated period of performance: 1-12 months Number of awards anticipated: up to 4 Ceiling of Individual Award Amounts: $7,000 I- AWARD SUMMARY The U.S. Embassy in Malabo invites all eligible applicants to submit a proposal. This NOFO is soliciting applications for the specific purpose of advancing the objectives outlined below. Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing projects will not be considered under this NOFO. Goals Woman Issues and/or Economy Diversification in Equatorial Guinea Project proposals submitted through this NOFO should address one of the following goals: 1. Motivating, empowering and/or increasing social or economic inclusion of women (i.e. equal rights, training in business development skills, promoting the entrepreneurial spirit, and opportunities for women) 2. Diversifying the Equatoguinean economy (i.e. training in business development skills, promoting the entrepreneurial spirit, supporting tourism/protecting the environment to promote ecotourism) SECTION 1 – COVER SHEET The coversheet is limited to one page in length. It must provide the title of the project, an executive summary of the project, the applicant’s capacity to carry it out, expected timeline and cost. SECTION 2 – TECHNICAL PROPOSAL A. Implementation Plan Applicants are recommended to present the following for each project component: · An overview of the proposed project component and its respective activities. · A description of how the project component supports the overall goal of the project. · A detailed outline of the methodology that will be used to implement the proposed component. · An analysis of anticipated implementation risks and challenges. · A summary of expected outputs with their expected impact, using performance indicators that will be used to track progress towards the anticipated results. · A comprehensive budget submitted in the form of a spreadsheet. The proposal should also describe the applicant’s sustainability plan and what measures will be taken to ensure that the benefits of the proposed project continue to be realized after the completion of award performance. B. Organizational Description and Capability . A. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (M&E) The M&E plan for this project must include at least two of the following indicators: SECTION 3 – BUDGET A. Budget Details Applications will not be considered complete unless they include budgets that respond to the solicitation guidelines. Complete budgets will include detailed line-items outlining specific cost requirements for proposed activities. Detailed Line-Item Budget (in Microsoft Excel or similar spreadsheet format) a. Personnel – Identify staffing requirements by each position title and brief description of duties. For clarity, please list the annual salary of each position, percentage of time and number of months devoted to the project. b. Fringe Benefits - State benefit costs separately from salary costs and explain how benefits are computed for each category of employee - specify type and rate. c. Travel - Staff and any participant travel 1) International Airfare 2) In-country Travel 3) Domestic Travel in the U.S., if any 4) Per diem/maintenance: Includes lodging, meals and incidentals for both participant and staff travel. Rates of maximum allowances for U.S. and foreign travel are available from the following website: http://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp. d. Equipment – Please provide justification for any equipment purchase/rental, defined as tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year. e. Supplies – The specifications and cost of each type of supply proposed (e.g., desktop computer with pre-installed software) must be included in this section. List items separately using unit costs (and the percentage of each unit cost being charged to the award) for photocopying, postage, telephone/fax, printing, and office supplies (e.g., Telephone: $50/month x 50% = $25/month x 12 months). f. Contractual - - Sub-grants and sub-contracts. For each sub-grant/contract please provide a detailed line item breakdown explaining specific services. In the sub-grant budgets, provide the same level of detail for personnel, travel, supplies, equipment, direct costs, fringe benefits, and indirect costs as required of the direct applicant. - Consultant Fees. For example, lecture fees, honoraria, travel, and per diem for outside speakers or independent evaluators: list number of people and rates per day (e.g., 2 x $100/day x 2 days). g. Construction – For this solicitation, construction costs are not applicable. h. Other Direct Costs - these will vary depending on the nature of the project. The inclusion of each should be justified in the budget narrative. i. Indirect Costs - Organizations claiming indirect costs should have an established NICRA. A copy of the NICRA should be provided with the proposal package. If sub-grantees are claiming indirect costs, they should have an established NICRA should also submitted with the proposal package. If an organization does not have a NICRA, and the proposal budget has a line item for indirect cost charges, those indirect charges may not exceed 10%. Information how to obtain a NICRA rate is listed Section G. B. Budget Narrative The purpose of the budget narrative is to supplement the information provided in the budget spreadsheet by justifying how the budget cost elements are necessary to implement project objectives and accomplish the project goals. The budget narrative is a tool to help the Embassy staff fully understand the budgetary needs of the applicant and is an opportunity to provide descriptive information about the costs beyond the constraints of the budget template. T SECTION 4 – KEY PERSONNEL RESUMES A resume, not to exceed one (01) page in length, must be included for the proposed key staff persons, such as the Project Director. If an individual for this type of position has not been identified, the applicant may submit a 1-page position description, identifying the qualifications and skills required for that position, in lieu of a resume. SECTION 5 - APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE (SF-424) The SF424 is the standard cover sheet for applications. For Individuals: Download and fill the “Application for Federal Domestic Assistance- Individual” form on the following link: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-individual-family.html#sortby=1 For Organizations: Download and fill the “SF424 Mandatory Form” form on the following link: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-mandatory-family.html#sortby=1 SECTION 8 – LETTERS OF INTENT Applicants must include a letter of intent in their application if they plan to enter into partnership with another person and/or organization for the execution of the project. The letters must identify the type of relationship to be entered into (formal or informal), the roles and responsibilities of each partner in relation to the proposed project activities, and the expected result of the partnership. No more than 1 page in length. SECTION 9 - PROOF OF NON-PROFIT STATUS Documentation to demonstrate the applicant’s non-profit status (e.g. U.S.-based organizations should submit a copy of their IRS determination letter, EG organizations should provide a copy of their NGO license or equivalent). The U.S. Embassy reserves the right to request any additional programmatic and/or financial information regarding the proposal. 2. Applications are accepted in English only, and final grant agreements will be concluded in English. Budgets shall be submitted in U.S. dollars and final grant agreements will be conducted in U.S. dollars. Submission Dates and Times - Application Deadline: All applications must be received by March 22, 2020 at 23:59 (Malabo Time). For the purposes of determining if an award is submitted on time, officials will utilize the time-stamp provided by Grants.gov. This deadline is firm and is not a rolling deadline. If applicants fail to meet the deadline noted above their application will be considered ineligible and will not be considered for funding. - Questions Deadline: For questions on this solicitation please contact: · By email:
[email protected] - By post or in-person delivery: U.S. Embassy Malabo, Malabo II, Malabo Equatorial Guinea · Sending an email is the preferred method of communication. Questions must be received on or before March 18, 2019 at 22:00 (Equatorial Guinea time). - Submission Process IV- APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION A- Selection Criteria Eligible applications submitted under this opportunity will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the criteria detailed below. The criteria are designed to assess the quality of the proposed project plan/approach, and to determine the likelihood of its success. The criteria are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application. Applications will be reviewed on the basis of their fullness, coherence, clarity, and attention to detail. Selection criteria for this notice of funding opportunity will include: 1. Quality of the program idea and program planning (20 points): The proposed project plan should be well developed, respond to the design outlined in the solicitation and demonstrate originality. The project should have clear goals and objectives and metrics for determining whether the project goals were met. It should be clearly and accurately written, substantive and with sufficient detail. 2. Ability to achieve program objectives (20 points): Objectives should be reasonable and feasible. Applications should clearly demonstrate how the institution will meet the program's objectives and plan. 3. Applicant’s record and capacity in serving the community (10 points): The application should demonstrate a record, including successful programming, responsible fiscal management involving complex budgets and compliance with reporting requirements, especially for U.S. Government grants. 4. Sustainability (20 points): Proposed project should address the applicant’s strategy for ensuring that the project benefits will continue to be realized on a long-term basis after the conclusion of the period of performance of the award. Applicant should clearly address a feasible approach to the Sustainability Plan. 5. Monitoring and Evaluation (20 points): Applications should demonstrate the capacity for engaging in impact assessments and providing objectives with measurable outputs and outcomes. The applicant should describe its plan for monitoring and reporting project outcomes. 6. Cost-effectiveness (10 points): The overhead and administrative components of the proposal, including salaries and supplies, should be consistent with prevailing market rates in Equatorial Guinea. B- Review and Selection Process It may take up to 90 days from the application deadline before an award or decline notice is sent from the Embassy. Due to the volume of proposals received, individual responses to requests for updates prior to the 90-day timeframe may not be returned until final review and approval of proposals is completed. For complete information: https://gq.usembassy.gov/education-culture/grants/